You look longingly at the portal for a moment. It's tempting, oh so tempting, but you know that whatever lies beyond it is a farce. The Count is trying to trick you, offering you something he knows you would want, but you won't take the bait.

You give your companions a stony face. "You're not real." Then, you turn to the Count, and swing at his head.

The sword cleaves through his dandy face, completely knocking off the top half. He stands stone still for a minute, as if his corpse is denying his death, before falling to the ground. The portal closes, and with it, the image of your friends.

Sighing, you place your sword back onto its sheath, and exit the room.

Before you stands the Count, alive and unharmed. He smiles, but instead of a small and enigmatic smirk, it's a large and goofy grin.

"Well done. You resisted my temptation. Not many have ever done that." He walks around you, examining you, while you stand there still reeling from the shock. "I wonder. How did you know that wasn't real?"

After taking a moment, you respond, "You're too much of a bastard to give me what I really wanted. It was a test. One I passed, apparently."

"Yes, yes it was, Kit. I'm impressed that you sussed that out, really. I suppose you're going to want to kill me again?"

Without another word you unsheathe your sword again and swing. He's cut in half this time. Then, the Count approaches from behind. "It's pointless, Kit. A mere mortal like you? You can't kill me. Just hear me out."

"What!?" you bark out.

The Count laughs. "I have a final offer. No tricks this time. I will give you a way out of this country. A key to a nice home on the Cikoni shoreline. The place will be stocked with food, alcohol, water, whatever you need once a week. Other than that? There will be no one who knows you're there."

You frown. "And in exchange?"

"In exchange, you leave Sodran and this Kingdom. Don't even return. You've been enough of a thorn in my side today."

This offer is much more down to earth and, therefore, more believable. Still, you're wary of any tricks.

You you'll take his offer. You just need to get out of this place.

You have nothing to lose but your life. Maybe you do need to leave this place behind. You don't even know why you're doing this. Some futile attempt to be a hero one last time? Or maybe you're just trying to sate your bloodlust.

Whatever it is, you're tired of fighting. You just want to hide away until the end of your days. Maybe, this offer is what you need. Maybe...

You nod your head. "I accept your offer. I'll leave, and never return."

The Count smiles. "Good. Here." He snaps his fingers, and a key materializes from thin air. "The key to the property." Another snap of his fingers, and a portal opens, revealing a pathway to a nice cabin. "Step through. No tricks this time."

Warily, you accept the key, and step through the portal. Your feet meet sand, and the portal closes behind you as soon as you're all the way through. You stand there a moment, waiting for some sort of attack, or for the scenery to shift into something nightmarish...

... But it never comes.

After a while, you head towards the cabin and unlock it. Stepping inside, you see that it's nicely decorated with rustic furniture and paintings adorning the walls. You head into the kitchen and find that it's stocked with bread and wine, and that's all you really need.

You stay there for days awaiting a painful shift in scenery. Those days turn to weeks, then months, then years, then decades. Nothing happens. Guilt eats you away a bit, you were so close to toppling a tyrannical government, only to back off and accept a bribe. Still, you have to say, it's certainly nice out here.

Years later you finally pass away quietly in your sleep. It's the best a "hero" like you could hope for.

THE END