galvarelli/witch-confronts-caprina.txt

Caprina noticed a disturbance in the air around her, and slowly set her tea back on the table.
She slowly rose from her armchair, leaning against her walking stick.

A woman stood on a seam between wood and stone flooring, and Caprina could not have said whether she had just arrived or whether she had been there for hours, so natural did she look.
The woman was either no taller than Caprina, or towered over her, and her dress seemed to be made of the floor and walls itself.
Caprina didn't know for sure whether she was the Witch, but given how confusing it was to look at her, it seemed a reasonable assumption.

―So, you've finally come.

The Witch said nothing, and stood completely still.
Caprina gestured to another chair across her own.

―Feel free to sit.
	I'm assuming you'd like to chat.

The unexpected visitor gave no reply to Caprina's invitation, which seemed rude.
Caprina turned her back on the Witch, and walked to the window, looking out off the side of the mountain down to the river which ran through the valley below.

―The Emperor carved this temple, or so it's said.
	After he repented his sins on his ascent to the summit, he climbed back down and decided that this was where he would spend the rest of his life.
	They say that with a single breath he carved the main hall, and the sound of that breath echoed back from the valley, each echo carving a smaller room in turn.

The Witch looked thoughtful for a moment, before finally moving to open her damn mouth.

―Is that true? the Witch asked.

―Beats me, I wasn't there at the time.
	Sounds made up, but there are crazier stories about the Emperor that are true.
	Also, if you don't want to take the chair, this old goat is going to sit herself back down anyway.
	Rest my bones.

Caprina slowly walked back to her comfy chair, and picked up her comfy tea.
If she had to engage in a staring match with a taciturn Witch, she'd do so comfortably.
At her age, it was worth spending her remaining time keeping her bones from aching.

―Witch, I suppose you're here for a reason.
	You better spit it out before I die of old age and save you the pleasure of killing me.

―Very well, Caprina Zeuit.
	I want you to formally appoint me your successor and abdicate.

―Oh, and why would I do that?

―Because it would be easier than the alternative.

―That's not a particularly attractive choice, Witch.

―It should be, Caprina.
	I ask only for the authority of the Temple to be given willingly, rather than taken later by force.
	It is no burden for me to wait, and we will both be better for avoiding spilling blood here.

―I don't know what you want, or even who you really are.
	It took a while to work out that a Witch was involved at all, from the signature of your attack.
	Partaking of the power left over after the division into the three voices.
	Right?
	It was confusing sensing something new.

―It's perhaps more accurate to say that I am that leftover power.
	I have partaken of all of it.
	I'm not a Witch.
	I'm the Witch.
	And Caprina, I hope you realise that I have no desire to explain my goals or desires to you.
	There's no need.

Caprina sighed.
She thought of Paias dead, Calvin killed, the young pilgrims to the Temple suffering.
All for her stubbornness.

―If it helps, Zeuit, know that if you acquiesce now, I will spare everyone in the Temple, everyone I can.
	Anyone who refrains from active attacks against me, I will leave unharmed.
	Their deaths gain me nothing.

Something in the Witch's offer pricked at Caprina's instincts.
Whatever existed in the Temple libraries on Witches, Caprina had studied, and none of it had helped.
Witches were defined by the power they held, but without knowing where they came from, or who was holding the power behind it, it was impossible to tell what this Witch intended on doing.
Especially if she held all of the Unclaimed Power, not just a portion of it.

Caprina's mind suddenly snapped back in focus.
―You say you will spare everyone in the Temple.
	People outside the Temple?

―I don't think you are in any position to negotiate on their behalf, Caprina.

That was obvious, Caprina thought.
That couldn't have been what caught her attention.
The Unclaimed Power lacked definition, lacked assignment.
Neither Bird nor Beast nor Dwarrow had any claim to it.
But it was still the leftover power from the creation of the Voices, of the Hidden Lands.

―What's older, the Lord of the Mountain or the Hidden Lands?, Caprina asked.

The Witch stood silent, a puzzled expression on her face.

―Sorry, I forgot you don't want to be helpful, Caprina continued.
	What do you mean by "spare"?

―I mean "spare".
	They will feel no pain, no hurt.
	No death, no suffering.
	Caprina, I feel as though you aim to drag this out.
	Your answer, quickly.

―So you aim to reclaim the authority needed to command all three Voices?
	Reunite the power of creation, to what?
	You couldn't do anything useful with it, even if you succeeded in ruling the three Thredings.
	Barring―
	No, you couldn't be that ambitious.

The Witch was glaring at Caprina now, and she raised the sleeves of her dress.

―Zeuit, I came in person because you understand the Meadowlark more than anyone alive today.
	I felt it was sporting to let you fight me face-to-face.

―Hah, Witch, look out the window.
	See the rushing water, grey and angry.
	You are a dumb rock in the river, proud to have stood strong for so long.
	But look upstream!
	A great wave comes, and it will crush you, wear you down into nothingness.
	You want to control the Meadowlark?
	Well, you don't understand it.
	If you did, you'd know that I made my moves a long time ago.
	It's the nature of Beasts.
	We wait, and watch, and graze and fertilise.

The Witch shook her head, sadly.
The light seemed to dim, and alarm bells began to ring below.

―Caprina, you could have made this easy.
	But you have sacrificed everyone here for no reason.
	My word is credible.
	I will kill everyone here.

―I'm not going to simply surrender.
	If you want to undo the creation of the Hidden Lands, to erase everyone alive, I will fight you until my hooves are ground to sand.
	And I wasn't joking.
	Look out the window.

The Witch looked up at the window, seeing what Caprina had done.
Instead of the view of the valley that had been there, there was only a pale blue sky, rapidly fading to black.
When the Witch walked up to the window, she could see far the curve of the Earth far below, slowly spinning.

The effort of moving the entire Temple into space hadn't quite hit Caprina yet, but she could feel her feet trembling already.
The air was thinning out.
Rock that had grown well accustomed to staying firmly inside a mountain was now exposed to the inky void, and began to break apart with a shaky groan.
Caprina said a prayer to herself for everyone now fated to death.

―You can't have the Temple's authority.
	And now, there is no Temple to control.

The Witch was shocked for a moment, then began to laugh.

―You absolute fool, Caprina.
	You killed everyone for me.
	And just so there wouldn't be a Temple?
	If there's no Temple, you mad old goat, then there's no split in the authority of the Dwarrowfolk.
	And I have the support of Mountberg already.
	Ah, what a terrific idea.
	I hope Galvarelli tries to stop me by setting itself on fire.

The Witch seemed to fold herself into the shadows of the room, and disappeared, leaving Caprina alone to die.