The meeting of his fellow deities brought forth some more clarity towards the demon and yet there were even more questions that had unearthed also. Surely there were most that he’d get along with, at least on the surface with the exception of the wielder of light, but Naota was a concern he’d worried about latter. As was the power couple of Angela and Drae since he already seemed to be on good terms with the former. That left just one person in particular to see where he stood with. Dalanesca had been first a ruthless goddess with hints of cunningness and a vengeful heart, but it seemed it had all changed and he was curious to see just how much she had from their first encounter.

A blue and white mockingbird was sent to Porta Inferi, venturing to the goddess herself. The little thing was to deliver her an invitation to join him in a mutual place; one where plenty of people would be to surround them. Though the bird seemed harmless enough, there was just three traits about it that could prove to be annoying. Once it found its target, its beak would open and spread the message out for her, though it would be in a loud booming voice. If that wasn’t bad enough, it would then try to tell her in a mixture of languages, some of the words sounded like complete nonsense. The last thing about it was that it would not cease telling her this strange and obnoxious array of words strung together until she figured it out. When she had, the message would be as clear as day- that he would be awaiting for her in a tavern known as the Brass Hilt in the highlands.

He had been there waiting for what felt like a brief time, though time seemed less relevant for him these days as he savored some freshly brewed ale. The god watched on leisurely as he waited for his companion to show up. While the message could have came to her straightforward, he felt as though it was a fair play after what she put him through. If anything, save for perhaps her sanity, she was getting off rather easy.  He laughed among himself at the personal joke before he continued to sip on his drink. He wanted to see where she stood and if that darkness was still looming over her, or if she had put it on the shelve after her “war” with Angela.  

While nothing overly eventful had taken place at Conclave, it had given Dalanesca ample opportunity to size up the new deities that had joined them.  Adraejen had been a rather easy one, as she had already had a personal relationship of sorts with him, due to their mutual ties to Angela.  She had also seen Xunatar in a new position, and she had to admit that it seemed to suit him rather well.  She could not help but feel curious as to what sort of payback she would be receiving from him in return for having made him eat an incredibly poisonous plant before he had achieved divinity.  She had some inkling in her mind that the two would get along rather well - but were Chaos and Death two things that the world would benefit from their cooperation, or would it burn in the wake of their compiled destruction?

Not long after the latest Conclave meeting had taken place, the goddess received word from one of her Mutes that a strange bird had shown up in the gardens of the palace.  She told them to get rid of it, but the Mutes seemed to indicate that she needed to see it.  So, she proceeded to the gardens, where she did indeed come across a strange bird - it seemed to be a mockingbird, but it was colored rather oddly.  As soon as she approached it, an amalgam of sounds began to emit from its beak.  "What in Inferos is this damn thing?" she yelled over the loud voice.  The voice then began to morph languages and strange words until she finally understood what it was.  Xunatar was playing with her, and this was his invitation to join him in the Highlands.  As soon as she seemed to understand the message the bird offered, it silenced and flew away.  "What the hell…" she muttered, and took off for her chambers to get changed to meet his invitation.

Before long, she was clad in her general attire of leather and lace, having appeared a few steps outside of the tavern that was indicated by Xunatar's invitation.  She stepped inside with no hesitation, as the magic she wove around herself would only allow Xunatar to see her for who she really was.  Everyone else in the tavern would see her as only a slightly more beautiful than usual woman, but nothing out of the ordinary.  

When she entered the tavern, no one seemed to take notice of her.  She could immediately see Xunatar, as his godly aura was apparent to her being divine herself, but his back was to her.  She stepped to the bartop first, getting herself a tumbler of whiskey (nowhere near as good as what Angela provided her, of course).  Then, she made her way to where Xunatar sat, and approached him, leaning very close behind him until her lips were mere centimeters from his ear and a hand coming to rest on his shoulder.  "Cute bird," she said, her tone low and sultry.  She removed her hand and stepped from behind him to take a seat.  "And what makes me so lucky to receive an invitation from one such as yourself?" she asked him, giving him a deviant smile. 

For all that he could be and was depicted as by most who met him or even muttered his name, Xunatar wasn’t completely a cruel monster. He didn’t senselessly destroy and make enemies like his lower beneath. No, he was much more of a thinking man and evaluated his options before proceeding forward. A part of him refused to let him given into the madness that chaos could bring fully. It was his to wield and not the other way around afterward. He could have been much crueler to Dalanesca, but his rationality was greater than any pettiness he might have felt, if there was any. He didn’t blame her for what had occurred- he was a willing player to her game and could have turned around at any moment. Instead he went down the rabbit’s hole head first. Besides, she was likely the last one on the conclave that he wanted to get into a confrontation with.
 
The woman simply amused him and now that they were on even grounds (aside from her time and experience over him), he thought that they could have a more pleasant conversation. That was after she solved the puzzle he sent on a pair of wings. Xunatar felt the air change almost like a ripple coming from behind him. He assumed that his bird had sent the message loud and not so clear to the goddess. He was right there, as plain as day to the world here. Not many of the highlanders had still believed of deities outside of their own so his identity was still unknown other than being an outsider. The demon remained still in his chair until he felt her creeping up against him and his eyes shifted to glimpse at her.
 
“One with a pretty song voice too. Of course it is nothing compared with what I gifted you through it” He couldn’t help but to smirk at the end of his statement before raising his mug to his lips. Afterwards he tilted his head and bore his eyes right onto her. There was no doubt that Dal was a pretty little thing, but what was more intriguing was her power and spirit. “Perhaps it was because I didn’t want to spend this evening alone?” His words slipped through his mouth, woven like silk, “Perhaps I wished for the company of someone like myself? After all, we do have much in common despite brief encounters, and while I wish to keep out of arm’s length with the others, ours have been quite a different story.”

Dalanesca slunk down into the seat she had selected, shifting slightly so as to position herself in a more comfortable manner.  The smirk which crossed Xunatar's face brought one to her own lips as well.  It seemed that the two were making an attempt to best one another at their own games, each attempting such in their own manner.  She found it amusing, because neither one of them would ever fully succeed.  Pitting a deity against another deity, whether for fun or for war, never ended well for either party - but that did not stop it from happening.

She knew that there were several things that she and Xunatar had in common beyond their similarities that came from their divinity.  Their spheres held similar alignments, and they seemed to have a bit of the same philosophy when it came to things, especially when put into comparison with the other deities of Revaliir.  They seemed to be the only two who reveled in deviant behavior and perhaps the misfortune of others (including one another).

Her icy blue eyes scanned Xunatar for a good while, reading every tiny movement of the demon's features.  She was still rather unsure what the purpose of their meeting was, but as Xunatar continued to speak, she realized that it was more than likely a social call rather than anything else.  She finally spoke, the tone low and dark, much as it had been during their first meeting, peppered with innuendo in the same manner.  "What is to say that I wish to offer you the company it is that you request?" she asked, her smirk shifting into a far more devious one.  "However," she continued, leaning slightly forward towards him, her hands resting on her knees over the black skirt of her dress.  "I could be persuaded, I suppose," she said, raising an eyebrow in a rather suggestive manner.  

Slowly, she leaned down and hooked a hand under the skirt of her black dress, slowly pulling it up the length of her leg, her fingers brushing against her pale skin.  The fabric drew over her knee, and it looked as though the goddess was about to put on a bit of a show for Xunatar.  She reached up beneath the fabric of her  with her free hand, and within a moment had withdrawn a flask that had been strapped to her thigh.  "Angela gives me this," she said, unscrewing the flask and taking a long drink of the dark liquid contained within.  "It's the only thing that messes me up like I used to accomplish when I was mortal," she added, taking another drink and handing the flask towards Xunatar.  "Care to see if you can keep up?"  she asked, the words clearly airing a challenge.

“My dear, you could have easily sent me a message of refusal if you had wanted”, he retorted, sliding more comfortably into his chair. Dalanesca could have returned the favor and offered him a demented method of communication like how he had chosen the bird earlier. The goddess coming here alone spoke to him that she was interested in seeing why he had summoned her, especially in such a place like this tavern. “Besides, I find myself quite entertaining when I’m not trying to claw out my throat, of course.” He finished the statement with a slight chuckle before sipping his drink. Xunatar bared no more ill feelings over her trial, it was water under the bridge as far as he was concerned.
 
Beneath the casual flirting and such, he knew that Dal was a brilliant and calculating woman. Everything motion she made and everything she spoke was all a part of a game. The Lord knew well of such challenges and played quite a few himself. They really weren’t different in that aspect and more. “But in truth, I’m sure that I can persuade you to stay for a while.”
 
He held no shame among himself as his eyes watched her hand at work. It was hard to imagine her before her descent into the darkness; it was said that she was a force of both Chaos as well as Order. One couldn’t help but to wonder how she was like in her past; had she been like she was now or was she more subtle back then? Which was the real Dalanesca and which was just the mask? Why, Xunatar was very interested in the matter, just as he was in where that naughty hand of hers would go to.
 
His head tilted once the object came into view. There was something about the flask that made his eyes dangerously narrow and hearing that Angela had something to do with it drew in his interest even more. “I take it that it can affect the gods then?” He leaned forward, glancing upon the offered flask before looking at his divine sister. “Considering the last time I took something you offered, I should be more cautious and rational about this.” As the words came out, his lips curled more and more. “But that would be boring.”
 
He was a connoisseur of such beverages and didn’t fear whatever it was she brought to the table. Reaching for the flask, he took a quick swig of the mysterious drink. Once it reached his tongue, he could feel the strong taste nearly overwhelming him. It hit him harder than anything that he had drank before but soon he could taste the sweetness coming out. It was a strange but exceptional drink as well. Xunatar went and took a long drink this time before handing it back to Dalanesca. “I hope you are prepared for a long night”, he spoke confidently with a smack of his lips. Whatever it was that she had, he would have to find a way to obtain some himself at some point.
 
“May I be so bold to ask a question? Do you miss it? The chaos, I mean. I’ve heard of your former mantle prior to the current one.” As much of a fit he was to the sphere, he knew that she had been its former master and part of him pondered if there had been any resentment for him picking up the mantle.

Dalanesca gave Xunatar a brief little wave of her hand, dismissing his first comment. "We may butt heads, my friend," she said, giving him a very sly smile. "But I can essentially assure you - we have much more in common than our brethren."  She watched him with mild interest as he drank from his own beverage. She was glad that it was clear there was no ill will between the two of them - a partnership, or at least an alliance, between the two would be incredibly beneficial to both of them - perhaps not for the rest of Revaliir, but at least for themselves. "No persuasion is needed. I'm in dire need of intelligible company, as it stands, and you are well-enough suited to my tastes," she said, a devious glint to her eyes. It was clear that her words were naught but playful, and she knew that Xunatar would catch on rather quickly.

She gave Xunatar a quick wink when he spoke of the liquid she poured out from her flask. "Aye, it does," she said, and found herself grinning rather broadly as he seemed to contemplate the safety of taking the flask from her, but in the end took it, and took a long drink from it before giving it back to her. "Made by Angela Rose, herself…. she still needs to get me the recipe," she said, her words becoming lofty and flighty for a moment before she drifted back to reality, the here and now. She took another pull of the liquid before setting the flask down on the table, leaving it well within Xunatar's reach should he decide he wanted more.

"Nothing I can't handle," she said, as he mentioned the night being long. His confidence was almost palpable in the air as he spoke - a quality that Dalanesca found attractive in her friends and allies. As he proceeded to question her regarding the change in her spheres, she sat back a bit in her seat, relaxing and taking another drink. “I do and I don’t,” she said, rather simply.

Falling silent for a minute, it was clear that Dalanesca was contemplating how best to proceed with their conversation. “There was a… how do I put this,” she said, finding it difficult to explain her thoughts. “There was a certain fairy tale quality, to be honest,” she continued, with a deep sigh. “I had control over the balance of things. I could sway the word to have more good, more evil… whatever I felt suited the situation,” she said. She paused, chewing on her lower lip in contemplation.

“I do miss it. It felt good to be in control of so much. I am still in control of many things now… it’s just taken a darker tone,” she said, and there was a slight sadness to her voice that had not been there before. “When Marth - my husband, if you haven’t already heard all the stories - well, former husband, I suppose - disappeared, and I lost my Katja… There was no way I could be in control of anything pure or good any longer,” she said. There was a finality to her words that indicated she knew there was no going back.

“But, I’ve figured, why not make the most of what I’ve been given? I’ve tapped back into my days as an assassin, of course, and do I ever have fun…” she said, her voice becoming a bit more sinister. “And how has godhood been treating you? Seems that you’ve taken on the polar opposite of the spheres I used to hold. Pity. We could have been good rivals,” she said, giving him a wink as she awaited his reply, downing a bit more of her whiskey tainted with the mixture she received from Angela, a warm flush beginning to rise to her cheeks.

Xunatar may had have some doubts about this, but all in all Dalanesca was the best candidate for making an allegiance with. He watched on clear interest as the dark mistress assured him that there was no animosity but only respect between them. The lord held nothing against her for the past- it was simply a task that he had willing performed to gain her favor and it was as simple as that. “I take it that those that come to your realm lack such qualities? I can’t say that my visitors had been any better; though they just make it all the more fun to exploit.” His victims for the more part lacked the creativity needed for survive his home to gather an audience with him. Typically he would watch their destruction from afar and fortunately for him, there had been no occurrence where the same death happened twice. While it was fun, he preferred using the rest of the world for his enjoyment.

The alcohol she provided from the Mother provided to be worth his while. Certainly only something this potent would affect their kind. Like his friend, he would certainly have to coax the recipe out of the goddess. “Sounds like the best kept secret of the conclave, at least for right now”, he spoke cryptically as he slouched onto the table, his icy eyes lying upon the flask. He could feel the warmth of the drink slowly affecting him a little, just as wine and other drinks had once did when he was mortal. It was an odd feeling that was missed. “That is quite the claim, but I look forward to seeing that proven.” Pride had been the thing that lead him into one of the more dangerous circles of her home and it certainly went unrivaled by most, but Xunatar knew when to tone it down. After all, the fall could always come after pride, it just depended on when it would come.Until then though, he would have his fun as he saw fit. He was sure that if he got too caught up in it, Dalanesca would be able to deal with it. His finger rounded about the rim of his glass, a sweet humming sound was brought into their ears as he listened to her answer. “A bittersweet feeling about it.” His finger kept up its work as he reached for the flask and and downed a quick sip. He felt the burning and the pleasure soon afterwards again. Oh how delicious it was to feel the two.

“Balance is a curious thing, as is control. Many believe that they know what either are and yet so many of them couldn’t be any farther from understanding, much less wielding. You, for example, had such claims and for the most part, you still do. I do believe in a form of it, but I fear it may differ from perhaps your previous view of it.” Her story of transformation certainly caught his attention; it had to have taken something so tragic as losing her family that she would fall into the darkness and now wielded the power of death itself. Such a sad tale as the beauty became the Reaper and yet fate had bestowed this path for her for a reason. The Chaosweaver smiled as her tale seemed to lighten up and she accepted her place in this world now. “Yes, I been a busy bee since my ascension. The world knows of me by now, the tempest Canelux went through recently had been prove of that.” He knew that there were enemies that were made from his doings in Itjivut but hardly such pettiness wouldn’t faze him much. In his mind, the Vault was just the tip of the iceberg for what he had in stored for them.

Xunatar couldn’t hold in a devious grin as he thought for a moment that she was challenging him in some way. With her sultry words, it was hard at times for even him to see whether she was bluffing or not. “Yes, it is a shame. Our situation would have been one of a push and pull effect, wouldn’t it? But as good of a pair of rivals we could have been, I figure that we would be far better in allegiance. After all, we both control domains that are feared and yet the world needs, whether the denizens wish to admit or not. Darkness, Death, Deceit, Discord…” Again he took a sip of the godly drink, though it was a much larger one as he welcomed more of the warmth inside him. His eyes seemed to brightened up just a bit and his pale skin was changing into a more rosy color.

“In any case, our conflicts and collaborations would surely have one hell of an impact in Revaliir, my lady.”