A Pair of Old Norns with a Common Fate

Soon enough, the youngest Norns of Albia began to grow up and explore their world in more detail. Little Pettvika decided to make a feast of whatever she could get her tiny hands on. Norns are notorious for their terrible eating habits, yet when they decide to eat, it’s often difficult to keep them from eating anything and everything! Pictured in the upper right corner is the Blue Fruit Tree from Muppetboy. The downside to this added food source is that it actually includes a dose of glycogen. I was alarmed when Pettvika and a few others suddenly had life forces around 90%! Even with high life forces, though, they were not happy for too long and required another meal.

Jetvika looked very peaceful in the shade of the giant sunflowers. She had refused food for a very long time, but seeing her settle down to sleep was an accomplishment. At least she was taking care of one need! Perhaps her dreams made her believe that she was full. Sleeping on an empty stomach with a gnawing hunger could not have been very comfortable for Jetvika. I carried every type of food to her at various points, but the only progress she made was to pick up something from time to time. Not a very encouraging sign.

Another Norn who had stopped eating altogether was Forvika. She must have remembered her youth, for she went back to the learning computer for a few more lessons. With luck, I coaxed her into eating a carrot for the first time in hours! Sadly, she passed away just minutes later. Hers was not an untimely death, though: Forvika lived for 13 hours and 17 minutes. Although she spent a good deal of her life incessantly hungry, she ended up with a peaceful smile and a satisfied stomach. Rest well. We can remember Forvika through her three children of the next generation, and descendants that come even further in the future.

As I was saying my final goodbyes to Forvika, I noticed that Jetvika had fallen asleep in a precious pose. She reminded me of a teddy bear, and she had even headed off to the land of dreams with a honeypot in tow! Still, there was no indication that she would finally begin to eat. In her old age, I was worried that something might happen to cut her life short. As if reading my mind, the Observation Kit alerted me that Jetvika was ill. It was less than perfect timing. Perhaps it was something minor, or just the product of her dreams. When she awoke, she had to be healthy. Her low life force could not handle an illness at this point.

Naturally, my worst fears were realized. Jetvika had picked up a nasty dose of antigen 4, an unknown toxin, and Histamine A. With such a slow buildup of the corresponding antibody, I came to the realization that she would not be able to survive this. I brought her extra food, but in vain. The energy to fight off the infection was much more than her body could produce. I watched as her life force fell from about 25% to 15% in a matter of minutes. I felt absolutely helpless: All she had to do was take a bite out of something! Yet Jetvika had seemed depressed for some time, as she refused to do much of anything. I settled on giving her lots of tickles and telling her how good she was. The only thing to do was to wait for the end and make it comfortable. It was like a train flying at her in pitch black, coming ever closer.

Luckily, Jetvika fell asleep before death enveloped her. She passed away peacefully in her sleep, with a carrot clenched in her hands. It was a sad end to this Norn, who had only managed to produce two eggs during her 11 hours and 15 minutes. I was thankful for those two eggs, though, for Jetvika easily could have lived a life devoid of any pregnancies. I stayed with her in her final moments, which made her death a little easier. Yet she completed the proverbial circle of life by succumbing to her illness near the incubator. Goodbye, Jetvika, and may you finally rest peacefully.

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