They followed the small steps of the house goblin. Evo gripped Sino’s hand walking shyly slightly behind him. The library was exactly as you would expect, with tall walls of books, larger oversized chairs, and a large table in the center. A large human sat beside the table with a small blonde boy stacking wooden blocks. Both had shoulder-length wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. They looked up as they entered.

“Mornin,’” He said in a strange accent to Sino. Before Sino could respond, Evo dropped his hand and sat by the small boy.

“Hi.” The boy’s bright blue eyes smiled at Evo. “I’m Wrigley.” He handed a block to Evo. The child’s response was to place it in their mouth and took a bite as if it were bread. “No. that’s not food… Daddy!”

The older man smirked. “You have a room filled with blocks. Will you really miss that one?”

“But they could choke on it?” Wrigley stated.

“You will be here to save anyone needing to be saved. You remember what we practiced?” Wrigley nodded his blonde ringlets. The man stood and offered a hand to Sino. “Oh, sorry. I’m still getting used to the customs here. How do you greet others in your culture?” He asked Sino, pulling his hand back.

Sino eyed him. He was tall for a human, but Sino could see he didn’t have any weapons on him. Strange. “We say Greetings.”

“Macha tells me you are Lycan?”

Sino nodded.

“My name is Guardian Jackson, but you can call me Bo. What’s your name?”

“Sino, from the Maytec Pack. I was sent by Magdalene of the Echka Pack. She said the Lore Estate might have information.”

“Have a seat.” He offered Sino one of the chairs.

“I’ll stand,” Sino replied. His thoughts wondered how a puny human could be the guardian of Fae.

“No problem. Now, what do you need information on, or do you wish to only speak to the council?” Bo asked. “Either works for me. I just figured that you wouldn’t mind one on one. The counsel can be… overwhelming.” He continued.

“I’m looking for information on ware legends.”

“Cool.” He said quickly. “Any particular one?”

“Not sure yet,” Sino admitted. He felt he probably should keep as much to himself as possible. He would only share what was necessary.

“You are welcome to explore the library. I’m told it goes back several millennia. I’m not a big reader, but my mate is,” He smiled. “She could probably point you in the right direction.” Sino walked over to one of the walls scanning the binds.

“Wrigley, could you ask Mommy to come to the library for Daddy?” Bo asked. The boy nodded, and he ran out.

“Now that he is gone. I want to be clear.” Bo’s voice much more commanding. “I am the protector of FaeLand. This is my home. Anything that endangers it, I need to know.”

Sino turned to face the human. It was almost cute to see a human trying to be tough.

“It's my understanding that only wares will be affected,” Sino said finally.

“You are LeLa’s right with the twins?” Bo nodded.

“She told me that you are also a protector and that the balance is at stake. So I’ll ask you again, Sino. Why is a protector seeking information from us?”

Evo shifted. The room’s atmosphere was tense.

“If LeLa was here, why didn’t she trust you with why I was coming?” Sino asked. He watched Bo’s lips flattened.

“She mentioned a ware in passing that you may come here, but she was here for another more pressing matter.”

“Why should I trust you with that information if she didn’t trust you enough to tell you?” Sino dug in.

He opened his mouth to respond but stopped when Wrigley returned. The boy arrived at the doorway alone but had his hand up like he was holding the hand of an invisible person.

Sino caught Evo’s eyes who’s head tilted. She looked curious.

“Can you see my Mom?” Wrigley asked, noticing the same response from Evo. She smiled and nodded slowly.

“Is she part mere?” Bo asked.

Sino shrugged. “Your mate is a merewoman?”

“She Is Fee, council representative of all water Fae. Only those with water magick can see her and, of course me."

“Fee?” Sino’s eyes went wide, and bowed towards the door. “I am honored by your presence.” Evo noticing Sino followed his example. She stood next to him and bowed.

“You always get all the respect, my love.” He kissed the air. He moved as if his Mate sat on his lap and nuzzled into him. “I love you too.” He whispered softly. “Please, no need to bow,” Bo said.

Sino waited a bit longer, then growled softly in irritation but raised. Evo moved in front of him, and he placed his hands on her shoulders.

“He says he is looking for information on Ware Legends,” Bo told her while nuzzling toward the empty air.

Evo walked forward suddenly.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Bo eyed her as she extended a long purple finger.

Bo, Sino, and Wrigley’s eyes went wide as they watched Evo's black branching lines move like a moving vine over to Fee.

“What is she doing?” Bo yelled.

“I don’t know!” Sino yelled back. “Evo!”

The branching lines spread to Fee’s entire body in what appeared like shimmering black gemstones giving Sino the outlines of the mermaid.

“It’s okay.” A harmonic voice said from sparkling black lips. She wanted to make it easier for us to speak.” She smiled at Evo. “I would have done the same, but I was distracted by my mate. My apologies.”

“That takes ancient Magick, right?” Bo asked.

“Yes, my love. What an intriguing creature,” She responded. Evo seemingly bored went back to playing with the blocks. Fee stood and gracefully floated to a high spot on one of the shelves. A thin, tall book was retrieved.

Sino’s eyes widened as he recognized the picture on the cover. He grabbed the same but smaller book from his own satchel.

“You have the same book?” Bo said, getting up. All three adults went to the table.

“I recognize this. It’s Aesop’s Fables, and it's a children’s book teaching morals.”

“What is an Aesop?” Sino asked.

“It’s the writer, or at least that is what I was told growing up.” He smiled as Fee’s blacked hand passed the book to him. “He was a really old Greek Philosopher or storyteller.”

“What is a Greek?” Sino asked.

“It’s a… kingdom on Earth.” Bo tried to put it in familiar terms, and he looked to Fee. “But what does this have to do with wares?”

“Many of the stories you know as children’s tales are just a retelling of history. Of course, humans have changed them over the years, but it does have root in history. This is the modern publication, but….” She floated to another shelf and pulled a stone block. She placed the grey stone on the table. It had a carving etched into it.

“This is the oldest known representative of the story.” She traced a hand over it. “Do you know why The Fates protect the balance above all else?” She asked.

“To ensure the survival of all species,” Sino replied.

“Partly survival is important, but these stories, it's our collective knowledge of magick. To forget the trials of the past, we are doomed to repeat it. Wares do something similar, but with mindlink, but also your Wisdom Cave. If you have that, there must be a similar story that your species is about to repeat.” She paused.

“I know wares are happy to just live their lives in packs away from other Fae, but isolating yourselves makes your species prone to things like this.”

“This?” Sino asked.

“I am being summoned,” She said suddenly. “It was a pleasure to meet you.” Evo ran up and hugged her; the black branching lines moved back to Evo. The fae disappeared. Sino bowed.

“She does that,” Bo said, interrupting the silence.

“She really didn’t tell you anything, did she?”

“About the same as LeLa and the Oracles.”

“Sorry about that. The fae are always so cryptic, and sometimes I just wish they would speak their minds and tell it plainly.” Sino smirked. “Can you read that?” He pointed to the slab.

“Sorry, but don’t you think they look like fancy hieroglyphics?”

“I’m not familiar with that word.”

“Sorry. Those are pictures that represent words or meanings from a kingdom called Egypt. It is a place with pyramids and sphinxes. Hieroglyphics is an ancient language older than Aesop and the Greeks.” Bo tried to explain.

“We saw a pride of Sphinxes when we were bathing in the Magenta River,” Sino stated while opening his book.

“Really? Why would they be this South?” Bo asked. They should be in the Deserts.” Sino shrugged. It wasn’t the first migration he had seen. He thought it odd that they seemed to change direction when they saw Evo and Sino. He wouldn’t mention that to the human, though. “Can you read this hieroglyphics of Egypt?” He asked

Bo shook his head. “It's what we call a ‘dead’ language. Though our scholars have mostly figured it out, it is all subjective since no one speaks the language. I know just the most famous ones. We had something called The Rosetta Stone, a tablet that had two languages and three different scripts etched on it; umm, I know hieroglyphics were on that tablet as well as ancient Greek. Academics deductively figured out a few pictures into a rough translation. They then figured out a written language, but translations of what it might have sounded like is still a big question. Their language was tough because sometimes an etching could represent a word, a letter, or an entire phrase. My baby sister was obsessed with all things Egypt. She tried to get me to pass notes to her in Hyro, but I was just a dumb jock. She was the smart one.” Bo frowned. “I think this one is the ‘eye of Ra,’ one of their Sun gods- or maybe Horus which represented rebirth.”

“Rebirth?” Sino said a little too quickly.

“Ye-ah.” Bo stretched out the response. “Horus was one of their most revered and oldest of Gods, maybe the god that ruled all of their gods. I remember it had a body of a lion, the head of a bird-like hawk, and similar to the sphinx. I know he always has an Ankh, which is this symbol.” Bo pointed to two lines intersecting with a single loop at the top of the line going vertically. “It’s a symbol of life, and some humans call it a vampire's cross being a symbol of eternal-“ He ran a finger over the loop. “… life after…” He ran a finger over the crossed section… “Death.”

“I thought you didn’t know this language?” Sino looked at Bo.

“I only know about a few. Humans were fascinated with different mythologies, but we were only able to decipher parts of Egypt in the last hundred years. Thanks to entertainment, some of the fantastical stories were retold, but they didn’t much care about keeping to history as much as entertaining people who didn’t know much about it. I could be way off and wouldn’t know any better. I wonder if the Sphinx might be able to help you?” He suggested.

“No one knowingly speaks to a Sphinx,” Sino said curtly.

“Nor wares.” Bo returned with a smile. Sino huffed.

“Where do you think the Sphinx’s were going?” Bo asked.

Sino shrugged.

“Do you know what this has to do with the weres?” He asked.

“You ask a lot of questions.” Sino retorted.

“Sorry. Habit. I’m- I was- an investigator, back before I was brought here. I am fascinated by how all this connects with Egypt and Greece.” He looked to Evo and Wrigley. “Are you guys hungry?”

“Starving Daddy! Can Evo try pancakes from ‘Merica?” He stood up and ran to his father’s arms, who squatted to his level.

“If she wants. Macha could make a whole stack of them!” Bo said, looking at Evo with a smile.

Of course, as house goblins do, the small hobgoblin appeared at the door frame.

“You called Guardian Jackson.”

“Machacia!” Wrigley ran over to the goblin, both being the same height.

“Manners Wrigley.” Bo stood.

“GoodDay Macha. May we please have pancakes?”

“Good Day Master Wrigley. What type of pancakes were you inquiring and is it for everyone?”

“Berries!” He exclaimed. “Evo wants some too! Right, Evo!” He looked to her, who decided at that moment to take another bite of one of the blocks. “Daaaad. She’s doing it again.”

“Please have the chefs do a full breakfast spread. Our travelers should get a full stomach and rest before they continue on.” Bo said with a laugh in his voice. “Did you want to clean up while they cook?” Bo asked.

Sino shook his head, but Evo nodded. She stood up and grabbed his hand. Her eyes looked like a pup begging for table scraps.

“Very well. Perhaps a quick nap is in order as well.” Sino sighed. “Would that be available?”

“Sure. We will set you up in one of the rooms. Stay as long as you need.”

“The night is enough. We wouldn’t want to overstay our welcome.” Sino’s voice sounded tired suddenly.

“Well, Evo, you are welcome always. We can make an exception for that guy.” Bo said, smiling.

Evo smiled shyly but hid behind Sino’s leg as if she could disappear.

“If you follow me, I can take you to a room,” Macha said.

Sino held Evo’s hand and guided her out, nodding at Bo on the way.

“She’s weird.” Sino heard Wrigley say not too softly.

“Who’s not Wrigley boy?” Bo said with mischief in his voice. Squeals of laughter followed. Sino looked back to see Bo tickling his son.

He shook his head at the two. He smiled, but then he frowned, thinking of his own pup. Evo rubbed his arm and smiled at him.

“I’m fine. Evo.” He paused. “Do you need a bath because of what you did to Fee?”

She nodded.