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Kendal misses the sky. He misses the world. His cell in Snowfast doesn't have any windows and they haven't given him any meals. The only indication he has for when it's day or night is how many footsteps he can hear outside his cell. He didn't know how much the day and night and sky comforted him until he lost them. There was a routine in the way that night would fall, Kendal's friends would yawn and move slower, then they would hunker into their various sleeping arrangements and sometimes Kendal would join them. On the boat Alinua fell asleep resting against Kendal's shoulder. In his cell he holds onto the memory of her head against him.
He misses the routine but hates the monotony of the cell. He misses seeing new places, new people, everyday. Seeing each city for himself and noting the differences. Moving from forest, to plains, to dry wastelands. Here he just leans against the cold stone wall and waits.
His arm still aches. It's getting better, he can move it somewhat without it hurting now. But he didn't know how good he had it with Alinua by his side. She made sure he had time between fighting to slow down. She treated his physical and emotional wounds. She made everything easier. Now she's gone and it's harder.
But he feels selfish for missing her so much. If she's not here that means she's out of danger and he should be happy about that.
Kendal's thoughts are cut off by bright arms of light wrapping themselves around his arms and pulling them back. Kendal groans from the pressure being put on his injured arm and from the prospect of having another conversation with Stefan.
The cell door creaks open and Stefan comes out. Despite being a large man he's light on the floor, almost gliding. The cell is big, plenty of space between Kendal and Stefan.
"Hello. I know there are no windows here so I should tell you it's evening," Stefan greets.
Kendal appreciates that bit of information but isn't grateful.
Kendal acknowledges Stefan by looking up but doesn't say anything.
"As you know you somehow have the power to resist my attempts to look into your mind," Stefan explains, and explaining something that Kendal already knows is so mundane that it puts him on alert. "How you do that, you have also refused to explain. But we have recently acquired someone that will make this conversation so smoother.
Kendal has a idea of what Stefan means. But everyone's back on the island. It couldn't be.
Oh Vash please tell me it's not—
Falst is pushed through the door and falls to the ground. Falst groans when he hits the ground and tries to push himself back up. Then Kendal can see that his hands and feet are bound. There are bruises splattered all over his body like ink spreading in water.
Kendal remembers not to give away Falst's name just in time and screams, "No!"
Falst's face is scrunched up from pain but when Kendal yells he looks up and his face softens into terror. Kendal hates that Falst's face looks guilty like someone on trial. Falst doesn't deserve to feel like that.
"I'm sorry," Falst says but he winces at the last word.
Two paladins come behind Falst and roughly pull him up by the back of his shirt. Falst struggles and fights against them but he's pulled onto his knees and his arms are held in place by the two paladins. Falst's face is hard and still but the way his eyes dart between Stefan and Kendal betrays his fear.
"I want to make it clear that if you cooperate no harm will come to him," Stefan explains. "We don't want to cause unnecessary harm."
Falst is covered in bruises and you tried to kill him back at Rakhn!
"Now for the first question," Stefan pauses. Why, Kendal can't tell. "Where is the dark avatar? Where is he planning on hiding?"
"I don't know." It's true for the first question.
Kendal says those words like preparing to jump off a cliff. But there's no where else for him to go. He can't put Erin in danger. If any part of him gave away Erin's location Kendal would never forgive himself. But in doing so has he condemned Falst? Has he chosen one friend's life over another? Falst is just looking at Stefan now.
Silence drags on after Kendal's words. Drags on long enough for Kendal to be desperate for a pebble to drop. For something to fill the air. But Stefan just looks down at Kendal. Like he's a teacher waiting for a student to confess some adolescent wrongdoing. Kendal hates it, now that he knows Stefan never took his words seriously.
"Okay," Stefan sighs.
Then one paladin lets go of Falst and moves to the door, leaving the other holding both of Falst's arms. And Stefan reaches out and places his hand on Falst's head. The gesture is soft and kind. Falst flinches and tries to back away but is held in place. Kendal's stomach drops. Kendal has no idea what Stefan is planning. He's staring into the darkness of the unknown and Falst is going to pay the price.
Stefan's other hand grabs Falst's chin and moves his head so that Falst is looking at him.
Kendal's confusion pours oil on the fire of his fear.
Kendal blinks from the flash of light emanating between Falst and Stefan. When it fades Falst and Stefan's eyes are both bleach white but shining blue at the corners, like oil but if it only reflected blue. Their gazes are locked together as though tied by a invisible string. Falst's face is uncomfortably still and blank. A face that Falst would never make if he knew where he was.
The silence and stillness pounds in Kendal's ears.
Then Falst's eye twitches. Then his eyes widen and his mouth pushes at the corners. Then he lets out a whimper and it's the smallest noise that Kendal has ever heard Falst make.
"No. No," Falst whimpers.
Falst's eye lids contract slightly as though desperate to blink. And his lips quiver.
Then a tear drops down Falst's cheek.
"What are you doing to him!" Kendal screams as loud as he can.
Stefan doesn't react but the two paladins flinch and one's hand shoots instinctively to the side of their head. Good.
"Stop!" Kendal screams, trying to be even louder than before. "Let him go!"
So much of Falst's face is shaking and tears are flowing down his face like a waterfall. His mouth keeps almost making a word but only a strangled cry comes out.
"Leave him alone!" Kendal pleads. "Stop! Please stop!"
Finally, after a million years or seconds, Kendal doesn't know, Stefan and Falst blink.
Stefan lets go of Falst's head and it falls like a hangman dropping. Falst holds his bound hands close to his chest and softly whimpers as tears drop down his face.
Stefan rubs his forehead. "Everyone has memories they would rather not be reminded of."
Stefan looks down at Falst. "This poor soul has been through a lot."
Those words are the nail in Stefan's coffin. Kendal has only hated someone like this a few times in his life.
Falst's head lowers to his knees. His shoulders shake with his sobs.
Kendal is desperate to break through the light binding him. How can he be this useless? He's dealt with failure before but It almost feels worse that he can't do something so simple. He can break through solid stone. His arm is only a few days broken and it's almost back to normal. He can leap twenty feet into the air but he can't even help his friend when he needs him!
"My second question is…" Stefan starts. "Does the elemental magus have any weaknesses that we can exploit?"
I'd rather not advertise to my enemies that they can stop my casting by restricting my hands.
"No," Kendal says, then scrambles for what he thinks is a better answer. "Nothing that I know!"
Stefan lets out that disappointed sigh again and that seals Falst's fate.
Stefan reaches down to Falst.
"Don't!" Kendal begs. "He hasn't done anything to you! He's innocent!"
Kendal gets an idea and he lunges for it.
"Falst isn't with us! He tried to leave!"
Stefan looks back at Kendal.
"Unfortunately for you, I know you're lying." No, no. "He broke into Snowfast of his own will."
Stefan grabs Falst's head, pulling on his hair and forcing his face up. The paladin restraining him forcibly turns is body in Stefan's direction.
"No! No!" Falst begs.
Stefan grabs Falst's face, his finger tips digging into Falst's cheek, and as soon as they make eye contact light erupts like a flash bang. It hurts Kendal's eyes but he wills himself to keep looking.
The light fades. Tears drip down Falst's already wet cheeks. Falst's face is stuck and his neck is at a uncomfortable angle.
"Mom," Falst whimpers. "Mom please."
Kendal pulls on his bindings. The ropes of light dig into his skin and his injured arms screams with pain. But Kendal ignores it. Maybe if he just pushes more.
The ropes of light tighten and pull his arms back further. This time Kendal can't help but scream.
Tears sting at Kendal's eyes and he can't believe he's trying to cry at a time like this. As though he's the one that's hurting.
"Let him go!" Kendal screams. "Hurt me! Gods damn it! Hurt me instead!"
When Stefan lets go of Falst's face his entire body collapses. He falls onto his side and whimpers, "No no" into the floor.
"For my third question…" Stefan raises and turns to Kendal. "I hope for his sake you have a easier time answering this."
This moment is both the only time Kendal can breathe cleanly and when the most dread sets in his stomach.
"What are you?" Stefan asks. "How did the magus create you."
"Erin didn't create me," Kendal says then quickly adds. "Vash did!"
For the first time Stefan looks interested and Kendal takes that as a beacon of hope.
"When Vash incarnated for war he built his body to sustain himself so that he could focus on combat," Kendal explains. There's a familiarity to his words that is almost like comfort. "When the city was attacked and destroyed in a single day, Vash was killed and his soul was taken."
Stefan still looks like he's listening. But his brow his furrowing.
"Vash's body was empty but after a few hours I woke up in his body," Kendal explains. "I didn't exist before that moment and I don't fully understand where I came from."
Stefan looks down at Kendal but he doesn't look like he's really looking at Kendal, but instead beyond him. The paladins are looking at Stefan, waiting for something. Orders? There's tension under Stefan's eyes and his eyebrows. He looks almost uncomfortable, like he's staring at a bright light.
"We did get word that Vash was destroyed," Stefan says, to who Kendal doesn't know. "But how did the dark avatar recruit such a being?"
Kendal realizes Stefan's talking to him this time.
"I met him shortly after he was possessed," Kendal explains. "He asked for my help and in exchange he'd help me. I agreed."
Stefan leans down and is more clearly looking at Kendal. But there's still that tension in his eyes.
"And what is he helping you with?" Stefan asks.
"He's going to help me travel into the singing caves to rescue from the person that took his soul," Kendal says.
"Interesting."
Stefan gives the paladin over Falst a look and they stand up, then both paladins walk out of the room in single file.
Stefan stands up. "We will continue this conversation at a later date."
He turns to the door. Then he looks down at Falst, who's stopped sobbing but he's still shaking lightly on the hard floor. Stefan looks at Kendal.
"Remember that he is in pain because the Magus would not turn himself in." Stefan walks out of the door and closes it.
Does he genuinely think Kendal is that stupid?
Kendal's arms are still bound.
He leans towards Falst and says in a soft voice, "Falst. Are you okay?"
It's a stupid question but Kendal doesn't know what else to say.
Falst stops and for a second Kendal is terrified that he did something horrible. Then Falst lifts himself a few inches off the ground with his forearms, his hair still drags on the floor. He crawls over to Kendal with his bound hands and feet. And when he's close enough, rests his head on Kendal's lap.
Kendal tries his best to lean over onto Falst. Kendal can't see Falst's face, it's turned away from him and covered by his hair.
As soon as the binds on his arms dissipate, Kendal wraps himself around Falst and rubs his back.
"I'm sorry, Falst," Kendal says, his voice breaks a bit.
Falst says in a barely audible voice, "It feels like he's still in there."
Kendal knows Falst is sobbing again from the way his body shakes, and the tears he can feel on his legs. Kendal holds him snugly but not too tight, covering Falst as though the air would hurt him.
When Kendal was captured his priorities were to not give anything away and create a plan of escape. Now he's going to have to break Stefan's hands.