Astronema spins the staff against the floor, letting it rotate slowly in her fingers, the wide blade at the top catching the light as it moves.

"I'm always game to watch a Ranger suffer."

And you can't suffer without a head, Zhane!

"But if you're already feeling better--"

The staff moves so fast it's damn near teleportation, but there's no flash of purple to give that trick away. Just one second it's upright, slowly rotating, and the next it's in both her hands and the blade is coming for his head!