We find ourselves in the Groves. The once beautiful level now desolate and uninhabited. Drewitt, however, sits beneath a large rotted tree, a collar held tightly in hand with the name ‘Colt’ on the tag. “When he was a young pup, Colt and I loved to rest in these Groves between pilgrimages.” War sighs, looking up at the withered branches.
“In this very tree was a little birdie that Colt absolutely despised. This little raven was fast, smart, and always one step ahead of my boy no matter how hard he tried to snatch it up in his jaws. He may have been bigger, stronger, and more ferocious… But the little bird was much too quick for him to catch.” Drewitt slowly places the collar in his pocket, grabbing a small baggie in the same motion.
“Of course, the raven was simply being smart. It would watch from its perch high above the ground and swoop at Colt when he least expected it. To win the war my pup he required himself to be patient, only attacking when he knew he could have the upper hand.” Drewitt opens the baggy, producing bird seed into his palm.
“You get that, don’t you, Raven? Watching from the rafter, preparing yourself to attack as soon as the time is right. It’s the only way to take down the most vicious and vile that Arcadia has to offer. Yet, for some reason, you can’t seem to do that against Malakai. Do you know why that is?” Drewitt drops the seed into a pile next to him, letting it run through his fingers like grains of sand.
“It’s because Malakai mastered the very same tactic that I used to help Colt kill that bird. When you cannot go on the offensive against your foe, you draw them in with bait. Much like this seed graces soil, Midnight uses your lover’s demise to make you irrational. He wants you angry, he wants you fueled by emotions. Just as that raven let its hunger get the better of it, you let your attachment to your past cloud your mind.”
The Pilgrim stands, letting out a small grown as he begins to walk away from the tree, leaving the bird seed in a pile at its base. “The beauty of bait, you see, is that you don’t need to be the one to place it to benefit from it.” He glances back at the seed, once again pulling Colt’s collar from his coat.
“Just as Colt snapped that bird up in his jaws because of the seeds I sewed for him, shall I capitalize on the bait Malakai set for you. You’ve been drawn out from the rafters, forced to fight out of your comfort zone. Come our match, all the work has already been done for me. I need not plan seeds, I need not set more bait.”
Rubbing his thumb across Colt’s collar, Drewitt continues to take his leave.
“All I need to do is clamp my jaws down on your throat and snap your neck. But that’s War, Raven.”
“And War? War never changes.”