The solemn processional marches slowly down the road like mourners going to a funeral. Carried aloft is the litter holding the barely living body of Calmfury. He is wrapped tightly in several layers of linen cloth, making him look little more than a corpse.
With all that I have seen and heard over the past year, I can barely believe that fate would have brought us to this. Still, I do not understand what Elder Hamuul is thinking. I made my way through the Emerald Dream with the help of the green dragon flight, who jealously guard its mysteries. They made me swear a solemn oath to never reveal its secrets to anyone, on fear of a gruesome death. I was so honored that they choose me that the thought of betraying their trust is beyond my capacity.
I know that a mysterious human mage somehow made his way through on his own, using the forbidden knowledge that his kind waste their lives pursuing. But, what I am skeptical of is this idea that Calmfury will make his way across as well. If Elder Hamuul thinks that I will reveal the way, he has another thing coming.
Fireflies swarm in beautiful glowing clouds from the surrounding wilderness to light our way along the path. We pass beneath the ancient arch into the courtyard of the storm rage barrow dens. This twisting catacomb of burrows dug into the hillside house the multitude of druids who have sought out the Emerald Dream over the history of the order. Some say that the oldest of druids still slumber here.
The procession stops and the ancient keeper comes out of the den. He is a nameless night elf of unknown age that tends to the bodies of those who rest inside.
"Who seeks to unravel the mysteries of the dream?" the dark clad keeper says in a deep, booming voice.
Elder Hamuul steps forward. "The seeker is Calmfury, Guardian of Cenarius. He has travelled across the known world seeking a greater balance. Now, he seeks that balance within the dream."
"This is highly irregular Arch Druid Hamuul. Calmfury must announce himself and ask for a place within the den. No one has ever been brought here in such a way." the keeper replies
Elder Hamuul stands perfectly still for a moment, as if he did not expect to be challenged by the keeper.
"Calmfury has been gravely injured by enemies of the order. It was his final wish to be inducted into the dream before he died." Hamuul finally says with authority.
"This barrow den is a place of repose, not a graveyard. You must prove that Calmfury still lives, and he must invoke the right himself, before he is allowed to enter!"
As the keeper steps forward, the bearers of Calmfury's litter lower him to the ground. Blood from his wounds has seeped into the white linen shroud making him look quite ghastly. His once proud face, now battered and mutilated is all that shows from the wrappings.
The keeper kneels down and looks Calmfury in the face.
"Calmfury, Guardian of Cenarius, do you wish to seek the mysteries of the Emerald Dream?"
The broken tauren barely opens his eyes and looks up at the keeper. Then, he whispers something that is inaudible. The keeper leans down close, and turns his ear to Calmfury's mouth. Once again the bull whispers something.
I see tears well up in Elder Hamuul's eyes as the keeper stands up straight once again. I think he heard what Calmfury said.
"Calmfury has spoken! He may be taken in to the den." the keeper finally says.
With a collective sigh of relief, the procession resumes its solemn march into the den. The smell of fresh dirt and cool humidity prevade our senses as we descend into the darkenss.
I remember when I entered the dream and my last moments as a Night Elf. My friends helped me to dig a fresh burrow into the earth. Then, I was wrapped in the linen shroud like a corpse and the ritual of the dream was performed on me. I don't remember much about my time in the dream except that I was greeted by the image of my draconic keeper.
Some time passes while the group begins digging Calmfury's burrow in the soft earth.
It occurs to me that my own resting place is not far from where Calmfury is being laid. Naturally, curiosity gets the best of me and I slip quietly down the tunnel to take a peek. Afterall, who would pass up the opportunity to visit their own sleeping body?
My room is as I remember it. Roots hang down from the ceiling above my very small body laying on the floor. My face is all that I can see and I have a look of peaceful serenity.
"Do you miss being a Night Elf Charibdys?" Elder Hamuul says from the dark passage behind me.
I pause for a long moment as tears well up in my tauren eyes. Looking into my elven face I can't help but see my resemblance to my sister. Painful memories come flooding back.
"Elder, I do miss it. But, I have have learned so much living as a tauren. I would not trade that for anything, not even to have my little Belanna back." I try unsucessfully not to sob a little when I say her name.
"Dear sweet Charibdys. I have learned more from you than I ever thought I would come to understand. You have shown us a kind of strength and devotion that honestly may not exist in the race of tauren."
The old bull pauses for a moment, and makes a long sigh.
"Charibdys, I think it is time that we send you home to your own people where you belong."
Hamuul's words hit me hard and my heart skips a beat at the thought. I turn to face him in the musty dark of the tunnel, as tears roll down my cheeks. I cannot hide my sorrow anymore.
"Elder, I have to tell you that I don't think that Calmfury can find his way through the dream as I have. Fandrel was right, only myself and the human mage have done it, and I had the help of the green dragons to do it. Calmfury may be a druid but he is not a creature of balance and will not find peace there, he is going into a nightmare!"
Hamuul gets very serious and takes a deep breath before replying.
"Charibdys, there is something you don't understand. The truth is that I lied to Calmfury. He is not being sent into the dream to infiltrate the Alliance. Master Fandral was right, it would be a hateful exploitation of the mysteries of the dream to do so. In reality, if there is a war between the Horde and the Alliance, as horrible as it may be, it is of no real concern to us. We only care about balance."
Hamuul pauses for a moment as he looks down at the moist dirt. Then he looks up and motions for me to follow him deeper into the den. We carefully walk the winding paths past the innumerable burrows of sleeping druids. Finally, he ducks underneath a twisted root and enters the last den in the long hallway.
There on a slightly raised bed lies a bulging form wrapped tightly in his shroud. Where his face should be is the black, furry face of something that looks like a wolf. I recognize the body as a worgen, and I can see him breathing heavily as he sleeps.
"Charibdys, I would like you to meet the only human to ever be admitted into the Order of Cenarius. His name is Diogenes, and he is formerly a mage of Dalaran."
I stare in awe at the snarling, beastly form. A swell of pity wells in my chest for the poor human.
"Elder, this poor creature continues to suffer even in the dream, I don't understand how you say that he crossed over as I have." I say quietly, as if I am afraid to wake the beast.
Arch Druid Hamuul gently smiles at me. "Charibdys, the sad truth is that this creature before you is the tormented, mortal shell of the soul you know as Calmfury. After he entered the Emerald Dream, Diogenes emerged as a young tauren wandering the plains of Mulgore. He had no memory of who he was, but the stars told us the truth about him. So we called him Calmfury, and we trained him in his new life as a druid. I guess we foolishly thought the transformation had cured the poor soul of his curse."
Hamuul sighs out loud as he seems to struggle with what I think is regret.
"To our dismay Charibdys, it seems that the anger and rage he suffered with during his life as a tauren, is a remnant of the Curse of the Worgen. The evil magic of that curse has chased him through the Emerald Dream, and we fear that it threatens to affect him as a tauren. If this were to happen the curse may spread to other tauren like a disease, like it did to the humans in Gilneas. We simply cannot allow this to happen, so he needs to return to his body."
I pause for a moment in stunned astonishment before I am able to reply. "Elder, Calmfury spoke many times of his tauren family, his mother that died and his father that was some sort of painter?!"
"I know he did, but these people never existed, as tauren at least. I believe they were ghosts of memories from his former life. I think his human mother actually died of the plague in Lordaeron." Hamuul replies
It all makes perfect sense to me now, and the wisdom of the elders is clear.
"Charibdys, I think you need to go home to your life as a Night Elf. It is not right that you are here, despite all the good things you have done for us. Besides, knowing what you do about Calmfury, you can help him if he awakens." Hamuul finally says to me with a frown.
I look him in his big green eyes and once again tears run down my cheeks. The wise elder is right, I am eager to return to my people.
While they finish digging Calmfury's burrow, and lay him down in his resting place, I am wrapped in my own linen shroud. It is not unusual for several druids to share the same burrow, so I will sleep in the same place as Calmfury.
As I lay down in the soft earth next to Calmfury's unconscious body, the chanting of the Ritual of Dreaming rises in crescendo signaling its completion. Mylentha brings in the hot, burning coals that will ignite the yellow crystals, which will put us in a deep sleep and allow us to enter into the mysterious Emerald Dream.
Elder Hamuul comes to my side and holds my hand. Though there is a smile on his face, I can see tears in his eyes.
"Goodbye Charlibeth Mooncloud. You are always welcome in my lodge." He whispers.
"No Master Hamuul, my life as a tauren has changed me forever. From here on I will always be known as Charibdys" I reply with a smile.
He gives me a broad grin as he turns to leave the burrow. Mylentha also smiles at me before dropping the hot coal into the bed of crystals.
"Elder Hamuul!" I say "just to satisfy my elven curiosity, what did Calmfury say to the keeper to get us in?"
Hamuul turns to me as the yellow incense begins to fill the cramped burrow.
"He said the only thing that he has repeated since he was brought to Moonglade. He said the name Meekha."
