¤*†==~¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨~==†*¤
#@£=†~-¨¨,                                          ,¨¨-~†=£@#
@#§%**~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~**%§#@
#@££¤%/«-¨                                          ¨-«/%¤££@#
#@£%*\~-.¨                                          ¨.-~\*%£@#
£#§%/«-¨,, ¨   ,   -   /              \   «   ,   ¨ ,,¨-«/%§#£
@£%\»^¨,,¨  ¨   .   »   ^            \   »   ~   ,  ¨,,¨^»\%£@
%*;-,¨,,,,   ¨   ~   ~   *          =   ~   ,   ¨   ,,,,¨,-;*%
††»-,,¨,,¨    .   :   »   :        ^   »   .   ¨    ¨,,¨,,-»††
*-,.¨,...,                                          ,...,¨.,-*
~,.¨,.¨.¨, as we  cross the mountain,  we  can walk ,¨.¨.,¨.,~
;-~¨.,¨.¨¨ only  at  night. long ago, someone  here ¨¨.¨,.¨~-;
*/»,,¨,,,¨ must've angered  the  sun, and  today it ¨,,,¨,,»/*
*^=~.,,.., still burns  us strangely. but with  the ,..,,.~=^*
§£^;=~..,, sunset  the air comes  raining back down ,,..~=;^£§
@@@*/~:,,, and  gets thick enough  to  breathe.  it ,,,:~/*@@@
@@#£†;»-.¨ carries with  it smells  from  far away, ¨.-»;†£#@@
###@§$=»~. colourful  sparks for the imagination, a .~»=$§@###
#¶@§$\»^,. sharp  contrast for  the stale black  of .,^»\$§@¶#
¶§$=;»^¨,. the night.                               .,¨^»;=$§¶
§*%^«-,¨.,                                          ,.¨,-«^%*§
%†:»~.¨¨.¨ the others think  i'm young,  they don't ¨.¨¨.~»:†%
=\=,.,,.¨, take   me  seriously  and  i  fear  they ,¨.,,.,=\=
:~,,¨¨,¨., snicker  a  bit.  you  usually  get  old ,.¨,¨¨,,~:
-.,.,,.... before  you learn  the trade  enough  to ....,,.,.-
†~,.¨,..., take other people.  but  i  do lead them ,...,¨.,~†
^/-.¨¨¨..¨ safely     forward,     every     night. ¨..¨¨¨.-/^
@*/«^¨,,..                                          ..,,¨^«/*@
££*^«,..¨¨ however,  currently  there seems  to  be ¨¨..,«^*££
@#@§^=^.., something going  on  ahead. those around ,..^=^§@#@
@@&&*^«,.¨ the   corner   have  stopped,  shouting, ¨.,«^*&&@@
##£¤&*;=.¨ pointing.                                ¨.=;*&¤£##
@@#¤%^~-,.                                          .,-~^%¤#@@
#£@†=~.,¨, ¨,, ¨. ¨«*», .. ¨¨.                      ,¨,.~=†@£#
&§^*-~¨¨¨. .,¨ ¨, ,«;». ., .¨,                      .¨¨¨~-*^§&
**/--.¨.¨¨ .¨, ,¨ ¨=/~, ,, .¨.                      ¨¨.¨.--/**
*==,¨¨,¨., ¨¨. ,, ¨»=«, ¨¨ ,,¨                      ,.¨,¨¨,==*
/«,.,..¨,. ,,, ,¨ ¨~†~, ¨, ¨,¨                      .,¨..,.,«/
~^¨¨,¨..,. .¨, ¨. .»†=. ., ,..                      .,..¨,¨¨^~
;»,,,.¨,.. ,.¨ .¨ ,«;-¨ ,¨ ...                      ..,¨.,,,»;
^*=^¨¨,,,¨ .¨¨ ., .-:-, ¨¨ .¨,                      ¨,,,¨¨^=*^
$^/=:.,.,,                                          ,,.,.:=/^$
#¤†;-,,¨¨¨ my greatest treasure, the                ¨¨¨,,-;†¤#
£§$%^»-,., book of stars,   is   a  combined   map, ,.,-»^%$§£
#£££=/»^.¨ calendar  and  timepiece as  long as you ¨.^»/=£££#
##£¤¤%*-^¨ know  what year it  is. every  page is a ¨^-*%¤¤£##
@£¤%*\~~,, grid  of nine  starfields,  hand  drawn, ,,~~\*%¤£@
@&£%;-..¨, below  which  are written coordinates in ,¨..-;%£&@
#£†\~-¨... both space  and  time.  a lot  of it  is ...¨-~\†£#
%$^=:.,,¨¨ applicable  on earth,  but  not all.  it ¨¨,,.:=^$%
*/-.,.,¨,, hints  of  other  places  -  some  stars ,,¨,.,.-/*
;-,¨¨..¨,. reordered,  some   names  i  have  never .,¨..¨¨,-;
«-¨,¨¨,.,. heard.    sometimes   the   dates    are .,.,¨¨,¨-«
\=~,,,¨¨,. impossible.                              .,¨¨,,,~=\
$\~:¨..,¨.                                          .¨,..¨:~\$
£§\~,,.,.¨ those pages  are exactly what i scramble ¨.,.,,~\§£
££*==,,... for right  now. i've  stopped breathing. ...,,==*££
@@$†^=,,., i  sling open  the  book of  stars a bit ,.,,=^†$@@
@#&$*:-^,. too quick, spilling  all my notes on the .,^-:*$&#@
#@@@§*;~,¨ ground. one lands on  my  foot, it is  a ¨,~;*§@@@#
#@#£%\~.¨¨ drawing of  a  muscle cow,  but i  could ¨¨.~\%£#@#
#¤$%*=-¨,¨ care less right now.                     ¨,¨-=*%$¤#
#$§*~^¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨^~*§$#
£^:«-¨¨.,¨ for it seems like there's  a new moon in ¨,.¨¨-«:^£
§†».,,.,.. the sky.                                 ..,.,,.»†§
/«:,¨¨¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨¨¨,:«/
»..,¨,..,.                                          .,..,¨,..»
*=,.¨,¨..,                                          ,..¨,¨.,=*
=†-~,¨¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨¨,~-†=
$$†=,,,,,¨                                          ¨,,,,,=†$$
#£*/«^...,                                          ,...^«/*£#