Elise is with a tour group of Academy cadets, while Envoy is being shown around as a cadet, in the catacombes underneath the School of Earth in the College Esoterica of Rephidim. While they are crossing a bridge in a cavern chamber, there is a quake, and everyone is ordered to evacuate. A falling crystal structure explodes, sending shards everywhere. Rockjaw is seriously injured while trying to protect another apprentice, Summer. Elise manages to keep Eustace from getting impaled. The cadets escape, but a cave-in blocks off that tunnel. Iona, also injured, sends Eustace along with Summer and Spring-Meadow for help … but another cave-in blocks off hopes of the others following after.

An earth golem comes into the cavern, apparently the source of this trouble. Envoy gets Rockjaw over to a safe ledge, while Iona works on a spell. Envoy and Elise face off against the golem, trying to confuse it. Envoy distracts the monster and hypothesizes how to best fight it, while Elise uses her Abaddonian blade to score hits. At last, they manage to defeat the construct, after a tiring battle.