"We will return some day," they told him. Their forms flashed and sparkled like the sun on the water. They had filled his head with knowledge, unspeakable secrets, and a disturbing reverence for the stars. But he regarded them as companions. He followed them as far as he could, before stopping at the edge of the swamp. Beyond that, the light swallowed everything.
"But when?" he asked, practically begging. "When will you come back?"
The leader smiled fondly at his new friend before he left. "Keep watching the skies."