The trumpet sounded as he strolled through the magnificent gate, the entrance to the port. Sindbad, the grand sailor, was hired by the king to travel the long distance to a far away island, from where no one has returned. The only item that returned to the port after another brave sailor pushed off was an empty boat, with a red streak of blood along the bow. Some believe that the sign was a bad omen, while others believe that there was actually something on the island. Whatever the case, Sindbad was chosen to find the truth.

He looked toward his vessel, floating by the docks, and began to see many men, running about the ship. The commotion stopped once Sindbad sauntered up the ramp, his grand sword at his side. This blade was not like any ordinary blade, and was instead double sided and had a hilt made of solid gold, encrusted with jewels. All around the Mediterranean, that sword was feared by nearly every soul. Once Sindbad was aboard his ship, the order was given to set sail, and pull up the anchor. As the vessel moved away from the port, Sindbad and his crew waved goodbye to their family and friends. This was probably the last time the troop would ever see their loved ones.

For the first day of the three-day voyage, the sailing was smooth, and the ship easily traversed the deep waters of the Mediterranean. That morning, the sailors gathered for a meeting with an important discussion topic. The meeting was held to discuss what to do once on the island. Eventually, after much controversy, the crew agreed to post a guard on the ship, day and night, and send scouts into the heart of the island, in order to find the reason why nobody ever returned. Sindbad and his trusty partner Ali were to be the heads of the scout troop, while Ghani stayed behind and guarded the ship with fifteen other men.

For the last two days of the trip, the sailors spent their time playing cards, gambling and drinking rum. The crew definitely wanted to make the most of their lives, before their sure demise. When the sun rose above the horizon on the third day, however, land was noticeable just under the golden rays.
“Land Ho!” The cry sounded from the watchtower.
Immediately, all activities were abandoned, and every man ran to the deck. Sure enough, just noticeable, were the hills of a faraway island. As they neared, the troop’s spirits raised, and when they were in range, the men dropped anchor.

Riding in a small rowboat, Sindbad, his partner Ali and 20 other men headed for the lone island. From the ocean, the island appeared to be a gloomy and eerie place, but when the entourage set foot on land, they realized that it was close to paradise; rather than a deadly island. As they approached the heart of the island, the foliage grew thicker, and the crew had trouble journeying through the dense underbrush. Eventually, however, the sailors reached the mouth of a cave, hollowed in the base of a mountain. Sindbad looked around at his company, and decided by their frightened faces that they should wait until the next day to look inside the cave. After his decision, the crew set up camp, and was fast asleep within minutes.

The next morning, Sindbad awoke to a horrible sight. Out of his crew of twenty men, not including Ali, ten were “missing” (assumed dead). Ali informed Sindbad that no evidence of the kidnapper was shown, except a read streak of blood along one of their tents. After saying quick prayers to Allah, the other ten men and Ali ventured into the cave, assuming to find the monster. Sindbad waited inside the camp for their return, from sun-up to sundown. At the end of the day, not one of the men had returned from the cave, and Sindbad, decided that he would get some sleep, and simply thought that the men would return later. His thoughts deceived him, however, and not one man had arrived throughout the night.

In the middle of the night, Sindbad began to have a very peculiar dream. Within this dream, a beautiful voice was calling his name, from inside the cave. He suddenly awoke with a start, and felt the impulse to journey into the cave. Sindbad was fully awake when he heard the exact voice from his dream calling him. Transfixed by the melodious tone, he walked, hypnotized, toward the cave, forgetting his trusty sword in the process. As he reached the entrance, Sindbad noticed a light inside the dark cave. Holding the torch was a veiled woman, petite in size, but with the voice of an angel. As she turned towards Sindbad, he could see her shocking green eyes, as beautiful as a full moon. When he took another step forward, however, his body felt the impact of a rock hard wall directly in front of him. Causing him to fall down, Sindbad realized that he had walked into a crystal wall, which appeared totally clear to the human eye. All of a sudden, the woman disappeared in a swirled mass of gray. As Sindbad’s trance broke, he turned to find himself face to face with the most hideous and disgusting monster that he had ever seen. Standing ten feet tall and five feet wide, this creature held a club in its right hand, and had claws sharper than any knife. When Sindbad finally came to his senses, the monster swung its mighty club. Luckily, Sindbad rolled out of the way just in time, and proceeded to rush out of the cave, between the monster’s legs. He knew that if he found his sword, and possibly a couple of daggers, he could defeat the creature. Confused by this act, the animal turned and started to thump after Sindbad. When he reached the camp, Sindbad found his sword and two daggers, and devised a plan to destroy the monster. He promptly scaled a tall tree and waited for the creature. When the animal entered the camp, Sindbad drew his daggers and jumped from the tree, landing on the monster’s head. He then stabbed the creature’s eyes with the two daggers and slid down its back. Once on the ground, Sindbad rushed around the monster, and drove his sword deep into the heart of the animal. Instantly, the monster stopped moving, and after Sindbad removed his sword, fell to the ground, dead. The brave sailor then cut off one of the animal’s limbs, for a trophy, and returned to the main ship, via rowboat.
After much celebration, the remainder of the crew headed back to Baghdad, where they were crowned heroes, and given noble titles. The arm the Sindbad had cut off was paraded down the city’s main street, and he was praised immensely. After the ceremony, the sailors were able to return to their families, and await a time when the king requires their assistance once again.

The End