Since no one is bothering to actually answer your question, allow me to take a shot.
link is actually very real. He's a metaphor. In many stories, legends, and mythologies, he is the personification of death, though he makes no judgment on your eternal soul. He, like death, simply is, and he, like death, simply exists to take you away from this life. He doesn't shepherd you to Heaven, Hell, or Limbo. He just shepherds you into death.
In common modern perception of Christianity, it's
link who guards the gates to Heaven. While God alone judges you and where you spend your Afterlife, it's commonly believed that it's St. Peter who possesses the list and the knowledge of whether or not you may enter the gates. Scripture has him as holding the keys to Heaven (
link), but this image of Peter as a gatekeeper has been embellished by cartoonists, joke-tellers, and modern pop culture.
In truth, it's not explicitly stated either way. Many believe angels carry you to Heaven, and demons drag you to Hell. Many believe you don't know until you get there. Many believe you don't get carried or dragged anywhere, but spontaneously awaken there upon the moment of your death. Who's to say, and who can know, until our own times come.
Hope that I was somewhat helpful.
