“Favorite friend not happy,” croaked a voice, and Scorio leaped to his feet and saw the toad a score of yards off to the side, perched atop a fallen column.
Heart hammering, Scorio studied the fiend. It was close enough to have attacked with impunity. Instead, it shifted its weight again, regarding him.
“No,” said Scorio at last, voice shaky. “Not happy. I wanted into this building. But it’s all blocked up.”
The toad didn’t turn to examine the Academy but kept its attention upon Scorio. “Not all blocked up.”
Scorio’s mind raced, and then he understood. “There’s a way in from below?”
The toad’s silence was answer enough.
Scorio hesitated and licked his lower lip. Considered. Was this all an elaborate ploy? Not long ago this fiend had tried to kill them all, and now…?
“Favorite friend unsure,” croaked the toad, not sounding offended in the least. “Favorite friend think Nox want consume his Heart.”
“I… yeah, something like that.” Scorio studied the toad. “You don’t?”
“Do. But not personal. Nox want consume all Hearts, eat all mana, always, to Ascend.”
“Then, ah, you’re saying I shouldn’t trust you?”
Nox shifted again, his digits making sticky sounds as they pulled free of the column and then attached once more. “Not forever. But for now. Favorite friend warn Nox of terminal nexus. Nox grateful.”
Scorio blinked. “Terminal nexus?”
Nox looked momentarily uneasy. “Flying death human.”
“Oh! Imogen the Woe. Right.” Had he? Scorio tried to think back—yes. He’d yelled something at the toad as they’d raced by. “But you’d have avoided her yourself, right?”
“Maybe too late. Nox sense great power, decide to eat it. Bad decision.” The toad’s wide lips quirked into what might have been a smile. Could toads smile? Did fiends even know what smiling meant?
But Scorio laughed. “Yeah, trying to eat an Imperator would have been a bad decision. She’d probably have ignored you though.”
Nox shifted. “Nox very tasty.”
Again Scorio chuckled. “And modest.” But then a thought occurred to him. “Wait. That because you’re an engorger?”
The toad quirked its head to one side. “Not understand.”
“I mean, the way you’re oozing Coal mana right now. How you can, ah, saturate yourself in it and not run out of power.”
If Nox could have blinked, Scorio bet that he would have. “Engorger. Strange name. But yes. Nox use Delightful Secret Marinating technique.”
Scorio stared at Nox. “Delightful Secret Marinating technique.”
A black tongue swiped out and across the toad’s mouth, so quick that Scorio barely saw it. “Yes. Delightful Secret Marinating technique.”
“That’s your actual technique’s name? All right.” Then Scorio held up both hands. “Wait a second. You have a technique?”
Nox didn’t respond.
“I mean, I didn’t think fiends had… techniques.” Scorio’s words petered off awkwardly. How offensive had he just been?
“Fiend? Nox Imperial Ghost Toad.”
“Oh,” said Scorio, “right, of course. My apologies. You’re an… Imperial Ghost Toad who uses the Delightful Secret Marinating technique. Got it.”
Nox again remained silent, regarding Scorio with alert attention.
“I… well.” Scorio stood up a little straighter. “Would you show me how to get into the Old Academy, Nox?”
“Yes, Favorite Friend Scorio.”
“Wait, you know my name?”
Silence.
Scorio tried again: “How do you know my name?”
“Heard Favorite Friend Lianshi use it.”
Scorio raised his hand. “How do you—never mind.” He curled his hand into a fist, grimaced, then inclined his head. “Guess we didn’t notice you listening in.”
Silence.
“But great. If you could lead me inside, I would be most appreciative, Imperial Ghost Toad Nox.”
“Nox,” corrected the toad, and then hopped off the fallen column to land wetly upon the ground, flecks of Coal mana splatting about it. “Follow.”
The toad moved in fits and starts; a few ambling steps followed by a sudden leap that would carry it a dozen yards ahead. It led Scorio back toward the bridge, and then to its collapsed home. Upon landing on its favorite boulder, it turned slowly around to regard him.
“World below different from world above.”
“Right,” said Scorio. “I spent a few days in the caverns. I think I know what you mean.”
“World below more dangerous than world above. But we not go far. Stay close.” And then Nox hopped off his perch, into the hollow crater beneath the collapsed columns and roofing, and disappeared.
“Right,” said Scorio again to himself, wiping his palms on his hips. “Just follow the Imperial Ghost Toad into the caverns. What could go wrong?”
He hesitated, sighted back toward the bustling city. But what choice had he? Taking a deep breath, he stepped under an angled column and into the hollow within. The basement was a nest of fallen rubble, but with enough cleared away to reveal a tunnel that descended nearly vertically into the dark. Scorio edged down into the pit, slipping and sliding toward the tunnel, and paused at its lip, peering down into the gloom.
Sharpened his darkvision, and saw that only some five yards below the tunnel leveled off. Was Nox waiting below to ambush him? Was he being ungrateful for continuing to suspect the toad? No matter. Scorio labored to ignite his Heart, as there was precious little Coal mana in the air, and leaped down into the dark.
Chapter 58
“Wait, what?” Lianshi stopped in the middle of the hallway to stare at Scorio. “You did what with who?”
Scorio turned around as he kept walking, spread his hands out to his side, and gave her his most innocent look. “An Imperial Ghost Toad, Lianshi. Honestly. I thought I said it clearly the first time.”
Leonis slowed down and reached up to rub at the nape of his neck. “You went out drinking.”
“No,” said Scorio, still walking backward, watching as Lianshi reluctantly began to stride after him. “Though Nox would make an interesting drinking companion. He’s got very definite opinions.”
“Opinions? Are you mad?” Lianshi hurried to catch up and then poked him in the chest with a stern finger. “You went hunting, and then ended up at the Old Academy without us and struck up a friendship with the fiend that nearly killed us only a few weeks ago?”
Scorio chuckled and turned to fall in back beside Leonis. “Not a fiend. He was quite clear about that. Actually, I think that’s a very rude thing to say to an Imperial Ghost Toad.”
“I can’t handle this,” said Lianshi, staring at Leonis. “Is he lying or telling the truth?”
“Knowing Scorio, what do you think?”
They walked in silence till they reached the end of the hall that opened out into a broad hall.
“Wait,” said Lianshi, grabbing him by the elbow. “Wait wait wait. You’re serious.”
“Yes.” Scorio glanced around, making sure none of the other Great Soul students were listening in, and stepped aside into an alcove. “What’s more, he showed me a way into the Old Academy. We went pretty deep, but it wasn’t far, distance-wise. Just a dive and then a climb.”
“You got into the Old Academy,” said Leonis, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Which means you did a Gauntlet run.”
“Three,” said Scorio ruefully. “Which is why I feel hungover today.”
“And why you look hungover,” said Lianshi. “You promised to not do anything stupid!”