The door of No Man’s Land sits looming, waiting to be unlocked. Suddenly, a whistle rings out over the land, one clearly meant to call a dog to its owner. A mournful, empty plead for a companion that would never return. There’s another futile whistle, the sound coming from none other than Drewitt.
War approaches the door, Colt’s collar in hand. He places a hand against the structure, a tear running down his face.
“Months ago, when I was locked within the Mortuary, fighting for my life against Tombstone, I thought I was alone. The odds were against me, death held tightly at my throat, and I was certain to be buried six feet deep. And, yet, despite it all, you found your way to me, didn’t you, boy?”
Drewitt lets out a dry chuckle.
“Didn’t even have to whistle for you, either. You found me through pure determination, pure loyalty, devotion. You were there to save me, even at the very end when you lead Tombstone to the cabin that held your demise. From birth to death, you were a good boy who did everything in his power to save me, to be the companion that stood forever by my side.”
He looks up at the door, taking a deep breath.
“Well, now it’s my turn, boy. Narcissa says she has the final key, and the only way I’m getting my hands on it, to open this damned door, is to dive head first into a war unlike anything Arcadia has ever seen. Killers, the embodiment of Deathrow itself, are the only things standing between a life of solitude, and he hope of ever seeing you again. I hear you behind the door, Colt. Barking, whining, clawing. In life, nothing could stop you from being by my side… And in death, I’m going to return the favor.”
Clenching the collar in hand, he forces a confident smile beneath his mask.
“Because no one on Deathrow could ever hope to keep me down, boy. Just like you ran head first into the mortuary, into Arcadia’s graveyard, will I face the blades of hades and live to tell the tale. I know just what lies ahead, I know the danger, the pain, the suffering that I must endure. But nothing will keep me from having you by my side again. Even if my neck snaps or my heart stops, I will always rise back to my feet and drive forward.”
“Just as you would do for me.”
Drewitt turns around, walking away from the door, hat tipped down.
“Once the door is open and the underworld comes to Arcadia, then you can finally come home. This war with the Uprising is one I won’t lose, Colt. To the victors go the spoils.”
“War never changes, boy. It’ll be bloody, it’ll be horrific, but at the end of the tunnel is something worth fighting for. Muerte’s love, Nergal’s other half.”
“And my best friend.”
With those last words, Drewitt lets out one more whistle, calling for Colt from beyond the door.