"Both of you are very"-- he pauses and glances at Ashka again-- "trustworthy men. You should take note of what you see when you're in Tarev. Perhaps you will learn some interesting things, to the greater glory of Tholassi."

Tholassi's screaming has been replaced with soft, quiet, broken whimpers.

He dips his head and keeps his hands where they are, doesn't press his fingernails into his palms. 

"Will you do that, Captain Ashka? Lieutenant Sataro?"

"Yes, Deacon." His voice is even and doesn't shake. 

"Excellent." He presses down harder on Tholassi's chest. "There are... temptations in Tarev. I understand there is a demon incarnate there who will talk to you about books. And of course all manner of"-- significant glance at Ashka-- "amusements."

His hands are still. 

He nods. 

"It is blessed to flee temptation, is it not."

He takes out a knife and begins to toss it in his hand. 

"We must come to understand evil, yet we must take care not to partake and compromise our purity ourselves."

He sends up a silent prayer — remembers halfway through that if Tholassi could stop himself from being tortured he would be doing it — prays anyway. 

"Yes, Deacon." 

Tholassi appreciates the thought but he is kind of busy being concerned about that knife.

With a single movement Dhavilot stabs the salamander in the heart.

Tholassi twitches.

He would conclude that dying is pretty awful, even if you're not going to stay dead, but the only thought he is capable of having right now is a renewed and silent scream.

"Perhaps you should go see the burning of the heretics this afternoon. I understand they have a crop of worshippers of Bandile. It will be most... edifying."

"Yes, Deacon." 

"Dismissed."

He takes Tholassi's still-broken body and stands. 

Tholassi's not breathing.

When they're safely away from Dhavilot's door, Ashka says, "not wise to take the salamander. Now he knows you care about animals."

"Just this once I think it's worth it," he says, and doesn't elaborate. 

He shrugs. 

"Not like I've never taken a risk."

Tholassi goes in a pocket, so that when he starts breathing again he'll be hidden and warm. 

He doesn't reach out for Ashka's hand no matter how much he would like to. 

Ashka doesn't reach out for his either.

"I am going to come up with some new commandments," Tholassi says crossly. "I have clearly overlooked some important issues. Thou Shalt Not Torture Small Animals. Thou Shalt Not Stick Knives In The Hearts Of Salamanders, that's a good one. Thou Shalt Check Thoroughly Whether A Salamander Is In Fact Thy God And If It Is Thou Shalt Help It Get To Where It Is Going And Not Crush Its Chest Even A Little Bit."

Sataro thinks it might be hard to check whether a salamander is your God and not sticking knives in the hearts of salamanders is a little bit specific to be generally useful but 'thou shalt not torture small animals' seems solid. 

"Well, if he believed, I could talk to him."

--Shit.