"When I left my village I was weak, na飗e, and small

　　I left behind my family to heed adventure`s call

　　I became a hunter and a scavenger to live

　　proud to kill or take whatever nature had to give

　　I was lucky to be welcomed in the towns I passed

　　kept alive by charity til I arrived at last

　　at a city by the sea too wondrous to believe

　　but there was more to understand than what I could perceive

　　In that city I was quickly robbed and put in jail

　　to pay a debt I didn`t owe they put me up for sale

　　and luck was when a man I trusted paid to take me in

　　it was in that merchant`s care my story would begin

　　He taught me of the world and how to make the most of friends

　　how to make a living by whatever means and ends

　　how lucky I was then to find a friend so kind and wise

　　with him I`d see the wonders of the world with my own eyes

　　I had the chance to sail with him while working on his ship

　　I had the chance to seize adventure firmly in my grip

　　and when a pirate ship attacked and murdered half the crew

　　I`m lucky I survived, for there was nothing I could do

　　The pirates sold my friends as slaves to work in mines and die

　　how lucky was I then to catch the pirate captain`s eye

　　he told me if I robbed and killed as any pirate would

　　he`d let me live and set me free as quickly as he could

　　I`d always longed to be a hero, since I was a boy

　　what of the lives I took, in that old pirate ship`s employ

　　but I knew to be a hero, first I must survive

　　so I killed who I had to, just to keep myself alive

　　It was lucky I survived to buy my freedom back

　　paying in the blood I spilled with every day`s attack

　　I was lucky to escape the pirate`s way of life

　　that mine was not among the backs to meet a pirate`s knife

　　I was lucky once to save the sister of a prince

　　she was strong and likely grew to be a fine queen since

　　but before I saved her I had struggled on my own

　　and likely killed her brother, heir to her own father`s throne

　　How lucky that I travelled with the princess for so long

　　I felt like I was finally a hero, right or wrong

　　and when I brought her safely home as any hero would

　　the true cost of surviving through that hit me where I stood

　　The penalty for piracy is death in every land

　　and I`d have hanged if not for one king`s merciful command

　　they sentenced me to military service in some war

　　because I`d saved the princess I could kill a little more

　　They dropped me on the battlefront with just a rusty sword

　　I swore that I would see the day my honour was restored

　　a hell of mud and blood and pain, confusion night and day

　　luck was when the war was lost and I was swept awayStolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

　　I jumped into a river like a coward and survived

　　and to this day I`m not quite sure just where I next arrived

　　by some whim of nature I had found the land of fae

　　and luck like no one else has ever had found me that day

　　They gave me strength I hadn`t earned and ushered me along

　　I didn`t care what strength was mine as long as I was strong

　　I wandered through a nation with my power on display

　　growing both in arrogance and strength along the way

　　Every time I swung my sword another monster died

　　my powers only equalled by my overflowing pride

　　luck was when the kingdom heard of all the things I`d killed

　　but hadn`t heard how many early graves my sword had filled

　　I became a royal knight, the pride of all the land

　　gifted land and gold, there was no more I could demand

　　my pretty wife and healthy children lived in luxury

　　but still my sword would not be still, with battles left to see

　　I led an army here and there, and conquered one and all

　　any army who resisted me was quick to fall

　　luck was that I never faced a man as cruel as me

　　an empire grew behind the sword I swung relentlessly

　　As feared as I became, I was a hero to my king

　　for at the cost of countless lives, we`d conquered everything

　　but I was not content to live in comfort and grow old

　　still I felt I hadn`t lived the stories I`d been told

　　My brutal war had brought some peace across my vast empire

　　but to the north were monsters and the master of all fire

　　I didn`t hesitate to leave behind my home to fight

　　and plunge my empire`s glory days into an endless night

　　For centuries the dragons had maintained a status quo

　　from the skies they oversaw us mortals down below

　　those up in the northern lands and humans to the south

　　the penalty for war delivered from the dragon`s mouth

　　Lucky as I was I found that dragon rather quick

　　but despite my strength its very presence made me sick

　　so powerful it was that when I fought with all my heart

　　I barely made a scratch before my sword was torn apart

　　Before I fell unconscious, I could hear the dragon say

　　he wouldn`t interfere if war should come to us one day

　　all that I`d accomplished was to make the dragon sad

　　that humans should attack the oldest friend they`d ever had

　　The dragon flew away but left a broken claw behind

　　and when I woke a shameless plan soon came into my mind

　　no one else would need to know the dragon wasn`t dead

　　that big discarded toenail would be proof of what I said

　　So with that claw I led the empire north to fight a war

　　leading countless armies to an age like none before

　　never in our history was there such misery

　　as that which I created with my own dishonesty

　　I claimed to be a dragon slayer just to suit my pride

　　and so I made a battlefield where countless people died

　　and after I`d grown numb to death and given up the fight

　　the dragon that I chased away came back to make things right

　　He filled the land with fire so that no army could remain

　　and any who survived would look back on that day in pain

　　I limped away, too drunk on war to realise I`d lost

　　but when I went back home I realised the heavy cost

　　My family had left me to escape the demon hordes

　　nowhere to be seen were any of my old rewards

　　the emperor for whom I`d fought, but lied to in the end

　　would have killed me if not for the kindness of my friend

　　I was lucky to be spared by those I had betrayed

　　forgiven by the prince, I owe a debt that goes unpaid

　　and I was lucky not to be alone in that dark cell

　　haunted by a shadow any place that I would dwell

　　The empire that I built was gone and so I left that place

　　and fled across the world to where nobody knew my face

　　so let me now remind you of the luck with which I`m blessed

　　so you might know it well before you fledglings leave your nest

　　Luck was when I had my youth and confidence to spare

　　luck was when I had a home and I was welcome there

　　luck was that a stranger saved me from the gates of hell

　　and all I knew of war was from the stories he would tell

　　Luck was to be taken as a slave instead of killed

　　luck was to be living as an evil pirate willed

　　luck was when the pirates made me kill instead of swim

　　luck was when I found some magic creatures on a whim

　　Luck was to be famous even when I failed a quest

　　luck was that my reputation never let me rest

　　luck was that my family forgave my every fault

　　luck was that they ran away before the last assault

　　And luck was when a dragon ended all my twisted dreams

　　luck was that I still could live by catching fish in streams

　　luck was when despite the endless suffering I bring

　　I found some peace with you here at the end of everything

　　You want to be a hero, well then strike me down right here

　　there`s no greater evil that the world could ever fear

　　of all the heroes known to you now, most were killed by me

　　I made new heroes every time I killed an enemy

　　Thank god I had the devil`s luck, it suited me quite well

　　to find my own salvation after sending them to hell

　　lucky to find happiness so far from what I`ve done

　　that such an evil man as me no longer has to run

　　I`m lucky that I`m much too tired to wallow in regret

　　how lucky that my quest for fame, the world will not forget

　　so will you be the symbol of obsession, death, and fear

　　or will you be a hero and be dead within a year"

　　~