Adam Julian Gutierrez

English 10A, Grade 10

Honors Creative Writing
The Alchemist Returns
He wiped the sweat off his forehead, walking along the ship, as he could hear the sea roar,
pushing the mighty vessel towards the endless ocean bed. I FEAR NO SEA! I AM THE MASTER OF THE
WIND! He shouted, he stood at the end of the ship, which was a very aged ship with holes along the
sides of the ship, as proof that it had been through many battles. The sail was decorated with symbols of
the wind and earth, with a skeleton head hanging from the sail. The shouting man stood proud at the
end of the ship, dressed in a black tunic with a plate of armor attached to the shoulder, with a wind
symbol engraved onto the plate. He was taller than all of the men on his ship, who were of average
height, and skinny, whilst the man was a very muscular and fit looking man. Santiago, the sea will never
allow us to return to Tarifa, we must sail along the Mediterranean bed, or else well be dragged down
along with the ship into the abyss! Said a voice in the distant behind the man, he turned around and
there stood a man who was slightly shorter and skinnier than the man.

Santiago placed his hand on the shoulder of the man in front of him. Do not worry, Egyptian,
you have not had many conversations with the sea as I have, we will make it out of this storm. He said
with a smile as he turned back around, and raised his hand. The Egyptian stood behind Santiago in
confusion as he witnessed the sail being blown towards the direction that Santiago was pointing in. He
was manipulating the wind to turn in the direction he saw fit. The power of an Alchemist? The
Egyptian questioned, as he looked along the edge of the ship to see the gusts of wind blowing the ship
towards Tarifa. Long ago I set out to complete my Personal Legend, and along the way I became one
with the earth, and the wind. This was many years ago, and there are not many such as myself left that
can perform such an amazing feat. The storm roared against Santiago and his ship, as the sea began to
put up a tough resistance against the ship. The sea will not bring Fatima down once again, I have sailed
her through worse storms than this. He said with a fiery look in his eyes, and he raised both his hands
high up in the air; the gusts of the winds becoming louder and stronger. The ship sailed towards Tarifa at
speeds that even the fastest bird in the world could not match. Within a few hours the ship landed at
Tarifa, and its crew men unloaded from the ship like ants crowding out of a hole in the ground.
Santiago and the Egyptian stepped out, with the sun shining bright in their faces. They are in
Tarifa, the home of Santiago. As they walk out of the ship and onto the sandy shore, a group of
horsemen draw near and surround Santiago and his crew. We received no word that there would be a
cargo ship arriving in Tarifa, who are you and what are you doing here? One of the horsemen dropped
from their horse, and unsheathed their sword and pointed the weapon at Santiago and the Egyptian.
They must not know who you are, Santiago. You are not welcomed in Tarifa after the incident with the
tribal war in Egypt so many years back. The Egyptian placed his hand inside his tunic, gripping a
concealed dagger staring nervously at the horseman. I am Salama, Tarifas military chief. I will ask
again, who are you? Santiago snapped his fingers and within an instant, the sand beneath him turned
to gold. I am the Alchemist, traveling with my loyal crew across the Mediterranean sea in search of a

crystal merchant. The horseman sheathed his sword and kneeled in front of Santiago, with his head
facing the sand. Forgive me, Alchemist. Times have changed with our military and our partnership with
my homeland in Egypt. Santiago took the horsemans hand and stood him straight on his feet, and
shook his hand, revealing scars that trace along Santiagos arm. Scars of war, Alchemist? I thought the
Alchemists preferred to avoid battle, after all you did stay in hiding in Egypt for so long. Santiago rolled
his sleeves and stood by the Egyptian, observing the other horsemen behind Salama. I traveled for ten
years, in search of this crystal merchant. He was one of the men who helped me become who I am
today. When I was a younger man, he gave me a place to stay, work, and live until I was able to continue
my Personal Legend, do you know his current whereabouts? Salama shrugged at the sound of a crystal
merchant helping an Alchemist, and stared off into the distance. The crystal merchant you speak of,
was robbed and killed years ago. By a boy who was seen traveling with another boy his age, which he
later stole from and abandoned like the rest. Santiago closed his fist, and unhooked the plate of armor
on his tunic, revealing his entire arm covered in scars and tattoos of the earth and wind. Then we will
set out immediately to find this boy, who has by now become a man. And I will make him confess to the
crime he has committed. Let Tarifa know that the Alchemist has returned.
END