ties that bind

He had siblings. No, like, other siblings. Sure, he knew about Briar down in the Hallows. It had been a long time since he'd seen her, and he wasn't really sure he wanted to go back down there. They hadn't returned since mom... yeah. There were the ones that lived in the Armada, too. More than that, though. Dread knows there are others. Known, but not known. They are blood but they're strangers. In the name of changing that, making them not strangers, he turns to the south east.

It's a social call, that's all. Dread moves carefully over the ground, passing into a region he knows... less than well. It was a good test of his navigational skills too, actually. By the day, he was growing more confident, more competent. Even still, there were shades of something tugging at the back of his head. What Dread wouldn't realize until much, much later? All of it is unresolved trauma, unresolved grief. Things he never processed after losing a mother he barely got to know. Maybe there would be healing in seeking out his older siblings. He could hope, right?

As he nears Valta's border, he can't help but second guess himself. What if they were busy? What if none of them had time for him? The fear of rejection was building in his system, but Dread had come too far to back out now. Instead, the boy pushed on, finally making it to the boundary with the midday sun hanging high in the sky. He let go a call, a simple request. Would it be Kotori who answered, or maybe one of the others? Dread was hopeful.

"Dread Fatalis"