Excerpt
It is the dream. The glorious dream. I can see the future from where I stand, and the past begins to recede from behind me. Quick shadows make the distant horizon seem near. The celestial dance of light and dark is followed by an endless stream of shadows. The sun moves smoothly with its speedy ascent across the sky, casting its illuminating rays across dispersing clouds. I am standing fully still but also moving inexorably forward. The sand seems to tear down the invisible wall that separates me from glory. A golden palace now stands before me, and it appears to be composed of an armor-like surface. The colossal armor appears indestructible, concealing the inexistent heart beating beneath its gold. There is a design that incorporates men prepared for war as well as perfectly-carved horses of gold that feel the weight of the glory driving them. The structure gleams in a way a warrior's armor does, and the golden light that fades in and out of the streaming sunlight is a testament to mortality and immortality. The palace begins to move and fold its glimmering edges. It contracts and becomes a smaller structure until it fades underneath the brilliant sandy surface. The palace is gone, and all that is left is a surface that stretches deep into the endless horizon. There is a name for that: undiscovered glory.

I make my way toward the place where the palace used to be. I hear my footsteps growing louder as my heart beats steadily with yearning. I stand where the palace used to stand, and I look down at the empty space. I search for any sign of the shining armor, but I see nothing. Then faint glimmers of light appear from underneath the sand. I kneel down and begin to dig into the sand with my bare hands. The glimmers are becoming brighter. It is an object that resembles the tall, gleaming structure that used to stand here. It is a shield. The shield of Achilles. It is comprised of an intricate golden design that reveals the glory of war. I dig until I can remove the golden shield from the sand. It is marvelous beyond words. I hold the shield in my hands and observe the symmetry of its beauty. Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Greeks, must be buried here somewhere. I scrape off the lingering sand until the shield shines more brilliantly in the sunlight. I can hear my mother's voice saying, "Achilles is your ancestor, and therefore the same, unparalleled greatness will be your destiny." Olympia's voice drowns in the muted noise of memory, and then my heart feels the greatness the shield embodies. I have always read about the glory of Achilles in battle. His glory helped me to cement my own glory, and now I have the opportunity to inherit the glory and immortality of Achilles. His victories inspired me to become as great as him. That is what makes me "Megas Alexandros."