They hit the ground hard and rolled through dirt and debris. Greg's shield took most of the hit, but the landing still knocked the wind out of him.

As Elwen fell, Hammy bounced off her shoulder and cried out in pain. Lylia was able to control her fall better while still holding Rosalina up, who was barely awake.

The tower fell down behind them with a loud crash, sending stone and wood crashing down in a huge cloud of dust. The Calamity's shape stood out in the fog, even bigger than before. Hilda's absorption had made it bigger and stronger.

"We need to leave this place! NOW...!" Greg grabbed Elwen's arm and pulled her up.

Hammy quickly jumped back onto her shoulder, shaking but not hurt. "We have to run as far as we can before it finds us again!"

"But where?!" Elwen coughed and gasped because of the dust. "It keeps coming after us like we are its prey! It won't stop!"

"The forest," Lylia said, her voice strained from carrying Rosalina's weight. "To the east of the fort. The trees will give us cover and make it harder for that thing to find us."

They stumbled through the broken courtyard, heading toward the trees that could be seen beyond the fortress walls. The Calamity roared behind them, a sound that mixed victory and hunger. As it tore through what was left of the tower, debris kept falling.

Greg looked giant once and then wished he hadn't. The creature was now at least fifty feet long, and Hilda's pickaxe was part of its right arm.

The tool had turned into a huge blade. He made himself look away so he could keep running.

Once they crossed the tree line, the forest quickly swallowed them up. The thick trunks and dense undergrowth hid them right away, but Greg knew it wouldn't last long. If the Calamity wanted to get to them, it would just tear through the forest.

"Keep going," Lylia said, now holding up more of Rosalina's weight.

The older woman's skin had turned pale, and her breathing had become shallow. "About half a mile north, there is a cave system. Tunnels from old mines that we might be able to hide in if we can get to them."

They pushed through the woods, and branches got caught in their clothes and scratched their skin. Greg's legs hurt, and his body needed a break after all the running and fighting. But if he stopped, he would die, so he kept going.

Trees started to fall behind them because the Calamity had come into the woods, and it wasn't being quiet about it. It made huge crashes as it knocked down everything in its way, making a straight path toward them.

"It's following us in some way," Elwen said between breaths. "It knows exactly where we are, even through the trees!"

"The compass!" Lylia said all of a sudden. "It's like magic, and it's sending out a signal! That thing must be able to feel strong magic!"

Greg took the compass out of his belt, where he had put it after the tower. The two needles pointed steadily northeast and northwest, but the device had a faint glow around it that he hadn't seen before.

Greg said, "If we throw it away, we won't be able to find the Elite Royal Knights."

Elwen said, "The Calamity keeps finding us if we keep it."

Rosalina said weakly, "Then we split up," and her eyes opened a little. "One group grabs the compass and runs while the other group is hiding. It will follow the magic."

Lylia said right away, "No! Lady Rosalina, you are not fit to run. You need to see a healer, get some rest, and use the right healing magic."

Rosalina said, "Which I won't get if we all die here," and then she coughed.

There were blood spots on her lips. Greg's fear grew as he realized that she had internal injuries. The situation was not as good as they had hoped.

The crashes got closer. A tree fell just a hundred yards behind them, and the Calamity's roar shook leaves off of branches.

Rosalina said, "There's no time to argue," and her voice got a little stronger with each word. "Lylia, you know I'm right."

"Someone needs to keep it from happening! Someone has to buy time for the others to get away and finish the job."

"Then I'll do it," Lylia said with determination. "I'll stay with you, and we'll fight it together."

"Greg and Elwen, you two take the compass and go."

"No, Lylia," Rosalina said, and the way she said it made everyone stop. "That's not my order for you to do! Just like I said... I gave you command, and we need you!"

"The Elite Knights are familiar with you. They will pay attention to you, and you have to be the one to bring them back."

"I won't leave you," Lylia said, and Greg could hear that she was crying. "Not again...! Not after I left the Knights once before!"

Rosalina said softly, "You didn't leave us."

"You took a different road... That's nothing to be ashamed of, and it's a better choice for you to leave anyway." She moved a little and made a face of pain. "Right now, though, I'm making my own choice. Please let me do this, Lylia."

"Let me protect you one last time as the leader of the Royal Knights and your mentor."

"Lady Rosalina, please," Lylia's voice broke.

Another crash, this time even closer. They could now see the Calamity through the trees.

Its giant body was pushing through the forest. Weapons formed and changed shapes all over their bodies, getting ready to attack.

Despite her injuries, Rosalina suddenly moved with great speed. Her powerful hand hit Lylia right at the base of her skull. Lylia's eyes rolled back, and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Why did you do that?!" Greg knelt down next to Lylia to see if she was hurt.

"Pressure point strike," Rosalina said as she pushed herself up against a tree with her powerful arm.

"She'll be okay in a few minutes, but she would have stayed and died with me if not. I couldn't let that happen because she's always being stubborn about protecting someone."

Her eyes told Greg that she had been through a lot and was ready for what was coming. "Look after her, and get her to a safe place for me, Greg."

"Look for the Elite Knights, and stop that Calamity!"

"That's not an order from a Royal Knight to a citizen, but it's an order from a mentor to someone she trusts with her student's life!"

Greg wanted to fight and find another way, but the Calamity was almost here. There wasn't enough time.

He said, "I'll get her to safety. I swear it."

"Good," Rosalina said, and then she smiled. It was real, but tired. "Greg Greyson, you're a good man."

"Your refusal to make weapons and your belief in peace are precisely what this world needs. Don't let this monster make you forget that."

She picked up a branch that had fallen and felt how heavy it was. It was barely a weapon, but it was something. "Run now. I'll keep it here for as long as I can!"

Greg picked Lylia up and held her close, thankful for all the blacksmith work that had made him strong.

Elwen took the compass off his belt because he didn't have room for it in his hands. Hammy chirped sadly from her shoulder and looked back at Rosalina.

Greg said, "Thank you," but the words didn't seem enough.

"Don't thank me," Rosalina said, already turning to face the Calamity that was coming.

"Just make sure it matters."

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