You scramble up the statue of the love goddess, balancing across her back, then picking up speed as you reach the flamingo-head on her shoulder. Your sandaled foot hits her head (sorry, Amiria), then you propel yourself onto the arm of Mithi, the goddess of knowledge. But you land badly and stumble as you make your final leap. You miss the entrance and hit the ceiling, clinging blindly as dirt sprays into your face! Just as you start to fall, a strong hand closes around your wrist. You're hauled roughly from the pit to land, sputtering and gasping, in the sunlight.

"Not you at your best, DARK NUNS." When you wipe your face, you see Laikan standing over you as Nauthia gets people out of the pit.

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The dirt shifts and churns beneath your feet.

"We need to get out," the last laborer says.

"Everyone up the ladder," Laikan says.

"You fool!" It's Urmish. His flame-orange robes are still immaculate, though a thick layer of dirt and muck coats everyone else. He strides through the laborers as if he were their lord and master. Exhausted and overawed, they defer to him, stepping away so they don't sully his cape. "You dropped a thousand talents of dirt on those trolls! There are a half dozen dead trolls now because of you, and they'll be back for revenge!"

None of the laborers seem willing to challenge the initiate of Yune. You glance at Nauthia, but she won't meet your eyes. Instead, she hides her face behind her scarf and long red hair, and inches over to stand beside the initiate.