Icarus continued his slow journey through the sands. It was draining, yet it had only been a few days. He had already used all of his packed food and water, since he hadn't expected survival, nor to find a reason to push through these storms.
Icarus finally found some shelter under a large, jagged stone. "Why is there so much sand?!" Icarus muttered to himself, annoyed and dehydrated. He grabbed a water bottle, despite it being empty. Maybe he could find even one more drop?
Icarus sighed when he found none. "I should've just let myself burn... Clover's probably already dead... I mean, it's been three years... Who'd be taking care of him?"
Icarus sighed before letting his eyes close, though he couldn't afford to shut them.
A few hours later, a voice rang out, though it could not wake the boy. "Look! Starlo, another kid!"
"He almost seems dead... We outta bring him back to town. Ace will know what to do." Something strong picked Icarus up, although he was unaware because he could not stir.
"Moray, go back and tell the others what we found on patrol; I'll be right behind ya."
"You got it, Boss."
When Icarus finally stirred, he found that he wasn't half buried in sand by a storm. He shot up, though the pounding in his skull made him regret it. Icarus looked around, confused and nervous. Where was he?
A small monster, No taller than five feet, then entered the room. "Oh, good! You're awake!" She immediately ran to Icarus' bedside, full of energy. "Hey, I'm Mooch! What's your name? No, wait, you need to rest, don't answer. You're on the brink of death when Moray and North Star found you. You're lucky Ace was nearby."
Icarus could only stare, overloaded with information. He opened his mouth to speak, to ask, when he heard a new voice. "Save your energy, kid. Just rest."
He was a tall monster, with a star-shaped head, cowboy hat, and poncho. He put a hand on the squirrel monster, Mooch's, shoulder. "You're scarin' the kid, Mooch. Let 'em breathe."
Mooch pouted slightly, but stop talking, understanding the need for quiet.
The star monster looked back at Icarus. "The name's North Star, Starlo to my posse." Starlo paused, seeming to gentle, as if recognizing something in the boy's eyes. "What about you?"
"I... I'm Icarus." Icarus said, voice scratchy and rough.
Mooch's eyes seemed to widen. Starlo schooled his expression. "Mooch, tell the others. And tell 'em to come 'ere."
Mooch nodded before running off.
After a few minutes, Mooch returned with three monsters behind her. One large and intimidating, one silent and calculating, and the last was almost fish-like, yet with style and a sabre. They introduced themselves as Ed, short for Edward, Ace, and Moray.
Starlo spoke up after the introductions. "This is... Icarus." He said slowly. Ed's jaw dropped, Ace seemed to falter, and Moray could barely seem to process it at all.
"You mean... The brother the kid was always talkin' about?" Ed asked hesitantly.
Ace spoke next. "They do look similar..."
Moray walked to Icarus' side. "You're Clover's brother?" They paused. "You're different than I had expected... Not in a bad way, though. You've got cool eyes."
Icarus glanced away from the fish monster, knowing they were talking about his heterochromia; one green and one brown eyes. "...Thanks." He said before looking back up. "You guys... Knew Clover..?"
Starlo sighed. "He was my finest deputy, Justice burnin' in his very Soul."
Ace looked at Icarus, silently thinking. "You've got Bravery." When Ed looked at him in confusion, Ace sighed. "His Soul." Ed let out a small 'oh'.
"My... What?' Icarus asked, confused.
"You're Soul! It's like the very essence of your being!" Mooch said quickly. "It can also effect your personality!"
Ace nodded."Determination, Bravery, Justice, Kindness, Patience, Integrity, and Perseverance."
"I heard Determination is like a mix of 'em all." Ed said, thinking.
"So... You think I have a... Bravery Soul..?" Icarus asked, confused, but slowly realizing. He was a pretty reckless kid.
Starlo nodded. "I can see it in your eyes, kid."