It glowed with a gentle rhythm. A pleasant comforting heat came from it. It was plain white, and you couldn't see the other side. Other than that it was a normal portal. About 8 feet in height, three and a half in width in the unique oval shape they often opened in. But this portal was anything BUT normal. It was the portal to Het Bedhuis! The legendary bathhouse, deeply rooted in Paxan culture. For centuries, Het Bedhuis has served as a deeply significant symbol of unification and peace. It was a pocket dimension of sorts. No one could remember where it came from, but it had always been there.
In times of war, in times of trouble, or in significant ceremony, people go to the Bedhuis. The Paxans always believed that one must clean themselves and make themselves ready before embarking on something new. It is a place of contemplation and relaxation. It's hard to express all the sentiment that goes along with the Bedhuis. But only those who need it are allowed to go. The idea of going for a vacation or a day off are unthinkable. Even after centuries, the Bedhuis has never been abused. Through Pax and Xap tumultuous years and even the complete destruction of Pax it had remained with them. And no one has seen it except with their own eyes. The portal removes all other objects, leaving recording equipment, weapons, even clothes behind.
Julia Contra stared upon the glowing portal with a combination of anticipation and gratitude. She shook at the sight of it, happy hot tears running down her face. She hadn't felt such overwhelming emotion in a long time. She gazed at her husband in near disbelief, but he only gave a happy nod in reply.
No word needed to be said between them. Ten years was more than enough time to understand each other without a spoken sentiment. Only a kiss was exchanged, and in it was every tearful sentiment that words couldn't express. A tight embraces was exchanged. He cradled her head in his arms, grateful just to share this moment with her. He knew he couldn't follow her beyond.
"I'll see you tonight shapra." He said with a smile. It was her favorite name, and in his culture it meant Priceless One. He stopped short of wishing her good luck, or telling her how he hoped she would find what she wanted... But he knew he couldn't. There was an unspoken boundary between them. He had to be careful what he said with her lest he violate it. Something was happening between them. They both knew what it was. But god forbid they bring it up out loud, in words to one another. That would make the elephant in the room let out a life shattering roar, and they couldn't be the same after that. They had to put it off as long as they could, lest reality set in.
But the reality was this day, and it was forcing the issue. This day was the dawning of Julia's 30th year. A milestone that made many women nervous, but their reasoning was beyond that.
"Yes my Liefde Fate, you will." She paused for a second. "Thank you." She said quietly. They both knew she didn't need to say it.
UnStellar started to leave the room as his wife started to strip off her clothes. He stopped short and turned to watch her. She gave a self satisfied smirk as she shed her pants; after all these years he still thought she was beautiful. What more could a girl want? He closed the door behind him shortly before she was wearing nothing but her Rune tattoos. She folded her clothes up neatly and put them to the side.
With a deep breath, she stepped through the portal. It was like stepping into a warm bubbly bath. Julia savored the sensation, though it was brief. There was a bright glow and the portal vanished. She stood looking up the majesty that was Het Bedhuis. It was breathtaking. Behind her was the edge of the world that dropped into shadowy void. If one fell off, they would land right back on the ground. Beyond the edge was cloudy blackness, there was faint light like from a moon. But the Bedhuis stood majestically before her, illuminated by an unknown source. It was an enormous wooden castle, with turrets spiraling their way from the base to the top. The air was crisp, and Julia gasped at sudden difference in temperature. 100 feet in front of her was a wooden door, and she walked toward it. As she reached the halfway point the door opened. Two figures emerged from behind it. They were old, but they were her kind, Paxans. Deep purple eyes stared at her from their perch on robes so white they glowed.
They welcomed her in without a word. It was warm inside the foyer, and the white robed woman handed her a wooden cup. In it was a sweet, warm liquor. As she drank it, Julia felt warmness creep in from her head to her toes, and the faint fog of alcohol hung in her brain. Like wraiths they crept through a grand hall, a feasting room with candles covering every table and shelves all over the walls. The room was hot and dry from the flames, and yet incredibly refreshing at the same time. Julia stood at the front of the room soaking it in. The Elders stood on either side of her, and they raised their hands. With a whisper of a breeze most of the candles flickered out and the Elders disappeared. Julia stood alone in the now-dim room, and felt compelled to walk forward. The smoke from the snuffed candles was sweet and pleasant, and it soothed her all the more. She had just enough illumination to make her way through the room and to a large oak door. Stout and imposing, she grasped the handle and it swung open easily under her touch.
Another room was before her, different then the last. Expert masonry adorned the walls and there were four torches, one in each corner. It was a black flame. It cast the room in a glow that could be eerie, but was instead interesting and exciting. Sunk into the floor was a large square bath made of fine marble. The water was flat, but she could feel the moisture and knew it was hot. She jumped in giddily.
But it wasn’t what she expected. It was warm but not hot and the water stung her in places. She broke the surface and stood, and gasped as she saw the water was dirtied by murky green. It clouded the water, and she grabbed at her hair. Brown. The water had completely stripped her hair of its dye. Her skin still stung as well, and her tattoos started to glow. The water was attacking them, trying to eat them away. The water was trying to purify her and strip her down to her most natural. The tattoos flashed even brighter and the stinging stopped. The Runes fought off the water however; their enchantments too powerful to be removed so easily. She found, to her astonishment, that her ear piercings had healed completely.
The water lots all its warmness and became unbearably cold, and Julia climbed out of the marble bath. The torches flickered, and then their color changed to green. A door opened again, opposite of the one she opened. Two girls entered, in their early twenties. Bright purple eyes stared at her and easy smiles calmed her. They wore the same white robes of the elders and carried towels. Wordlessly, they dried her body. The run-off water was very dirty, it seemed to literally strip her body of all uncleanliness. The very dirt in her pores had been stripped off. One of the girls took extra attention toweling off her hair, the other her body. She was completely dry when they finished.
The girls drew back with their dirty towels and gestured through the open door. She followed with eager anticipation, and shivered the second she stepped through. It lead down a long flight of spiraling stone stairs. The girls came around both sides of her and grabbed either of her hands. With their free hand, a ball of magic light appeared, illuminating everything in brilliant white light.
Julia’s Rune tattoos still stung and she desperately wanted some clothes. It was so cold. But without a word she let them lead her along. They had calm smiles on their faces, which reassured her. It felt like days that they followed those steps down, and it wound around and around. She began to wonder if it would end, but finally, they appeared to reach the bottom. They stopped her short of the door, and appeared on either side of it. They turned to face her, smiled briefly, and turned off their lights. Everything was plunged into total darkness. She heard the door swing open and the rush of wing of the girls teleporting. She should have felt afraid, but felt very excited instead.
Steam billowed in slowly through the open door, and Julia embraced the touch of warmth. She stepped carefully onto a rough stone floor, unable to see anything. But then slowly a light flickered, floating towards her. She gazed at it for a few moments, expecting to see it suspended magically. To her surprise it was floating in a wooden bowl on water, and as it came closer she saw the before her was a large pond of sorts. The bowl bumped the shoreline and Julia suddenly saw that it was a natural pond. But fog hung over its surface. Curious, she jumped in, and to her pleasure found it quite warm. She stayed under the surface for more than ten seconds savoring the rapturous warmth. Before she surfaced, she suddenly discovered she could breath the water. She noticed this with great pleasure, and began to swim in the oblivious darkness. Gradually, more lights began to show up, and she noticed the pond was vast. The lights had great colors, and Julia savored the exhilarating sense of swimming through a wonderland of large wisps of Technicolor. She lost track of time as she swam further and further. Finally, she resurfaced.
And the sight nearly made her swoon. More candles were floating all over the surface, lighting up the cave in a truly remarkable display of soft, flickering light. She floated at the surface as the bowls of light danced past her. She noticed them making patterns together, spinning in circles, making lines, forming star shapes. It was beautiful and enchanting. The warm water caressed her body, the gentle pitch of the waves rocked her slowly. The soft lights above and below the surface offered serene reassurance. Without realizing it, she fell asleep, and fell to the bottom of the pond.
There she lay for a long time, sleeping in an otherworldly way.
