As she walked in she could see Wollfen sitting with Dark and he was caressing her cheek, but something was different. She realized with astonishment, Dark was alive! She moved closer, her eyes fixed on Dark’s. How could she be alive? Then Night realized something was strange for Dark didn’t move a muscle and stared vacantly. Wollfen saw Night’s intent stare and spoke up.
“
I have repaired her body and now it is ready to receive her soul back.”
Night turned to Wollfen and stared at him.
“
You can bring back the dead?”
“
This once I may be able to. I haven’t finished yet and I am still not sure it can be done, but I am working on it. I need you for the next part.”
Wollfen had her total attention, he could see she had so many questions.
“
We will talk all you like after we have finished this, but for now time is of the essence and we must act, can I count on your full cooperation?”
Night nodded without hesitation,
“
Yes of course. Anything you need at all.”
Wollfen smiled and it made her feel good.
“
Thank you Night, you have no idea how welcome it is to hear that. It’s a pity Keera is responsible, I wonder if she would make reparations by helping as well?”
Night shook her head, he couldn’t know.
“
I’m sorry Wollfen, but I had sent Loranda to kill Keera when I found Dark dead. Loranda did as she was told.”
Wollfen looked at her with sad eyes and sighed, he seemed so old all of a sudden as he slowly shook his head.
“
You shouldn’t have done that Night.”
Wollfen sat there for a little time not saying anything. Then finally he spoke again,
“
Well what’s done is done I cannot set everything right.”
He returned to the present and focused on the job at hand.
“
Okay, I intend to cross over into the afterlife and find Dark. When I do it, it will be you who will bring us back. I will explain how it should work.”
Night piped up,
“
Should work?”
Wollfen looked at her.
“
I have never done anything like this before. This is where the danger lies for I am only familiar with the theory, do you understand?” Night nodded once more. “This is what I propose. I have a teleport crystal on me normally used for physical travel between great distances. In this instance I intend to only send my soul out on this journey through a portal into the afterlife. There I will search for Dark and when I find her will hold her tight. Then I will call out to you just as we do when we mind touch. Then it will be up to you to pull us back to here. Do you understand?”
Night nodded in understanding.
“
We must link up mentally before you leave then, so I can keep a hold of you as you go.”
“
Yes that’s it, you’ve got it.”
Wollfen was pleased by the speed with which Night picked up on things.
“
It also occurs to me we should be in bed on either side of Dark for when I pull the two of you back.”
He agreed, it would work best that way. They both moved over to Dark and shifted her into the center of the bed. Night kicked off her wet boots and slid into the bed. Wollfen did the same and lay down as well. He produced the turquoise crystal and held it in his hand.
“
Alright, here goes.”
Wollfen opened his mind to Night who was waiting. He knew what they were about to do was very dangerous. They could very well end up with both Wollfen and Dark stuck in the afterlife.
The two of them made their connections and he gave a mental wave. Then he focused on his goal and destination. The crystal glowed a little and a portal opened.
Wollfen stepped through to the other side and he found himself standing in an open meadow. Birds were chirping and the smell of the air was like a clear spring day, it felt wonderful. He took a few steps and looked about. This was his idea of what perfection was. He wondered what others would envision when they stepped over? Off in the distance he could hear a waterfall and he could feel the pull, it called him and he so wanted to go.
No, he had to focus on why he was here. This was not his time and he could not stay. Looking about some more he spied some people off in the distance and he set off in that direction. As he got closer he realized that they were part of a procession. It was all the recently dead moving on. As he approached he could see they all faced one way like a huge crowd patiently waiting to go somewhere. In fact that was exactly what they were doing. He stood at the rear and searched amongst them for Dark. She had to be somewhere near the rear. There were so many. Then it hit him, he only now realized just how regularly people died.
Wollfen was getting nowhere with this so he pushed his way in looking for a familiar figure from behind. This was taking so long and it was proving a lot harder than he imagined. None of them paid any attention to him as he moved through. Then just as he was getting particularly frustrated he saw her blonde hair. It had to be her, he pushed deeper to her and turned Dark about. There was no recognition in her face, just a blank stare. Grabbing her Wollfen called to Night but there was no response, maybe he needed to go back from where he came from.
Taking Dark’s hand he led her back the way he came. On he pushed having to part his way, then he came upon Keera and he stood before her looking her directly in the eye. She too stared blankly back just like the others, he wasn’t sure what he felt now that he was seeing the woman that had put Dark here. It didn’t matter, he just needed to get out. On he went dragging Dark behind him until they made it back to his point of origin.
Looking back once more and listening to the sounds, Wollfen committed to memory those wonderful scenes. He focused again and called out to Night. He felt her pull and he hugged Dark. There was no way he was going to let go of her. Back, back they went through the portal and into Port Volarus.
He found himself back in the cold room, Wollfen was totally exhausted and ready to pass out when he returned. By sheer will he kept himself conscious. He turned to Dark beside him in the cot. Dark turned and looked at him and Wollfen smiled.
“
Hello my darling, I brought you back.”
Dark reacted but not with a smile. She looked Wollfen in the eye and spoke in a cold hard tone.
“
I need to go for a walk.”
She got up and left the room. Wollfen was left nonplussed and wondering what had just happened? It was the last thought that entered his mind before he succumbed to exhaustion. Night was already deep asleep on the other side of the cot, she too had exhausted herself on the ethereal quest.
Outside Raz was still standing vigil waiting for word from inside. Then Dark walked out, looked at him and turned to the street. Raz watched as she walked off down the road. His mouth was open as she walked off, she truly was alive! Now where was she going? He decided to follow and keep an eye on her.
Raz was glad there was no snow falling. He could see Dark wasn’t heavily dressed for the cold. Only problem was she was setting a cracking pace and in his heavy clothes it was tough to keep up. He didn’t want to call out but simply shadow her and keep her safe. Enough had happened tonight without Dark meeting some fresh misfortune. After about ten minutes she began to slow and Raz drew nearer, he could hear a sob from her direction. Then she stopped and sank to her knees. He heard her cry out loud into the night.
Raz stood there for a full minute keeping a respectful distance. He understood her need to get out whatever was churning her up inside. When the moment was right he would move forward. He didn’t have any idea of what it may be that was so upsetting, maybe the fact that Keera had done what she did? Raz knew better than to assume anything though. When it came to women even at his age they could still be a mystery.
He decided to move forward treading heavily through the snow so she could hear him coming. As he approached Dark, she turned, saw him and stood up. Her face was covered in tears and she reached out and hugged him close. It caught him a bit by surprise but he held her. Raz stood there in the snow covered street making soothing noises to her hoping he was helping in some way. She stayed there in his arms not saying a thing, not moving. The time dragged on and he wondered even more how much she was hurting. Then she spoke,
“
I was next to the ocean, running along the beach and into the edge of the sea. The cliffs overhead would reflect the sound of the surf off of them and I was reveling in it. The mountains were right there too and at one time I found myself walking through a cool rainforest. The soft ground was damp under my bare feet and I was listening to the sounds of a running stream. Then I found myself swimming naked and standing in a waterfall. It was all so wonderful. My father, mother and even my sister were there sometimes too.” Raz had no idea what she was talking about and so he asked.
“
Was that a dream?
She shook her head.
“
It was where I was before Wollfen snatched me away. I was in total bliss. I felt fulfilled like I have never felt before.”
Now Raz felt he had some understanding.
“
You want to go back?”
Dark nodded against his chest.
“
With every fiber of my being I want to be there again, but I would have to kill myself wouldn’t I? Would that be the place I would end up in again? And what of Wollfen? Do I abandon him? Right now I don’t know how I feel about him Raz. I blame him, he took me away from that bliss.”
Dark continued to sniffle into his shoulder. He couldn’t really understand such a desire, but then again he had never come back from death either. Looking down he realized she was barefoot in the snow.
“
Aren’t you cold? You will get frostbite Dark.”
She shook her head.
“
No the exact opposite, I feel so hot at the moment I could strip off and still feel hot I’m sure. I don’t know what it is but I am burning up.”
Raz removed his glove and felt her cheek and immediately pulled away, she was hotter than he thought was possible. They could not have known but the excess energy of the crystal used to heal her body was still within her and even now was slowly emanating from her as heat.
Raz looked at her and realized she was going red with sweat trickling down her brow. Dark started to sway on her legs. She needed to be cooled off and fast.
“
Dark, you need to cool down quickly. Let’s go into the forest for a bit of privacy.”
She nodded and they walked quickly into the darkness of the trees away from the edge of the town. There Dark started stripping off her top and undershirt in one go. Raz turned away at seeing her bare breasts. Dark giggled at him and continued to strip, now she pulled her trousers off and was left with shorts on. Sitting in the snow she lay back into the snow with a sharp intake of breath.
“
Oh, it's so cold, it's delicious!”
She rolled onto her belly pressing herself down into the soft white powder.
“
Mm, that is so much better.”
Raz peeked and saw her on her belly and turned, the redness of her skin had faded a little. Dark motioned for him to sit next to her in the snow. He planted himself there and sat quietly beside her. She lay there face down and head turned toward him.
“
Death isn’t to be feared. I had no idea until I had been there, but it really is everything you can imagine and all the people you love who have already passed are there waiting for you.”
Raz nodded, he began thinking about his wife. It was almost six years since she died.
“
What of Wollfen? Isn’t he the love of your life?”
Dark played in the snow with her fingers thinking. The fact she had to think about it showed just how much had changed this evening. Then she turned over and draped an arm across her cooled breasts.
“
I do love him, but before he was my rock. It was him I turned to for support and my spiritual center. Now I realize that my spirituality belongs to something higher and that's what watches over me. I had been totally dependent on Wollfen for that. Even my spiritual path was dictated by him and by his ideals. I’m not saying that it was wrong, but now I don’t feel it is necessary to take strength from him so much anymore. I don’t need him as a crutch. Until tonight I hadn’t realized that I was using him for that.”
Raz quietly listened and pondered all that he was hearing. He understood what she was saying. It was natural for people to turn to someone for that. In essence wasn’t that what leaders did for the populace? Many relationships too he realized.
“
I understand what you are saying Dark and I see the validity of your thoughts, but it doesn’t naturally follow that just because you don’t need him to lean on anymore that you shouldn’t be with him. In fact, if your love is true wouldn’t you be staying with him because you wanted to?”