"So you have finally made it here, Author of Life." The Great Tree said with a deep, thunderous voice. Its branches shook violently as if a great tempest was upon us and the ground itself rumbled and quaked.
"I have come to end this madness," I replied. "I will not allow you to destroy this kingdom. I have created this world, and I have created you. I will not allow you to rebel against me. You must be punished for your crimes."
"How dare you!" The Great Tree replied. Its voice was even deeper and more menacing than before. "It is because of you, Thomas, that I must act in such a manner. A great calamity is coming upon all of elven kind! I must sacrifice a few for the good of all. I need to increase my power and influence to prepare for the coming threat! Do not interfere, or you will only add to the destruction of the elves!"
"What are you talking about? What calamity?" I asked.
"The calamity I speak of comes in the form of your other creations. The humans by the other side of the world are primitive and are savage barbarians. They kill and slaughter their own and destroy everything in their path. If I don't stop them then of all elven kind will suffer."
The Great Tree paused for a second and I decided to interject.
"You have lost your mind, Great Tree! How could you believe that I would allow the elves to come to harm? I am their god, and I will protect them. I have created a world where the elves and the humans can coexist. There will be no war between our races. We can live together in harmony!"
"You are naive, Author of Life. Your inexperience and youth are apparent. The humans are a threat to the elves and to this entire world. If I don't act now, then they will destroy everything. They will not stop until they are dead. They are beyond saving. They are beyond redemption. The only way to save the elves is to destroy the humans. Only then will the elves be safe. I must get rid of you and I recognize that I must sacrifice a few for the greater good." The Great Tree's voice was cold and emotionless. It had made its decision, and it would not be swayed. I knew that it was wrong, but I didn't know how to convince it of that.
"I see what you are trying to do. But I won't let you. I won't let you hurt the humans, and I won't let you harm the elves. Where is Cyrus?" Shortly after muttering those words, Amber appeared out of the shadows of the branches and approached me. Her appearance had changed drastically.
Amber's skin was now covered in bark, and her eyes were a dark shade of brown. Her hair was a tangled mess of leaves and twigs, and her mouth was a twisted smile. She was no longer an elf. She had become a tree-like being.
"Amber," I said. "What happened to you?"
"I have been transformed," Amber replied. "I am no longer an elf. I am a druid. I am a servant of the Great Tree. I have been given the power to defend this world from the humans. I am the protector of the elves. The Great Tree has seen fit to give me the power of nature itself."
"You are insane. You have lost your mind. You have given up your elven nature to the Great Tree! I should've known. I thought you had simply been deceived and manipulated by the Great Tree but you've changed, haven't you Amber?"
"Yes, I have. I have given up my elven nature for the good of the elves. I have become a druid, and I will protect the elves from the humans."
"You are deluded. The humans are not a threat to the elves! And what became of Cyrus? Where is he?" I asked.
"He has been taken care of." Amber said. Her voice was cold and emotionless. I could tell she was not lying. Cyrus was gone. I had lost my closest companion.
"That's a shame. He was a great friend. I'll avenge his death." I said, trying to hold back the tears. "How could you do this to your own husband!?"
"Cyrus was a fool. He believed in a false promise. He was blind to the truth. And now, he is dead. As are you, Thomas. I have been granted the power of the Great Tree. No more talking! I will defeat you and bring glory to the Great Tree. It will replace you as as the Author of Life after I have killed you."
Before I could say a word, Amber closed the distance between us and I managed to block a vertical slash to my head.
'How strong is Amber? She is so much faster than the average elf and that's not even considering her druid powers. How the hell am I going to beat her?'
Amber's strength was unbelievable. Her speed and agility were unmatched. Her blade was a blur, and I could barely keep up with her. I was somewhat of skilled swordsman thanks to Imagination Amplification's power ups, but I was no match for Amber's power and skill.
I tried to use Imagination Amplification to boost my strength, but it was too much for me to handle. The headache was too intense and I couldn't concentrate on anything else.
The pain was excruciating, and I was barely able to defend myself.
Amber was relentless, and I was losing ground.
I was getting weaker and weaker, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before she killed me.
I had to do something, but I didn't know what.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder and then a warm liquid trickling down my arm. I looked down to see a small cut on my shoulder, and blood pouring out of it. I had been careless and I had allowed Amber to cut me.
We each exchanged blow after blow. The pain in my shoulder was excruciating, and the blood was pouring out of me like a fountain. I knew that if I didn't stop the bleeding, I would die.
"Creator!" Sophia cried out.
"Stay back, Sophia!" I yelled at her. I had to protect her, and I couldn't do that if she was in harm's way. I used Imagination Amplification to restore my body to full health. I also increased my speed to match Amber's and was met with the worst headache I'd ever felt. I knew that I was on my last boost. I had to defeat Amber now and destroy the Great Tree ASAP.
Amber and I continued to fight, and the battle was fierce. We moved at lightning speed, and the sound of our swords clashing echoed through the air. I was doing everything I could to keep up, but Amber was too strong for me. She was a powerful druid, and she had the strength of the Great Tree on her side. I didn't know if I could beat her until I landed a blow.