Everybody loves a hero—more so the idea of becoming one: a knight in shining armor on his way to save a princess, or a great wizard who saved an entire nation from a fearsome foe; a shining star of hope amidst a hopeless calamity.
These were the kinds of stories Geovrick loved to hear from his grandfather as they sat before the forge. His grandfather continued the story:
"The evil sorcerer cast a great spell to burn down the village—a massive ball of fire, the biggest they had ever seen!"
Geovrick sat still, listening intently.
"And he fired the spell toward the village. It was so enormous it seemed as if nothing could stop it. When all hope was lost, a flash of light cut through the spell as if it were a dry leaf. Fire spread all around, but not upon the village—and standing between the flames was the hero, a great knight, standing mightily against the sorcerer."
Geovrick's eyes were wide filled with awe.
His grandfather smiled and continued the tale.
"The knight charged at the mage at a speed faster than the stars. Countless spells were fired at him, yet none could touch him. In a single flash, he struck the sorcerer down with a brilliant slash—and with that, he saved the entire village."
After a long night, Geovrick's grandfather took him to bed.
"Grandfather," Geovrick said.
"Yes?" his grandfather replied with a gentle smile.
"I want to be a knight," Geovrick said in a sleepy tone.
His grandfather pulled a stool closer to the bed and sat beside him, the light of the forge still burning softly behind them.
"Geovrick," he said in a serious but gentle voice, "being a knight isn't about carrying a sword or wearing shining armor. It's about the purpose."
He gently pressed a finger against Geovrick's chest.
"It's about what's in here."
"I can do that," Geovrick replied.
The grandfather's expression softened, tinged with sadness.
"That is what I worry about," he said, glancing toward the forge as its fire slowly died.
"The greatest weapons are forged only through the most intense heat of scorching flames."
All of this, Geovrick remembered as he stood before a burning city.
What could have led him to this moment.