[There’s a part of him that isn’t surprised by the reply. Messmer speaks practically, out of concern for Verso’s own happiness, and it’s so easy for old tendencies to buoy to the surface and whisper: Maybe it would be better just to rest, anyway.

But it’s the other side of him, a renewed fragment of his soul—in no small part Messmer’s doing—that rails a little against this answer. Verso’s brow shadows as he takes this reply in, looking up at the demigod with his mind churning.]

Maybe it is a fool thing to ask, but we’ve well established that I am one. A fool who would like to choose for himself where he might derive his happiness.

[There is no hint of offense or frustration in him, though a little spark of determination underlines each syllable.]

If you say you live in a prison, let me help you and yours be free of it. It’s a fresh new purpose as good as any other. And a path full of trials is still better than one traveled alone.

[And that’s not even considering what Messmer’s wish could accomplish in tandem with whatever he chooses to do, once returned.]