"Some people are born to be heroes. The rest of us just try not to get stepped on."
***
The warrens bent to Leo von Valerius like the world itself recognized its rightful master.
Golden light blazed through the tunnels as Lumen sang in his grip. The ancestral blade's holy radiance banished shadows that had lingered for centuries. The sword's weight felt perfect in his hands. Not heavy, but substantial. Like holding concentrated purpose.
Each swing carved arcs of brilliant fire through the air. Where the blade touched goblin flesh, there was no resistance. Only the clean separation of light from darkness.
This was what he had been born for. This was what every day of training, every sermon about duty, every bedtime story about the heroes of House Valerius had prepared him to become.
A weapon against evil. A shield for the innocent.
Leo understood this the way he understood breathing. It required no thought. No hesitation. The monsters came, and he cut them down.
