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