He wants the power inside the boy.
Veskar
Veskar does not need Arion to trust him. He needs to know what will make him yield. A frightened mother, a false way out, a moment of hope: each can become an instrument in his hands.
Veskar studies the moment a person gives something away. Fear for a mother, an involuntary reaction, attention drawn towards an apparent exit: each tells him where to apply pressure. The power inside Arion makes the boy valuable. The people Arion loves make him vulnerable.
In Veskar's reach, seeing a way out is no guarantee that one exists. Arion must learn under pressure, testing the evidence of his senses while his captor watches him learn. A successful trick may also teach the enemy something.
Their confrontation is a struggle over who understands the situation first. Veskar does not need every move to succeed. He needs the next one to leave Arion with fewer choices.
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