Darkness. Everywhere, everything. The kind of darkness that chokes, creeping down throats and clinging there to the point where every exhale feels ripped from the lungs and every inhale crammed in a space too small to hold. Its the kind that sparks dread and claustrophobia and fear.
And then a little moonlight appeared.
Not much, just a little dot really such a small, trifle, fragile thing. But it was enough. Enough to drag the shadows to the outside and to force the great white face through. On the cloudy night, the Moon took a breath, appearing long enough to find one lonely boy, lying crooked and alone in the alleyway of a cold, heartless city.
It's beams brushed his broken body, healing shattered limbs and pierced heart. They laced gentle fingers through matted hair, turning it silky and silver, and they danced upon the shattered soul within, piecing it together and blessing it with powers unfathomable to man.
The clouds, furious with the moon for daring to disrupt the stillness before the storm, rumbled their protest and swarmed to patch the hole in their realm.
Sensing the last seconds, the Moon whispered a name upon the wind and held it's ground for a moment more. The last whisper floated easily down to the earth and to the new spirit of the Moon.
"Iago."
Silver eyes opened wide as fresh lungs heaved first breath, barely in time to witness the great white face disappear. Satisfied, the Moon sighed the name once more.
"Iago."
Blinking with confusion the boy sat up, the whispered name racing in his mind. After a moment, understanding replaced his confusion... Yes, he was Iago Deci, Spirit of... Something... just one lost soul in...
Where WAS he?
As if to answer his unspoken question, a carriage rolled by, the flickering lanterns casting enough light to view the filthy alleyway he, somehow clean and shimmery, laid in. Then they were gone, and Iago listened to the comforting clip-clop of hooves fade into the distance. Silence persisted in it's absence, until the little boy bailed to the dimly lit street as the shadows began their advance. His breath seemed to be the life of this street- harsh and ragged, from dreary doorstep to crumbling chimney. Silence was his only company, the carriage having vanished down some forlorn side street. He was truly alo-
"IAGO!" The thunder mocked the Moon.
Startled beyond reason, the spirit shot from the ground and climbed and climbed into the sky, intent on climbing until- a raindrop landed on his beak? No, until his heart stopped racing, that's when- ON HIS BEAK?
A whole new kind of surprised, Iago brought his hands- no, wings- up to his nose. And began to plummet. Realizing his mistake too late, Iago tried to right himself once more, but to no avail- his hands had returned and he had lost whatever flight instinct that had been. The rain chased him to the ground as he tumbled under gravity's influence, screaming the whole way. 'This is no way to die, pull yourself together Iago! PULL UP, PULL UP!'
Calling upon whatever instinct appeared first, Iago pulled up mere feet from the ground, flapping his brand new bat wings eccentrically. The rain caught up with him, drenching his puny body. The storms screamed and struck out in frustration, wreaking havoc upon a tiny, innocent home.
"I-AG-O!" The lightening blast temporarily deafened him, and threw his little bat body across the street and into a wall.
Gasping, Iago shook the water from his eyes and glanced fearfully at the burning home. People began swarming to put out the fire, and screams echoed from the raging flames. What had just happened to him? Where was his skin, his limbs, his hair? Where had this body come from, and this flight instinct?
He was not safe here, he needed to go, he needed to leave. He would find someplace quiet, where he could clear his head and think, find out who he was, how he had arrived here, how he had gotten this new skin, and the bird skin from before. And so, with a deep breath, Iago leaped back into the gale.
Rain battered his body and wind whipped his wings. He could not escape by air, and he wished he could call upon- a sopping wet man?
"Look out!" He screeched and braced for impact. A moment later than expected, Iago collided, but not with the man.
His human shoulder hit the ground hard, jarring his body. He rolled and rolled until, finally as filthy as the alleyway, momentum ground to a halt. He would be bruised for weeks, but that was irrelevant compared to this PAIN. The deepest, darkest chill anyone had ever felt raced through him. The following shudder violently attacked his body and he gasped in agony.
The man, while suddenly chilled to the bone, still stood, in fact rushing away.
This couldn't even be pain. After all, one has to EXIST to feel pain. As if to prove the point, a woman stepped clean through his abdomen, and Iago could only moan in horror. Shaking, Iago rose to his feet- a child ran through his shoulder, she and the spirit screaming at the same octave.
"Hello!?" One after another, people walked through his very being. "Somebody, help me!" Shudder after shudder, gasp after gasp. "Anybody, please-" He lunged for a man's leg only for his hand to sail clean through. "Please! You've got to help me!" To add insult to injury, a dog galloped into him, bounding away.
It was hopeless.
'How!? HOW can they not see me...?' Iago wondered as a little boy passed him by.
This sick, twisted joke of a life had to be the worst thing he could remember.
Which wasn't saying much, considering his best memory so far was a near brush with death.
How could someone try to imagine a life like this?
The fire cackled and the thunder roared with laughter. Even the wind got in on the game-
"Iaaaaaaaagoooooooo!"
The emptiness inside crushed him into deep despair, and the fear was overwhelming.
"Help me!" Iago cries once more, not expecting an answer, when he suddenly receives one.
"They can't hear you." Iago whirled around to see who spoke. At first, his mercury eyes could not find anyone, but soon he saw the pale skin glowing from the firelight. A tall, slender man in a black suit, only discernable from the darkness for his skin and sharp blue eyes. "They cannot hear us."
Iago's momentary, incredible relief was replaced almost immediately by a different kind of fear. Whereas before, he had been ruled by the dark pits of confusion, he was now under the sharp spark of danger, fearing for his safety. Iago simply cowered under the gaze, malevolent and scheming as it was. "Do not fear, I can take you to safety." The man held out a long, thin hand.
Something rippled violently in his chest, causing the young child to moan quietly. Somehow, Iago knew this man was lying- he had no idea how he knew, but he did. Instead of accepting the hand, Iago shook his head meekly, the water falling off his slick silver hair as he slowly backed away from the gentleman, who scoffed.
"So, what are you going to do? Stay out here!?" He gestured roughly to the burning building, the people stumbling around in the flickering light.
"IAGO! IAGO! IAGOOOO!" The young lad flinched heavily as the storm seemed to mock him. But he knew that he couldn't go with the man. He turned back to the man, shaking his head again and backing away more.
The man's forced smile quickly turned into a scowl, and his extended hand curled to a tight fist. "Fine. If you won't come easy, I'll make you." Iago's eyes widened when the man snapped his fingers, panic taking over. He turned on heel to sprint away, only to be to face to face with three hulking figures, mere silhouettes with their backs to the raging fire and a curtain of heavy rain between them.
With few choices and adrenaline in his veins, he felt his skin melting and reshaping. Before he knew what he was thinking, the long legs of a silver wolf took over, galloping out of the burning town, with the three growling shadows on his heel.
"IAGO! IAGO! IAGOOOO!" Galloping away from the fire and rain and wind and evil men.
"Iaaaaaaaagoooooooo!" Galloping onward, with nothing but the cold and fear to spur him forward towards his only choice- escape.
