A.N. Okay so real quick, I feel like the next chapter should be a Q and A, so if you all want, you can post your questions and I'll try and answer them. I feel like the way I write, there is very much potential for me to lose people. So I just want to make sure everyone understands what's happening and that I explain things and not make a mess, especially since I'm trying a new writing style with this. Is that cool? Cool. On to the story.
Xiao looked up as he felt a disturbance in the elemental energy of the chasm. Something wasn't right. He turned to Yelan who had just finished clearing down another swarm of hilichurls that they had encountered patrolling the areas. So far nothing had seemed out of the ordinary.
"Leave now." A voice whispered in his ear. It wasn't the same as Bosacius, it was one he had never heard of before, yet he felt a familiarity with it that was unexplained.
"Xiao. Did you hear something?" Yelan questioned as she turned to him. It seemed like she too had heard the voice.
Xiao let the ground beneath him start to tremble and rumble. Activating his elemental sight, he tried to scan the area. Only for his eyes to start to burn at the amount of energy he was seeing. He quickly shut his eyes as he turned off the elemental sight. There was a surplus of raw Elemental energy circulating before.
"We need to leave." He told Yelan. "Now." He ordered. The amount of Geo and Pyro energy he had seen was beyond unnatural. Not even Rex Lapis could summon such large amounts. What exactly had the Abyss been tampering with?
The two Liyue vision holders hurried outside just as rocks and stones began to collapse around them. Eventually, they had managed to make out just the entrance was blocked by collapsing debris. However, the outside was not much better than the inside.
"What the hell is that?" Yelan gasped as she looked up.
In the clouds above, there were massive amounts of anemo, hydro, electro, and cryo swirling in the air, in a perpetual storm. Xiao and Yelan looked on as the elemental energy seemed to stay in place, waiting patiently to strike. Not even the storms of Seirai could compare with what they were witnessing.
"Is this the work of Lord Babatos?" Yelan questioned worriedly.
"I've seen Lord Barbatos' work, this is not as refined," Xiao noted. "It's rawer, more primal." He noted. Not to mention it was also harnessing several different elements at once. Only the most powerful of beings could pull off such feats, the first that came to mind being the Lord of Visharps, Azdaha.
"Any ideas who or what can be doing that?"
"No, but whatever it is, it's far more powerful than either of us can imagine," Xiao answered.
"What do you think they did this time?" Venti mused as he poured himself a glass of dandelion wine. He could see the large amounts of elemental energy gathering in the sky above the chasm. Don't get him wrong, he was concerned about the people residing in the area nearby, but he could sense a Celestial nearby and he made it a habit to avoid those if he could.
"Knowing the Abyss, they probably tampered with something they weren't supposed to," Ei answered as she took another bite of her dango. She had heard about the Abyss members gathering in the Chasm from Morax. Considering the activity, they've had recently she wouldn't be surprised if Celestia finally took notice and decided to do something.
As much as the Archons disliked Celestia, even they would admit that the Abyss and Khaenriah were fools who kept prodding the bear with a stick. Celestia had been quiet even since the Cataclysm but in recent times, people had become complacent with thinking that withdrawal was a sign of weakness. The Abyss Order caused trouble across Teyvat and the Fatui were hunting the gnoses. It was honestly surprising how lenient they had been.
"Should we do something?" Nahida questioned as she sipped her grape juice. Her plans for a playdate with the other archons had become moot after they all sensed the energy building up. She had been eager to go and check it out, but Morax had stopped her.
"This is not an issue for the people of Liyue, Sumeru, Inazuma, or Mondstadt." Zhongli interjected. "Nor is it an issue for the archons. The party involved was the Abyss Order and they picked a fight with an authority neither we nor they could handle. They wanted to be free from our influence, then we should respect their wishes."
"You say that as if they left our nations alone." Ei dismissed. The monsters unleashed by the Khaenri'ah had ravaged the nations long ago and even to this day, they were still recovering. "From all the reports I've been reading, they've never left our nations alone in peace for any longer than a few months."
"I never said they held their end of the contract. I'm saying that we must hold ours and stay away when Celestia decides to cast its judgment." Zhongli countered.
"So long as they only see the mortal arrogation as being the Abyss Order's own doing and no one else, that's fine by me," Venti noted as he took another swig. "Man, the alcohol-free stuff is just plain bland." He admitted.
"Barbatos, it's been proven that alcohol can kill the brain cells of an individual." Nahida interrupted. "You shouldn't be drinking, or you'll damage your mind."
"I'm sure Barbatos is immune to such effects." Ei defended.
"Because I have high alcohol tolerance?" Venti asked.
"Because you lack a brain to damage," Ei added. This earned a chuckle from the other archons.
"No sense of respect." Venti groaned as he rocked back in his chair, his eyes trailing back once more to the clouds that gathered in the sky. As dramatic as he tried to be and exaggerate, he still felt put off by it all. He couldn't stop hearing how the winds chanted in reverence for someone, something that had returned.
"Raging wind,
While your visage fades away
Where the world
Lies in pieces at your feet
The fire and the storm
And the snow and the mist
Struggle inside, help me gain insight
Hail my proud queen, on and on on and on
That wax and wane showed
It's ebb and flow
Selah, selah, are chanting evermore
Hear, oh hear
All the voices trapped in thee"
The winds kept singing in joy as whatever disaster seemed to be preparing to strike. It was not the first time he heard the winds sing, but it was the first time he heard them so happy at the prospect of destruction. It reminded him of just how much the humans and Gods had done to the world, and just how much it had tolerated…but now it seemed like that tolerance was reaching its limit.
"The world shows no mercy to those who invade. Build them up, break them down; no one puts the light out. BUILD THEM UP, BREAK THEM DOWN." Zhongli repeated in his mind, it was the mantra of the Land at the moment. When the ground shook, he tried to listen to it to sense what was going on beneath, instead, he heard the Land laughing madly in glee.
He had sensed something stirring in the Chasm and as it turned out it was the Abyss. He had sent Xiao to scout. They had made a move on the Chasm, one that had caused the Land to scream in pain. Now it seemed they were going to get their just desserts and the Land was all for it. He wondered if the Land shared similar feelings for the people.
"They wish to hold us in their palm,
for their hubris they shall pay for it all.
Now the one who has sustained us
will be their fall.
The star once wrapped in iron chains
now will fight to be free once again."
The Lightning cackled. Ei looked up at the storm clouds. Normally they would have obeyed her commands, let her pacify them with her own emotions. Now though they were unresponsive, they could not be tamed by her will. The storms had become excited suddenly. They were now giddy, like little children waiting to play.
"Take a deep breath and let them face the consequences,
We don't know what their desire is,
But we will not fall to pieces,
We will not break at our core,
We will not be defeated,
We will lose no more."
Irumunsul whispered to Nahida, assuring her it will be okay. The heart of the world would often speak to her about the days of old. It had been her own companion in her 'imprisonment', telling her many stories of those that existed before her time.
Even now when she felt the world's rage being funneled into the Chasm. It still assured her everything was okay. Everything was fine. That she didn't have to be afraid, because there was no need to be afraid.
So why did she still feel worried? Why did all four archons still feel anxious when they sensed the world's eagerness to punish? They all thought back to the previous cases where the people they governed overstepped boundaries. Perhaps it was the fear that now the Heavens were punishing, and the world was no longer weeping.
They watched as the mass of elemental energy in the storm above the chasm suddenly moved. A tornado descended from the clouds and burrowed into the Chasm, weaving, and moving its way like a serpent into the ground, taking all the elemental energy with it as well.
The Archons could only look on as all hell was ready to break loose.
Lumine heard the howling of the winds as it picked up. She looked up in surprise as a tornado came surging into the room. It had picked up several of the hilichurls, mages, and even small ruin mechs and had trapped them in its vortex, freezing, dousing, and electrocuting them all. The tornado slithered looking for its target before rushing into the door.
The door began to crack as more elemental energy was fed into it. Those cracks soon extended into the wall behind it. Lumine braced herself at the entity waiting behind it. She had centuries to ponder her trauma, countless years to train to face what haunted her, and many moons to prepare. Yet she still felt her arms tremble at the sight of that golden eye.
The cracks started to glow as the energy built up, an array of colors seeping out. Soon the door shattered, and all its shards were sent flying forward at the Abyss Princess. Lumine used abyssal energy to shield herself from the shards, for the most part, it worked, but a single stray shard still made its way passed the shield and grazed her leg. The other abyss members weren't so lucky, as they evaporated on spot.
"Gah," Lumine cried in pain. She looked down to see that she was cut by the fragment. At first glance, it had seemed like a minor wound. Nothing more than a scrape but it burned her like the hottest fire. Her skin felt ignited at the word as the Abyssal energy inside her began to run wild, screaming for her to run away.
The Abyss twin tried to tend to her wound, the encounter with Paimon momentarily forgotten in the midst of all the pain. She tried tracing her fingers and using the Abyss to heal, it worked, but only in reducing the pain, not numbing it entirely. She would still need further treatment.
The sound of heels clicking against the stone brought her attention back, as Lumine remembered she was not alone. She turned her sight to 'Paimon' find her standing before her. She had transformed just as Lumine had predicted, yet something was off. 'Paimon', who now looked like the Goddess, Lumine and Aether fought was wearing a completely different outfit and had much whiter hair.
"I had forgotten what the land felt like beneath me." Paimon mused as she kneeled down to touch the ground. Lumine watched as her opponent aimlessly traced her finger through the dirt, not even focusing on anyone else. Taking this opportunity, Lumine readied herself.
'Paimon' suddenly froze when Lumine got into a stance to launch an attack. This made Lumine herself halt as she waited for the other to act. She would not be reckless in this fight. Then….Paimon smiled and touched the ground once more with her finger. She did not move it quickly, she did not press hard. Yet the ground cracked when she gently touched it. Those crack soon made their way toward Lumine. Those cracks began to glow as they got closer.
Lumine's eyes widened when she felt the ground begin to heat up, forcing her to jump to the side as lava erupted from the spot she had been standing. She stared in horror as the rocks within the cracked floor sank, revealing a pool of magma underneath.
That shouldn't have been possible. There was no volcanic activity down here. There were a few deeper caverns that went right through this area and there was no lava insight, so how did it suddenly appear? Her eyes refocused on the Sustainer in front of her was now looking at her with a mocking smile, casually tossing and catching a stone in her hand.
"Of course." Lumine realized in horror as she watched the stone begin to heat up as it kept moving. Soon the rock started to lose its shape in the Sustainer's hand as she kept playing with it until it turned into a hot molten sludge in her hand.
The molten stone didn't seem to bother Sustainer whose hands were now coated in the magma. She didn't wince, she didn't hollow, she didn't flinch in the slightest. Scarily enough she seemed to enjoy it as she rubbed it in her hand like lotion. Once she was satisfied the Sustainer flicked her wrist, removing what magma had remained.
'Paimon' then started walking towards her and Lumine got in her stance once more as she readied herself. Each step the Sustainer took now, left glowing marks of magma as her footprint. As she drew closer, Lumine readied her sword, yet her body started to burn once more. The Abyss did not like being in the presence of the Divine. Yet surprisingly, 'Paimon' ignored her.
Lumine looked back at the Sustainer, who paid her no mind, confused. She had been expecting a fight, but the Sustainer had refrained from fighting. Had she considered that display to be enough? Lumine stared at the magma before turning back to the retreating figure of the Sustainer. Did that thing not even think she was worthy of her time?
She gritted her teeth. "Sustainer," Lumine called. 'Paimon' stopped in her tracks, at her title being called. "Come back and fight," Lumine screamed as she readied her sword. The Sustainer turned her head, just barely to catch a glimpse of Lumine, before turning back in front, and continuing to walk on ahead. Lumine wasn't worth her time, but that didn't mean the Princess would let her leave.
Lumine chased after the Sustainer ready to fight, ready to put an end to it all. She tried to lunge at her opponent, only for 'Paimon' to raise her right arm, and the side of the Chasm collapsed in between them. Lumine skids to a halt just in time to avoid being crushed under the rocks.
"Don't get interfere." A voice familiar yet different echoed in the cavern. The collapsed tunnel soon heated up, as the stones became covered in molten magma. Lumine looked at the blockade and then turned to try and find another way around.
"Quickly. The Princess needs us." The Abyss Heralds ordered as they tried to gather their forces to go and aid the Princess. The alarms had been triggered, signaling it was time to go on the offensive. Everyone was prepared to charge against the captured Celestial, for their Order, and for their people. It was unfortunate for them that 'Paimon' had come looking for them instead.
The floor shook as lava emerged from the ground, catching a few of the Abyss members off guard, and burning them, while others tried to move or fly out of the way. All the while 'Paimon' stood completely unfazed by the lava flowing around her. She glanced up at the floating mages and heralds, and the flying ruin mechs that had avoided the initial attack.
She rotated her arm in place as she took note of where each enemy floated or hovered and where they might float. With a grin she pointed her index finger down; soon several glowing spots appeared on the ceiling of the cavern before spears of molten stone emerged rushing downwards. Even fewer of the Abyss members were able to avoid the surprise attack from above.
The ones that did manage to survive had come to a startling conclusion. One that had taken them to see the melting of several ruin mechs, and the cremation of several of their allies. They were in over their head.
As Lumine hurried to get out the Chasm's bowels, she could make out the distinct screams of her followers. Running through the caverns she was slowly taken back to a similar sight five hundred years ago. When she finally arrived at the source, she was greeted with another horrifying image to be burnt into her mind.
'Paimon' held an Abyss Herald in the air, not even touching him with her hands. She then proceeded to blow on the Herald. Despite the magma field below them, the Herald's body soon froze into a statue of ice, before shattering and falling into the magma.
Lumine looked around seeing some Abyss mages trying to escape. She had hoped Paimon wouldn't notice but unfortunately, she did. "Have to stop her," Lumine told herself as she lunged for the Sustainer.
For the first time, she felt hope, because she had taken 'Paimon' by surprise. With her sword, she had managed to catch her off her guard. The Sustainer had turned to stop her attack, letting the mages escape. Now it was just Lumine and 'Paimon'.
"Your fight is with me," Lumine told her as she readied herself. She was still trembling, but she was not going to back down now.
"Hmmph." Paimon huffed as she gestured with her fingers for Lumine to come. The Princess didn't have a choice. A sudden force of wind pulled her body forward, sending Lumine flying towards the Sustainer. The Sustainer then stopped her mid-air, keeping her afloat in front of her.
"And who are you?" 'Paimon' asked uninterested as she looked at Lumine. It was a rhetorical question, she knew who the girl was, but she wouldn't bother risking having her other side become involved. If she hurt the traveler's sister, Paimon would try and stop her, so for now, she'd merely…. teach Lumine her place.
"I am Lumine, the Abyss Princess and the one who declared war with Heavenly Principles." Lumine declared proudly. "I will avenge Khaenri'ah and all the other nations that were destroyed by Celestia. Your time plaguing this world will come to an end."
"You call me a plague." 'Paimon' glared. Did this Princess actually hear herself speak or had she suffered in her head from the constant exposure to the Abyssal energy. The magma beneath Lumine's body hardened and cool, and then the Princess was forced by the wind straight down, face first into the floor.
"Who are you, to accuse me of plaguing this world, when you and your followers have done nothing but poison it? You think you're special because you're an outlander." 'Paimon' growled as she increased the wind pressure on Lumine's body forcing her to imprint deeper into the floor. Her body crushed under the intense pressured gas. "Don't make me laugh." 'Paimon' told her, as the blood from Lumine's body began to burst through her skin, no longer able to stay within.
"Don't kill her." A voice squeaked with the Sustainer's mind. 'Paimon' ceased her attack, letting Lumine have some relief from the onslaught. The Sustainer scowled at the notion her other half was now awake. "I promised I'd help him find his sister," Paimon told the Sustainer.
"Teyvat has its laws." They Sustainer growled internally. "And I enforce them. If these individuals seek to break these laws, then I must punish them." She argued. "If they don't desire to follow the laws, then they should not want to stay in the world. That's how it works, guide."
"Yes but, surely you can forgive them for there mistakes, or punish them in a less violent way." Paimon argued. "Maybe have a little mercy."
"I'm all out of mercy." The Sustainer told her. "The mere fact they existed for so long should be considered mercy, and yet they still seek to cause trouble not just for Celestia, but for everyone else, Teyvat and its inhabitants."
"You may be right but there has to be a better way to punish them," Paimon argued.
"I grow tired of arguing with you." The Sustainer scowled as she focused her attention back on Lumine. A lance made of pure Omni-elemental energy formed in her hand as she readied to end the outlander's life. "Perhaps I was too lenient in thinking I should spare her."
"I won't let you," Paimon shouted. In an instant the Sustainer froze, the lance still in her grasp above Lumine's neck. "If you kill her then I'll make sure we remain in stalemate forever. I had wanted to work things out but if you're going to devolve into such extremes then I won't sit back and be idle." Paimon told the Sustainer.
"Fine." The Sustainer grumbled as she dissipated the lance. "I'll let her go, if only because I'd rather not deal with your annoyance, right now, but if the Abyss keeps causing more trouble, I'll reconsider my decision." The Sustainer warned.
"That's good enough for me, for now," Paimon admitted. She watched as the Sustainer moved Lumine and sent her flying out of the Chasm, perhaps to wherever the other Abyss members had fled. She was surprised, that the Sustainer had been so reasonable. Normally they often made a big scene….oh wait.
Looking through the Sustainer's eyes, Paimon could see the destruction she had caused in the bowels of the Chasm. The smell of the melted Ruin Mechs still filled the air and Paimon was sure she also smelt the burned corpses of the Abyss Order members. A part of her felt sick at the display knowing that this was all because a part of her had been freed.
"Disapprove all you want; I still did something good here." The Sustainer gloated. "Besides, you ought to thank me, otherwise you'd be suffocating on Abyssal energy."
"That energy is still there," Paimon noted.
"Not for long." The Sustainer mused as she went back to the Chasm's heart.
