She can see that Volterra is tired - and some small part of her aches the way that he does - but her mind is so detached that she doesn't feel it. She knows that something is exhausted, she just doesn't identify with that something, and so puts it out of her mind. For the same reasons, she doesn't offer Volterra strength or thanks, it doesn't seem of much consequence just now, especially now that he is asking for information that she holds. His inquisitiveness draws her in, and a spark of approval glistened in her hardened stare.

"She murdered ... 11. Or 12. I'm not entirely certain - I wasn't alive at that point. You can count the trees I suppose -" She offers with a shrug, before it dawns on her that if he isn't aware of the murders, he likely isn't aware of the trees either. "My Father created trees, to immortalize those who died because of her. There are some in the Veins of the Gods - the biggest of which is Hototo - but there are others, scattered all over the lands. You would know them if you saw them - they grow larger and stronger, and appear... just more alive than those around them. I suppose Father thought it would help those who were grieving, if they had a place to focus their tears and prayers." Again her shoulders shrugged, as if she found this ritual terribly boring and pointless. Which she did. "The Goddess was trying to teach everyone a lesson - about wickedness, and lack of action, and how powerless we are, and how quickly we will overlook that which will kill us. She used someone ... one of the leaders - the one in the Throat - to commit the murders. She possessed his mind. Many believed he was guilty, but no one did anything about it, other than secretly talk among themselves." Another shrug. Just reciting history. "That was her point. That we are weak. That we can be manipulated. And she was right. Hototo died last .. he tried to prevent another death and was killed himself." Whatever admiration had been in her voice when she spoke of the Goddess' lesson disappeared as she mentioned her brothers death. There, her voice become flat and without concern.

As Volterra apologized, a look of uncomfortablness settled somewhere behind her masked markings. Volterra didnt' know Hototo .. didn't really know her either. The girl had never expressed sadness at his death so ... why was he apologizing? It couldn't change things, and he certainly wasn't responsible. It's just one of those things people do.. she thought to herself with confusion and disgust.

Shaking her quad-horned skull, the girl tried to brush it off. "I'm not. " She mumbled, realizing how harsh that likely sounded, but not wanting to discuss it. Swinging her tail, she focused her attention on his next statement, which was much more interesting anyways.

"Oh I don't think so. The whole world is already determined to play out in a certain way ... it's like when you drop an acorn from a tree. You know it's going to land on the ground. That's a simple case of cause and effect, but the whole world is like that, it's just more complex. Everything is already set into motion. This is no weight to bear, if anything, it makes my trajectory more salient: I know what will happen to me, what I must do with my life. " As if to reinforce her point, she turned her hardened academic stare onto Volterra. Volterra, bound to her by blood and fire. "Do you?"