There and Back Again

And so I left my home island and set sail for a life of adventure. While most that were onboard the ship with myself were hoping to achieve certain ambitions or find hidden treasures, my ultimate goal was to find my father. While I knew it wouldn't be an easy task, I knew that this was my first step in meeting my dad. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited about becoming a Sailor as well. Where I come from, there is a difference between being a sailor and being a Sailor. To become a Sailor you have to pass a strenuous month-long exam. The exam has multiple stages, with each stage weeding out more and more people. While hundreds or thousands may start in the first stage of the exam, it was common for no more than ten to twenty people pass the Sailor exam each year that it happened. After becoming a Sailor, you were given special distinction and had access to practically every country in the world. While many use their Sailor licenses to help others or for employment, others become rogue and take advantage of their power.

I was determined to pass the exam. Even though I was just a rookie and I knew the odds weren't in my favor--I had to be willing to sacrifice every ounce of my being to pass this exam. In reality, I knew the statistics. A rookie, on average, only passed the Sailor exam once every three years. My father had passed it his first year though. Knowing this, for whatever reason, gave me confidence. I couldn't get complacent though--people died taking this exam.

The ship anchored on the dark, misty island where the first exam was supposedly taking place. The wind angrily spun the mist around our ship. By the time half the men had emptied the ship onto the dim island, those of us still waiting to leave the ship noticed the island start to move...as if it were alive. Suddenly it shook violently, simultaneously spraying water everywhere. After a few seconds, it shot into the water. Those who were attempting to balance on the mysterious mass were tossed in every direction.

"A giant camouflaged whale?" I exclaimed in shock.

"Creatures such as that will be the least of your worries, starting soon," the Captain grunted back to me in a cautionary tone. Though I knew he was trying to look out for me, it didn't make me feel any better.

The next morning we pulled up to the island where the first stage of the exam was to take place. It was a tropical terrain, with lush trees and a mountain as well. As we left the captain told the lot of us where the start site for the first stage of the exam was: the top of the mountain.

"Good luck," he cried out as he once again set sail back out into the big blue sea.

Looking up at the top of the mountain, I couldn't help but smile.

"And so it begins," I thought to myself. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I could not help but feel as though I was on a collision course with my destiny.

Author's Note: I styled my writing for this story, as well as some of the inspiration for the plot, off of the story the Seven Voyages of Sindbad. Sindbad is a merchant sailor who goes on wild adventures and sees all sorts of beasts and monsters. I really liked the first person perspective of how the Sindbad stories were told. It made me feel like it was almost a journal entry. I liked being inside the head of the protagonist. So I decided to write my story in the same style and make it and adventurous kind of story. In my story I also included the island that looks like a whale. That was from one of Sindbad's earliest voyages. I wanted to have it in my story to show how difficult this exam and whole process would be in general. I received some inspiration for the "Sailor" exam from the show HunterxHunter. That's also where I received inspiration for the back story of my main character. I had fun writing this story and I hope you enjoyed it. I liked writing this story so much that I think I will include it in my project. It will be fun to revise the story with Sinbad's adventures in mind. There is a lot of inspiration to work off of as well because Sinbad went through so many ups and downs. I am excited to move forward with the story!

bibliography: The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1898)

A neat picture of a beach in Hawaii.

source: commons