They ran away and heard Rosalina's battle cry behind them. She was strong and defiant, even though she was hurt. Then there was the sound of fighting, of wood hitting metal, and of a warrior making her last stand.

Greg didn't look back because he couldn't do it. He had to believe that Rosalina knew what she was doing and that her sacrifice would give them the time they needed.

The crashes behind them got louder, but they started to fade as they moved away from the fight. Greg's arms hurt from carrying Lylia, but he didn't stop. Elwen ran next to him, using her magic to make a path through the bushes.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes, Elwen saw the entrance to the cave. "There! Just ahead!"

They walked into the dark, and the sudden lack of sunlight made them blind for a moment. Elwen made another light orb appear, which showed a wide tunnel that sloped down.

Elwen said, "Old iron mine," as he read the writing on the wall. "Left behind maybe twenty years ago, based on the tool marks."

They went further into the tunnel until they found a small room off the main path. Greg gently put Lylia down and checked her pulse and breathing. Both were steady. Rosalina's strike was accurate, knocking her out without hurting her.

Greg leaned against the cave wall, his whole body shaking with fatigue and shock that came too late. Hilda was no longer there, and Rosalina was likely gone. They had just made it out alive, and the Calamity was still out there, getting stronger.

"Master Greg," Elwen said softly, and he knew she was crying. Hammy was pressed against her cheek in an attempt to comfort her. "What should we do now?"

Lylia groaned before Greg could answer. Her eyes opened slowly, and her confusion turned into memory. She got up too quickly and had to hold on to something to keep from getting dizzy.

"Lady Rosalina," she said right away, looking around the cave. "Where is she?! No! This can't be...!"

"We have to go back! We can't leave her with that!!!"

"Wait, Lylia," Greg said, but she was already trying to get up.

"No! I'm not going to wait! She's hurt! She can't fight it by herself!" Lylia stumbled toward the cave's mouth. "We need to help her!"

Greg stepped in front of her, holding her shoulders gently but firmly. "Lylia, stop. Please!"

"Move out of the way, Greg!" Lylia's voice got louder, a mix of fear and sadness. "She needs us! She needs me! I can't lose her. I can't..."

"She made her choice," Greg said, and he hated how those words sounded. "She knocked you out to keep you alive. Just to make sure you could finish the job and make sure you don't let that sacrifice go to waste!"

"I don't care about any of that!!!" Lylia pushed him away, and tears streamed down her face. "She's my mentor! She taught me everything I know! I can't just leave her to die there!"

Elwen moved to stand next to Greg and said, "You're not leaving her."

"You are honoring her choice. Lylia, she wanted you to live, and she wanted you to end the Calamity. That's what she was fighting for!"

Lylia's struggles weakened as her body shook with sobs. "It's not fair... I believe she's the strongest person I know... She shouldn't have to die like this."

"I know," Greg said softly, and she fell against him. "I know it's not right, but she kept us alive. There's still a chance for us to stop this, and we have to keep going for everyone!"

For a while, they stayed like that, with Lylia crying on Greg's shoulder while he held her. Elwen and Hammy stood guard near the cave entrance, listening for any signs of someone following them. Lylia's sobs finally stopped, but her tears kept falling.

"The Elite Knights," she finally said, her voice hoarse. "We have to find them."

Greg said, "We will, but we need a plan."

"That thing is still out there, and it's looking for magical signatures."

Greg suddenly remembered something and pulled it out of his pocket, and it was the communication crystal. It was still whole and still glowing with magic that had been stored.

He pulled it out and said, "Thank fucking god...! The crystals! We can get in touch with Marina and the others to plan how we will work together."

He turned on the crystal, and after a moment, Marina's voice came through, full of worry. "Greg?! Is that you, Greg? Thank the gods!"

"We've been trying to get in touch with you for the last hour!"

"Sorry, Marina, we're still on the run currently." Greg said, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "Everything's fine for now. How about you and the others?"

Marina said, "We're fine, but not quite fine, though."

"We're hiding in a warehouse on the east side of town, and that monster thing tore through half the city before coming your way."

"So... what happen there?"

Greg said, "We lost Lady Rosalina and Hilda. They gave their lives to the Calamity to buy us time."

There was silence on the other end, and then Marina's voice came back, but it was softer. "I'm... so sorry to hear that... They were both good people."

"We need to focus on the mission," Greg said, pushing himself to put his grief aside. "We have the Elite Knight finder. There are two targets, one to the northeast and one to the northwest of Meridian."

"Wait a second," Seraphine said. "I'm looking at maps."

Seraphine finds the place right away after looking at the map. "Ironhaven, the mining city, would be to the northeast."

"Mistfall is in the northwest and is built around a group of waterfalls. Both take about two days to get to by normal means."

Bork's voice said, "The carriage can reach either location in less time because its engine never stops running." We could get to either place by tomorrow night."

Greg looked at the compass in Elwen's hands and said, "Then we split up."

The two needles stayed steady and pointed in their own directions. "We'll take one Elite Knight, and you take the other."

"After that, we plan the way to stop the Calamity and bring them both back to Meridian."

"Who are we looking for?" Marina asked.

Lylia wiped her eyes and moved closer to the crystal. "Tunner Von Linner and Christoft Malcroft are the Elite Knights."

"Tunner is based in Ironhaven and is an expert in fighting and defending on the ground, while Christoft is in Mistfall and is an expert in water magic and offense."

"Both are very strong."

Marina said, "Then we'll get Christoft. The carriage can handle the Mistfall terrain better, and we have more people to convince him if he's not sure."

Greg agreed, "And we'll get Tunner. Lylia knows both of them well from when she was a knight. She can speak for us."

"Greg," Marina's voice got softer again. "Be careful... that thing is still after you."

"Don't take risks that aren't necessary."

Greg said, "I'll be as careful as I can, and you need to be careful as well."

"And Marina, if something goes wrong and we don't come back, don't look for us. Get to Ferndale and stay safe."

Marina said firmly, "Nothing's going to go wrong."

"We're all going home when this is done! Together, and that's not up for discussion!"

Greg smiled anyway. "Got it. In two days, we'll meet again at the eastern gates of Meridian."

"Right now... stopping the Calamity is the most important thing."

"Okay," Marina said. "Be careful, Greg. I love you.

Greg said, "I love you too," and he meant it. "And for everyone... stay alive!"

"That's an order."

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