The Fall of Eranikus
They navigated the endless tunnels of ruins cautiously, (their) naked feet treading lightly on the cracked and weathered stone. The flickering light of the flanking torches caused their shadows to undulate against the lichen-covered walls, and the two brothers noted the shadows of at least a dozen others ahead of them in succession.
It had taken an entire night for Itharius to convince his brother, Eranikus, to use a more clandestine approach to seeking the information they needed. It had taken yet another night for them to perfect the troll avatars they now donned. The two brothers had to fit in perfectly, and that meant learning the languid crouch of the strange creatures as well as how to speak properly through their defining tusks. They had even made certain to create a thin layer of moss over their skin, a mutation that Itharius had been intrigued to find on the inhabiting swamp trolls.
"Why should we risk our lives in these weak forms when we could easily smash the entire temple under our claws..." Eranikus had argued in the damp cave they had found near the troll occupied ruins.
"Ysera has tried that in the past, but the trolls -the Atal'ai specifically- seem to keep coming back despite her fury on their temple. I feel like something is calling them back, brother... something bigger than just a few trolls finding sanctuary in some ancient, crumbling remains of a long dead cloister."
"I sense nothing in the ruins, Itharius," Eranikus scoffed, "...and what threat could a handful of fragile mortals be to us? You believe these sentient beings have learned to harness powerful magic, but what wisdom and cunning could come from softlings that have not even lived the lifespan of the youngest fern in our Emerald Dream?"
The older brother continued to snort and scoff, his frustration growing as he slurred through the bone tusks that arched upward from his jaw. This was a waste of time. He, consort of the Queen, could easily dispatch the band of trolls and be back to his beloved Ysera before the next sunset. After all, there was little in the world that could withstand the ire of an emerald dragon.
And yet... Itharius had always been so clairvoyant, so attuned to any magical curiosities... and Eranikus was wise enough to finally agree with his clutch-brother's proposal.
If something bigger was going on inside the Atal'ai ruins, it would be far better for them to extinguish it once and for all instead of departing the temple thinking it bereft of life like Ysera had done. Queen Ysera had realized her mistake, however, and that was why Eranikus and Itharius had been dispatched to the damp, uncivilized region of the Swamp of Sorrows.
"Where ya be goin'?" a gruff voice abruptly asked. The two brothers stopped in alarm, glancing at one another before regarding the blue-skinned troll that spoke. The robed creature scrutinized them both for several moments before his face split into a toothy grin. He barked a quick laugh.
"Ah, you be some of dem new acolytes, ya? Well, yer goin' da wrong way.." he waved the staff he held in the opposite direction, "New recruits aren't ta be in da summoning room. Dat's only for da high priests, and you'd both be good ta remember dat."
Eranikus paused as he translated the thick accent. Itharius was already backing away when his brother stepped forward calmly, forcing mock awe to widen his eyes and raise his thick brow.
"What be in da summoning room?" he asked in a hushed tone while Itharius eyed him curiously. The robed troll squinted, moving directly in front of the dragon in disguise to sneer in his face. Eranikus felt Itharius nudge him to move along, but he did not back away. The troll's eyed widened, and he let out another barking laugh.
"You be a tough one, brudda, to not be quivering in da presence of a priest of Hakkar. I guess you bein' curious since you be new to da ranks. I can respect dat, mon. Da summoning room is where da high priests be hard at work bringing our god, Hakkar, back to da mortal realm. Once he... brudda? You be doin' okay, mon?"
Eranikus followed the priest's gaze. Itharius was staring in the direction they had been kept from entering, and his face was one of silent terror. Even in his troll form his face had become pallid, a sharp contrast to his avatar's normally green skin. Eranikus stepped in front of his younger brother, grinning widely at the questioning troll.
"He be fine, mon. He probably just be overwhelmed by all da news he's gotten today as an initiate."
The troll frowned, but nodded, "Alright, brudda's, da barracks are to da left. Get some rest and da voodoo be wit'cha both."
Eranikus grabbed his dismayed brother by the shoulders and led him away in the direction of the barracks. A cursory glance made sure they were alone before Eranikus pushed Itharius against the wall.
"What are you doing!" he hissed, "You're looking suspicious, what is wrong?"
Itharius slumped against the wall until only his brother was holding him up.
"There's something... something in the summoning room.." he breathed. Eranikus noted with growing concern that his brother's dilated eyes were staring past him in torpid disbelief. He gave Itharius an impatient shake.
"Yes, yes... there is something in the summoning room, we both heard. Hakkar is being summoned back, but that isn't any reason to be senseless and nearly ruin our guise."
"No!" Itharius yelled, and his gaze snapped back into focus. The whites of his eyes tinted to a gleaming yellow and his pupils slitted back to their dragon shape as he stared intently at his brother. Eranikus blinked in confusion and removed his hold.
"This is different! Hakkar has brought something with him, even without being completely formed on this realm yet. There is a malignant awareness in this place... in that summoning room. It noticed me and it was... it was pleased."
Itharius' eyes widened even further and he grabbed his brother's' arms so strongly that Eranikus was sure he would forget his concentration and finish his dragon transformation.
"It's not only in this realm- it's eating away at the fabric of all planes. This is bigger than us, brother... we must tell Ysera immediately!"
Eranikus winced as he felt claws pierce through his tunic and into his troll skin. Itharius had grown another three feet and his brow was now ridged with hard, jade-colored scales. His tusks grew together into a sharp horn that jutted above a quickly elongating snout, and his eyes were wild and and panicked. He was a grotesque mockery of dragon and troll when Eranikus finally slapped him.
"Calm!" he growled. They had been lucky to not have any of the trolls retire to the barracks just yet, but that did not stop Eranikus from pushing Itharius further into a dark corner.
"We're too far into this plan to back out now. If there is something that is more powerful than us in there, then we need to help Ysera by investigating as much as possible."
Itharius swallowed hard and nodded in agreement. He said nothing else for the remaining night.