[@Stabby][@Zeroth]

Femus's previous small grin was nothing in comparison to the... relatively wide smile that he developed after seeing Nira's expression.  He had a feeling that if she had been younger she would have stomped her foot and glared at him for catching her.  It was an adorable thought.  But, the moment was brief and Nira's response brought them back to business immediately.  It seemed the verbal games were indeed over.

Besides, she had just let slip that she spent her previous life in a hospital.  That... wasn't funny.

The smile vanished.

Femus's new body had little when it came to expression so the brief feeling of pity that flowed through his consciousness didn't show.  Still, it took a few moments for him to quiet that down and clear his thinking.  It was highly unlikely that the person in front of him would appreciate something as useless as pity.  It was likely better to take her words seriously and be as genuine as possible, especially if this green wisp wanted to maintain a lasting partnership with her.

It took a little effort to ensure that his voice wouldn't betray his earlier feelings, though his brief time of silence could be interpreted in several ways. [color=598527]"It's a bit cliche, I guess.  I want power, power sufficient to protect what I want to protect from anything. If the Demon King will help me get there... I'll work with him.  If his enemies will help me get there, I'll work with them.  For right now, I just need to survive and get stronger.  With how little I know of this world, making long range plans just doesn't seem practical to me."[/color]

He didn't mind the fact that Nira hadn't responded to his urging.  It seemed that she wanted to understand his motives before following him anywhere.  That was understandable.  Still, the longer they spent out here in the open the more likely it became that they would attract unwanted attention from the goblins or other local predators.  They were having a chat right next to a half-eaten rat on the forest floor after all.

[color=598527]"Is there anything else you would like to know about me before we move?  I'd rather not be ambushed before I recover my mana."[/color]