The moment the lid slid shut, Sino felt a shift in the air. The FaeLand dust sparkled gold. A small door opened on the other side. Sino heard Evo whisper, “Thank you.” She took a moment to bow before the three entered the new hallway. Sino felt a small tug on his cloak. A small elder woman handed a jar to him. He bowed and put it into his satchel. The sandstone door shut behind them, and somehow, he knew the women would slowly starve trapped in the main death chamber.

Looking ahead in the dim hallway, Sino noticed a small glowing winged beast guiding them deeper beneath the earth. The pillars grew hotter the deeper they went. A two-legged creature with a dog’s pointed snout growled. He had an ankh chain hanging from his tiny loin cloth and a large golden scepter. Sino and Bo leapt to action, both hands on their own weapons. Bo had a long sword; Sino had a long staff. They clashed with the creature who outpaced both the human and the ware. Sino growled in frustration, which made the creature pause.

“Who are you?” He asked Sino. Its voice similar to an echo in a deep cave.

“I am Sino of Maytec Pack of FaeLand Wares.”

“A fae? What brings you to journey through our underworld?” He asked.

“It is my journey, they are ensuring my safe travels to the field of offerings.” The winged beast glowed as Hetpets voice spoke.

“And you assume to be worthy of such an afterlife?” He asked.

“It is an honor for every Egyptian. Please Anubis, will you take me to the Hall of Truth so that I may be judged?” Hetpet’s voice pleaded.

Anubis ears perked up. “Follow me.” He said after a moment of thought. The boys kept their weapons out but fell behind Anubis. The walk deeper yet through the catacombs left even Sino, with his excellent inner sense of navigation, utterly and completely lost. Anubis took each path and turn with confidence.

The Hall of Truth was a large, oversized cavern. Pillars of carved totems and sarcophagi lined the hall. A long line of Egyptians stood or sat glowing as Hetpet’s soul did. Above the hall, the ceiling had paintings of various gods and goddesses. Their eyes watched the line with interest.

At the far end, a tall two-legged figure stood. "Osiris," Evo whispered to the guys. His skin sparkled a dark green. His eyes glowed golden. He had a white cloak draped in such a way to reveal his perfectly sculpted body. Behind him, two blue and yellow striped canes and a throne made of sandstone intricately carved with hieroglyphs. To his left was a large golden scale. To Osiris' right, a strange creature called Ammitt. There was no mistaking it. With the body of a lion and hippotums, it towered over even Osiris. Its head had a long sharp snout with razor-sharp teeth completing its frightening crocodile head. It’s job to devor the unpure hearts to doom Egyptians to oblivion.

Ammit rose to her shackles the moment they entered. Like a witch’s familiar, it alerted Osiris to our presence. Anubis walked past the long line of souls. Sino wanted to ask why, but feared that showing any weakness of knowledge would show them as frauds and, therefore, not worthy of the journey.

“Hathor, you honor me with your presence.” Osiris's voice sounded both arrogant and flirty. Sino wanted to growl, but Evo gave him a look that warned him not to growl at Osiris. His grip tightened on his staff, but he stood watch.

“Thank you. We have brought one of my priestess’ souls. She is a humble servant pure of sin.”

“Pure of Sin?” Osiris stepped forward to the glowing bird. He waved his hand over it. He smelt the air. Hetpet’s bird glowed into a bright white orb, then when the light went out, the small beautiful human stood before him. She immediately bowed.

“The jar.” Evo’s voice echoed in Sino’s mind. He nodded and gave the jar to Evo. She, in turn, handed it to Hetpet. With a look of relief, she pushed the jar forward towards Osiris' feet. He plucked it from the ground and poured the bloody, foul-scented organ onto one side of the scale. Hetpet’s voice whispered a prayer, her eyes never looking at the scale.

The dark god-king walked back to this throne and sat back with a grin. “Egyptian.”

A single white feather sparkled as it fell from the ceiling. Hetpet’s prayer felt more anxious, but she dutifully continued. Sino was awed by the feather’s dance in the air. Ammit began growling and licked her lips in anticipation. Sino found he was holding his breath the moment the feather touched. The scale slowly lurched to life as the weighing began. It waivered left and right.

“Speak your sin’s priestess.” Osiris commanded.

Without pause, Hetpet rattled off not her sins, but of the life she never lived.

“I have never felt the touch of a man nor woman.

I have never stolen what was another’s.

I have never spoken untruth.

I have never taken another life…”

Sino was surprised as he listed to her rattle on her confession. He wondered how one could accomplish such a life of no sins. As Hetpet spoke, the scale dropped on the heart and the feather’s side. As Hetpet continued her list, Sino looked up he saw the figures above standing on the ledge went from standing to a deep bow. When all 42 of them bowed, the scale stopped moving to show the heart was perfectly balanced with the feather. Sino let out the breath he had been holding.

“So it is true. You have brought a beautiful soul worthy of A’Aru.” Osiris smiled, but Sino could hear the mischief in his voice. Sino stood on edge, waiting in case everything went sour. Bo, equally cautious, shifted, holding his sword in a defensive posture.

“Hraf-hef awaits.” Osiris stared at them but pointed to another hall. They would have to walk past Ammit. Hetpet offered a quick thank you but never met Osiris’ eyes. However, before moving, she revealed her lute. She began strumming a lullaby. Her voice hummed along, creating a harmony with the chords and beat with the palm of her hand on the front.

Sino’s muscles relaxed. Osiris’ and Ammit’s eyes drooped until they began softly snoring. Even Anubis curled up into a ball to sleep. Evo tapped on Sino’s shoulder and put a finger on her smiling lips. They walked slowly as Hetpet continued her lullaby as she led them to the new hallway. Each step led them deeper into the earth, and Hetpet’s lullaby got slower and sharper. A feeling of dread started to consume Sino.

At the end of the hall, Ammit stood snapping her jaws. Bo and Sino rushed forward to try to push her back so the women could get to the other side. They clashed against the razor-sharp teeth with their weapons and pushed. Evo and Hetpet were able to squeeze past. Bo distracted Ammit as she tried another thrashing. Sino took the opportunity to take out his dagger and shove it between a rib. Ammit screamed in pain and hit Sino with her tail. He felt the force of a thousand sandstone blocks force him into the wall with a crunch knocking all wind out of his lungs. The pain seared from his chest to his shoulders. He gasped. At the same time, he heard Ammitt scream again and then a large thump followed by silence.

Gathering a struggled breath, he took Bo’s offered hand. The human impressed him yet again. They found Evo and Hetpet standing by a river’s edge, speaking with an orange towering two-legged creature. She was stunning in her confident presence. Bo let Sino lean on him so they could join the women. Hetpet removed a jeweled sash and handed it to the creature. Its long-pointed teeth protruded from its dark orange lips. It nodded, and the four stepped carefully into the boat.

The River water moved unnaturally. The surface went from a glass line, and after a turn, it became a large lake filled with purple, pink, and white flowers. When the canoe touched a flower, it would burst into a puff of smoke and petal debris. When Sino looked deeper into the water, he saw shadows of people clawing at the surface, trying to break through. Sino eyes felt heavier than his lungs, but he tried to keep watch just in case. Evo had fallen asleep draped over his lap, her head on his shoulder. He looked over the boat with hooded eyes. He was the last one sleep had taken. The last thing he saw was the violet-flowing eyes of the orange beast who pushed the canoe using a long white cane made of bones.

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Sino woke to the canoe shaking. His body felt heavy, as if he weighed twice his size. He moved in slow motion. Bo woke simultaneously as Sino and seemed to notice the slow movements. Bo gave Hetpet another shake while Sino gently set Evo on the bench next to him. The orange beast was nowhere to be found. Instead, a long white rope tied the canoe to a long brown dock. Sino grabbed the rope to pull the canoe closer and held it so everyone could get out.

Every action had to be efficient since it took twice as long to do. The dock was lined with piles of bones covered in flowers. Hetpet and Evo took the lead until it split into two stairways. The young Egyptian hugged Evo.

“Many thanks for your blessings. I shall honor you always Goddess Hathor.” Her voice was unnaturally slow and echoed back, deeply reverbed. They watched as Hetpet stepped down the left stairs. Her speed was back to normal by the third step. A group of kids embraced her in a hug. She looked back with a wide smile. This was her happiness. Sino almost wished he could stay longer, but Evo pressed forward, moving fluidly down the stairs to the right. Instead of a beautiful utopian garden, the three were met with a blinding snowstorm. Hail pelted frozen rain crystals giving Sino a headache. They put their head’s down and pushed deeper. Lightning and Thunder threatened to disorient them, but Evo led with determination.

She led them from the blinding snow into another tunnel of scarabs. They choose their foot placement to ensure their foot didn’t squash one being. The door they approached towered above the three. It had different languages sprawled across; Sino wondered if perhaps it was every language ever written. Evo brushed some dust off the carvings to get a better look until she found the words needed.

“Egyptian.” She touched the letters like it was made of the finest stone.

A smaller entryway opened when she touched the last word. As the group walked deeper, a small blue light grew brighter until they were in another chamber. A single round blue orb of flame hung in the middle of the room. 12 circles formed a circle around the flame.

“Dead end?” Bo stated as he peered in.

Evo smiled. “Only for the ignorant,” Sino heard her response and snorted. She grabbed their hands and led them to a circle with a dung beetle on it. As they stood on it, the ground pressed down using their weight as the key, and another opening appeared. Deeper they walked until they reached another chamber. This one filled with no-legged beasts, flicking tongues and venomous fangs.

“Snakes. Fuck. Of course. There has to be snakes.” Bo’s heartbeat thumped loudly from his fears. He stood defensively in case a beast changed direction. Sino didn’t much care about no-legged beasts, and these seemed more scared of the newcomers than anything else, especially Evo, who pushed forward. They pushed each other out of the way of her step. As they moved, the slithering mass braided itself into a bit of a bind. Without the swarm of no-legged beasts, the floor sprkled with gemstones. Sino noticed a large red sparkling gemstone begin to glow, the red light caused other stones of all colors to glow one by one. With the light, Sino noticed the room was in fact filled with different treasures from weapons to jewelry.

“We are looking for a crystal scepter.” Evo said as she looked at the walls.

"How do you know that?" Sino asked.

Evo frowned. Its just I recognize this room. This is where Hathor stores her most treasured of items."

Sino looked around. Some gems were carved as intricately as the staffs holding them, and others were kept natural. Sino was drawn to a large walking stick made of wood with a large grey oversized wolf and sparkling emerald eyes. Bo pointed to an ice blue crystal of a winged beast, its face open like it was midsquawk. On its forehead, a single purple-green gem and diamond eyes. Evo shook her head.

“The truth is often ugly and scared.” She stopped when she found it. “The sceptre of truth would be the same.” The scepter was caked in mud. Its stem tall, thick, and gnarly. The tip splintered. Its grip looked as if the crystal may fall out. The crystal was an opal white rough with earth still on it. It barely glowed until Evo touched it. Then it washed a light yellow beam on the room. Everything disappeared. Sino’s mind was confused at how everything could be bright yellow and black simultaneously.

Suddenly Sino found himself in a familiar place. His old pack. The sounds of screams from the huts brought back his worst memories.

“This isn’t the truth we need Sino.” Evo’s voice yelled in his mind. She dropped to her knees, still clutching the scepter. “Please don’t make me hear more.” Her voice no more than a true whisper. Sino tried to think about anything else, but his mind returned to the day he lost not just his pack, but his companion and pup.

Bo finally spoke, “We came for the truth of the legend of wares.” He looked around at the huts set ablaze and wares fighting each other. Surely it did not start with this?” Bo wrapped his arms around Sino who’s eyes filled with tears. “What is the legend of the wares?” Bo asked again.

“A mighty warrior wrestles with another. Impressed with each other’s strength and prowess, they declare each other friends.” Sino’s voice heavy laden as he tried to remember the story.

The scene around them shimmered away, replaced with an older ancient city. Two men were laughing and wrestling. Evo’s heavy breathing evened out, and nodded at Bo.

“What happens next?” Bo asked.

“Gilgamesh tells his friend, Enkidu about a reoccurring dream he has. His friend has heard of dream quests and insists that Gilgamesh must make a name for himself.” Sino’s voice more steady as the legend seemed to come alive in front of them. “The two men traveled to the Land of the Cedars only to find it was protected by Humbaba, a giant ogre. In an act of savagery, even when Humbaba begged to serve the men, Enkidu still kills Humbaba.”

The figures clashed swords with a wet rock goblin. The two dodged the rocks being thrown and attached from two sides. The fight was quick, and Enkidu was merciless. Sino even shed an additional tear for the fallen Rock goblin as they watched the creature beg for its life. His only crime was his duty.

“Ishtar, the goddess of love and beauty, heard of the murder. She invited both men to her castle. They had a long night of merriment and fornication. They watched as a towering woman with dark brown curls sat at the head of the table. The world fast forward through the dancing, drinking, and then they devoured each other in pleasure.

When she woke, both men left her bed. Angered by this, she threatens to release the undead on the Earth if her father Anu doesn’t release the Bull of Heaven to kill these two men. However, the two men were strengthened by their night with the goddess. They easily destroyed the stead, but not until after the bull ran the streets killing any person by pummeling them if they dared to be in its way.

They watched as an oversized ox with a single emerald nose ring plowed through the streets. These were busy streets filled with bustling people as they celebrated Ishtar’s announcement of marriage to Gilgamesh. Her people were almost all destroyed. “Ishtar begged the other gods for their forgiveness and asked for their help in punishing the men.” They watched as the crying woman pleaded at an old altar, a large baby’s bump now evident. The other gods and goddesses were so appalled they decided to punish them all. Enkidu was sickened by death himself. Gilgamesh sent away on a pilgrimage to survive a monstrous flood that threatened his people.

Ishtar, thick with babes, was cursed with the same curse she gave to previously rejected suitors. Rumors were she would turn them into feral wolves, never to know domestication again. Therefore when her babies were sexually mature, they, too would have to fight to learn how to control their inner wolves inside.

They watched a sickened Enkidu die quickly. Death’s black hand led his soul away. They watched Gilgamesh enter the wilderness on his journey of atonement. Finally, they watched the beautiful Ishtar give birth. Evo smiled, watching the two lives enter the world. Then they watched the two girls grow up until they were teenagers. Their mom created a beautiful statue by their sixteenth birthday to celebrate their womanness. At the moment of first menstruation, the daughters cried so hard, only Ishtar could calm them down. When their wolves broke free, it was chaos they could not control. They mauled Ishtar, her punishment from the gods finally completed. Sino shed another tear. “It would take many generations for wares to understand the balance between going rogue and being in control. Most died. There was a small beacon of hope, the birth of pups.”

Evo’s scepter strobed. They watched two girls, bellies round with pups, locked in a basement chained to their beds. They shifted and attacked each other. A small pale woman walked down and whispered a sleeping spell. While they slept, she looked up, locking eyes with Sino. “When the girls waken, they must learn how to control their inner beasts. Left unchecked, their lust for revenge will cause their species downfall. They will doom every milenia a battle of same lust until a guardian can teach compassion.” The woman pressed a warm cloth onto the girls’ forehead. When they awoke, she screamed for help. Two men ran down to try to hold the women down. One sister birthed a stone pup. The second sister revealed the next generation of shewolves. The sister’s contractions started almost at the same time. The true first born was a screaming feisty female, and the second, dead silence.

“They cannot birth boys?”

The woman went over to a table and rubbed the belly of the statue saying a spell. It glowed and she placed a small opal white stone in the statue’s belly. “I’m not sure how many generations they will last, but this stone shall give your families full bellies as long as the stone sits in its sanctuary.” She smiled at the cries of the boys.