Sophia and I left Cyrus and wandered around the chaotic city looking for survivors. From the city center, I first headed south where most of the elves lived. The southern parts of the city had been largely untouched by the fighting but chaos was running rampant. Many elves were panicking and fleeing the city. They were tripping over each other and the sounds of yelling permeated throughout the city.
I saw a group of young elf women and children, and I called out to them.
"Head east towards the forest," I said. "Everyone is gathering there."
As I called out to them, a tall, lanky grotesque creature came from the alleyway and started to rush towards us. It had long arms, and it had razor-sharp claws. Its face was contorted, and its teeth were jagged and sharp.
I recognized the creature as a demon, and I knew I had to protect the group. Using what little power I had, I conjured a powerful sword in my right hand, gave myself a buff to increase my physical attributes and ran towards the demon.
The demon lunged at me, and it slashed at my chest with its sharp claws.
I dodged the attack by sheer luck and sliced the demon's arm off.
The demon howled in pain and swung its remaining arm at me.
I parried the blow and slashed the demon's chest open.
The demon fell to the ground and began to disintegrate.
As the demon faded away, I felt a surge of power flow through my body.
It was a feeling unlike any other. It was as if my very soul was being nourished.
The young women and children stood there in shock, and I smiled at them. "You're all safe now, don't worry. Please assist anyone in trouble and head east towards the forest. Sophia and I will continue looking for those in need of aid."
They nodded their heads and obeyed me.
"Good, let's go," I said.
Sophia and I continued to search the city, and we found several groups of elves who were trying to flee the chaos. The demons had made it to the south which increased casualties and disasters.
As we continued wandering around looking for survivors, I noticed a woman battling three demons on her own. She had defeated one but struggled against the others. I ran up to her and took on one of them while she focused on the remaining one.
The woman was a skilled swordsman, and she moved with incredible speed and precision. She was able to keep the demon she was fighting at bay and strike it with deadly precision.
She used a mix of magic and physical attacks to hold her ground.
She was able to parry its blows and counter with her own.
She was like a whirlwind, and her blade flashed through the air, cutting and slashing.
Her movements were fluid, and she seemed to be in a trance.
She was a force to be reckoned with, and she was making the demons pay for their arrogance.
She was a master of her craft, and she was not going to let the demons win. Meanwhile, I was having a hard time with the demon I was fighting. It was a fast and agile creature, and it was difficult to land a hit.
It was like trying to hit a ghost.
It was slippery, and it was always a few steps ahead of me.
It was taunting me, and it was toying with me. I had never felt so frustrated and helpless in my life.
The demon was like a shadow, and it was like trying to catch the wind. I gave my eyes a minor boost using Imagination Amplification and then felt an intense headache from the drawbacks of using the power but I paid it no mind. Time seemed to slow for the demon and right before it could use its speed to avoid my sword, I was able to slice it in half.
I felt a surge of energy flowing through my body.
"That was close," I said. "It could have easily avoided that."
I turned to look at the woman battling the other demon and it seemed like she defeated it as well with grace. She flicked the blood off her sword with a swift movement and put it back in her scabbard. She bowed before me and said, "Thank you, Lord Thomas. I am in your debt. Please allow me to introduce myself, I am a high-ranking captain in the Royal Elf Army."
"Nice to meet you, captain. What is your name?"
"I am Captain Althea. I am the commander of the Royal Elven Army's 2nd Regiment."
Althea was a tall and imposing figure. She had long blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders and back. She was dressed in light armor, and her sword was well-worn and well-used. Her face was beautiful and fierce, and her eyes were a piercing blue. She had a presence about her that was intimidating and commanding.
She was a warrior through and through, and her body was toned and muscular.
"Well Althea, please assist me in rescuing and escorting the survivors. We will head for the forest, it's the only safe place at the moment."
"Yes, Lord Thomas. I will do as you command."
Althea, Sophia and I continued wandering around the city, and we came across a group of elves who were yet again struggling against a group of demons. They were cornered, and they were being overwhelmed.
Althea drew her sword, and she charged into the fray.
She was like a hurricane, and her blade flashed through the air, cutting and slashing.
The demons were no match for her, and they were quickly dispatched.
"Thank you, captain," one of the elves said.
"You are welcome," Althea replied. "Now, head east towards the forest. The survivors are all gathering there. Be careful on your way there. Take these weapons."
"Thank you, thank you," another elf said.
I hadn't noticed before but Althea was carrying a leather satchel and out of it she pulled out swords and other weapons too big for them to fit inside. It reminded me of a certain bag from a certain TRPG franchise.
We continued wandering around the city, and we helped a number of groups who were trapped and unable to escape.
"We've rescued quite a few people, but there are still a lot of elves who are trapped and in danger," Althea said.
"Don't worry," I said. "We will save everyone. We just need to be patient and persevere. We can't save everyone at once, but we can save a lot of people if we work together."
"Creator, may I have a weapon too? I assure you I won't be a hindrance. I believe I can hold my own."
"Of course, Sophia. Althea, please hand Sophia a weapon."
"Certainly," Althea said. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a short sword. "Here, Sophia. Take this."
"Thank you," Sophia said, accepting the sword.
"Let's continue heading south. We need to find Amber, the queen she was last seen here in the southern district."
"Yes, Lord Thomas," Althea said.
We continued south and saw a group of elves who were trapped in a building. The demons had surrounded the building, and they were trying to break in. We once again quickly dispatched the demons and ordered the elves to head east.
As we were walking down the street, I heard the sound of a child crying.
I turned and saw a young elven boy, sitting alone, and sobbing.
I rushed to the boy's side, and I knelt down.
"Hey, buddy. Are you okay? Where's your mommy and daddy?"
The boy looked up at me, and he was covered in soot and grime.
"I don't know where my mother is," the boy said. It didn't seem right to me to send the boy on his own to the east so I had him tag along with us for now. "Come with us, we'll keep you safe. Can you use a bow?"
"Yes," the boy replied.
"Good," I said. "We may need your help."
"Okay," the boy said.
I felt a warm smile creep on my face. Althea handed the boy a bow and some arrows and stayed at our front.
While we wandered through the south in search of Amber and other survivors, the boy had managed to dispatch a small goblin-like demon on his own. "You can really use that bow, kid." I told him.
"Thanks, Lord Thomas," the boy said.
"What's your name, kid?"
"My name is Arron," the boy replied.
"Nice to meet you Arron, this is Sophia and Althea. Let's keep pushing forward."