*†~~,¨,,..                                          ..,,¨,~~†*
¤^:»^,..¨¨                                          ¨¨..,^»:^¤
#§%^=,.¨..                                          ..¨.,=^%§#
¶§**^=.,¨,                                          ,¨,.=^**§¶
#@#@=;»~,,                                          ,,~»;=@#@#
#@¶¤*=\»^. ,   .   =   =              /   «   ,   . .^»\=*¤¶@#
##&$*\~,..  ¨   .   ~   *            /   «   :   ,  ..,~\*$&##
£¤%%/-^.¨,   .   ,   =   /          ^   ~   ,   ¨   ,¨.^-/%%¤£
@%§\~-¨¨.¨    .   :   =   \        *   -   :   ,    ¨.¨¨-~\§%@
$*\=,¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨,=\*$
§/-^,.¨,,, 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 ¨,..,-=\$$
$^«..,¨,,. the sky.                                 .,,¨,..«^$
*«,¨¨¨,,,.                                          .,,,¨¨¨,«*
~,¨,¨.¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨.¨,¨,~
-.¨¨.,¨..,                                          ,..¨,.¨¨.-
,,..¨,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,¨..,,
~,¨,,¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨,,¨,~
»,,,.¨..¨,                                          ,¨..¨.,,,»