The intelligence and creativity of Hilichurls is not disputed by anyone in Teyvat, except for perhaps those people like the Lawrence's. However despite the almost universal acceptance of the Hilichurls intelligence, there is also an almost universal acceptance that Hilichurls are pests and menaces due to their habit of attacking and raiding those under the archons.
This was something that Sorine tried to keep in mind as she reached the first Hilichurl this one had a crossbow and at seeing the approaching human tried to bring it to bear, it succeeded just in time to be stabbed in the gut by a spearhead. flinching the Hilichurl squeezed the trigger on its weapon and the bolt went wide and as the Hilichurl watched it's only hope fly into the distance it saw no more as a second stab finished it off.
Sorine saw the life leave her opponents eyes she watched as her defeated foe slumped to the ground gone. Something twinged within Sorine's chest but she slapped it down quickly. Hilichurls are monsters; everyone knows this, but Hilichurls are intelligent and something deep within Sorine cringed in horror at the death of an intelligent being
"Hilichurls are monsters; everyone knows this, and besides I need to do this."
And repeating that like a mantra Sorine charged the next hillichurl.
Several dead Hilichurls later Sorine reached the base of theTower and was looking at the towering figure with the shield we're she figured that she might have been a bit hasty. Sorine however couldn't fail; not here, not when she is so close to proving everyone wrong. Sorine charged the shield bearer and with agility and strength previously unknown to her she doged to the side of it's attack and stabbed her spear through the ribs and into the heart and lungs of the Mitachurl Infront of her breathing in deeply Sorine watched as her foe dropped to it's knees and perished. It was time to ascend theTower.
Making sure her pack and spear were strapped tight Sorine carefully climbed theTower until eventually she got to the ladder that led to the third and last platform eager to reach the last platform Sorine rushed to the ladder but suddenly as she reached the feet of the ladder that would take her to the top she stopped because Sorine had heard an odd sound one that sounded suspiciously like chanting Wary Sorine ascended the ladder as quietly as possible and carefully poking her head out from the hole to the last platform, Sorine saw something that made her blood run cold. Eldritch Purple letters were inked on the air and a shimmering icy blue shield covered a creature that she had only read of before an abyss mage.
Panicking Sorine descended the ladder. Sorine hoped that the Abyss creature was too focused on its ritual to notice her. From what she had read rituals often needed intense focus so much so that mages would act like nothing else existed however there were limits to that focus and Sorine desperately hoped she had not crossed them, Because Sorine knew that there was no way for her to hurt an abyss mage with it's shield was up and even if she could hurt it getting past a cryo abyss mages ice mist would be difficult near impossible for herself. Franticly trying to think of a solution Sorine's hands pressed against her satchel and she remembered. Sorine tore open her satchel looking for two items that she hoped beyond hope that she packed bandages, ointment, a whetstone, and then finally she found them. Laying in her hands were two glass bottles unbroken and in those bottles fiery red and cool blue shined.
Lisa the librarian of the Knights of favonius is described as a very intelligent person. although that intelligence often was tempered with laziness. Lisa however would use her intelligence when it mattered, and the young Sturmwache girl franticly going over past and recent accounts of the knights battles against Hilichurls and the topography of Stormbearer point. Lisa did not know Sorine all that well as the Sturmwache's lived somewhat far from Mondstadt, However Lisa knew her history and she also knew that the old Sturmwache watchtower was currently being used as a Hilichurl camp. knights we're going to be dispatched to clear it out but an outriders report stopped those plans, abyss mages after all were not something that an average Knight could take lightly, nor was it something someone as young as Sorine should ever try but; Lisa sighed, the look in Sorine's eyes they were the same look that could be found in young ambers eyes and the same that could have been found in her own once upon a time before... Lisa sighed again and called out with two bottles in her hand "Here sweetie have this."
Sorine stared at the two valuable concoctions one a defense against cryo and the other, Sorine swirled the vial the liquid inside lighting up with fire, was a solution.
Sorine crept up the ladder again; carefully making her way onto the final platform. The back of an abyss mage stood before her and so, Sorine knowing that it was now or never; downed a pale blue vial and then threw a red one at the abyss mage, but before the vial could reach the abyss mage a shimmering icy shield stopped the vial in it's arc through the air and then the world turned red.
An explosion of fire enveloped the abyss mage incinerating the shield with the benefit of also lightly burning the now very panicked creature. Sorine wasted no time her spear already at the ready she lunged at the creature Infront of her. Sorine knew that she could not let the abyss mage renew it's shield, and the mage also realized that it wouldn't have the time to renew it's protection; so instead it let loose an icy fog of death, And for Sorine the fog that had killed many a thing before it did nothing; as the kindly Librarians potion did it's job, And so with a sickening silch and an echoing cry Sorine speared the Abyss Mage through the heart. Staring at the creature as it released a final cry of "How?"
Years later Sorine would wince at her actions after her victory at the watchtower. Because instead of doing something possibly (Likely) dramatic to announce her victory to the world all Sorine was able to say was "I did it." and then she collapsed.