4639/Towering Problems

Towering Problems
Date of Scene:	07 January 2021
Location:	Amora's Tower
Synopsis:	(This happens right after scene 4622 - (SoS) A goddess' schemes) Nico is brought to Amora's tower, along with Dragonfang embedded in stone. Amora gives Nico an offer to reveal her true potential, one that is accepted. But at what price?
Cast of Characters:	Amora, Nico Minoru

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Amora has posed:
It had perhaps been an unexpected end to what was supposed to be a training session with Strange for Nico. As it had been unexpected enough for Amora that her plans of retrieving the Dragonfang had been twarted. But she should had known and not had underestimated the power of the Staff of One, nor of Doctor Strange's abilities.. But it matters not, the sword was here, even if not readily acessible, and she only had to get the girl to get it out of the stone it was stuck in.. Easy enough for a powerful sorceress such as her, right? Right?!

As they went through the mirror it was clear they stepped into another ..., place? Dimension? Era? The air felt different, the trees surrounding the place do not seem like any kind on earth and further ahead is a large tower, climbing the skies. There is a path that leads through the trees to it, a frozen lake right next to it.. As for fauna? None in sight so far.

"I hope you are glad, bearer of the staff of One." She says haughtily. "You have brought this down on yourself by meddling in a fight between me and Strange." of course that the blame is *entirely* on Nico in her perspective.

Nico Minoru has posed:
It was supposed to be a simple training session, that much was true. Stop by Strange's, have a small lesson and then go get some black coffee. She would havenever expeected a visit by the Enchantress of Asgard to arrive. Perhaps she did get involved in a fight between Amora and the Doctor, but she was never one to sit by and simple allow herself to be endangered. Amora wanted the blade and Nico knew she could thwart that attempt. However, short term thinking did not allow her to realize that the Enchantress could simply take the statue, the blade as well as herself.

Nico's emotions are in a battle themself, a mix of anger and frustration, but now seeing the new land that lies before her has instilled alevel of wonder and amazement. Her eyebrow raises however at Amora's words and she turns to look at her with a hand on one of her hips. "I meddled? You were the one to meddle in my lesson." She narrows her eyes, looking over to the statue and the sword embedded in it. "Sucks doesn't it? Kinda useless to you huh? I mean I suppose you could just put it in your home. Conversation piece?"

Amora has posed:
The eyebrow raising, along with the posture of defiance from Nico has Amora canting her head to the side. Well, at least she isn't sniveling on the ground which is a plus. "I am sure what you mean is that I saved you from a lesson with that old crone." her eyes rolling and she letting out a sigh.

Yet as Nico continues to taunt the Enchantress at her home a wicked little smile comes to her expression. "Oh, it will certainly be quite the conversation piece. I have just the place to put it. As well as a place for you." she gestures towards the lake, murmuring words in Asgard, words of power.. Slabs of ice break from it, flowing towards them and she gets atop one. "Get on that one. It will bring us to my tower." emphasis on 'my'. This does seem to be her sanctum. Which means her powers here will be .., quite stronger.

Another slab goes to the statue, it flowing up to it and then she is ready to bring them on.

"And if you don't feel like coming along I can tell you there is nothing around this tower for ..., a few thousand miles."

Nico Minoru has posed:
There is a look of disdain given to the enchantress from the young goth girl, a long staring glance. Yet at the same time, there is the slighest bit of fear and trepidation in her expression. She knows she is in an unfamiliar world and she also knows she is standing beside someone who clearly is more powerful than she is. Amora holds all the cards and most certainly has the upper hand in the situation. Tihs is her home. These are her rules and Nico was quickly ralizing that she was at the mercy of her host.

As Amora the ice flow approaches her, Nico simply stares at it a moment, hesitant to step upon it. Tho, after a short moment she takes a small step, placing her foot on it and then the other. It is then she becomes a little more emboldened, but perhaps words spoken more so out of fear that bravery. "You underestimate the Staff. Yet I shall go along with you...for now."

Amora has posed:
Amora dips her head at Nico when she chooses to get on that ice slab. "Good." she says, perhaps an hint of approval on her voice, "Choosing your battles is important if you want to survive long. Specially with what you carry." the slabs begin their fly towards the Tower, it now closer and closer, Amora's hair free in the wind now that she does not have her tiara. It makes her sigh. That would be a problem if Strange has it. But one problem at a time.

"I did not expect such a young woman to be wielding the Staff. You are similar in a way to the last one, but in others not." is she saying she knew the former user of the Staff? "And I know well about what you carry. It is not something to be used carelessly. It's power .., is immense."

They arrive at the entrance to the tower, the door appearing to shimmer and allow them passage and they are inside a large foyer. For some reason it does feel to be larger inside than it was from the outside. A pocket dimension of some kind?

"You are at my home now. And for as long as you keep yourself within the rules of hospitality for visiting wizards you shall be treated as so. Of course that breaking any of those rules. Well. I shall not be as kind." the words spoken with solemnity, traditionally. Clearly this is a sorceress that follows the wizard ways.

Nico Minoru has posed:
The Enchantress was being most welcoming, her tone seemingly to Nico nothing of a threatening manner. In fact, the young witch was beginning to actually embrace where she was, a feeling of inquisitiveness overcoming her and replacing her displeasure of being taken. She knew of Amora, she knew of her power and she also knew that potentailly very few magic users got to see the foyer in which she was currently standing. "If it means anything, I did not actually ask to have the staff." She looks about the foyer, taking in the grandeur and then lets her eyes settle on the powerful woman. "It's a part of me Amora. May I call you that?"

She then realizes that perhaps the woman was unware of who she actually was, adding. "Nico. My name is Nico and I will show you the repect you deserve if it is shown in kind." There is a small moment where she simply watches the woman, not saying a word. "This is not about the sword is it?"

Amora has posed:
"Why should we ever ask to take power that is meant to be ours?" Then Amora smiling just so at the following words from the girl. "And of course it is part of you. You took it's power, as was meant to be." She begins to walk to walk down the hallway, motions all elegant, back straight, head held high. A gesture done and the statue lifts from the ground to move along with them.

"Of course. You may call me Amora, Nico." she then says. Yes, Amora can be friendly. Specially when she wants something out of someone. And right now, she does. Her tone is even softer, long gone is the time at Strange's sanctum in which she seemed ready to fulminate everyone.

"You are observant." A pause as she glances over her shoulder, studying the girl. "What do you believe is the real reason for all this, then?"

Pathways give way to a large garden. Exotic, marvellous. Here and there some plants from earth can be seen, but others are just too different, almost as if this was a collection of various places, of various realms. All together. But here and there something else can be seen. Statues? They seem to be of stone but they are so life-like. A man looking up with sword and shield. A damsel looking in horror at something. A large creature that resembles a wolf .... And more.

Nico Minoru has posed:
Nico has to walk a bit faster to keep up with the Enchantress, her black boots tapping along the floor as she shuffle runs to maintain a position next to her. Nico is not foolish and her words expressed in reply are perhaps proof of that. "You do not need the sword. It is more about the mere fact that you could have it and in that lies your pleasure." She shrugs. "And to piss of Strange. It seems you get great enoyment in that."

As they reach the garden, she stops in her tracks, taking in the stone garden of variou shapes and forms. They appear so lifelike, so frighteningly lifelike. Her eyes immediatly snap to the Enchantress and shes shakes her head. "For the record, I do not wish to be part of your garden." Yet, she walks further into the garden, tracing her fingers along the cool stone of a man holding a sword. She looks back over her shoulder.

"This is about me...more so the staff. It's power. How it could serve you. How I could serve you. Am I wrong?"

Amora has posed:
Amora lets out a musical little laugh back at Nico, "It is still a powerful artifact." she says, "And I can never have too many." which speaks of her greed. But that is known by rumors already. "But one other question you should ask yourself is, who does this sword actually belongs to?" it's one she does not answer. She will let the girl figure it out.

"It is in your hands whether you are part of this garden or not." Simple enough for her to say those words. The offer of hospitality had been given without trickery. So she should be pretty safe.

"Everyone serves. Until they have enough power to rule. It is simple, really. But so hard to follow for many." she says, bringing the statue to rest near a man with a crown. Fitting? Maybe she just thinks it's poetic.

"What do you want out of life, Nico?"

Nico Minoru has posed:
Nico stays near the statue she has been running her hand over, but her eyes do not leave the Enchantress as she walks about the garden, looking for a perfect place for the gorgon with the sword plunged deep into its chest. "Well, even if the sword did not belong to Strange, it was he who had it. So he either stole it himself or it was given to him. You intended to take it and he did not seem pleased at all with you trying. So..."She shakes her head a few times and then just blurts out. "You kidnapped me!."

She then calms herself, taking a few deep breaths and steps away from the statue. "What do I want out of life?" Her reply is quick. "Normalcy. Too late for that." She shrugs again and takes a step closer to Amora, tucking a strand of dark black hair away from her face and behind her ear. "Not to be hunted. To figure out why the Staff has latched itself to me and what my purpose is with the power I have and am still figuring out."

Amora has posed:
"He was more upset with me breaking in than anything. But .., more than that, he was beaten at his own sanctum. This is not something that any wizard worth their salt takes lightly. Specially not the sorcerer supreme." a pause, she raising her brow at Nico, "You kidnapped yourself by doing what you did." simple, really.

"Normalcy?" It makes her laugh again, amused now, she shaking her head. "Oh dear girl. Anything but that. Why be normal when we can be so much more?" the asgardian finally gets that perfect place under the large statue of a crowned figure. It's a rather large statue, perhaps formerly a giant? "Perfect." she says.

"Where is your ambition, girl?" She rolls her eyes, "I should had known, listening to Strange too much." she shakes her head slowly to herself. "The staff chose you for a reason. And that reason is evident, you should not need to look for it." she lifts one arm up, closing her fist in a ball. "You have power, much more than the one you manifest through the staff."

"What you did back at the Sanctum, you shouldn't had been able to do it. But you reached somewhere didn't you? To another place. It gave you power." she smiles then, brilliantly. "And those with power, they choose their own purpose."

Nico Minoru has posed:
"I did what I did because..." She scoffs. "Fine I got myself kidnapped are you happy? Jesus, could you be any more friggin perfect?" There is a another quick shake of her head and she exhales once more. "My whole life has never been normal. And I am not going to get into it because I do not like to talk abuot my feelings and get mad that i even have them. So...we are going to just pretend I was never young. Okay...good. Done."

Yet it is what else the Enchantress says that catches her attention. Nobody has really ever psoken to her about the power she has, the potential. Sure, she had other mystical types try, but they were more so about controlling what she possessed rather than tapping into the full potential. Perhaps they were scared. "I don't know what I have. I just know there there is something inside me and it does what it wants. It only serves me because..well I don't even know that."

She steps closer to the Enchantress and looks up at her blue eyed glance. narrowing her own eyes before speaking. "I can't always reach there. I can't explain it. I call it my bonus power. You see...to even make the staff appear I need to give it an offering. Blood. My blood. The more blood the more powerful a spell I can cast...or so I think. Seems that way. When the spell is cast and the offering exausted, it returns."

She pokes her chest once. "I need to learn how to tap into it without an offering, but whatever it is has not shown its willingness to do so."

Amora has posed:
"Of course I could be more perfect." Amora answering as if it was a question she was asked often enough. She turns to finally look fully at Nico, folding her arms together, "Denying what you are is an obstacle." she says of the girl keeping her feelings down. But she doesn't pursue that for too long right now. It's not as if she is her student afterall!

"It does what it wants because you have yet to reach out and grab it by it's throat. Make it your servant instead of it being the other way around." a beat, "It's as I said, serve until you have power to take."

She considers the words from Nico, the offering of blood, the way it works. One hand reaches up to taptap on her chin in thought, "Interesting. It feeds on you."

"You will be able to master it one day, that much I am certain of. If you are willing to learn, of course. I can teach you. Perhaps take away some of those obstacles you still have that are keeping you from your true potential." a faint smile that is telling. There is always a price for her generosity.

Nico Minoru has posed:
"What am I but a host for whatever this is." She crosses her hands arms in front of her and shifts her eight so that one of her hips sticks out a bit. "I do not even know where to begin to make this change in who's the boss happen Amora. And yeah it feeds on me. There is a cost for sure." She then reaches over and slides up her sleeve, making the witch arm more visible and evident. "I have this as well. It helps me focus my natural abilities, which I seldom use. More incantations and other Wiccan related things..you know? Summonings and the like."

She eyes the Sorceress closely and shakes her head slowly. "You want to teach me? Like have /me/ be your student." She is hesitant that much is clear. "Nothing is free. I would be your servant." She laughs ever so lightly. "But you have opened my mind to my potential while others have only tried to control what I have."

Amora has posed:
The revelation of the witch arm has Amora's eyes widen just so. Now that is a surprise. Her image seems to flicker and she is then right in front of Nico, reaching to take her arm if she will let her. It doesn't seem aggressive, and if allowed she will hold the arm a bit to the side. "Interesting..." finely-trimmed brows furrowing. "This. It happened when you let yourself loose did it not? You allowed it's power to take over. That does reveal a bit more of the puzzle."

She nods at the girl saying she doesn't know where to begin doing the changing. "All in due time. I am /not/ known for my patience, but I know when it can be of use. You are not yet ready, unless you want all of you to become ..., like this." like that metal witch arm. "But then you wouldn't be yourself anymore." whatever that means!

"You would release the sword to begin with." She says. "As for being my servant." she lifts a shoulder. "Depends on your definition of it. You would offer me your aid when I requested." a smirk. "Remember. Serve until you can take."

Nico Minoru has posed:
The story of the arm is not one she usually speaks of, in fact it is one she tries to forget. However, the interest from Amora does have her telling a bit. "Sometimes when all hope is lost...you give the ultimate sacrifice. Get pulled back from the brink of death and are given a cool new arm." She eyes her and says plainly. "I literally gave the arm..just not the leg."

She is becoming more at ease with the Enchantress, speaking a bit more than she thought she would. "I am not losing another limb no matter what it would do for me. This arm..." She holds it up. "It's...i's different than the staff. It feels different, but I know the source is the same. It does not requires the offering."

She looks over to the sword and lets out a soft laugh. "You really want that sword out huh? I release the sword and you help me? No trickery? I can put it right back in there." She then leans down and pulls a small blade from her boot, standing back up and then facing the Enchantress.

Her eyes lock onto Amora and without flinching she drags the blade across the palm of her hand, bright red blood present immediatly. She clenches her fist and the blood drops to the groundof the garden below. "When blood is shed, let the staff of One emerge." She steps back and with an arching of her back and a cry that appears painful, the Staff begins to emrger from her chest and comes to rest in her hand. There is no hole from where the staff came out from. She turns to the gorgon statue and shouts. "Spit it out!."

The circle glows a bluish-purple and a beam shoots out striking the sword, pulling it from the statue and clattering it on the ground below. "Show me what I can be." Words spoken as her head turns to Amora once again.

Amora has posed:
"Because you have began to seize it's power already. Not as in control by the Staff as I thought. Good." Amora says, as if it confirmed all she had been stating so far. She lets go of the arm, taking a step back. She folds her arms, taking note of the girl, watching as she goes about doing her preparation for the spell, which means cutting herself..

As the sword is then released Amora smiles triumphantly, walking across the room to pick up the blade. Dragonfang. She traces a finger over the blade.

"Wise choice." She says of Nico releasing the sword, and of accepting her offer of teaching, crystal blue eyes turning up to focus on the girl.

"I will show you all you can be, and more." she promises in that alluring way of hers. Enchantress indeed.

Nico Minoru has posed:
That look from Enchantress already has Nico second guessing her actions. The staff still remains in her hands, but it hs stopped glowing. After a few moments, the staff begins to dissipate, vanishing again as it did before. Nico then holds her open palm up to Amora to show her the hand completely healed. "And fully healed." She eyes the woman now holding the blade in her hand and then inquires. "Why do I feel like I am going to regret my decision?" She then actually gives the slightests of smiles and softly adds. "I guess that remains to be seen. My loyalty lies only with myself until someone proves they have earned it.

Amora has posed:
With Amora that's a given, second guessing one's actions. Are they their own? Or Amora manipulating them somehow? Her reputation does precede her? But she only smiles now, looking at the healed hand. "You are quite the bundle of mystery. But the work we will do. We will start with what you can do *without* the staff."

A gesture with her free hand and she begins to walk down the garden. "But come. You are most likely tired. I shall let you rest for a time and then we will start. You are free to stay for as long as you want..."

A snort. "And I expect we will have the Good Doctor's visit soon enough." Of course that she plots he will be accompanied with someone else. "For afterall, I gave him enough clues to let him get here." which probably means there is another plan in this still.

Nico Minoru has posed:
Nico begins to follow the Enchantress. "I am sure he will visit soon enough. Is he able to come here? He seems quite taken with you. I mean aside from trying to take your head of with that Axe and all." There is a lot going on in her head. Did she just turn her back on the Doctor? Had she severed all ties with him due to her actions? It was not something she wished to think about, but what she had walking beside her was someone who saw in her potential to be more than anyone had ever seen in her before. Her full scale of what she had within her and what she was capable of had always been a mystery to her, and here was someone telling her she was going to discover just that.

"I am tired. I could certainly use some rest." She turns her attention to the Enchantress and simply adds with a side smirk. "I half trust you Amora, but the other half of my trust lies in the act that I have not told you everything and that will keep you wondering what I truly am capable of should I need it." She winks.