“That was really fascinating,” Sino told her. She smiled back at him with a hop in her step. Their room wasn’t too far from the dining hall they passed on their way. Macha explained she would let them know once supper was served.

He smiled at the soft pelt rug. The room had one large pelt also over a very soft pillow bed. To the far left was another room. He saw a beautifully tiled oversized shower room with a step-in well for baths.

“Fancy, we are being spoiled, little one.” Sino smiled, noticing her eyes wide in surprise. He walked over to a dark blue tile and pressed it. A waterfall of crystal blue water fell down the back wall into the well.

There were white tile steps into the well; he walked down them and then held her hand as she wobbled down.

As soon as her toes touched the water, the black branches melted like candle wax.

“Do you want me to stay, or do you want to do it yourself?” He asked. She looked at him with wide eyes and gripped his hand harder. “Okay. I’ll stay. But soon, you will be too big for me to be doing this, so you should do it yourself, and I’ll just be here in case you need me.”

She nodded.

Sino placed his satchel outside the well, but not before grabbing the cloth. He smiled, remembering her laying on his chest. He dipped it in the water and handed it to Evo.” Slowly, the purple skin was wiped off with the rag in its place, trails of different colors orange and white. Her arms and legs stayed long but fattened up with muscle. Her pecs grew slightly with muscle. Her abs are not quite flat but proportionate to her widening hips. The water was to her stomach now.

She sank in the water, letting her entire self be submerged in the clear water. Her bright pink hair turned rich dark brown with orange roots. Sino also noticed the ears on the top sides of her head were round and furry. When she came out of the water, she was taller, reaching Sino’s chest instead of his waist.

“Feel better?” He asked.

She nodded.

They got out of the well allowing the air to dry them as they exited the bathroom. Evo yawned and slipped under the pelt on the bed. Sino sat next to the bed, reading aloud.

Though startled by Evo’s new look, Sino knew the house goblin would never offend by asking. Instead, she announced the supper and left. Sino walked Evo to the dining hall, allowing her to hook her arm instead of holding his hand.

Guardian Jackson and his son were already sitting at a large, oversized table. Piles of round flatbread and fruits covered the center. Sino smirked when he saw their unfiltered reactions to them entering.

“Have a seat here, Evo. I’ll sit to your right so I can talk to Guardian Jackson.” Sino said.

She nodded.

“That’s Evo?” Bo asked.

“Yes. She seems to change and grow every time she bathes in water. Though she has only taken a two-legged form so far.” Sino replied as if it were natural.

“How many transformations?” Bo asked, genuinely intrigued.

“Third, I’ve seen. Four forms in total. Infant, toddler, child, preteen.”

“So you don’t think she’s at her adult form?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” He sighed. “As she is sitting here, let us not be rude by talking as if she were not a sentient being.” Sino couldn’t stop himself. His wolf instincts always to protect her. She had her eyes down, and gone was the excitement she usually wore. He put a hand gently on her shoulder. “What would you like to try first, Evo,” Sino asked.

“Try these Evo!” Wrigley pointed to a round flatbread covered in fruits. “You put this syrup on it and eat it. It's really sweet, so I only dip mine in, but Dad drowns his.” Wrigley said without taking a breath.

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The boy caught her attention. She cocked her head to the side, then nodded. Sino put a few on her plate and put a small cup of liquid he called syrup so she could decide how much she wanted. Wrigley was already using a weird utensil to cut and eat his food with small round points.

Bo seemed to notice Sino’s curiosity.

“It is called a Spork- an underrated eating utensil.”

Sino had been trained in proper etiquette, as all pups are, in case they must attend with their pack leaders. He just chose not to use it. He grabbed a few cakes and fruits using his hands. Wrigley’s eyes went wide. Evo smiled and visibly relaxed. She grabbed a cake, folded it in half, and shoved it in her mouth. Sino messed with her orange, brown hair. “Good girl.” He thought in his head, smirking.

“This is… yummy… daddy.” A small female’s voice found her words through mindspeak. Sino stopped eating, coughing on a half-chewed piece. She snapped up, looking at him with worried eyes.

“I’m okay little one. You just… shocked me.” He responded through mindspeak. His mind was isolated from all Fae; he even checked it, but her voice clear as a newly shaped bell.

“What are these called?” She asked him in mindspeak, taking another cake dipping it in the container, and engulfing it with one bite.

“What do you call these breads?” Sino asked Bo aloud.

“Pancakes. Some humans call them crepes, but those are the thinner ones. It took us a while to determine which FaeLand grains and fruits could be combined to give it the right fluffy texture. These one taste like butter pecan, and these like strawberries and crème. Our favorite are these.” She showed a plate with wedges of Mickleberry on it. “It tastes like apple cinnamon caramel.”

“Better taste them all, little one, so you can understand what those words mean,” Sino told Evo, who devoured another five cakes.

“Impressive appetite,” Bo said.

“No doubt cause by her recent transformation.” Sino nodded as he finished another cake himself. “Wares metabolism is always highest at this age and especially after a shift.”

The house goblin came out with more jiggly towering stacks of cakes. Sino enjoyed the strawberry and creme-flavored ones the best. “Tell me more about Aesop and the stories,” Sino said suddenly.

Bo sat back, hands on his stomach. “When I was younger, I used to think Aesop was a writer, but it's actually a collection of stories that have attributed to being Aesopic but could have multiple writers.” He paused as if he were trying to remember something. “During that time, many stories were oral, so it wouldn’t be uncommon for a traveling entertainer to bring stories from different lands that they heard from their travels. So the stories have no known true author. He probably just wrote down the stories he heard.

“So do you put the weight that these are based on history,” Sino asked.

“I do, especially since where I come from, your species is a myth of its own. We don’t know that your species exist, but we have numerous stories of many different Fae.”

Before anyone could speak again, the temperature in the room raised. Sino didn’t like it, his already warm body quickly sweating.

Bo’s pale face turned pink. “Are you doing this?” He asked Bo. A bright green, white pop landed in the middle of the table. Evo jumped, eyes wide as the pancakes.

“Daddy!” Evo yelled in Sino’s mind. He stood up and put her behind him.

“It's not her,” Sino yelled.

Wrigley disappeared, whether by foot or magick; when Sino looked to ensure the boy was safe, he was gone.

“He is safe,” Bo said as he pressed a piece of wood, and suddenly Bo had a sword. Another green-white popped, this time closer to Evo. Bo also moved to put himself between the table and his guests. “Get her out of here,” Bo shouted, but Sino was already pulling her towards the door closest. Cursing that, he left his walking stick in the room. Another green, white pop, and the exits filled with green-white light. Sino changed direction, bringing Evo back to Bo’s position. The sound of clicking accompanied the next pop of light.

“What the hell is that?” Bo yelled over the clicking.

“Was hoping you would know, Guardian,” Sino growled.

“I’m new to the job. I’m learning as I go.”

“That’s comforting.”

“Only one type of magick can overpower the protection spells on this estate… Ancient Magick. I know this much.”

“Daddy, I’m scared.” Evo’s small voice temporarily turned off the clicking in Sino’s head.

“I know, little one. I’ll protect you. Are you hearing the clicking too?” Sino asked via mindspeak Evo nodded. Another green-white pop, and the clicking turned higher pitched. A white orb the size of a small pebble now hovered over the table.

“Shitake. I know that sound, magickal bomb. Duck for a moment.” They did. Sino grabbed the table edge to see if the bomb moved with it. It remained floating. “Evo, go by that wall. Help me move the table, don’t touch it, not even a hair.” Bo and Sino carefully dragged the table from under the floating orb. It was strobing now.

“How much time do we have?” Bo asked.

“Help me tilt the table!” Sino yelled. “Umm, if nothing touches it, we are safe… unless it's drawn to a material in particular, then once it's fully charged, we will be Fungi.” Food dishes crashed to the floor.

“How do we know it's fully charged?” Sino pulled Evo between the table and the wall furthest from the center, but the room was a rectangle with two doors on either long side.

The high pitch stopped.