The God and His Moon

4 ~ UnReality

It was sleeting, as Io made his way down the dark mountain pass.

His feet, silent like the wings of an owl, flew over the mildewed leaves, traveling over the ground without tripping once. The night air pulsated through his lungs, burning in his muscles, making his chest feel more awake and more alive than the daytime ever had.

It was cold out- very cold- but this did not seem to bother him.

Io had one place in mind.

He recalled, through all his countless years with Amory, of one town that they had always avoided, at all costs. Haven. Population 932 people. It was small. Safe. Io never understood why Amory always looked so uncomfortable nearby it. He thought it might be a good place to start looking for answers. Looking for himself.

His snowy, silvery hair gleamed in the moonlight that peeked through the clouds, flying wildly about his face as he ran, pumping his arms to keep momentum. His eyes scanned the brush. His heart thudded.

But the moment he left the tree cover, and came to the quarry, he slowed. Nearly to a stop.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. The tips of his ears began to heat.

Something... no, someone, was here. But where?

The hooting of an owl made him whirl. There it was, perched on the tree limb of a spruce tree... watching him. Almost asking him to follow, as it fluffed it's feathers once for warmth.

Io cocked his head to the side. His eyes never blinked.

But overcome by curiosity, wondering where this magnificent creature had come from, he began to pace toward it, chest heaving with breath he was still catching.

The owl fluttered it's wings, hooted again, blinked at him, and then dove off the branch, straight for him. Io gasped and ducked. The owl flew over his head, short of him by an inch, and circled back. Io jumped up to face it, panting. But this time, instead of attacking, it swerved around him, and behind the wall of the quarry, disappearing from sight.

Io locked on. He ran as fast as he could, arriving in the quarry just seconds later.

He barely had time to look up, to see where he was, before someone grabbed his throat, nearly crushing his trachea, and lifted him high into the air.

"Io." The plaid-clad man smiled, his stubbly face wrinkling around the mouth. "There you are. We've been looking for you."

Io struggle, gripping the man's wrists in a panic. He had never been attacked before. He didn't know what to do, except choke. His mind was blank.

"You've been sparking quite the fuss, in Haven Town." Another voice murmured. A girl. She watched from a few feet away, her arms behind her back, hands linked. She held her head cocked to the right, her bob haircut angling across her jaw as she did so. Her pastel, childlike clothing was pale as snow, in the moonlight. "Lots of rumors."

The plaid man released Io's throat. He dropped to the ground, on his knees, gagging through his constricted throat as it tried to expand once more. Skidding a few feet away, he managed to stand, eyeing them with a glimmer of fear.

"Who are you?" He wheezed, his hands shaking, suddenly feeling very much colder than before.

"Ah, Amory has neglected his duties, yet again." Plaid man sighed, shaking his head and clucking his tongue. The owl alighted on his shoulder, with almost an affectionate hoot. He stroked it's head once, then shoved his hands into the plaid jacket's pockets.

"We are messengers of the Host. We have come to take you back to where you belong- UnReality."