The God and His Moon

6 ~ Haven-World

Tamp, tamp, tump, tfft-tfft, trmp tamp.

Those were the noises that greeted Io's ears as soon as he returned to consciousness. The strong scent of pine needles, and the overwhelming stench of dog breath. A panting that didn't seem like it was going to stop.

Io was being bounced up and down, rapidly. His warms were around something huge, fluffy, living.

He shook his head and his eyebrows drew together, nose wrinkling as he opened his eyes, finding the grey and white combo of...

Wolf fur?

Io lifted his head, looking up at his surroundings.

They were running rapidly. His arms were around the body of a wolf nearly as big as a horse. Savagery gleamed in its blue eyes, alongside a strange loyalty.

He would have screamed. He would have called out, yelling from fear, but instead he gripped tighter with is arms and legs, straddling this powerful, wild body.

He looked over his shoulder in panic. Pine forest was rapidly disappearing behind him. Melting snow covered the browned needles on the ground. The sunlight peeked through the trees, and blinded him with a golden magnificence that make him think one word- or name, rather.

Amory.

Who was Amory, really? He hoped that somehow he could see him, right now, running for his life from some unknown force, just because of the secrets his lover had kept from him. This was all Amory's fault, after all, wasn't it?

His eyes watered over. He buried his face into the wolf's fur, whimpering out a few pitiful tears.

He didn't understand what was going on. Why it was going on. What was he, really? How did he have this... this ability? He had never thought of himself as abnormal... he was just Io. No more, no less.

So what was it that these people seemed to think he was? Some kind of monster, or a demon, perhaps? No matter. He wasn't whatever they thought he was- he couldn't be.

Io didn't pay attention to where the wolves were taking him. There were three of them trailing behind, not counting the one he was riding.

Io wasn't allowed to mourn his understanding of reality for very long. The wolves began slowing to a stop, only an hour after he had closed his eyes.

Panting, the biggest one, the one he was riding, gave him a whine, signalling his job was done.

He sighed, and climbed down.

Upon looking up, Io found the very place of which he had been thinking before the messengers attacked him. Haven-Town. The small town where nothing every happened. He was standing at the entrance to the park, right now, and the sun was rising behind his back. It made him feel sleepy.

But now was not the time for sleep.

"Do I go in...?" He murmured, as if the wolves would know. "What now...?"

The wolves only panted.

Io turned his gaze back to the largest. He watched those icy eyes that focused on him, giving him a sense of protection.

Without knowing what he was doing, he reached out and set his cold, pale palm on the head of the wolf. It dipped its muzzle, and pushed its ears back.

Seconds later, his palm seemed to glow with a white light. The wolf melted into it like a phantom, as did the rest.

Io nearly jumped with the shock of cold metal against his chest. He looked down at his shirt, pulled it away from his body, and looked down his collar.

A medallion on a braided and beaded leather chord rested right on his sternum. The medallion was silver, gleaming. A wolf and a moon were depicted on it, the rest was empty space.

He blinked a few times, then sighed, dropping his hands to his sides.

Well, it seemed things were becoming more strange by the moment.

The city was calling him, however. He needed some sunglasses, if he were going to be able to see in this harsh light. So he stepped out of the iron gates of the park, and followed the sidewalk down toward what looked like a convenience store.

That seemed the best option.

Io didn't feel the cold, dark eyes that bore holes into his back as he walked, unsuspecting.