The warrior met with the soldiers, and Mirta stood before them, addressing them: “Before my father died, he instructed me to make you the warrior king.” Mirta carried the crown, placed it on the warrior’s head, and handed him the keys to the castle.
The warrior ordered one of the soldiers to approach and take the box of keys.
The human monster stepped forward.
The warrior commanded him to state the secret number, but the monster stood up and said, “I forgot.”
The soldiers laughed and said, “This is a new, young soldier.”
The warrior told the soldiers to leave and head to the fortress, warning them that the monster leader would emerge soon.
The soldiers left the room, and the warrior remained, speaking to Mirta: “If I don’t feel comfortable with that soldier, it means there are spies among us. How did they enter the castle? Go quickly and hide the keys somewhere no one will find them.”
Mirta went down to the castle’s wall squares, entering a tunnel beneath the castle.
The monster searched for her and entered another tunnel.
Mirta reached a square room, placed the keys inside, closed the small room, and hurried back to the top of the castle, where the warrior king awaited her.
Mirta replied, “In a tunnel under the castle, inside the square room.”
“Did anyone see you?” the warrior asked.
“No,” she answered, “but I heard a wolf howling. Maybe it was a beast taking its last breath.”
“The wolves have disappeared,” said the warrior, “so why does this sound remain?”
The warrior sensed that a monster still inhabited the castle, so he instructed Mirta not to leave the king’s room.
He headed toward the fort, watching the soldiers.
Upon arrival, he called for the soldiers but did not see the missing soldier.
“There is a soldier among you who has disappeared,” he said.
“The monster is among us,” he ordered the soldiers.
“Place a red signal on your shoulders. If a soldier appears without a signal, attack him.”
On his way, Shaoqin appeared, captured the wolf, laughed loudly, and said, “You are too late. You didn’t find the keys.” Then he swallowed the wolf.
The warrior and the soldiers looked at the monster—a giant breathing flames from its mouth.
The warrior ordered the soldiers to throw large logs at him and shove a log into his massive mouth, but all attempts failed.
Mirta was near a window, and the monster was behind her.
She climbed onto its back, reached its eye, and plunged a dagger into it.
The monster fell to the ground, caught fire, and disappeared.
The warrior and the soldiers descended outside the castle, looking at the place, and found Mirta lying on the ground.
The soldiers cheered: “We have defeated the monster!”
The warrior carried Mirta back into the castle to help her.
She woke up and said, “We’re fine. The monster and the wolf are gone. Are you human or a wolf? Bear with me.”
The warrior laughed and said, “Wolves and beasts do not appear at critical times. They do not help us; they only wait for us to lose the keys.”