Act β, Scene 8
"How many? Twenty?"
"Twice that." Dainsleif looked physically pained to utter those words.
And Lumine sympathised, even as she heard him say it her legs grew weak and she had to stifle a grimace. Everyone knew there would be losses, but Twilight Court was supposed to be the safe route.
No one knew how many died descending the pit, they didn't have the luxury to count. Nor did they know how many went missing in the Twilight Court, for it was a land dusk and constant storms.
But now, they made it out. A city of tents sprawled miles in every direction across the vast rocky plains, and they finally had the time and space to breathe. And count.
Of the some hundred thousand men, women and children that followed them out of the ruins of Khaenri'ah, two-fifths had died or gone missing during the journey. Of 100,000 people, less than 60,000 had made it to the Abyss.
Lumine didn't know the fate of those left in the Twilight Court. Were they stuck there? Have they ended back in the Light Realm? Have they returned to Teyvat?
They had no time to mourn, for the worst of it is not yet over. They were in hostile lands, quite literally. It was clear to all of them that humans have no place in the Abyss. Even Lumine felt sick to her stomach down here. The only ones who showed no outward reaction were the Abyss Watchers, but then again they have probably been bathing in the blood of Abyssals for the better part of two millennia.
They had emerged on top of a cliff, on a vast open plain with a sheer drop on one end. Lumine would describe it as a plateau, if it weren't for the mountain on the opposite side. Strangely enough, compasses and other navigational instruments worked completely fine in the Abyss. Accordingly, the sheer drop was to their north, and the mountain was to their south.
And the Abyss, the great Void Realm. Lumine expected a world of total darkness, perhaps of eldritch horrors. Or maybe it was hell, with rivers of molten fire and the screams of the damned.
The Abyss was none of that. With her enhanced eyesight, Lumine gazed across the Abyss from the heights of the cliff. And she saw great verdant plains in the distance, mighty lush forests with towering trees. She saw snow capped mountains on the horizon, and winding rivers of dull water flowing through rocky valleys. And far, far off in the distance, a vast body of water, an ocean perhaps, that stretched endlessly for there was no horizon.
And dotted across the great reach, mighty cities dotted the land. Built of grey stone, with imposing walls, elaborate arches, and towering spires.
The Abyss was incredibly normal. Even the Light Realm was more fantastical than the Abyss, with its eccentric inhabitants and vibrant flora.
Indeed, Lumine could easily mistake this land for Teyvat, if it weren't for one defining factor. The Abyss did not have a sky. High, high up above them, shrouded in mist and barely visible, was a rocky ceiling. Cathedral sized stalactites hung down, their pointed ends piercing the misty 'clouds.'
There was no Sun, there was no Moon. And yet, Lumine could see the Abyss in all its glory just fine. It was all very dull, yes, it was as if there was a grayscale filter layered over her eyes. But still, in spite of no natural light source, she could see. If it weren't for the omnipresent mist and fog shrouding everything in the distance, Lumine could've gazed to the very ends of the Abyss, for there was no horizon.
It went against common sense, but she doubted there was much common sense down here.
Leaning over the edge, Lumine looked down and saw a narrow pathway leading down the cliff. A goat trail, barely wide enough for two people to travel down abreast. About a dozen Abyss Watchers were riding down to scout the region for food, water, and the natives.
The exodus couldn't stay here forever, as the gate to Twilight Court had already closed, and their supplies were running low. When the outriders return, they would set off once more, whether they came back with good or bad news.
Act β, Scene 9
Seven was the single most important number in these lands and beyond it, Lumine learned.
There were seven Elements, the building blocks of the world. And they were just that, building blocks. With the Elements as their foundation, the corpse of Phanes was raised around it.
In the Human Realm ruled the Seven Nations of Teyvat - Khaenri'ah was the eighth, and thus was wiped off the map. In the Light Realm ruled the Seven Courts of Arcadia - in Arcadia Resplendent ruled the four Fae Courts, in Arcadia Evanescent ruled the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, in Arcadia Transcendent ruled the Elven Court.
And finally, the Void Realm was ruled by the Seven Thrones of the Abyss.
Only in the Divine Realm, Lumine could not find any trace of the special seven, as they were ruled by 72 Lords. But since when did the gods care about laws, when they were the lawmakers?
Perhaps, in another timeline, the exodus would have emerged in the lands of a more benevolent king. Unfortunately, this was not that timeline.
The Abyss Watchers had returned with grave news, for they had found out that they were in the lands of the 3rd Throne of the Abyss. And the lord of this land was not happy. An army, counting 40,000 in number, was already headed their way.
Ironically enough, the exodus' massive losses proved to be more a boon than a disadvantage. Most of those who had gone missing were the more elderly among their group. Some must've fallen from exhaustion during their long march, but the magi hypothesised that most of them got lost in the Twilight Court due to their stronger connection with their home back in Khaenri'ah.
No matter the reason, the loss only meant they had less dead weight to drag behind them.
Upon hearing the report, Dainsleif had the knights recruit as many able-bodied people from the civilians. Whether they had prior military experience, or were simply fit and able to hold a shield and spear, they were all needed.
They already had a professional force, 10,000 in number. The surviving soldiers and knights stood at around 6,000 strong, and the Undead Legion stood at 4,000 strong, with the Abyss Watchers at their core.
From the refugees, Dainsleif was able to gather another 10,000 men and women, doubling their number. They were by all means levies, mostly untrained and haphazardly armed, but they would do.
They were still outnumbered two to one, but the officers among them were betting on desperation to multiply their fighting ability. Because an army surrounded on all sides facing death could only fight for their lives, and down here in the Abyss, there was no retreat.
Another camp was set up at the base of the cliff, for the non-combatants. Meanwhile, the army, now some 20,000 in number, departed. If there was a silver lining, it was that as the defenders, they were able to choose the battlefield.
The Abyss Watchers had scouted the area beforehand, and discovered three distinct hills nearby a river to their northeast. It was as good a place as any to fight, and if need be, it'd be the hill they'd die on.