For all his strong convictions and opinions, the Indomitable does sometimes find it difficult to decide which side of the fence to come down on. For now, he makes no comment, whilst also fighting to hide a smile at Rikyn's reaction. Thankfully the 'dispute', if it can even be called that, seems to blow over fairly quickly and the Puppeteer takes the comments about his manhood in good humour.

But there's another side to Rikyn too, it seems, as the golden-marked man mentions his mother. Despite his attempts to feign stoic, regal disinterest, Volterra's ears traitorously dart forwards with evident curiosity at the Puppeteer's words. On their handful of meetings they've only touched on their families, and the Indomitable had no idea that Rikyn's relationship with his dam was so....rocky. The man has a point - this is, indeed, a different Helovia. A new Helovia. The era of Gaucho, Confutatis, Deimos, Midas, and all the other famous forefathers is over, consigned to dust with the ashes and bones of those great leaders. Their children, scions of the most royal empires, are now free to forge their own path forwards. Volterra, Rikyn, Tiamat, Erebos, Isopia; even Tembovu, Lyanna, Ampere, older than the aforementioned. They must create this new Helovia in their name, instead of following in the footsteps of their parents, regardless of how great said parents might be.

Erebos adds his own input, speaking of Kaos and his strange events. Before Volterra can respond, Ampere speaks, and the Sultan looks to his co-leader with interest. She is vastly more experienced than he is; she knows how to handle situations like this far more than he does, although he intends to do everything in his power to keep his willful ignorance from showing through. She jumps straight to the point, speaking of the attack upon the Sun's daughter - Volterra's muscles involuntarily bunch, as though expecting Aithniel's assailant to leap from the bushes and attack him too. "Yes, the news of this attack upon our former Sultana - the Sun God's daughter, no less - was most concerning. Whilst I understand that this happened several years ago, we need reassurances that such a foul deed will never be committed beneath the Basin's name ever again." The beast's deep voice is neutral, yet there's undeniable passion in it, a contempt for such a deed that is impossible to hide.

Regarding the trade deals, Volterra nods. Whilst, as Ampere correctly points out, it's too fragile a thing to base an alliance upon, it is nonetheless useful to know where they stand with such things. "We are willing to trade our herbs and crafted items with you, and I would also suggest that we share any discoveries about Kaos. As Erebos says, this is a time to work together." He glances approvingly at the General, before his eyes drift to Wessex and her suggestion. Ah, spars - there's a language he can get on board with. She's an interesting thing, with her prickles and her great bulk, and he rather thinks he would like to test her out upon the battlefield. "As this delightfully spiky lady points out, friendly spars between our warriors would also be agreeable. It will do our soldiers good to test themselves against different opponents, and strengthening both of our forces at the same time can only be a good thing." He flashes Wessex a grin.

"Furthermore, we feel it may be beneficial if the sleuths of both our herds are allowed to practice stealing from each other, under the caveat that any objects are immediately handed back to the owner. Like warriors, thieves need to keep their skills honed and sharpened...it will also aid us in learning how best to block stealth attempts, as we have no idea whether Kaos may try such tactics." He frowns. He is morally against stealing, however he knows that the Throat's sleuths have their place and if the herd must have them, then it is only right that they be the best.

Talk turns to Kaos, to the concerning tales of both herds. The plot seems to be thickening with each passing day, and it makes Volterra's skin itch to think of the foul heathen God walking merrily around, confounding innocent Helovians. He feels as though Ampere has addressed that topic well, though, and is also keen to see the Basin's leaders answer her questions before he says anything further.