The Journey to Closure

Ok... BIG story behind this picture.

Back when I was in college, I took and upper-level English Lit. class focusing on Dante's The Divine Comedy. Although for many people the Inferno is the highlight of that series, my favorite was and is the Purgatorio.
Sometime toward the end of the semester, I had a dream. In it, I was flying through the sky. As unimaginative and typical as that sounds for a dream, it was beautiful. I was soaring through the sunset-lit clouds in a golden and orange sky, guided by another being, I could only guess was Virgil or a guardian angel. It offered me an experience that I am unable to have myself as I am in this world.

As I was taking in the view, we passed by a massive mountain. If you know me in real life, you might know that I love mountains. And I have lived my whole life nowhere near any. (Which serves to add to their majesty in my mind!) and to top it all off, I saw Klaus, Li, and Myra climbing on the mountain. They turned to look at me, aware of my presence. Klaus waved to me. This instance is what is portrayed in the above picture.

This, especially as a writer and a sub-creator, was a very moving dream for me. Not only was I acknowledged by my creation, but it was surrounded by so much sheer and pure beauty...
There's the symbolism of them walking, climbing on the mountain, while I was flying. That shows that I am on a different plane of existence than them. Anyone who has read Tails' Revenge bob-owe.deviantart.com/gallery… knows exactly what I'm getting at here.
I then went on to think that the mountain they are climbing represents their current state: that of being in an incomplete story. Over the years, there have been so many set-backs, delays, and fear involved in the completion of Adventurers' Guild that it's ridiculous. They're stuck in a limbo or purgatory-like state until I finish the comic.
They cannot reach the end on their own. They necessarily need my help, as the comic's author, to get them there. This reflects the souls in Purgatorio, desperately asking Dante to pray for them and wanting prayers from their families on earth... since they need help from another dimensional realm to get through this.

And, even though they are stuck in this tormented state, partially due to me not working on the comic hard enough... Klaus smiled as he waved to me. He bore me no ill will.
This dream moved me more than any other I have had.

There is no way I totally captured the beauty of the original dream in this drawing. I knew, even from the start, that my art skill was not good enough to come close to that. (That also kinda delay me starting production of this picture.) So, acknowledge that fact in your critiques!

This is framed and hangs above my work station art desk. It motivates me to work hard, carry on, and rescue my beloved characters from purgatory.
Adventures' Guild is coming soon, believe it. Check my journal for more information.