So, two new gods had risen.  One she knew, and the other Moliira knew nothing of.  It was time to fix that little issue.  And conveniently enough, the Huntress had been made aware of a connection between her realm and this new one.  That made traveling ever so much easier, and she dressed with a casual abandon.  Moliira had never really been one for formality, practicality had always been more important to her.  So a gray linen blouse paired with black trousers lent her a casual air, and the drow stepped barefoot onto wood floors.

The room impressed her, and Moliira wondered just how long she was meant to wait here.  The place was certainly comfortable enough, though her eyes were drawn to a curious board, filled with writing.  It seemed as if someone knew her tastes, and an eyebrow went up.  Perhaps that was how it was meant to be.  Very interesting.  Turning behind her, there were a number of doors, identical to the one she had entered through.  She would have to ask about that, once this Natsumi showed herself. 

It took a moment, but Moliira studied the menu in order to better understand it.  She then touched her hand to only two items, a light wine of elvish berries, and mushrooms on flatbread.  The mushrooms were cooked in drowish fashion, with herbs and bits of shellfish.  Taking her selections, Moliira sat cross legged on one of the couches, and continued to look around.  She did wonder just what sort of person she would meet when the new Goddess did make herself known.  That would alone would be worth the trip, though the refreshments didn't hurt matters at all.

Shinjitsu no Kagi is not the best place to frolic, even for another deity. Getting lost inside is all too easy, especially since the laws of physics need not apply. There was, as a result, a significant need for a waypoint at construction, a hub for the other divine to visit so that they were not suddenly being tossed into the void when their desired room shifted its location. The Conclave VIP Room became that waypoint.
 
Standing somewhere in the domain of Himitsu no Koa, the lavish chamber welcomes all those of divine blood that seek entrance to the Goddess's realm. It is meant as the conclave equivalent of Aisatsu, except with several more amenities to keep guests occupied until the Goddess can meet with them. Moliira, the first visitor in that room, would discover one of these amenities on her initial visit in the form of an all-knowing menu.
 
It was a curious item, this board filled with ever-changing writing. The preferences of the user would always be reflected, just as the Goddess of the Wilds discovered when she found Drowish concoctions under her brow. In the case of selection, the food or drink would instantly appear, served at the peak of perfection.
 
When Moliira placed her order for wine and mushrooms on flat bread, the articles appeared before her just as intended. A wine glass, plate, and utensils materialized on the miniature table in front of her, and her meal, down to the last detail, was soon to follow. Of course, there was also something else that appeared, something unexpected: Natsumi herself.
 
"As ordered, m'lady," the woman clothed in white kimono and black mask said with neutral tone once her guest had her sustenance. She arose from behind a chair opposite the Drow, as if she had always been there and had just been hidden from all sensory perception. The truth, however, was that she had been sleeping, and was just now coming to sit down with her guest once she noticed that woman's power in her territory. "I must admit that something out there has a sense humor," this formerly drowsy Ice Queen continued once she sat herself down. "To think that the Goddess of Wilds would be the first to visit me: a person who has lived as an outcast for the last several years? How fortuitous, but welcome."
 
Lunch was about to happen in Canelux around this time, so Natsumi took the liberty to conjure up a cup of pre-meal tea. A pewter mug appeared in her hand with but a single thought, filled to the brim with ginger tea that she quickly took a sip of. It was rather strange how she could drink through a mask without spilling, thanks to her divinity, but the practice had become so second nature to Natsumi that she didn't even notice the oddity anymore. Instead, she continued her conversation with Moliira as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
 

"At any rate, I welcome you, Moliira, first divine to set foot in Shinjitsu no Kagi. I am Natsumi, your host."

There was always something about the air that shifted when another deity was present, and it was something Moliira only now realized that she should have recognized.  But it would have been rather rude to spread her senses throughout a realm that was not her own.  It seemed that Natsumi had slipped into the room as far as she could tell, which was fitting.  "My apologies for not knocking… but my curiosity got the better of me.  After all, my kin do appreciate secrets," she said with a smile.  The drow were infamous for seeking knowledge, even when it tended to get them into trouble.  Her head tilted to one side as the new member of the divine family explained a bit of herself, that was most interesting.  Taking a sip of the wine, she bowed her head in thanks to her hostess before speaking again.

"I must admit that I like your style.  This room is quite a pleasant entrance, though I would guess that most are not so fortunate?" she asked, curious.  There was a sense of something else outside this little part of the realm, though Moliira would much rather hear about it from the person who had created it.  To her, it was a good opportunity to understand both the place and the person much better. 

Moliira possessed manners similar to those of other members of her people that had come before Natsumi in the past. Violent in culture, but gracious in politics: that was the nature of the Drow that the Goddess had come to expect. It made them one of her favored "clients," though only just. Frankly speaking, the stories they shared with her upon their visits were among the most interesting gifts Natsumi received in her divinity.
  
"Oh I know, and even secrets I did not expect," Natsumi said while recalling one such tale. "The last Drow woman who visited me wanted to know why the cobwebs she bought weren't as pristine as her neighbor's. I gave her a baffled look and the truth, though a man died in the process." Sipping through her mask, the woman continued."You already know this, but the last thing a merchant wants to do is cheat a Drow on a deal and purposefully give her inferior cobwebs while charging her for pristine quality. He's liable to end up missing a very important organ. But I digress: there's no harm done in not knocking. I don't expect manners to be universal among cultures. So long as you don't go blowing stuff up or trespassing where you shouldn't, I won't have a fit."
 
This wasn't the last word that Natsumi wished to have in her conversation with Moliira, but she was disallowed from continuing for a moment when a loud roar echoed through the surrounding walls. The table in front of both goddesses temporarily vibrated from the resonance, and a blood curdling scream followed the end of movement. 'They never listen,' Natsumi thought when the sounds faded out, putting down another mental tally for the number of people that had died in her realm. The number was now 56 despite how recently Natsumi had ascended.
 

"That probably answers your question," the fox girl enunciated when things quieted down once more. "Suffice to say that I put this room in for a reason. Direction is meaningless here; and, were I not to install the gates, it is highly likely you and all other conclave members would be lost upon entry. Most that enter through normal means are tossed into the trials, as well. The man who just died got tossed into the Kage trial, and, regrettably, failed." Casting animate object on the room, Natsumi rearranged everything that had been tossed out of place by Prisoner 682's scream. Only once everything was perfectly symmetrical once more did she finish her explanation of previous events. "Unchecked curiosity kills. I warned him, and he didn't listen. I'm not sure how much more obvious I can make it when there's already a sign with large writing sitting right in front of the entrance. Still, to stumble on Prisoner 682 is astonishingly bad luck for any first time visitor. Perhaps he was fated to die here." 

Her head tilted to one side, though Moliira had to chuckle at the odd request.  That sounded just about right for her people.  "Unfortunate that my people too often do not give the opportunity to learn.  Many expect everyone to know of our ways from the first time of dealing with a drow," she said with a slight grin.  A smile crossed her face4 at the accepted apology, normally Moliira would know.  But there were times that her curiosity did get the better of her.

Both eyebrows went up at the rather loud roar, it did indeed answer her question well.  "Well, I appreciate the gesture, and I'm sure that the others will, as well.  Though some might try the trials for their own enjoyment.  Or just to see what exactly is there," she said.  Moliira entertained the idea for a few moments, though she wouldn't do such a thing without permission from her hostess.  The idea of trials intrigued her though, it was a good idea.  Her own realm required a sacrifice, and one that gave Moliira more information than people initially realized.

Calmly, she enjoyed the mushroom bread while Natsumi rearranged the room.  There was a laugh startled from her throat at the idea of fate.  "I don't believe in fate.  There is always a choice to be made, and some choose the bad over the good.  I would guess if you had warnings aplenty, then your guest was merely stupid.  and that is something difficult to change," she said with a grin that showed experience.  Taking a sip of the wine, she found it precisely how she enjoyed it.  "So, Keys and Secrets, is it?  An interesting area to control," Moliira said.  She wanted to know a bit more about this new deity, and the best way was asking questions.

Perhaps she was just jealous, but Moliira's cheerful exterior didn't sit well with Natsumi. The Storm Wolf's constant smile did little to reciprocate joy in the Mistress of Secrets, and her eyes just grew colder the longer this jovial conversation continued. That hole which now occupied the location of her heart ached with every laugh till there was only a mixture of pain and indifference left to fill the void.
 
"I would have to decline on some of those trials," Natsumi began while attempting to hold a neutral tone. She only spoke up once the idea of deities challenging her trials was brought about, especially since it needed a firm response. "Fun isn't really acceptable to me if it requires the release of something incredibly destructive. Kage, in particular, is meant to test curiosity. If my guests let their curiosity go unchecked, then they don't have the proper strength of will to endure a secret. Of course, Kage has many safeguards to prevent the horrors within from escaping out into the realm of mortals. It is just as much a prison for the occupants as it is a trial for the visitors. Some of the creatures within here could pose a threat to Revaliir's very existence, and, even if the conclave survived the encounter, many mortals would die."
 
The Goddess fully expected that others in the conclave would still try their hardest to partake of the elusive trials guarding Shinjitsu No Kagi despite her warning, but the likelihood that Natsumi would welcome them back in such an event was near non-existent. She had a tournament room for such things, and the trials were only pertinent for weak mortals. Another deity would be strong enough to disrupt the delicate balance of Natsumi's domain even by accident, and she wouldn't just allow that to happen.


Still, given the druid's impression of Moliira thus far, she hardly anticipated her guest intended any harm by the suggestion. Natsumi didn't care to call the Drow a friend just the same as anyone else lately, but the Triune member was at least amicable. Her inaccurate attitude toward fate not withstanding, Moliira also had a good head on her shoulders.
 
"You are not the only one who believes that," Natsumi said once she heard this all too common misconception. "Fate isn't absolute, however, unlike its colloquial meaning. There are always choices, as you say, but there are forces beyond our control that can generate no win situations. In such situations, there is no good choice to be made. An example that happened recently demonstrated this effect. A man was fated to die at one point, but was left with a choice as to how. He chose the cliff instead of the spear, seeing as he had no magic or friends to aid his escape. In other words, yes, all events have a choice, but there are always constants. Those constants are what real fate is."
 
There was yet more to discuss, so Natsumi wasted no time in addressing her guest's next question.
 
"Keys and secrets is a very ambiguous title, much like fate. Commonly, people think of this realm as encompassing ancient ruins, fantastical treasures, and monsters of legend. There's also the idea of keys being used to unlock those secrets. But this description is bit antiquated. There is also the unrequited love, the friend's unknown betrayal, and the parent's silent approval. These are the mundane secrets of the world. You could just as easily qualify me as Truth, because reality is apparent to my eyes regardless of any deceit or barriers thrown up to suppress it."
 

There were exceptions to the rule that Natsumi just stated, of course, but she didn't share them with her guest. She didn't care to share her weaknesses even with her friends, so why should she share them with a new co-worker that she just met? No, the very idea was absurd and dangerous. 

There was something in Natsumi's mannerisms that told the drow she was irritating her fellow deity.  She was expert in reading facial expressions, having done it for more than a few centuries, and Moliira wondered just what her hostess was thinking.  She listened without comment about the reasoning behind not allowing some people to access the trials of her realm, and the drow's face shifted to one of a more serious nature.  She had seen things before that could end worlds, and they were things that she did not want to face again.  "Perhaps Gatekeeper should be added to your titles as well.  I must offer you thanks then for the service you provide to our world.  Tell me though, should one of us find an entity that needs to be contained, could we bring it to you?" she asked, her tone serious.  A realm like Kage could be used for many things, but only at the behest of its mistress.  And Moliira knew well, ruling over the wilds and fae things.

Her view on fate was interesting, and Moliira found herself glad she had come to visit.  Taking a mouthful of her meal, the drow listened without interrupting.  She only nodded to acknowledge Natsumi's outlining of her domain, it was something that seemed intuitive once thought about.  But far too often, people just did not stop to think.  "Perhaps my people have it correctly.  They view fate as a spider's web, a sometimes complicated things that can lead to many places, and many ways can lead to the same place," Moliira explained.  It seemed to fit to some extent with Natsumi's ideas.  "Some people also lack in imagination, and they take things at face value.  A dangerous thing to do.  If I may ask you a question though, what do you find more interesting, the truth or the lies people tell to try and sweeten the truth?" Moliira asked.  Drow often lived by lies and deception, but wolves were the utter opposite and more straightforward.  For a long time, she had felt a kinship with the more wild part of herself.  And she was curious about Natsumi's answer.

Moliira's sudden change of attitude was definitely noticeable to the youngest deity present.  It spoke to the seriousness that pervaded Natsumi's realm, and Natsumi herself was grateful for that. Small talk was all well and good for her from time to time, but things of a whimsical nature often disinterested the divine entity. Fate was one such topic that fell under this category, as was any talk of competition. The change from these over to the nature of the realm's protection features was very welcome indeed.
 
"Gatekeeper sounds nice. Perhaps it will be a title in the future." Natsumi crossed her legs while speaking, then looked at Moliira without the same irritation she had possessed beforehand."I can certainly contain something in such an event. I'm currently working on a system to expedite transfers of that nature so that I need not appear in person. In such cases, one would only need to draw a specific glyph and then lure the entity into its area. I will show you the chosen glyph design, but it won't work till I attune my realm to react to it. In the mean time, you can always carry a mirror with you and point it at the entity you believe is dangerous. All reflective surfaces are portals through which I can see, so your mirror will be a good way of letting me know something is afoot."
 
Commanding her realm to shift, the goddess created an ornate circle carved into the tabletop between the two deities. The surface of the shape was covered in ancient symbols and geometry, many of which only the highest scholars in the land could have glimpsed at one point or another. This shape was destined to be a symbol for her realm, and one of a more than ominous atmosphere.
 

 
The conversation shifted beyond the symbol's appearance back to a discussion of truth and lies. Natsumi replied honestly to the question of preference, having seen no reason to lie to her guest.
 

"Hard to say. I was obsessed with the truth as a young child, and, although I could still be considered young at present time, my experiences since leaving home have aged my views and I considerably. I'm not so fixated on the truth anymore. Even if I prefer it for myself, I now recognize the importance of lies to some people. Not everyone possesses the constitution to survive the truth, after all. Quite often, in fact, truth is too ugly for most people to comprehend. They prefer their illusions, and it is not up to me to decide what a person can and cannot withstand. That being said, I don't let such beliefs get in the way of my job. If something is truly dangerous for the realm, I don't let cults use their fictitious beliefs as an excuse to prevent me from doing what must be done. If that makes me evil, so be it. I'm not interested in being well loved anyway." Pausing for a moment in that monologue, Natsumi recalled some events that happened before she even ascended. They were quite effective comedy, considering the moment; so she decided to voice them. "It's pretty difficult to be loved when you pants the chieftain of a village as a distraction. I'll never be welcomed back on Apoy, but oh well."

Her eyes lit when she saw the rune on the table, it was something that the drow understood well enough.  "I will remember that, thank you.  I welcome many fae creatures into my realm to find refuge… but some are too dangerous.  Either to themselves, or the other denizens of Maral'hal.  And I offer you my help as well, if you have difficulty in hunting something down.  I am called the Huntress for a good reason after all," she said, her smile grim this time.  When she put her mind to it, nothing could escape her.  Given what she had seen before, Moliira was of the firm belief that the deities of the realm had to work together.  Even if it was every now and again, it was better for the world.  And she intended to take the first steps of welcoming Natsumi into the circle before her aid became a necessity.

It was a good answer that she offered, and the drow had to admire Natsumi's view on the world.  For someone who appeared to be so young, she certainly appeared to be rather jaded and insightful as to how people could be.  "Some view me as evil, but because I chose to protect the wild things and places from people who think they are right.  Far too many do not understand that they cannot simply take what they believe is theirs," she said, a feral look in her eyes for a moment.  It was something that angered her, people disrupting a delicate balance for a short term gain.  An eyebrow went up and a chuckle escaped her lips when Natsumi mentioned an entertaining incident.  "Now that sounds like quite the story to be told.  Mind sharing?  I'm rather curious as to what circumstances needed that kind of distraction," she asked.  That sounded like quite a tale.

Moliira's continued abatement of head tilting and jovial smiles made the meeting with her significantly more bearable for Natsumi. The Goddess summoned her own drink now that the mood had stabilized: a liter sized mug of ginseng tea at exactly the right temperature. This concoction was obviously far larger than most, and the fact that the girl drank it through a mask gave the scene an air of oddity. Still, Natsumi lifted her mug as if it were weightless, and took a swig before answering Moliira's offer.
  
"There is one person I seek most in this world," she said while summoning a toy bird onto the table between them. The doll was obviously old, but well cared for. Several patches had been sewn on it, and Saya's scent hung on the fabric alongside some strands of hair. "If you can find her, good. If you can't find her, I will still know where she is."
 
Natsumi left that doll on the table for the moment, making sure it was far enough away to where crumbs and spills wouldn't soil her precious memory. She would address Moliira's comment on those who took nature for granted, but only once the toy was secured.
 
"I've met people like that," she began, "those who take nature for granted and those who believe all women are theirs to claim. My first encounter after running away from home was a group of men who enjoyed torturing animals and kidnapping girls. They fooled me, naive as I was, into drinking something I shouldn't have. I woke up to one of their ranks trying to rape me." Pausing, Natsumi thought back on how she left those same men all whilst draining another quarter of her mug. "Unfortunately for him, my curse gave me abnormal strength by then. I ripped out of the restraints I was in and strangled him to death. I took to systematically eliminating the rest of his group afterward. There's a reason nothing but their skeletons was ever found after the incident: and that's because I was quite hungry at the time of killing them while also being averse to hurting the animals they had already harmed."
 
Finally, since she was in a storytelling mood, the Fox moved on from the tale of dead men and onto that of Apoy.
 

"As for Apoy Island, you're well aware of the fact that the natives have an annual ritual where they sacrifice a virgin to the volcano, correct? The natives believe the volcano is a god despite the current deities being well documented. Well, around the time I got there on my first visit, they were about to celebrate this God with their ritual of appeasement. However, the people were having a… uhm… 'virgin shortage.' In order to avoid being the sacrificed, teenagers and young adults were having sex early in life. Left with very few options, the elders started trying to sacrifice children. Saya was the first sacrifice they chose: an illegitimate heiress to the chieftain. Suffice to say, I killed a bunch people, humiliated the chieftain and freed her before the ceremony could take place." Taking another drink, Natsumi squinted a little once she realized her own silliness. Really, as if one incident of humiliation was enough for absolute animosity to take root; preposterous. "Come to think of it, perhaps pantsing their chief was the least of the islander's concerns when they very loudly proclaimed their want for my execution."