He'd have to shout pretty loudly to be heard over her screaming. The Witchbreaker was relentless, but so was the growing fury in Nico's voice, even as she screamed her throat raw. Mercifully for both Nico and Raph, the memory ran like wet ink, blurring ahead to what was clearly another significant point.
Specifically, the point where the Witchbreaker's own Staff of One slammed her against one of the stone walls, and the blue glow keeping Nico suspended in mid-air vanished. Nico collapsed to the floor and crumpled under her own weight. For one moment, two, three, the room was still and silent but for ragged breathing.
"When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge."
Nico rose from the floor like something undead as the Staff of One (finally) pushed her upwards as it (finally) escaped from her chest. Her legs almost gave out again, but she staggered and kept on her feet. When she raised her head, her eyes were still glowing, more magenta than red now -- and this time, so were the scratches on her face. As her injuries healed, Nico stood more steadily, and the simpler version of the Staff of One that Raph had seen first in the shack morphed into the one he'd seen in Nico's hands the first time they'd met.
The Witchbreaker groaned as she too regained consciousness, and Nico bared her teeth in a furious snarl as a raspy laugh emerged from the old woman.
"You should have killed me, you stupid girl."
The Witchbreaker reached for her Staff, but Nico planted one booted foot on it and brought her own to bear.
"I don't think so," she croaked. "That would be a mercy. And that's not what you wanted for me, was it? Get up.."
A light the same color as still burned in Nico's eyes raised the Witchbreaker up off the floor, holding her in the air like Nico had been.
"You're an old, old lady," Nico said, her voice smoothing out into something cold and unforgiving as a knife at midnight as her magic healed her scream-torn throat. "And I bet you've been doing this sort of thing for a long, long time. You've gotten really good at dishing it out." The glow in Nico's eyes flared. "Let's see how you take it all back."
Spell cast, Nico turned on her heel and left the room. It was going to be a long time playing out, and she didn't want or need to supervise it. Her magic was singing under her skin, and she had a lot to do today.
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Specifically, the point where the Witchbreaker's own Staff of One slammed her against one of the stone walls, and the blue glow keeping Nico suspended in mid-air vanished. Nico collapsed to the floor and crumpled under her own weight. For one moment, two, three, the room was still and silent but for ragged breathing.
"When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge."
Nico rose from the floor like something undead as the Staff of One (finally) pushed her upwards as it (finally) escaped from her chest. Her legs almost gave out again, but she staggered and kept on her feet. When she raised her head, her eyes were still glowing, more magenta than red now -- and this time, so were the scratches on her face. As her injuries healed, Nico stood more steadily, and the simpler version of the Staff of One that Raph had seen first in the shack morphed into the one he'd seen in Nico's hands the first time they'd met.
The Witchbreaker groaned as she too regained consciousness, and Nico bared her teeth in a furious snarl as a raspy laugh emerged from the old woman.
"You should have killed me, you stupid girl."
The Witchbreaker reached for her Staff, but Nico planted one booted foot on it and brought her own to bear.
"I don't think so," she croaked. "That would be a mercy. And that's not what you wanted for me, was it? Get up.."
A light the same color as still burned in Nico's eyes raised the Witchbreaker up off the floor, holding her in the air like Nico had been.
"You're an old, old lady," Nico said, her voice smoothing out into something cold and unforgiving as a knife at midnight as her magic healed her scream-torn throat. "And I bet you've been doing this sort of thing for a long, long time. You've gotten really good at dishing it out." The glow in Nico's eyes flared. "Let's see how you take it all back."
Spell cast, Nico turned on her heel and left the room. It was going to be a long time playing out, and she didn't want or need to supervise it. Her magic was singing under her skin, and she had a lot to do today.