She didn't seem particularly surprised at Virosa's tone, but it was an exterior cover. Tectus was not a new beast. She was ancient, an Overseer from times long ago when the caves were productive and rife with Chaos. She had dealt with her fair share of unruly valkhounds and misbehaving workers, and she had found a "mode" for the times when they threatened her.

Not to say Virosa was threatening her now, but there was a passive, guarded look to her, a sudden wall concealing a bit of frustration and confusion that she didn't allow on display. Of course she hadn't meant that, and she had no idea how it had reached that conclusion in the first place.

"Of course not," she offered, diplomatically. It was a very well-trained tone that she put on for it now. "You are as unnatural as I." Something was shuffling in the trees behind her - another Lesser, frightened by their movement perhaps. She glanced back and quickly dispatched it with a slam of her massive tail. "You are as Chaos is - an agent of change. You are purpose."

All of a sudden, he very much felt like an outsider to this discussion. He had no idea what they were talking about, why there was suddenly a tension in the air. He blinked, looking from one to the other, and ending on Virosa.

To him, it was unnatural. Of course it was. The oil that dripped from it defiled the ground it walked upon. Its magic twisted the grasses and fungus into unnatural shapes. It was destruction - yes, fire. Fire that wanted to devour more more more and not a simply force that swept through if it were allowed.

But...he wasn't going to say that, not when Tectus seemed to be so confident that it was as natural as any of them. In what context? He wasn't sure. So for now, he simply continued his work, pulling mycelia out. Forcing it to bloom. Tearing it and tossing it.

@Virosa

This tension brought a sort of pleasure to Virosa, like the whistle of birdsong or gale blowing through trees. It belonged there, in this discomfort. An ink stain on the parchment, a smudged line in the lettering. But it did not expect this tension from its Overseer. The enjoyment was muted, uncertain of itself, of whether this was the correct way to feel.

The rat had begun to bite at its own tail, as rats do. It reminded it of the Drone it'd encountered twice now, terrified by the Valkhound's mere vicinity but powerless to stop it. Virosa now did what it probably should've done to Jinyi, snapping the rodent up in its jaws and dissolving its infection in the oily depths of its stomach.

The taste soured its mood, unable to compare to the perfection of a Chip. It spat the melted remains back out, but the Oil did not spread or stain where it landed. It moved on.

"The cat would disagree."

Rolls:
18,8,9,x,15,10,10,19,11,19,6,6,x,15,20,15,10,x,14,7,9,20,x

Total: 241

@Tectus

Tectus could tell her words did little to abate whatever it was gnawing at Virosa. She was never good at this. To be honest, she didn't think she was particularly made to be good at this. She was made to give orders, keep production working, stomp out rebellion.

Well, this wasn't really any of that. She wasn't sure what this is. A conversation? A lecture? Was Virosa trying to talk through its feelings or something?

If Tectus could frown, she would. She looked over to Rift and snorted. "He knows only one facet of nature. You are another. I've found that things beyond one's perception may at first seem unnatural - rarely they are not." She scratched a little more at the tree next to her, to keep busy, but then looked at Virosa again. That diplomatic instinct to keep things running, keep it productive, slid back into place for a moment. But there was still something genuine in what she spoke. "Our disagreement is part of our nature too, you know. If we were one and the same and agreed on everything we would be no different then the Hive."

Rolls:
18,9,10,10,19,11,19,6,6,x,15,20,15,10,x,14,7,9,20,x,17

Total: 235

Rift lifted a paw to continue his work, but then paused. Frusteration was growing in him as they continue to talk about him like he wasn't here. A low growl rose in his throat as he looked at the Overseer and then to Virosa. "I'm right here, you know. I understand some things."

Yeah, he was still a part of this conversation even if he needed to take a short break from rolling for magicka level purposes. "I understand that it all pales to whatever it is behind the Spire. I may not know everything, but I know the Spire is Natural. It is nature. And that you can argue all you want about what is or isn't natural or unnatural...but I dare you to try and get a few feet near that tree." A paw raised and pointed back towards the Sanctuary, where he knew if they carried Chaos, just as Lessers and Drones carried Order, they would not find comfort there.

"You're unnatural to me," he said to Virosa with the faint trace of a growl. "Because nature doesn't corrupt and nature would find sanctuary there." It was all the same, they were all the same. The fungus corrupted, Virosa's magic corrupted, they were all waging their war in his damn backyard without caring!

@Virosa

Virosa shot a glance at Tectus. I told you so. "And the tree is nature? The Altar is not? Pray to him, and you would disagree."

It planted a foot in a patch, as it'd done many times before. Perhaps its magic was weakening after the time spent without prayer. The dark threads were taking longer and longer to weave their way into the earth.

"This is nature. That is nature. All is nature." There was a mocking lilt to its voice.

Rolls:
18,9,10,10,19,11,19,6,6,x,15,20,15,10,x,14,7,9,20,x,17,8

Total: 243

Tectus glared at Rift. Was he trying to get himself killed? Perhaps if they weren't in the middle of business, she would have let this go on past blows. It would be an important lesson in respect, for one thing. And it would amuse her to see this cat learn that just because the power of Natural Order was dominant in certain places, it didn't protect him from anything.

Well, no harm in letting it go for a moment. If either tried to attack the other, she'd intervene. For the moment, she stayed silent and watched to see what Rift would do in response.

Rolls:
18,9,10,10,19,11,19,6,6,x,15,20,15,10,x,14,7,9,20,x,17, 8

Total: 243

The hair on his neck began to raise a bit at the mocking tone Virosa took on. "Pray to who?" He didn't know of an Altar. He didn't know the Him it referred to. He glanced at Tectus, but the Overseer was quiet, watching carefully. It struck him, then, that if he angered either of them, they could crush him without any problems. He wasn't in the range of the Arborspire, and if he called for help, the Shepherd would get there too late.

His eyes narrowed as his trail lashed behind him. "The tree that grew? Or an Altar that had to be built? You tell me." There was something so wrong and twisted about Virosa, it made Rift's skin crawl. He didn't want this thing in the forest, but what, was he going to be the one to chase it out? Alone, with the Overseer standing here, opposing him as well?

@Virosa

Violence was far from Virosa's mind right now. It did not enjoy a fight, more the usefulness of a fresh carcass. And though Rift was small, and would be so easily dispatched, he was more useful to it alive, than as a corpse in the mud.

"You don't know our Creator?" It turned on its heels, and began to slowly stalk towards the little cat. Every step sunk into the dirt, tainting it, poisoning. "He's as natural as the earth. As your tree. We pray at the black altar, to him, him only. Pray as the Hive does - but all they can do is pray."

"Rrevalk. He lets us... Pursue what we choose. All is chaos, in time. You are closer to him than you think, cat."

Rolls:
18,9,10,10,19,11,19,6,6,x,15,20,15,10,x,14,7,9,20,x,17, 8,x,13

Total: 256

@Tectus

Tectus, of course, wasn't surprised Rift did not know. It seemed Gembound had either forgotten or never known who had created the caves. Who they belonged to. Although...Tectus wondered exactly how much control he still had over it. The Spire had been replaced. The Hive ran rampant. There was so little organization anymore, yet he had never come to reclaim them or destroy them for their failures.

Would he ever? Did he care?

That was the limit of Tectus's thoughts, as she immediately slammed a barrier down between herself and anything further. She was an Overseer. She could not doubt their god, for then she would doubt herself.

"You live in his caves," she added in, pulling herself back out as she continued to scratch away at the infection, pulling plants laced with white out from their roots.

Rolls:
18,9,10,10,19,11,19,6,6,x,15,20,15,10,x,14,7,9,20,x,17, 8,x,13,12

Total: 268