I stumbled upon Slavic frog lore and got inspired.
----
Deep in the swamp, where secrets are best kept, lay the skeleton of an ancient church, forgotten by time. The walls crumbled long ago, leaving only the arched entryway standing. The weathered, mossy stone of the arch loomed in the fog like a ghost, begging for passage. It was almost easy to miss among the mournful willows and hollow reeds, but Ivan's keen eyes managed to spot it.
Ivan and his brother, Viktor, had been traveling through the swamp for days now, searching for the ruins of the abandoned church. While working in the city's library, Ivan had come across an old scroll, written in a language lost by time. After spending hours translating it, he discovered that it detailed the location of long forgotten treasure. The mere prospect of riches was enough for him to drag his brother out into the swamp to look for it.
"There!" Ivan cried, pointing at the arch. "That has to be it. Bring the boat over there, Viktor."
Viktor guided their rickety wooden boat toward the small island in the center of the swamp. As they came closer to land, the fog around it cleared, revealing the ruins they sought. The entryway stood proud among the stony remains, a beacon of hope in Ivan's eyes but an omen of doom in Viktor's.
Worn stone steps lingered by the water's edge, inviting the brothers to step out of their boat. The moment they set foot on the patch of land; however, the swamp went quiet. The chirping of crickets, the bird calls, the croaking of frogs all ceased, leaving only the eerie creaking of the trees and the sound of the water lapping at their now empty boat. Viktor noticed the change, but Ivan did not. He was too absorbed in locating the treasure he sought.
"Ivan, I don't think we should be here." Viktor murmured.
"Nonsense! Don't you want to be rich? All our problems would be solved; we'd never want for anything again."
"I... I suppose it sounds nice but-"
"No buts!" Ivan interrupted. "Focus on helping me find the treasure. The scroll said it was kept underground so there must be a hatch somewhere."
Despite his unease, Viktor followed Ivan through the ruins. But while Ivan searched for the hatch, Viktor's gaze was fixed on their surroundings. The stillness of the swamp threatened to make his anxiety shift into panic; something about this felt... wrong. And then he noticed the frogs. Their eyes glinted, reflecting the light of the lantern he held as they sat atop the crumbled walls... watching. He had no idea when they started to appear, but they hadn't been there when he and Ivan first entered the ruins. Or maybe they had and he just didn't notice? Either way, Viktor didn't like how their bulbous eyes followed him and his brother.
"Ivan... We're being watched."
Ivan froze. "By what?"
"...by the frogs."
"By frogs?" Ivan sighed, his momentary caution forgotten. "Of course we're being watched by frogs, we're in a swamp, you idiot."
"I-I know but-"
"No buts! Just keep the light steady, okay?"
"...okay."
As the brothers continued their way through the church's bones, Viktor became aware of a soft plopping sound behind him. Peering over his shoulder, he spotted a particularly large bullfrog following them. He barely managed to stifle the startled sound that tried to escape his throat and tugged lightly on Ivan's sleeve.
"What is it now?" Ivan asked.
"There's a frog following us."
"So? You're much bigger than it, just kick it away."
Ivan shrugged Viktor off and continued forward, leaving his brother behind. Viktor knew better than to harm a frog, so he stood there frozen as the bullfrog hopped up to him. Curiosity overrode his unease for a moment, and he crouched down, holding the lantern above it. The bullfrog blinked, bulbous eyes flattening into its body one at a time before it croaked out a message.
"Greed has taken your brother. You will not leave here alive if you follow him."
"Wh-What?"
The bullfrog croaked again. "Greed has taken your brother. He will betray you."
Viktor wanted to ask who the message had come from, but he knew better, nodding uneasily in response.
"Thank you."
The bullfrog said nothing and hopped away, prompting Viktor to stand up again only to hear Ivan calling for him.
"Viktor, get over here! I found the hatch and I need light!"
Keeping the frog's warning in his head, Viktor hurried over to where his brother stood. He watched his brother as he tapped the end of his shovel on the ground causing a hollow wooden thunk to resonate into the air. Without another word, Ivan began to scrape the layers of dirt off the hatch door until he was able to find the handle and pull the hatch open. Cold darkness awaited the brothers below.
"You first." Ivan said, gesturing to the hatch.
"Why don't you go first? It would be safer if I held the light while you went down."
Ivan shrugged. "Have it your way."
Viktor stood over the hatch, watching as Ivan descended the rickety ladder. Once he landed on solid ground, Viktor followed, deciding to stay close to the ladder. When he landed beside his brother, Ivan turned toward the chilly room. It had been a large room at some point but over the years the swamp had seeped into it, consuming most of it with dark water and sticky mud. The lantern managed to illuminate what was left and a glittering in the back of the room caught the brothers' attention.
Viktor lifted the lantern to get a better look at what was glittering. The first thing he saw was an enormous toad, about the size of a Maine coon cat. All Ivan saw was the hill of gold and jewels the toad sat upon, blinking slowly.
"The scroll was right! We're going to be rich, Viktor, rich!"
Ivan only managed to take a couple steps toward the hill of treasure before Viktor caught his arm.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Ivan cried.
"I think we should leave the treasure where it is..."
"Are you insane?! There's no way in hell I'm leaving all this behind."
"I-I don't think that toad will let us anywhere near it."
"Gods, what is with you today? You're being ridiculous. They're just frogs, just toads, they can't do anything to us." Ivan's eyes took on a strange glint, a look of suspicion, and he wrenched his arm free from Viktor's grasp. "...I know what your problem is. You want all this treasure for yourself! That's it! You want to convince me to leave so you can come back to get the treasure later! Well, I'm not falling for it, Viktor!"
"Th-That's not what I'm trying to do, Ivan, I swear!"
"Don't lie to me. You want the riches for yourself. You've always been jealous of me!"
"That's not true!" Viktor cried, stepping toward his brother.
He froze as Ivan swung the shovel up, pointing its sharp end right at his throat.
"Not another step. You stay right there. I'll get the treasure myself and you'll be lucky if you get even a third of it."
Viktor nodded, raising his hands in submission. "Okay, Ivan, whatever you want."
Ivan eyed him before lowering the shovel. "Don't fucking move."
Viktor's gaze followed Ivan as he approached the hill of treasure and began waving his shovel at the toad, trying to scare it off.
"Go on get, you fat warty beast!"
The toad didn't move, and Viktor swore he saw it frown before it inhaled a big gulp of air and let out a sonorous croak. The sound of it made the already unstable walls shake but that was the least of the brothers' worries. From the dark water and sticky mud emerged a congregation of frogs and toads, all croaking in unison. The cacophony made Viktor's blood run cold and he could only watch in horror as the army of angry amphibians hopped toward his brother. Ivan had turned white as a sheet and began brandishing his shovel, knocking frogs and toads away, only for them to be replaced by more. The flood of amphibians just kept coming.
"Viktor! Get over here and help me!" Ivan cried.
Viktor stepped toward the congregation, despite his own fear making his limbs feel heavy and stiff but stopped when he heard the large bullfrog's warning ring in his head. He didn't want to die here in this unholy place, especially when it would be at the hands of his own brother. Ivan's outburst alone told him that even if they managed to fend off this amphibious army, his brother would still leave him here to rot in one way or another. Because of that, he didn't move, even though he wanted to.
"What are you waiting for?! Help me!" Ivan shrieked, still waving the shovel wildly.
Before Viktor could speak, the giant toad opened its maw and stole the shovel out of Ivan's grasp with a flash of its long, sticky tongue. Then, the congregation began to do the same, flinging their tongues out at Ivan until he fell onto the squishy ground.
"Viktor!! Viktor, help me!"
Viktor watched, horrified, as the army began to drag him toward the dark water, unable to look away even when Ivan was pulled under the surface. When the bubbles of air and restrained thrashing ceased, the frogs and toads finally went quiet... But their attention soon turned toward Viktor. Frozen fright melted into terror in its purest form, filling him to the brim with the need to flee.
"I-I'm sorry! I won't bother you again, I promise!" He cried, backing away toward the ladder.
He wasted little time in climbing it, desperate to get away before he endured the same fate his brother had. The congregation did not follow him, but he didn't notice, scrambling out of the hatch and running for the boat as quickly as he could. As soon as he was in it, he rowed away as fast as his arms would allow, determined never to return as promised.
----
Deep in the swamp, where secrets are best kept, lay the skeleton of an ancient church, forgotten by time. The walls crumbled long ago, leaving only the arched entryway standing. The weathered, mossy stone of the arch loomed in the fog like a ghost, begging for passage. It was almost easy to miss among the mournful willows and hollow reeds, but Ivan's keen eyes managed to spot it.
Ivan and his brother, Viktor, had been traveling through the swamp for days now, searching for the ruins of the abandoned church. While working in the city's library, Ivan had come across an old scroll, written in a language lost by time. After spending hours translating it, he discovered that it detailed the location of long forgotten treasure. The mere prospect of riches was enough for him to drag his brother out into the swamp to look for it.
"There!" Ivan cried, pointing at the arch. "That has to be it. Bring the boat over there, Viktor."
Viktor guided their rickety wooden boat toward the small island in the center of the swamp. As they came closer to land, the fog around it cleared, revealing the ruins they sought. The entryway stood proud among the stony remains, a beacon of hope in Ivan's eyes but an omen of doom in Viktor's.
Worn stone steps lingered by the water's edge, inviting the brothers to step out of their boat. The moment they set foot on the patch of land; however, the swamp went quiet. The chirping of crickets, the bird calls, the croaking of frogs all ceased, leaving only the eerie creaking of the trees and the sound of the water lapping at their now empty boat. Viktor noticed the change, but Ivan did not. He was too absorbed in locating the treasure he sought.
"Ivan, I don't think we should be here." Viktor murmured.
"Nonsense! Don't you want to be rich? All our problems would be solved; we'd never want for anything again."
"I... I suppose it sounds nice but-"
"No buts!" Ivan interrupted. "Focus on helping me find the treasure. The scroll said it was kept underground so there must be a hatch somewhere."
Despite his unease, Viktor followed Ivan through the ruins. But while Ivan searched for the hatch, Viktor's gaze was fixed on their surroundings. The stillness of the swamp threatened to make his anxiety shift into panic; something about this felt... wrong. And then he noticed the frogs. Their eyes glinted, reflecting the light of the lantern he held as they sat atop the crumbled walls... watching. He had no idea when they started to appear, but they hadn't been there when he and Ivan first entered the ruins. Or maybe they had and he just didn't notice? Either way, Viktor didn't like how their bulbous eyes followed him and his brother.
"Ivan... We're being watched."
Ivan froze. "By what?"
"...by the frogs."
"By frogs?" Ivan sighed, his momentary caution forgotten. "Of course we're being watched by frogs, we're in a swamp, you idiot."
"I-I know but-"
"No buts! Just keep the light steady, okay?"
"...okay."
As the brothers continued their way through the church's bones, Viktor became aware of a soft plopping sound behind him. Peering over his shoulder, he spotted a particularly large bullfrog following them. He barely managed to stifle the startled sound that tried to escape his throat and tugged lightly on Ivan's sleeve.
"What is it now?" Ivan asked.
"There's a frog following us."
"So? You're much bigger than it, just kick it away."
Ivan shrugged Viktor off and continued forward, leaving his brother behind. Viktor knew better than to harm a frog, so he stood there frozen as the bullfrog hopped up to him. Curiosity overrode his unease for a moment, and he crouched down, holding the lantern above it. The bullfrog blinked, bulbous eyes flattening into its body one at a time before it croaked out a message.
"Greed has taken your brother. You will not leave here alive if you follow him."
"Wh-What?"
The bullfrog croaked again. "Greed has taken your brother. He will betray you."
Viktor wanted to ask who the message had come from, but he knew better, nodding uneasily in response.
"Thank you."
The bullfrog said nothing and hopped away, prompting Viktor to stand up again only to hear Ivan calling for him.
"Viktor, get over here! I found the hatch and I need light!"
Keeping the frog's warning in his head, Viktor hurried over to where his brother stood. He watched his brother as he tapped the end of his shovel on the ground causing a hollow wooden thunk to resonate into the air. Without another word, Ivan began to scrape the layers of dirt off the hatch door until he was able to find the handle and pull the hatch open. Cold darkness awaited the brothers below.
"You first." Ivan said, gesturing to the hatch.
"Why don't you go first? It would be safer if I held the light while you went down."
Ivan shrugged. "Have it your way."
Viktor stood over the hatch, watching as Ivan descended the rickety ladder. Once he landed on solid ground, Viktor followed, deciding to stay close to the ladder. When he landed beside his brother, Ivan turned toward the chilly room. It had been a large room at some point but over the years the swamp had seeped into it, consuming most of it with dark water and sticky mud. The lantern managed to illuminate what was left and a glittering in the back of the room caught the brothers' attention.
Viktor lifted the lantern to get a better look at what was glittering. The first thing he saw was an enormous toad, about the size of a Maine coon cat. All Ivan saw was the hill of gold and jewels the toad sat upon, blinking slowly.
"The scroll was right! We're going to be rich, Viktor, rich!"
Ivan only managed to take a couple steps toward the hill of treasure before Viktor caught his arm.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Ivan cried.
"I think we should leave the treasure where it is..."
"Are you insane?! There's no way in hell I'm leaving all this behind."
"I-I don't think that toad will let us anywhere near it."
"Gods, what is with you today? You're being ridiculous. They're just frogs, just toads, they can't do anything to us." Ivan's eyes took on a strange glint, a look of suspicion, and he wrenched his arm free from Viktor's grasp. "...I know what your problem is. You want all this treasure for yourself! That's it! You want to convince me to leave so you can come back to get the treasure later! Well, I'm not falling for it, Viktor!"
"Th-That's not what I'm trying to do, Ivan, I swear!"
"Don't lie to me. You want the riches for yourself. You've always been jealous of me!"
"That's not true!" Viktor cried, stepping toward his brother.
He froze as Ivan swung the shovel up, pointing its sharp end right at his throat.
"Not another step. You stay right there. I'll get the treasure myself and you'll be lucky if you get even a third of it."
Viktor nodded, raising his hands in submission. "Okay, Ivan, whatever you want."
Ivan eyed him before lowering the shovel. "Don't fucking move."
Viktor's gaze followed Ivan as he approached the hill of treasure and began waving his shovel at the toad, trying to scare it off.
"Go on get, you fat warty beast!"
The toad didn't move, and Viktor swore he saw it frown before it inhaled a big gulp of air and let out a sonorous croak. The sound of it made the already unstable walls shake but that was the least of the brothers' worries. From the dark water and sticky mud emerged a congregation of frogs and toads, all croaking in unison. The cacophony made Viktor's blood run cold and he could only watch in horror as the army of angry amphibians hopped toward his brother. Ivan had turned white as a sheet and began brandishing his shovel, knocking frogs and toads away, only for them to be replaced by more. The flood of amphibians just kept coming.
"Viktor! Get over here and help me!" Ivan cried.
Viktor stepped toward the congregation, despite his own fear making his limbs feel heavy and stiff but stopped when he heard the large bullfrog's warning ring in his head. He didn't want to die here in this unholy place, especially when it would be at the hands of his own brother. Ivan's outburst alone told him that even if they managed to fend off this amphibious army, his brother would still leave him here to rot in one way or another. Because of that, he didn't move, even though he wanted to.
"What are you waiting for?! Help me!" Ivan shrieked, still waving the shovel wildly.
Before Viktor could speak, the giant toad opened its maw and stole the shovel out of Ivan's grasp with a flash of its long, sticky tongue. Then, the congregation began to do the same, flinging their tongues out at Ivan until he fell onto the squishy ground.
"Viktor!! Viktor, help me!"
Viktor watched, horrified, as the army began to drag him toward the dark water, unable to look away even when Ivan was pulled under the surface. When the bubbles of air and restrained thrashing ceased, the frogs and toads finally went quiet... But their attention soon turned toward Viktor. Frozen fright melted into terror in its purest form, filling him to the brim with the need to flee.
"I-I'm sorry! I won't bother you again, I promise!" He cried, backing away toward the ladder.
He wasted little time in climbing it, desperate to get away before he endured the same fate his brother had. The congregation did not follow him, but he didn't notice, scrambling out of the hatch and running for the boat as quickly as he could. As soon as he was in it, he rowed away as fast as his arms would allow, determined never to return as promised.