The Rules of Victory
This story is based on Things I Will Do If I’m Ever The Hero.
The hero's name was Tyran, a man of skill, intellect, and extraordinary caution. In a world dominated by the cruel and enigmatic Dreadlord Varkos, Tyran knew that defeating such an Evil Overlord would require more than strength or valor. He would need to adhere to principles of survival and success, learned not from impulsive mentors or naïve comrades, but from the bitter lessons of fallen heroes before him.
The land had been subjugated for decades. Varkos’s reign was ironclad, sustained by powerful magic, cunning tactics, and a legion of loyal servants. Tyran had watched as other heroes rose and fell, all victims of their own hubris, missteps, or misguided notions of honor. He had sworn that he would not make the same mistakes.
Tyran knew that the first step in defeating the Dreadlord was selecting allies carefully. He surrounded himself with comrades who could be trusted, not simply for their skills but for their discipline. His closest companion, Seric, had once fallen in love with a mysterious woman on a covert mission in the city. But Tyran intervened, recalling that such women often served as spies for the Evil Overlord. Seric was warned, the woman was quietly dismissed, and thus the first disaster was averted.
When Varkos abducted hostages to lure Tyran into a trap, Tyran made no foolish attempts to bargain or rescue them. He sent word to the families of the captured, holding a solemn memorial. Varkos's message arrived shortly thereafter, promising their release in exchange for surrender. Tyran burnt it without reading. Everyone knew the truth—the hostages were already dead or as good as.
Tyran’s mentor, a wise man named Elric, warned him repeatedly that he was not yet ready to face Varkos. Heeding the advice, Tyran remained focused on training, refining his swordsmanship, and mastering magic that might counter Varkos's dark powers. When Elric was eventually killed in an ambush, Tyran did not rush out seeking revenge. He knew his time would come, but not yet.
The time did come when Tyran, fully prepared, gathered a rebellion to storm Varkos’s lair—a dark fortress perched on a mountain shaped like a skull. Tyran knew from experience that this was a symbol of purest evil, and he treated it as such, entering with no illusions about honor or fair play.
His group infiltrated the fortress through an unguarded route. But rather than celebrate their good fortune, Tyran stopped them. They discussed the strangeness of the situation, suspecting a trap. They were right—poison gas had been set to release further inside the tunnels. Using the knowledge they had gained, they navigated around the threat, proceeding cautiously toward the heart of the fortress.
Once inside, Varkos himself confronted them. The Dreadlord, a towering figure cloaked in black armor, sneered and offered Tyran a chance to join him in rule, a false offer meant to manipulate and corrupt. Tyran responded by drawing his sword and launching the first strike without hesitation. There would be no negotiations, no time wasted in exchanging words. He had already told his allies the truth of his secret powers, and they were prepared to act if things went wrong.
The battle was fierce, but Tyran was relentless. Varkos began to morph, his form shifting into something dark and terrifying—a creature of nightmare. Tyran did not wait in awe or terror as so many heroes had done before him. As soon as the transformation began, he ordered his team to unleash their full force of magic and weapons, attacking Varkos before the metamorphosis could complete.
Varkos stumbled, wounded and surprised by their swift response. His magic faltered, and the fortress trembled. As the ground cracked and began to give way, Varkos hung by his fingertips over the edge of a crumbling precipice. Tyran looked down at the Dreadlord, remembered the stories of villains begging for mercy or making false promises, and without a second thought, he severed the fingers gripping the ledge. Varkos fell to his death.
The Dreadlord's reign ended not in dramatic speeches or drawn-out moral dilemmas, but through the ruthless efficiency of a hero who understood the importance of decisive action.
The world was freed not by destiny or prophecy, but by a man who adhered to simple rules of survival and strategy. Tyran left the fortress victorious, his comrades alive and the rebellion successful. He had achieved what so many had failed to do—not through grand heroics, but by following the principles that ensured triumph.
As Tyran and his allies left the crumbling skull fortress behind, there were no celebratory cries, no romantic reunions. They all knew that the work of rebuilding lay ahead, but for the first time in decades, the land was free.
And Tyran? He had defeated the Evil Overlord by following the rules, simple and straightforward—and in the end, that was what made him the greatest hero the land had ever known.
