15: Dragonspine: Descent Into The Abyss

The icy winds of Dragonspine howled as we trudged deeper into the frozen expanse. The cold was relentless, gnawing at our skin despite the layers of fur and armor we wore. The landscape was bleak—snow-covered cliffs rising high into the mist, casting long shadows across the land. But there was something about this place, something that felt off. The air was too still, too quiet, save for the soft crunch of snow beneath our boots.

I felt a strange sense of unease settling over me, and it wasn't just the cold.

Kaeya's voice broke through the silence. "We're getting close."

I glanced up, following his gaze. Up ahead, barely visible through the swirling snow, were the flickering forms of Hilichurls—more than a few, and their movements seemed strange, jerky and uncoordinated. Among them, I saw it: an Abyss Mage, its ice-blue cloak billowing in the wind, its magic swirling around the Hilichurls like a puppet master pulling strings.

I tensed instinctively, the memory of my last encounter with one of these creatures still fresh in my mind. That fight had cost me an arm.

Elric, catching sight of the Abyss Mage, shot a glance at Kaeya. "What's the call, Captain?"

Kaeya's eyes narrowed. "No fighting just yet. Let's see where it's going."

We crept forward, careful not to make a sound. The snow provided cover, but it also made every step feel heavier, more deliberate. The Abyss Mage floated ahead of the group of Hilichurls, leading them further into Dragonspine's frozen depths.

I couldn't help but feel a knot of tension tightening in my chest. The last time I'd gone up against one of these mages, I wasn't prepared. Now, with Kaeya and the others, I should've felt more confident. But something about this situation didn't sit right with me.

The mage led its troupe of Hilichurls to the entrance of a cave—a dark, ominous opening in the mountainside. It floated inside without hesitation, and Kaeya motioned for us to follow.

The cave was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of frost and magic. As we moved deeper, a soft blue glow began to illuminate the walls, casting long shadows across the ice-encrusted stone.

"Stay sharp," Kaeya whispered. "They're up to something."

Mara's hand tightened on her bowstring, and Venn's armor clinked softly as he shifted his weight. I could feel the tension rising in the group, the anticipation of a fight lingering in the air.

After several minutes of silent pursuit, the cave opened up into a larger chamber, and that's when we saw them.

Three Abyss Mages stood in the center of the room, their Cryo energy swirling around them, feeding into the ley lines that snaked across the floor. The magic pulsed with a strange rhythm, as if the mages were trying to bend the ley lines to their will. The Hilichurls, standing in a trance-like state, were scattered around the edges of the room, mindless pawns in whatever twisted game the Abyss was playing.

Kaeya raised a hand, signaling for us to stop. His eyes flicked between the three mages, and I could see the gears turning in his mind.

"They're manipulating the ley lines," Kaeya murmured. "We can't let this go on."

I nodded, my hand tightening on the hilt of my sword. The room was cold, but I could feel the heat of my blood thrumming in my veins, ready to be ignited if needed. I glanced at the others—Elric's jaw was set in grim determination, Mara was already sizing up her targets, and Venn… well, Venn looked like he was barely holding it together, but he was ready.

Kaeya turned to us, his voice low but commanding. "There are three of them, all Cryo-based. I'll take one, Tayden—you take another. The rest of you handle the last one. We need to hit them fast, before they have a chance to react and control the Hillicurls to attack us. "

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. This was it. No more waiting, no more watching from the shadows.

I nodded, the weight of the moment settling over me. "I'm ready."

With a sharp gesture from Kaeya, we moved. The fight was about to begin.

---

The moment Kaeya gave the signal, we all sprang into action. The icy air around us seemed to crackle with tension, the pulsing ley lines casting an eerie blue glow over the chamber. My heart pounded as I locked eyes with one of the Abyss Mages. Its cloak billowed with cold, swirling magic, its masked face completely devoid of emotion. I gripped my sword tighter, reminding myself of what I'd learned from my previous encounters.

Cryo Abyss Mages were tricky—resilient, and their shields were tough to break, especially for someone who didn't have the elemental advantage. But I had something they didn't. Blood Demon Arts.

I lunged forward, drawing the mage's attention as I closed the distance between us. The Abyss Mage's eyes glowed an icy blue, its shield already forming around it like a fortress of frozen energy. The cold seeping off it bit into my skin, but I ignored it. I knew what I had to do.

As I charged, I brought my sword up, cutting a shallow line across my arm. Pain flared, but I barely felt it. Blood welled up along the blade's edge, thick and dark. With a swift motion, I flung the blood forward, scattering it in a wide arc around the mage. The drops hit the icy ground, and in the same moment, I ignited them.

Flames erupted in a sudden burst, catching the Abyss Mage off guard. It shrieked in surprise, the flames flickering around it like a ring of fire. The Cryo energy in the air recoiled at the sudden heat, and for a brief moment, the mage's shield flickered, weakened by the unexpected attack.

I saw my chance and pressed forward, raising my sword as it gleamed with my ignited blood. The blade was now coated in a dark, fiery sheen, turning it into a makeshift flaming sword. The heat coursed through the metal, pushing back against the cold as I swung it down hard toward the mage's shield.

The sword collided with the icy barrier, and for a split second, I felt the resistance—like slamming into solid ice—but then, under the heat of the flames and the force of my strike, the shield cracked. The Abyss Mage stumbled, its defense faltering as it tried to regain control.

Not giving it a chance, I sliced downward again, this time cutting through the remnants of the shield and landing a solid hit across its body. The mage let out a distorted, echoing cry as it reeled back, the flames from my blood still clinging to its form. I pressed my advantage, slashing with quick, precise strikes, each one fueled by the burning energy of my blood-coated blade.

But the mage wasn't done yet. With a guttural hiss, it summoned a surge of Cryo energy, sending a wave of ice shooting up from the ground toward me. I barely dodged in time, the ice grazing past my side and freezing the air around me. My breath came in short gasps, but I couldn't let up. I was running out of time before the blood I'd spilled weakened me.

In a final move, I sliced another line across my arm, letting more blood drip onto the ground around the mage. With a flick of my wrist, I sent the blood forward, igniting it once more. The flames roared to life, surrounding the mage in a blaze of heat that melted away the last remnants of its shield. I charged through the fire, swinging my blade with all the strength I had left.

The mage didn't stand a chance. My sword cut through its cloak, the flames burning through the icy magic that clung to it. With a final cry, the Abyss Mage crumpled to the ground, its form dissolving into mist as the ley lines pulsed one last time before stilling.

I stood over the fallen mage, breathing hard, my body trembling from the exertion. My sword still burned with the heat of my blood, but I could feel the weakness creeping in. I had to pace myself better. If this had gone on any longer, I might not have had enough strength to finish it.

But there was no time to rest. A quick glance across the chamber told me the others were still in the thick of it.

---

Kaeya, as usual, was handling his Abyss Mage with the same calculated efficiency that I had come to expect from him. He moved like a blur, his strikes swift and precise. Even though his Cryo element matched the Abyss Mage's, it didn't seem to matter. His sheer strength and speed were on a completely different level.

The Abyss Mage tried to conjure an ice wall, but Kaeya was too fast. With two quick slashes, he shattered the mage's shield as though it were made of glass. The mage recoiled, its hands raised to cast another spell, but Kaeya was already moving. With a sharp downward strike, he knocked the mage unconscious before it could even defend itself.

I could only marvel at how easily he handled it. The speed, the power—it was something I didn't know if I could even match. His Cryo energy swirled around him like an extension of his body, effortlessly controlled and devastatingly effective.

In just a few seconds, his opponent was knocked out.

---

Meanwhile, Elric, Mara, and Venn were locked in a coordinated assault on the third Abyss Mage. They weren't as fast as Kaeya or as individually powerful, but they worked like a well-oiled machine, their teamwork impeccable.

Elric, the powerhouse of the group, kept the mage's attention, his sword clashing against the icy shield with a relentless barrage of heavy strikes. His strength was impressive, each blow sending tremors through the ground as he chipped away at the mage's defenses.

Mara, quick and agile, darted around the edges of the battle, firing arrows with deadly precision. Each shot aimed for the cracks in the mage's shield, her arrows infused with a light Electro charge using vials of Electro to destabilize the Cryo magic. When the mage turned to retaliate, she was already gone, moving like a shadow across the chamber.

Venn, though nervous, held his ground, using his shield to block the occasional ice spike the mage threw their way. He wasn't as experienced as the others, but his reflexes were sharp, and his timing with his shield was near-perfect. Every time Elric went in for an attack, Venn was there, protecting him from any counterattacks.

I saw an opening to help them and acted on instinct. Drawing more blood from my arm, I flung it toward their opponent, igniting it mid-air. The flames splattered across the mage's shield, disrupting its Cryo energy and causing it to falter. Mara noticed immediately, firing a quick arrow through the weakened shield.

With one final, combined effort, Elric brought his sword down in a powerful arc, shattering the mage's defenses completely. Mara followed up with a rapid shot to its chest, and Venn finished it off with a well-timed strike to its side.

The Abyss Mage collapsed, its form dissipating into mist as the icy magic faded from the room.

---

I stood in the center of the chamber, the flames around me slowly dying out. The air was thick with the aftermath of battle, but we had done it. All three Abyss Mages were down, the ley lines no longer pulsing with their twisted magic.

Kaeya looked over at the fallen mages, a satisfied smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Well done, everyone."

I nodded, breathing heavily but relieved. "That was… intense."

Elric wiped his brow, his expression as serious as ever. "You handled yourself well, Tayden."

Mara flashed me a quick smile, though she was still catching her breath. "That fire trick of yours came in handy."

Venn, still a little shaky but clearly proud of himself, grinned. "We actually did it."

Before any of us could relax, though, Kaeya's eyes narrowed as he approached the unconscious Abyss Mage he had taken down. His usual smirk faded, replaced by a more serious expression. "Let's see if we can get some answers."

Kaeya walked over to the Abyss Mage he'd left unconscious, his expression unreadable but his body language tense. He crouched beside the mage and slapped its mask lightly, waking it with a groggy, distorted groan. The Abyss Mage's eyes flickered open, glowing with an eerie light as it realized it had been captured.

Kaeya's voice was calm but commanding as he spoke. "You've lost. We can end this cleanly if you cooperate." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a more dangerous tone. "Tell me what the Abyss Order is planning here in Dragonspine."

The Abyss Mage hissed, its mask twitching as if it wanted to resist, but it was weak. "You… have no idea… what's coming" it croaked, its voice distorted like a chorus of whispers. "The Abyss Order… will not be stopped… by your petty forces."

Kaeya didn't flinch. His expression remained cold, calculating. "We'll see about that," he replied smoothly. "But you, on the other hand, won't be seeing anything if you don't start talking."

The mage's eyes glowed brighter with defiance. "Fools… You can't comprehend the depths of the Abyss. What's coming… is beyond your understanding. The leylines… they're only the beginning."

I stepped closer, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the Cryo energy in the air. There was something unsettling about the way the mage spoke—as if it believed it had already won.

Kaeya straightened, a frown creasing his forehead. "What do you mean?" he pressed, his tone more urgent now. "What are you doing with the leylines? What are you planning?"

But before the mage could answer, the air around us shifted. A heavy, oppressive pressure settled over the chamber, making my skin prickle with dread. I heard Mara gasp, and Venn took a step back, his eyes wide with fear.

A swirling void of dark energy began to materialize behind the Abyss Mage, warping the very air around it. I could feel the temperature drop even further, and the ley lines beneath our feet pulsed again, but this time with a sickening energy that sent a shiver down my spine.

"What… what is that?" Elric's voice trembled, his usually steady composure cracking as the void expanded, warping reality itself.

A portal, dark and swirling with abyssal magic, tore open behind the mage. From within the portal, a figure emerged, stepping out with a terrifying grace. It was taller than any of us, clad in dark, gleaming armor that seemed to absorb the light around it. Its face was hidden behind a mask of black and blue, and in its hand, it held a spear that crackled with Hydro energy. The air around it was thick with malice.

I felt it instantly—a crushing sense of danger, like a weight pressing down on my chest. My muscles tensed, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. This thing… this being was far beyond the Abyss Mages we had just fought. It was on an entirely different level. I could feel it in my bones, the cold certainty that we were standing in the presence of something far more deadly.

The knights around me froze, their weapons trembling in their hands. Even Kaeya, usually so composed, took a step back, his eyes widening in shock.

"A… an Abyss Herald!" Kaeya's voice rang out, louder than I'd ever heard him speak before. His usual calm demeanor was shattered, replaced by something I hadn't seen in him—fear.

The name sent a jolt through me. Abyss Herald? I'd never heard of such a thing, but the way Kaeya said it, the fear in his voice—it was clear this creature was something to be feared.

The Abyss Herald stood tall, its eyes glowing a cold, deep blue behind its mask. The very air around it seemed to ripple with dark energy, and its presence made the chamber feel smaller, suffocating.

"You are too late," the Herald's voice echoed through the chamber, smooth yet filled with venom. "The Abyss will rise, and Teyvat will fall. Now, you will drown in darkness!"

I couldn't move. The pressure coming off this being was overwhelming, pressing down on my chest like an iron weight. I glanced at the others—Mara's face was pale, her hands gripping her bow tightly; Elric's usually sharp eyes were wide with fear; even Kaeya's calm facade had cracked, his jaw clenched as he stared down the Herald.

I swallowed hard, my pulse pounding in my ears. Whatever this thing was, it was unlike anything we had ever faced. The Abyss Mages had been a threat, but this—this was something else entirely.

My hand tightened around my sword as I tried to push down the fear rising in my chest. The Abyss Herald's gaze swept over us, cold and unfeeling, as if we were nothing more than obstacles in its path. My heart raced, the weight of the moment crashing down on me as the reality of what we were up against settled in.

For the first time since this mission began, I wondered if we were in over our heads.