“Nonsense!” yelled Sanz. “It is too dark in there! I will not be able to see you!”
The creature in the cave laughed. “Then, I suppose there will be no battle. Unless…”
“Unless what?” demanded Sanz.
The monster paused before continuing, “Unless we can set up an arrangement.”
“What sort of arrangement?” asked the bloodthirsty warrior.
“Everyday, you must come to my cave, and I will give you a single task. And every time you complete a task, the darkness that blinds you will brighten, until you are able to see through it. Then, we can battle.”
Sanz laughed at the beast’s proposal. “Why would I ever agree to such a thing?”
Even after being mocked by laughter, the mysterious creature remained as calm as can be. “Because if you don’t, then I will stay in my cave and be protected by the darkness. And if you do not slay me, then your reputation as the greatest warrior to ever live will be ruined.”
Sanz sneered into the cave. If there was one thing that he loved more than himself, it was his title as the world’s mightiest warrior. “And what of your plans to attack the town?”
“If you agree to my offer, then I will refrain from attacking the townspeople,” replied the monster.
But Sanz trusted nothing but the sword in his hand. “Lies! You’re trying to trick me! You will probably attack the town while I carry out your tasks!”
“I will do no such thing,” responded the creature. “You have my word.”
Sanz considered the proposal. As he did, the monster continued to speak, “As I see it, you have three choices. You can agree to my proposal, keep your people safe, and battle me once our arrangement is complete. Or you can be stubborn and enter the cave to fight me. But I assure you, you will not be able to see through this darkness, and I will immediately kill you. Or you can reject my offer, return to town, lie to your people, and tell them that you have already slayed me. But I wonder, how helpful will that lie be when I emerge from this cave, slaughter your women and children, and tell all the men the truth behind your fib?”
In frustration, Sanz struck the cave wall with his sword. “Fine!” he shouted angrily. “Give me the first task then!”
“Excellent,” said the monster slyly. “For your first task, return all of the gold that you have collected to slay me. Then come back tomorrow for your next task.”
Sanz’s jaw dropped open from the heavy weight of shock. “Return my gold? To the people? I will do no such thing!”
For the first time, the beast shouted back its response. “Then I will see to it that your reputation becomes ruined!”
Again, Sanz angrily swung his sword against the cave wall. “Fine, you stupid beast! I will carry out your task and then I will return tomorrow!” And with that, Sanz headed back to town to carry out his first assignment.
As soon as Sanz returned, the townspeople swarmed around him, begging to know what happened.
“Did you slay the beast?” asked the carpenter.
“Of course!” lied Sanz. “I ran inside that cave and strangled the monster with my own two hands! I didn’t even need to use my sword! I have saved the town yet again!”
The people whispered excitedly among themselves and applauded Sanz for his heroics.
“It was no problem at all,” assured Sanz, bowing at the applause. But then, from the back of his mind, he could hear the creature’s manlike voice speak to him, reminding him of his task. “Oh, and there’s one more thing,” he added spitefully. “Since the monster proved to be such an easy kill, I have decided to return the gold to every man who paid me. Come to my house this evening, and you will get your money!”
At first, there was silence. The townspeople couldn’t believe that this selfish man, who had collected their gold only hours ago, was now returning their money. But once this crazy truth registered in their minds, the people cheered enthusiastically for Sanz. Getting back their gold made the men and women even happier than discovering that Sanz had slayed the beast.
Later that evening, Sanz watched as the men in town lined up at his doorstep and retrieved fives piece of gold from the basket at his feet. Each of them expressed their gratitude and shook Sanz’s hand before they left. But even after all of this, Sanz remained as cold and icy as ever. Watching the townsmen take his gold scathed him more than any beast or man that he had ever fought.
The next day, Sanz returned to the cave for his second task. “OK beast,” he yelled into the cave. “I have completed the first task. Now what is next?”
“I want you to go the carpenter’s house,” said the monster. “You will find his daughter there. I want you to spend the afternoon with her. Walk her through town, treat her to a meal, and then come back tomorrow for your next task.”
Sanz groaned with disdain. The carpenter was among the poorest men in town; the type of man that Sanz would never even bother to talk to. And now, this beast was asking him to visit this impoverished man’s house and spend the afternoon with his daughter. How dare the creature make such a request! He was Sanz, the greatest warrior to ever live! He didn’t have time to waste on the poor! But Sanz knew that it was pointless to even argue. So he just grimaced at the beast within the darkness and headed back to town.
In no time at all Sanz arrived to the carpenter’s house. It was a small shack, a sorry excuse for a home, and the last place where Sanz wanted to be. He tapped his knuckles against the door and waited. It wasn’t long until it swung open to reveal a small boy in tattered clothing. He stared up at Sanz, too speechless to even utter the word ‘Hello’. The last thing that he was expecting to see was the greatest warrior to ever live standing at his front door.
“Hello,” said Sanz as unpleasantly as possible. “Is the carpenter’s daughter home?”
“I am here,” came a sweet voice from inside the house. A young woman stepped into view, right behind the boy. “Run along now, brother,” she told the boy. After one last glimpse of his hero, the boy ran back into the house, leaving his sister alone with Sanz.
Sanz observed the young woman’s appearance. She wore a rugged dress, no shoes, and had dirt smudged on her face. “Can I help you?” she asked.
Sanz released a heavy sigh. It was the last thing that he wanted to do, but he had no other choice. “I was wondering if I could take you for a walk through town,” he said in the least energetic way possible. “Perhaps, treat you to a meal.”
The young woman’s cheeks blushed beneath their smudges. “Sure,” she said.
The pair wandered aimlessly through town and ate lunch at the local pub (Sanz paid for the meal), and wherever they went, curious stares were sure to follow. The townspeople just couldn’t believe that the selfish warrior was now spending time with such a poor, young woman.
As the pair ate lunch and wandered through town, a conversation sprung between them that lasted the entire time they were together. To his surprise, Sanz found the carpenter’s daughter to be a humorous and interesting young woman. He was intrigued by the hardships of her life, her devotion to her family, and actually found her company quite enjoyable. Over the course of his life, many women had competed for his affection, but none of them had ever left such an impression on him.
As the sun began to set, Sanz walked the carpenter’s daughter back home. “I would very much like to see you again,” he told her. His own words caught him by surprise, and judging by the expression on the young woman’s face, she felt the same exact way.
“Of course,” she said. “Perhaps tomorrow?”
Sanz smiled. “Tomorrow it is.” He waited for her to step into her house before heading back to his own, where the only thing that awaited him…was nothing,
Everyday, Sanz returned to the monster’s cave for his next task, and everyday, he was given one that was just as absurd as the last. The creature made him help the farmers pick their crops, buy clothes and shoes for the carpenter’s family, give money to the homeless and the beggars, help the builders construct new homes, and many others. And throughout all of this, the monster never once attacked the town. Yet even though the creature had kept its word, Sanz was growing increasingly unhappy with the arrangement. Days swiftly became weeks, and still, the monster remained hidden by the cave’s darkness.
“How much longer will I have to do these stupid tasks?” demanded Sanz on various occasions. But every time he asked this question, the beast would always give the same reply. “Soon.”
It wasn’t much of an answer, but Sanz had no choice but to carry out the beast’s unbearable tasks. But as more time passed by, the ice that covered Sanz’s heart began to thaw, and the tasks that were assigned to him didn’t seem as awful as they once did. He began to take delight in the townspeople’s gratitude and was treated with more respect and kindness than ever before. And whenever he wasn’t completing tasks, Sanz continued to spend time with the carpenter’s daughter. In only a few short weeks of her company, his sword was no longer the only thing that he cared for.
After completing another one of the creature’s strange assignments, Sanz headed to the carpenter’s house. Along the way, he became distracted by the sound of a woman screaming in the distance. Running as fast as he could (which was really quite fast), Sanz followed the distressful voice, which belonged to none other than the carpenter’s daughter. She was screaming at the top of her lungs and kneeling in the grass beside her brother. The young boy appeared to be unconscious, and a large gash lied on his forehead, spilling blood down his face.
“I don’t know what happened!” the young woman cried to Sanz. “I found him like this! He’s not moving!”
Sanz scooped the boy into his arms with unnatural ease. “Don’t worry!” he assured her. “I will bring her to the town doctor!”
“But I can’t afford the doctor!” cried the carpenter’s daughter.
“I will pay him myself,” said Sanz without the slightest hesitation. “Find your father. Then, come to the doctor’s residence as soon as you can.” And with that, Sanz jetted to the town doctor, carrying the unconscious boy in his arms.
The young woman immediately fetched her father and brought him to the doctor’s residence. When they arrived, they found the doctor and Sanz deep in discussion. And lying on one of the many beds was the young boy, still unconscious. The young woman and her father sat around him, holding onto his hands for comfort.
“Is he alive?” the carpenter asked the doctor.
“Yes,” said the town doctor. “But I am not sure how long it will take for him to wake up. We will just have to wait.”
The young woman turned to the mighty warrior. “Thank you so much for your help,” she said gratefully.
Sanz nodded his head in humble acknowledgement.
“Do you think you can stay here with me? Until he wakes up?” she asked
This time, Sanz did hesitate. He wanted to be there for the carpenter’s daughter, but there was no telling when the young boy would wake up. For all Sanz knew, the carpenter’s son would be unconscious for days! And everyday that he spent at the doctor’s residence was a day that he would fail to show up at the monster’s cave. Would the creature be angry with him? Would it attack the town and reveal the truth behind his lie? The thought of this happening greatly worried the mighty warrior, but he just couldn’t find it within himself to leave the young woman’s side. “Of course,” said Sanz finally.
As he had feared, Sanz wound up staying at the doctor’s residence for days. He comforted the young woman and carpenter as much as he could and fetched them food and water whenever they needed. He was happy to offer his help, but everyday, Sanz grew more fearful of the monster. For the first time in his life, he felt completely vulnerable and helpless. There were even a few times where the thought of leaving the carpenter’s daughter crossed his mind, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He constantly peered out the doctor’s window and searched the skies for a winged beast, ready to attack his little town. Whenever he went to get food and water, he waited for the townspeople to scold him for his lie, but they all greeted him as kindly as ever. Sanz wasn’t sure what the creature was doing, but he was very glad that it wasn’t attacking his town or telling the people of his lie.
After a few more days of torturous waiting, the carpenter’s son finally awoke. He seemed groggy and dazed, but he was alive. In her happiness, the young woman threw her arms around Sanz’s neck and kissed him. “You saved his life!” she cried, as her eyes welled with tears. “Thank you so much!”
“It was my pleasure,” said Sanz. He looked back to her younger brother. The boy had just woken, and Sanz was already planning to leave his side. But he had to. He had unfinished business to settle. “Listen,” he told the young woman. “I have a certain matter to attend to. Is it alright if I leave?”
The carpenter’s daughter smiled. “Of course,” she said. And after one last kiss, Sanz finally departed from the doctor’s residence. Sanz had never run so fast in his life. He bolted into the forest, toward the old, winding brook.
He would have to tell the beast everything that had happened, and hopefully, the creature would be able to forgive him for his disappearance. If not, then he would just have to ask for more tasks to compensate for all the days that he had missed. At last, Sanz came to a halt in front of the creature’s cave. Like always, the blackness within it looked unnaturally dark.
“Creature!” he shouted into the cave. “Are you still there?”
And then from the darkness came the monster’s reply in its usual manlike voice. “I am,” it said. Sanz opened his mouth to speak. He was just about to explain his disappearance when the monster interrupted him. “And I am ready to do battle.”
For the first time in his life, Sanz felt completely caught off guard. He couldn’t believe that after all of those weeks, and after all of those tasks, the creature was finally ready to emerge from the dark. Sanz heaved his chest, wrapped his fingers around his hilt, and withdrew the sword from his belt. “Very well,” he shouted, pointing his weapon at the darkness. “Come out here and fight me, monster!”
“No,” said the beast. “You come in here and fight me. After completing my tasks, the darkness should no longer blind you.”
Sanz squinted into the cave. The inside still looked as dark as ever, but the creature had proven itself trustworthy. So, Sanz stepped into the cave. He walked a few feet, waiting for the darkness to brighten, but it never did. Sanz snarled angrily and ran back to the outside. “You liar!” he exclaimed. “You told me that I would be able see through this darkness! But I am as blind as ever! You have deceived me! I have accomplished all of those tasks for no reason!”
“Very well,” declared the creature. “Then, I will step out of my cave and battle you.”
Again, the beast had caught Sanz completely off guard. He quickly raised his sword and prepared himself for battle. He looked into the cave and waited for the thunderous sound of approaching footsteps. He searched the darkness for a large, looming shape of a monster. But instead, the only thing that emerged from the cave was the small shape of an old man; the same old man who had first warned the townspeople of the creature.
Sanz gaped at the so-called monster. He was so shocked that he actually lowered his sword to the ground. “You?” he cried. “You are my opponent? You were the one who gave me all of those tasks?” He could feel his rage building within him, taking control of his mind. “You old fool!” he yelled. “You wasted my time for nothing! I will have your head for this!”
He raised his sword high into the air, ready to strike down his opponent. But then, the old man spoke. “I did not waste your time for nothing,” he said in the same calm voice as the monster. “Don’t you see? You are no longer blind from the darkness.”
“What are you speaking of?” demanded Sanz, his sword still high in the air. “I still couldn’t see a thing in that cave! Although, that doesn’t really matter because there wasn’t even a creature in that darkness!”
The old man beamed at the mighty warrior. “No, no. You were the creature in the darkness,” he told Sanz.
For some reason, these words resonated something within the warrior’s mind. He lowered his sword to the ground and listened attentively to each of the old man’s words.
“Your whole life you have been blinded by your greed and pride,” continued the old man. “You were a selfish and wretched monster, who cared about no one but yourself. But after completing my tasks, that darkness has brightened. Now, you are able to see the beast that dwelled within that darkness. And at long last, you have slayed it.”
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