“I always innately knew that protecting and watching over your siblings was included in the job description of being an older brother. As the oldest you’re always considered the advocate, the spokesperson, the protector. Pop would always tell me that it was a man’s job to protect and preserve the family, and after watching his example I wanted to do nothing else. He told me that one day I would take on the mantle and be the first line of defense for the family. I didn’t know until that one night how deep of a mistake that was.”
Dylan has been told since birth that his job is to protect his sister. Their farm being in the middle of nowhere there are no imminent threats, save for a common snake in the grass. Dylan and his sister Tina spend most of their childhood in humble complacency. One night Dylan is jarred awake to the sight of a break in, his common surroundings filled with darkly clad and dangerous strangers. His parents cry out as both he and his sister are dragged away.
Fighting against their grasp, Dylan screams his sister’s name, reaching for her hand as the strangers attempt to keep them apart. Before he fully reaches over, there is a bright light and the strangers, his parents, and Tina all disappear without a trace. Adjusting his eyes, Dylan finds himself in the middle of an abandoned, dirt road in the forest. His sister was gone. His family was gone.
He failed.
Finding himself in need of a place to stay, Dylan joins a traveling gypsy band, quickly assimilating and making himself useful. With his newfound strength Dylan must embark on a journey to discover the whereabouts of his sister, who tried to abduct them, and why, but also on a journey of self-actualization. If a man fails to protect those he loves and provides for, is he truly worthless? If not, where can his worth be found? What is it that truly makes a man a man?
