The Amythand Quest

book 1: The Maker Well

__________

The Maker Well

Copyright  2023 by Coach Gen Editions

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

    Coach Gen Editions is dedicated to bringing to the world stories that children tell themselves and each other, stories they invent, stories they develop and think about. Our authors are international English Second Language learners between the ages of 8 and 12. They are located anywhere a stable internet connection is possible.

    We are proud to present their amazing, strange, beautiful, and otherwise simply imaginative stories.

Coach Gen is an experienced ESL teacher who specializes in creative writing coaching and writes fables and poems on https://vocal.media/authors/eugenette-morin

    Seoyoon Kim is a young and imaginative person who has more stories than time to write them. A young man, 8 years old, writing amazing stories in his second language, this author is one to follow.

Table of Contents

Foreword     ..................................    8

Introduction .................................    9

Prologue    ......................................    11

Chapter One .................................    15

Chapter Two .................................    21

Chapter Three ..............................    31

Chapter Four .................................    49

Chapter Five ..................................    60

WARNING to the READER

You might need a dictionary to understand this book! 

Or not.

    This is the story of how Amythand - the strongest wand ever - was made by the Druid Ethagon, to fight all the evil in the world. 

    A wand needs special materials to be strong and undefeatable, but they are difficult to acquire and very rare. Ethagon needed help from the good creatures of the world to make a wand that was strong enough to win against all the evils around them.

    All the druids knew about the old prophesy, kept secret from noïds (non-druids) over the centuries, saying that friends will come together to build the necessary wand, and Ethagon wanted to be the one to make it.

    Of course, many druids had tried to make this wand over the years, but none had managed to do so. Maybe they hadn’t chosen the right friends, or the right materials; no one really knew.

    It was midnight but the Druid’s club was still arguing about the making of the wand.

    Some of them thought it was just too dangerous to gather the materials, but others thought it had to be done.

    Once a century, the opportunity to make the wand came along. It was at this time that the Phoenix rose once more.

    Ethagon, decided that he would prove everyone wrong. He put on his amethyst crystal necklace to protect himself, “I will prove that I can make this wand.” And he apparated on the Island of Elder.

    This island was covered with Elder trees. This was important because he needed Elder wood for the wand.

His quest was based on the following 

Prophesy

When the world will need hope

Friends will help each other

Build a tool that kills enemies

And bring happiness back to all living creatures

    Riddle

A tree that never breaks, gives skin that doesn’t crack

A core that is unbendable gives rigid strength

A glue that is dust joins the parts together

A screech that deafens all around it

2 stones that are the world’s greatest hope

You must find these and the friends

If you want to win in the end

    Quicksand Mayhem

    As Ethagon stopped shimmering, he heard a small call for help, “Help! Help me, please.”

    He followed the sound and saw a rabbit stuck in quicksand, “What is the problem? What happened?” 

    “I was gathering glue sand when I fell in, and now I can’t get out!” The rabbit sobbed.

    The Druid remembered the riddle and thought he should help the rabbit. He grabbed the closest branch and held it out to the rabbit, saying, “Grip this strongly, I will pull you out.”  

    The rabbit was so stuck that the branch broke and left him in the pit with the sand reaching his chin, and he panicked, “Get me out! Get me out!”

    Ethagon took his rope from his bag and made a lasso with it. He threw it on the rabbit and grabbed its ears. He pulled, and yanked, and finally the rabbit, crying, “My ears! Ouch!”, flew out of the sand.

    “I’m sorry about that. I had no choice. Healo Moto Comoto,” the druid healed the poor rabbit’s ears. The rabbit felt much better and stared for a long moment.

    “How can I thank you for saving my life?”   the rabbit asked. 

    “I need some quicksand for a recipe. Can you give me the sand that is covering your body, please?”

    “You can have ALL of it if it will make my fur clean, dry, and warm,” the rabbit agree instantly.

    After scooping the magical glue sand into a bottle, he dropped it in his rymbag - this bag could hold a human adult.  He could sleep in it if he wanted, hide inside it, but it was the size of a peanut that fit in his pocket. 

    Ethagon thanked the rabbit, “I was looking for this sand. I am happy to have met you. Thank you very much.”

        The rabbit answered, “No problem, you saved my life! I will always be your friend. Call if you need anything.” They walked together.

        As they walked, the well dragon opened his beady eyes searching for the druid who has dared to start gathering Amythand’s pieces.

    The Curse of Evil

    Meanwhile, Baby Bear was walking in the forest, playing with a metal rod, “I’m so thirsty,” he complained. He came along a yellow puddle, “Finally, some honey!”  And he promptly let himself fall face first, digging in with big licks and bites.

    After drinking it all, he realized it wasn’t honey because it wasn’t sweet. It was bitter. Then, an evil thought crossed his mind, “I think I will steal Aunt Marsha’s shell necklace. She’ll not need it anytime soon.”

    On his way to Aunt Marsha’s cave, he came across Ethagon. Ethagon greeted him, “Hello Baby Bear, how are you? Where’s your mom?”

    Baby bear replied, “You’re ugly! It’s none of your business. Why do you care?”

    Ethagon had seen this before when he was learning at the Druid Academy. He knew that baby bears were not so rude usually. They were very kind. So, he figured that Baby Bear must have been drinking something that was not right.

    Ethagon looked around the forest to see what Baby Bear had been up to recently. The trees were silent. They did not give his secrets away. Ethagon saw the yellow puddle and guessed that it might be the problem. “Did you drink some of that liquid?”

    “I was just playing with my wand, but I was thirsty. Why do you ask?”

    “I think it was an evil potion meant to make anyone who drinks become an evil zombie. You must have drunk very little, or you would be a zombie now,” Ethagon told Baby Bear.

    He started to incant his spell, “Healo Moto …”  

    “What are you doing? What are you saying?” Baby Bear did not like this. He didn’t understand druid talk.

    “I will heal you.”

    “What do you mean? I feel great! I’m on my way to Aunt Marsha’s to get her necklace. She doesn’t need it.”

    Hearing this, Ethagon knew he had to act fast, or Baby Bear would stay evil forever, “Healo Moto Comoto Baby Bear,” he said very quickly, before Baby Bear could interrupt him again.

    Baby Bear blinked, “What happened? Who are you?”  He was confused.

    “I am Ethagon, a Druid looking for materials to build a special magical wand.” 

    Baby Bear looked at him, and asked, “What materials are you looking for? Can I help you?”  The Baby Bear was back to his normal, kind self.

    “I have the sand and now, I need to find any kind of metal for the core.”

    “Oh, I have a metal rod here with me. I have a whole bunch at home. How much do you need?” Baby Bear asked. “Here is the rod, but we can go to my cave to get more.” He offered the rod to Ethagon.

    Ethagon examined the rod closely. There were markings on it showing its magical origin. It had been hidden for centuries and now it was in the hands of Baby Bear.

    No one had been able to build Amythand over the years, maybe it was because they had not found this special rod of magical metal.

    “Thank you, Baby Bear.” He was happy to accept the rod.

    “Actually, my name is Bryan,” Baby Bear said proudly.

    “Oh, thank you Bryan. I appreciate it. Here is something for you in exchange.” And it was, you guessed it…. Honey! 

    Bryan hopped up and down with joy and dipped both his paws in it.

    Ethagon dropped the rod in his rymbag. And the dragon flexed his hands, ready to take Amythand from the druid.

Flying Free

    With each piece gathered, the well dragon was waking up slowly. A crow saw this and said, “Very strange, very strange indeed! What is happening?” The dragon had been asleep for so long that no one remembered his name, so they started calling him Millennial Slumber.

    The crow flew off to find what was making him wake from his long sleep. He couldn’t fly very far anymore now that his feathers were graying as he became a great-great-great-great-grandfather. He worked as a flying instructor now, but his chicks laughed at him because he was so slow.

    As he looked for the culprit waking the dragon, he had to take a break on every 4th tree that he crossed, “Oh! This old age is making me so slow! And it will take forever to find who is doing this!”

    Below him, on the forest floor, Ethagon heard his mumbled complaining, and shouted to the treetops, “Who is complaining like that? What are you talking about?”

    The crow came down, “I’m looking for the one waking the dragon and it’s taking me a long time because I am ancient. Are you him?”

    “Let me help you. I am the only human in the forest, maybe I am the one you are looking for, but I am not waking a dragon. I am making a mythical wand, and I am gathering the materials,” Ethagon was confused.

    “Well, Millennial Slumber is waking, and it must be your fault!” The crow accused him.

    “What?! Millennial Slumber is waking? That is impossible. The only dragon that can defeat a wizard…? He has been stone for centuries.” Ethagon was sure the old crow’s eyes were seeing things.

    “Why don’t you come down from that branch and join me for a tea? You must be tired,” Ethagon suggested to the Old Crow.

    “I’m not drinking any tea with an enemy.”

    “Enemy? What do you mean? I am not your enemy.”

    “If you are waking Millennial Slumber. That makes him your friend, so you must be the forest’s enemy,” The Old Crow was stubborn and knew that he was right!

    Ethagon was surprised by this, the forest creatures had always been his friends, “Come now! Be reasonable, Old Crow. Let’s have tea and talk about it.”

“Fine, I will have some tea with you. But only a small one. I must find who is waking Millennial Slumber.” 

    Ethagon looked in his rymbag for some Healium Honey Bunch, a plant that tasted so sweet, you did not need to add sugar to the drink. He snapped his fingers and a pot of hot water with 2 empty cups appeared immediately. He dropped the leaves into the water, “Why don’t you join me while we wait for it to be ready?”

    As he poured them each a cup, the Old Crow flew slowly down to take a sip. He felt a surge of energy and took another sip. The surge was stronger, his feathers slowly lost their greyness. He finished the cup, and a powerful feeling of strength filled his body, “Wow! I think I could fly to the moon and back! What was that tea?” And he flew up and up, made a loop-de-loop and came back within 30 seconds. “I haven’t been that flexible and fast since I was a Young Crow. I feel so YOUNG! I must be the happiest crow ever.”

    Ethagon smiled proudly, “It was a special healing herb called Healing Honey Bunch. I drink it every day for its wonderful restorative powers.”

    Old Crow was so thrilled that his feathers were black once more that he asked Ethagon, “What can I give you in exchange for the recipe to this tea?”

    Ethagon knew that crows liked shiny things and he needed 2 stones, at least that’s what the riddle said. So, he asked, “Would you happen to know where I can find 2 stones that are the world’s greatest hope?”

    Old Crow, who was now Young Crow, said, “I don’t know if they are the world’s greatest hope, but I do have some stones I can give you. But I will need the tea recipe. Where can I find this plant?”

    Ethagon decided to share with the Crow the secret place where Healium Honey Bunch was found, “It grows on the tallest mountain tops, under the snow and can only be found in the springtime. Now, that you can get as much as you want, where are the stones you promised me?”

    The Crow flew back from whence he came, “Follow me! They are hidden in a secret cave.”  And he led Ethagon to it. The Crow had not been back to his cave for a while. As he had gotten older, he had forgotten where it was. But now, he remembered.

        The Crow was surprised when he saw that something was blocking the entrance to the cave, “What’s that? I didn’t put that there.” He pushed on it, and it moved. It writhed just like a snake.

    It wasn’t a door! It was a large, yellow and green Giganiboa, “Who bothers my sleep?” His head came out of the cave and glared at them with its beady eyes. It had long, hungry fangs, and its scales shone brightly.

        “I am Ethagon, a very famous druid. This is Crow. Who are you? What are you doing in Crow’s cave?”

    The snake didn’t care and attacked them, trying to eat Crow, while a squeak came from inside the cave. Ethagon reacted without thinking and screamed, “Ice Spendio!” The snake turned to ice. 

    They walked through him, shattering him to smithereens, and saw a large, golden cage at the end of the cave. There was a Pheonix in it whose beak was wrapped closed.