Narvik was so excited he could not hold still as the door to the shuttle closed behind him. He was going home!! He couldn't wait to see how much the little ones had grown. And tell his parents all about... All about... Things they would not understand... This time of year his father would worry about the harvest, wondering if the fields he was financing would yield enough to feed the workers and still turn a profit. With 5 mates, his father was a highly respected individual, only able to keep on top of things on account of his sharp intellect and ruthless, almost cutthroat way of doing business.

He would likely expect Narvik to jump right back into the swing of things and take care of the books whenever his father was occupied by something else, which meant always. His mother would expect him to help with the kids in the afternoon and in the evening he would be too tired for anything else.

Suddenly the prospect of going home didn't seem that appealing. Jeanette came up to him and tapped his shoulder. "What's wrong? You seemed so excited just a moment ago?" She said with a worried expression on her face.

"I just realized that the warning Eirik gave me before I was allowed to learn about... well, everything, That it would remove me from everyone and everything I used to love and treasure. It seems... Unfulfilling, at this point. A waste of life. I want something more, something better, not just for me but for everyone. I want them to experience the joy of having access to clean water with little effort, not worrying about whether the next harvest fails or not, and being able to store food for months without it spoiling, other than drying it. To have time for leisure and art, music, and creativity. I want our culture to flourish.

And that will be impossible at this point..." Narvik said with his whole body drooping. It was clear he was upset and conflicted. "Who wouldn't be?" Jeanette thought to herself as she knelt in front of Narvik to get eye level with him.

"Narvik, you must not see this as the end of the adventure, only the end of the beginning. The real journey is about to take place. Remember what Eirik said? He would take it upon his Empire to uplift your people in a slow and controlled manner that allows your culture to stay uniquely your own. It is not like we are just going to drop you off, hunt down Dalle, and then disappear forever. We are bound by commitments larger than our individual selves. I know Eirik has not talked about it except in passing, but the future of your people weighs heavily upon him.

I have no idea how that man keeps shouldering new and larger burdens, and sometimes I DO disapprove of his actions, namely the senseless slaughter he can engage in when angered or he feels justified in his actions. I have watched him engage in brutal and bloody honor duels, seen him hold a bombed-out factory complex with a few hundred soldiers, against thousands upon thousands of attacking enemies while under bombardment from improvised artillery, determined to take the complex and cut the string* of anyone inside

I have seen him be close to death several times and he has died a few of them. Only the skill of our dear doctor, Knud, whom you have met, is the reason that he still lives. He is always reaching for new heights, and I think he is planning on making the uplifting of your people the crowning achievement of his life's work." Jeanette explained her thoughts carefully, wanting to make sure she was not misunderstood in any way. These were deep worries Narvik was battling with and they could easily spoil the family reunion.

"Eirik has risked the wrath of the entire galactic community, Narvik, to come here. And since he is now emperor, it is not just himself and his crew that he is risking. It is the security and well-being of every citizen of Libertalia. And he is doing it for you and your people. Contact with an unprepared species is a crime that is considered unforgivable. But since the crime already happened, and Eirik is here only to try and remedy whatever damage has already happened, he is betting on that technicality being enough to get him off the hook, so to speak. " Jeanette continued the explanation.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I had no idea there was so much trouble involved with me wanting to learn more. Why would he give me the choice if he knew what kind of problems it would bring him?" Narvik inquired. It didn't make sense for someone to inconvenience themselves deliberately.

"You said it yourself. Choice. Making up your own mind is the only freedom anyone truly has. Eirik does not believe in imposing himself upon that freedom. Sure, your choice may not be what is easiest for him. But if it is what you desire, then it shall be so, under the condition that no one suffers in the process. Love is the law. Law under will." Jeanette tried hard to make Narvik understand why he was given a choice that would make him and his people a burden

"Like Eirik, I believe in the freedom to choose freely. And you made your choice after having been informed of the inherent dangers in said choice. You still went forward with it. What you are left with now, is the consequence of said choice. It is now up to you whether that presents a problem, or a challenge, for your future amongst your people." She tried finishing on an inspiring note and hoped it would be enough to give Narvik a little of the excitement back.

While she spoke, Narvik had tried imagining the future Jeanette was attempting to paint. He said nothing for the duration of the trip down to the planet.

8 minutes later they were landing on the city square and Narvik was waiting impatiently in front of the ramp, some of the eagerness from earlier having returned as they got closer to the city.

"It's good to see you being somewhat happy about this whole thing again," Jeanette said in a warm voice as she stood next to him. For the sake of drama, she was wearing one of the standard black kevlar suits, as was Signe on the other side of Narvik.

"I realized something while we were underway. I will be the first Glorpil to ever return, after being taken by the messengers. It will make my name go down in history. That means, my mother will not have to worry about me getting a mate and my father will be satisfied with my contribution to the family's reputation. It also occurred to me that I will eventually be able to help integrate the new technology when Eirik deems us ready." Narvik said happily. "I can't wait to get back home!"

They didn't have any more time to talk as the ramp started lowering.

__________________________________________

Murny was scuttling from side to side despite her mates' reprimands. The ramp of the sky chariot was taking an eternity in her opinion. Never mind the fact that it was only a handful of seconds. When the ramp finally touched the ground she could hear the sound of a Glorpil moving on a hard surface but she saw nothing in the darkness of the sky chariot. Until another 2 messengers appeared, both clad in black, and in between them was...

"NARVIK!" She yelled out and sped forward, past her family and the guards the messengers had posted. Before anyone could do anything, she had her arms around her son, almost toppling them both over.

"Mother" He managed to get out. Breathing was difficult with how hard she was squeezing him.

Murny let go of Narvik and held him at arm's length. "It's really you." She said after looking him over and walking around him a few times.

"Narvik, these warriors say the prophet is not a prophet at all! That he is a common criminal, only here to exploit and abuse our people! Is there any truth to this? Have you seen any of the other Glorpil that have left with the messengers?" His father had come up alongside his mother, the rest of the family trailing behind him, and he started asking rapid-fire questions. "Business as always," Narvik thought to himself as he ignored the questions and pulled his father into a hug that was slowly returned.

"They are speaking the truth. He is no prophet. And I saw no other Glorpil in all the time I have been away. If they were given tasks as I was, Then they are most likely dead or imprisoned in a world they do not understand. The wonders I have experienced, I wish I could have shared it with you all. Mother, they have water inside their homes! Father, they have machines that will make advanced calculations in less time than it takes to write down the result! Pens you do not need to dip in ink every few words! And they are going to teach us these things!" Narvik could not control himself or his excitement and his legs were a blur of movement as he spoke.

"Later Narvik. Your family missed you." His father said and moved aside so Narvik's siblings could bury the poor man under a sea of love.