WAYLON AND THE GOLDEN FLEECEA
by Andrew J. Snyder

The year is 746 B.C. Bob Quintan, A farmer from Greece has just settled down with his family near the great city of Rome with his two oldest sons Waylon and Jason, and his newborn baby Bob Junior. Waylon is the son of Demeter (The goddess of agriculture, harvest, and fertility.) He is very quick-witted, which seems to get him into many different situations, most of which are very unpleasant. Bob is a great farmer and a great father to his three sons. The mother’s name is Thalia, but she died giving birth to Bob Junior and now lies in a grave outside their farm in Rome. Waylon is a tall, dark boy with rugged-looking hair and a body covered in rippling muscles that all the local girls fall for. He has a very handsome face with gray eyes that have a hint of cobalt in them. Two years after the Quintan family moved to there farm in Rome, a devastating drought had snuck up on Rome. Waylon has just been sent on a quest by the Roman oracle, a mortal possed by the spirit of Apollo to provide prophecies to Roman hero’s. Waylon’s quest was to find the golden fleece and bring it back to Rome to heal the land and bring rain. Waylon was allowed to bring two companions with him on his quest. 

He decided the fleece is most likely on an island near the edge of the world, named Colchis. He is taking his friend Piper, the daughter of Poseidon. He hopes that having a daughter of Poseidon will help them cross the ocean to find the fleece. His other friend is Grover the Satyr. He felt that Grover having a great sense of magic would be able to help guide them towards the fleece. The only problem Waylon sees with their plan is that the king of Colchis guards the fleece. They know he won’t give it up because of a prophecy that says if the fleece leaves the island, it will crumble, and his kingdom will be destroyed. They were going to leave the next day but needed armor, weapons, provisions, and a ship. In the end, they decided to split the work up between them.

Piper went to the port to get a boat from the naval academy down by the harbor. Grover went into the market to get provisions for their long journey. Meanwhile, Waylon went to the armory to get the armor and weapons they needed. While visiting the armory, Waylon met the blacksmith for the Roman legion who entrusted him with a special sword said to be made of celestial steel, tipped with cohenite infused gold said to be able to slice through any steel, iron, or gold swords and armor. Waylon asked, “Does it have a name?” The blacksmith (Actually Hephaestus god of blacksmiths.) replied, “Backbiter is its name.” “A bizarre name,” replied Waylon. The blacksmith replied, “Its name has a meaning I hope you don’t have to find out Young boy.” “Thank you, may I ask your name.” “it is Vulcan do good on your quest, and peace will be brought back to this great city.” “Yes, sir,” Waylon replied.

While Piper was down at the dock getting the ship ready, she was greeted by a serene dolphin holding an imperial titanium dagger in its mouth, Piper gently spoke to the dolphin and asked it where it got the knife. The dolphin replied, “Oh, great daughter of Poseidon, I bring a gift from your father for your great quest that you must embark on.” Piper replied, “What is the dagger’s name?” “It is called “Riptide,” my liege forged from imperial titanium by the cyclops of the deep sea and enchanted to help you control the water for your voyage.” Piper thanked him and took the dagger and its sheath and sent the dolphin on its way. Grover didn’t get any magical gifts but got the provisions just fine. 

They all met up at the dock to set sail. They had planned to leave in the morning, but the weather seemed to suggest a storm, so going now would be the best option so that they wouldn’t get caught in it. Waylon relaid his story of the blacksmith and the sword showing them its gleaming steel blade with a golden tip. Afterward, Piper showed them the black edge of Riptide and told them about the dolphin. Grover was disappointed that he didn’t get any magical weapon but was happy for the other two. After they got all the supplies put in their places, they decided to set sail towards the east and Colchis. 

Three days into the journey, they encountered a problem. 

A vast sea monster had attacked the ship while Grover and Waylon were sleeping. Piper hurriedly woke them up, and they rushed out to see what it was. “apparently,” said Waylon, “our ship is a shrimp magnet.” A giant shrimp with loads of regular size shrimps were attacking the ship, trying to eat the hull. Waylon and Piper drew their weapons, and Grover grabbed a sword from the armory below deck. Piper tried contacting the shrimp, but it wouldn’t respond, so they decided to try and scare it away. They slashed at it tentacles and stabbed at it till it fled in terror. Waylon asked, “How far away are we?” “About three days,” replied Piper “Let’s hope there are no more monsters on the way,” Grover said. 

The rest of the journey went peacefully until they reached the island. When they got there, it was surprisingly beautiful and serene. They guessed that the fleece caused this but was unsure. They decided to find the fleece the next day, so they rest up and start their journey, landing near a beach on the island and setting out on foot with all their armor and weapons. After about an hour of searching, Grover sensed the nature magic emanating from the fleece close to them and directed Waylon and Piper towards it. 

When they got to where Grover sensed the magic, they were ambushed by kingsmen. Waylon asked Piper, “fight or surrender how you wanna play this?” Piper said, “let’s see what they do first.” The lead guard said to them, “You are trespassing on this island. We are taking you to the king.” Piper whispered, “wait for them to come close, then make them think we are surrendering by pretending to drop your weapon. Then we fight” 

“Alright.” Grover and Wayon said at the same time. They all started dropping their weapons when the guards come forth to bind them. Piper sprung into action pulling water from the grass and jungle around them, entangling the guards in vines and tree limbs.

Meanwhile, Waylon told the grass to grow around their ankles and hold them in place. Grover just started grabbing food from his bag and threw it at the other guards. In about 45 seconds, they had either entangled or knocked out all the guards except the lead guard and demanded he takes them to the leader or face capture like the others. He agreed to take them to the king but warned them that he is a mighty man that you don’t want to mess. They all told him that they wouldn’t leave until they got the fleece for their city. “Follow me.” the guard said they followed him for about 10 minutes before they made it to a castle seemingly maid from wheat but sturdy as bricks Piper asked Waylon if he did that, but before Waylon could answer a man came towards them, the guard bowed, and the team guessed that this was the king. “Your majesty,” Waylon said, “We have come from a faraway place and seek the golden fleece, we know you won’t give it up without a fight.” “I can tell that you made this castle yourself which most likely means you are a son of Demeter like me, so I challenge you to a competition of your choice, and if I win we get the fleece and go on our way if you win we become your servants, and you take all our armor and weapons.”. The king replied, “You’re on young one. I challenge you to a competition to see if you truly are a son of Demeter like me.”

“First, make these grass tendrils bind this man here,” he said, pointing towards the lead guard. Waylon did as he requested and bound him up to his chest, including his hands and legs. “Alright,” said the king, “You have proven yourself worthy now I challenge you to a duel of swords, but it must be made from wheat or a material bendable by Demeters will.” “You’re on, choose a time and place,” replied Waylon. The king had set up an arena the next day for their battle and gave Waylon another day to practice his skills and make a sword out of grains or grasses. When the day came for the battle, Waylon had gotten a message from his mother in his dreams. When Waylon saw Demeter he replied in surprise, “Mother is that really you?” she said, “yes My sweet child I bring you news, that sword you have there can be controlled there through a method few of my children have you are one of the few who can bend metals through the grains in them trapped by the air and infused in all blades.” Waylon thanked her 

He didn’t sleep the night before the battle trying to control the blade was too much for him. Until Piper came and found him almost passed out and helped him figure it out, early on, they realized that if they combined their powers, the blade could be shaped into anything they needed it to be. Still, they realized this wouldn’t work, seeing as he had to complete this on his own she kissed him goodnight and told him,” Waylon I have always had a massive crush on you. I want you to know that no matter what happens I will be with you through it all,” Waylon was too stunned to think correctly he was thinking “Piper the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met likes me wow I must look stupid right now tell her how you feel before you lose her.” Waylon said, “I’ve loved you since the first time I met you as well, Piper. If I don’t make it run to the boat and take Grover back towards Rome and tell them I failed and tell my family I love them.” Piper replied with passion, “Don’t speak that way, Waylon, you will make it back, to your family you, marry me, have a big family back in Rome, and you’ll be the hero to the whole city,” Waylon replied.” That is what I would love to do,” just then he had an idea and tried it. He had formed the sword into a spear and then into a dagger. “I figured it out,” he said Piper replied, “Do good out there, Waylon and defeat him so we can go back to Rome and our families and bring rain to our homes and families.” The secret to controlling his powers was his drive to stay with Piper and his longing for his home.

The next morning Waylon went up to the arena with his sword and surprised the king by not bringing a grain sword; instead, he had “Backbiter,” a celestial steel blade tipped with cohenite infused gold. The king said in anger,” that is not a blade controllable by Demeter’s will,” Waylon told him in complete composure, “Actually it is king you see some children of Demeter have a stronger will than others and can control the grains trapped by the air inside the sword and control it making it bend to my will.” After he said this, he shaped the sword into a long spear. He stabbed it in the ground declaring, “Your challenge has been accepted, and now the duel to the death shall begin,” the battle began with pacing around the circle stadium and taunting the other one until Waylon decided to make the first move and went in using the grain circle to boost him along towards the king. When the king tried putting up grain walls Waylon just slashed through it like paper. Even though they were probably harder than bricks, Waylon came in for the killing blow, but when he hit the king’s blade, all the grain surrounding it fell off. An imperial titanium sword gleamed in the sunlight as the crowd gasped. The king shouted, “your, not the only one able to control metals, Waylon.” Then the king said with finality, “Prepare to die.” Waylon gasped and said, “I think you should check yourself before you make threats that you can’t fulfill,” while saying this, his blade formed to bend around the king’s sword and made a point to stab through his jugular. Still, the grain blocked it by an inch from his neck. The king’s sword did almost the same action but, Waylon stopped it faster. Bending the king’s own sword back towards him snapping of a bit of it and combining it with his sword taking almost a quarter of the king’s sword immediately Waylon backed away making his sword split in two and went back in slashing and thwacking at the walls hoping to get close to the king again but failing to get close enough to get in any blow. He finally decided to turn his left sword into a throwing knife with a blade so sharp even the handle cut him when he threw at the king. Surprisingly it went through all his defenses and nailed him in the throat, killing him in an instant. The battle ended after that, and Waylon retrieved the king’s sword and stepped off the circle, holding both of them then combining them, proving he had beaten the king. 

Immediately afterward, Grover and Piper quickly ran down to meet him, bringing with them the fleece. They decided to leave immediately and rushed towards their boat. When they got to the ship, they immediately set sail and got away from the island without any further trouble. Their journey home was surprisingly peaceful, most likely because of the golden fleeces’ powers. When they got home to Rome, it took only two days for the drought to end. Waylon, Piper, and Grover are now heroes of Rome. Waylon and Piper got married six months after their quest was completed, and Waylon used the king’s sword to make a ring for Piper and himself. They lived happily ever after.