Everyone had gathered on the sand dune to witness the boy who could supposedly make himself one with the wind. Waiting, they watched as the boy stood, talking with the desert about love, asking for its help. The wind began to blow slightly after the desert gave the boy the use of its sand, causing the witnesses to mumble among themselves. The wind whispered with the boy, becoming irritated when it realized that despite all of its travels it didn’t know love or how to turn a human into wind. The wind began to whip harder to help the boy talk with the sun. As the wind picked up speed those watching on the sand dune began to feel fear. What if he could actually turn into the wind? The sun and the boy began talking. They discussed how love is what keeps the balance that was created by the Soul of the World at the beginning of time. Despite being able to know the Soul of the World, the sun sadly told the boy it did not know how to turn the boy into the wind. The men on the hill clutched to each other to maintain their grip on the sand dune as the wind whipped even harder. The boy felt the universe go silent as he began to pray to the hands that created it all. The boy began to see that while no one knew why they were created, there was a reason for it all and the hands that created it all could create the omens, miracles, and paths of Personal Legends. Reaching through the Soul of the World the boy was able to discover that his soul was a part of God’s soul. The wind blew harder than it had ever before and those on the hill would recount the story for years after and when the wind ceased they looked for the boy. He was not in the original spot that he started, he had become the wind and moved across to the other side of the military camp. The boy was the perfect disciple who was able to understand the glory of God.
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After traveling in the desert for many days with a caravan, Santiago finally reached an oasis. Upon arrival, the caravan learned that there was a war going on between two tribes. It had become so violent that it would not be safe for Santiago to continue on toward the pyramids for a while. He was just about to give up on his Personal Legend, satisfied that he had been able to travel to far lands and learn the Universal Language by observing so much of the world and how it just works together despite many different barriers, but then he meet Fatima. She was a women of the desert and had grown up knowing Maktub. She knew that men of the oasis would go into the desert, but return once their goal was reached. Santiago and Fatima had an instant connection that was so strong that Santiago was going to give up on his Personal Legend to marry Fatima, sure that he would be satisfied. Fatima, knowing that the men must leave but will eventually return, would not allow Santiago to stay. She urged him to go and finish his journey before settling down with her in the oasis.
Santiago had saved the oasis from being destroyed before he had told Fatima that he wanted to stay with her. The councilmen wanted him to take a position on their council, which was another reason to stay in the oasis. That was when Santiago met the Alchemist, a man who could supposedly turn lead into gold. The Alchemist showed Santiago many things, first showing him a glimpse into the future if he didn't complete his Personal Legend. It showed that Santiago would be happy for the first year but he would slowly become very much like the Crystal Merchant, imagining what would have happened if he reached the pyramids. This glimpse into the future and Fatima’s promise to wait for him is what lead Santiago to accompany the Alchemist to the pyramids. As they braved the desert, traveling as fast and discreetly as they could, to avoid the battle being waged between the tribes, Santiago began to learn more about the Universal Language. He was curious about the Alchemist and if he could actually turn lead into gold, but when he asked the Alchemist, he was only told that it was not for him to worry about. One day the Alchemist and Santiago were caught by one of the tribes, accusing them of being spies. The Alchemist made a deal with the men that if Santiago could turn himself into the wind within three days, that they would let them go. While Santiago did not know how to turn himself into the wind, the Alchemist believed in him. After spending so much time looking at the desert, the men finally gathered to watch the boy turn himself into the wind. Santiago, listening to his heart as the Alchemist had told him to do, began to talk with the desert, the wind, and the sun. Each of them did not know how to turn a human into the wind, but each gave him new insight on who to talk with next and lending as much help as possible to Santiago. After talking with the elements Santiago began to pray to God. As he was praying, Santiago was able to learn that the Soul of the World is part of the Soul of God, which was a part of Santiago. Being a part of the Soul of God allowed Santiago to turn himself into the wind because all miracles come from God. This astounded all the men who were watching. Santiago and the Alchemist were then set free to continue on their journey. They parted ways after spending a night in a monastery. During their journey together, Santiago learned that alchemy was not just about turning lead into gold, but to understand the Soul and Language of the World. He traveled to the Pyramids and dug for his treasure. While digging, thieves happened to find Santiago. They stole the little gold that Santiago had, but did not leave him with nothing. One thief shared a recurrent dream he had of treasure under the roots of a sycamore tree in a ruined church where shepherds slept. This seemed like a joke to the thief but to Santiago he knew exactly where his treasure was: in the place where his Personal Legend had started. To many people this may have seemed like a cruel joke, he spent over two years to get to the Pyramids where his treasure supposedly was, only to find out that it was in the exact spot where his dream had taken place. To Santiago and those who know the reason for Personal Legends, he was able to learn the Universal Language of the world, understand the glory of God, meet the love of his life, and learn different lessons from people along the way. If Santiago had known at the start that he would not have needed to go all the way to the Pyramids, none of that would have been learned and he would have become like his father and the crystal merchant: dreaming of traveling to far off places, but never traveling to them. Each person may have their own individual Personal Legend but as long as they learn to follow their heart and look for omens, they will be able to learn and have new insights that will help them achieve their own Personal Legend. |
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