Val blinked as his vision gradually adjusted to the lighting around him. Glancing around, he saw that he was standing on a path surrounded by the steep cliffs of the Mountains. While acknowledging that it was a game, Val could always appreciate the attention to detail Camelot Games gave to the setting. Everything around them, from the texture of the stones to the clear blue of the distant sky, made it seem like they were actually standing on a mountain pass.

A flash of colors jolted Val out of his thoughts. His eyes widened as he saw Blaze explode down the path through the mountains.

“He has Boost Boots,” Val noted to no one in particular. Boost Boots were one of the most expensive items in the game, costing a whopping 50 gold but also granting +25 speed. They were a staple item for pro scouts, as pros had the mechanics and macro knowledge to utilize them to get around the map as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“I only have them ‘cuz I read something online!” Blaze said in the comms. “Plus they make me go really, really fast!”

“He’s so cool!” said Sydney, haven taken the form of Amethyst the Gym Healer, a tall, graceful lady wearing a dress made up of gems with all the colors of the rainbow.

“Are we going to trust him?” DJ asked, walking over to Val. Sune the Alchemist had an avatar of an older man with dark blue hair held back in a tail and a black robe that hung to his ankles.

“No,” said Val. “We know that the Mountains are in the northeast quadrant of the map. That means that Excalibur most likely appeared to the south of us. It would be safest if we just went that direction.”

“Got it,” said DJ.

Without further ado, Val pressed his foot down on the front part of the movement pad, causing his character to start sprinting forward, down the path that Blaze had taken.

“What about us?” Sydney asked, pitch of her voice rising. “You can’t just leave us behind!”

“Follow if you can,” said Val. “There’s no way we’re going to kill the enemy king with our team comp. It’s safer for us to get to the sword first.”

Val and DJ shot down the path through the mountains. Ahead, the path split into three forks. One fork headed west, another fork continued south, and the last fork led to a dead end deep in the mountains.

“Let’s go south,” said Val.

The two of them took the appropriate fork, heading straight south towards the Lake. As they ran, Val noticed that Willow, playing Benny the Bear, was keeping up with them, running a few steps behind.

If anything, she’s got good footwork, Val thought. Sydney, on the other hand…

“COME BACK!” Sydney wailed in the comms. “HOW DO I MOVE?”

“The sword isn’t in the Lake!” Blaze shouted.

Val, DJ, and Willow skidded to a stop.

He already got that far? Val thought. Impossible! Even pros have trouble searching the entire Lake in that much time!

“You need to start heading west right now!” said Blaze. “The sword is most likely in the northwest, near the Ruins!”

Val gritted his teeth. If Blaze was correct, then Excalibur would most likely be in the Ruins. Both teams spawned and equal distance away from the sword, meaning it was logical that Team 8 had spawned in the northeast and their opponents, Team 1, had spawned in the southwest, as those quadrants were equidistant to the Ruins, located in the northwest quadrant.

“There’s no way you searched the entire Lake,” said DJ. “You’re lying about it just to get back at me!”

“Listen here, nerd,” said Blaze. “There’s one thing I hate more than natural talent in the world – and that’s losing!”

“You make the call, Val,” said DJ, turning to look Val in the eye. “You’re the king.”

You’re the king. The words echoed through Val’s head, triggering unwanted memories of the past. In his head, he saw himself standing in dead end within the Mountains. Across the clearing was Excalibur. Behind him was Marianne. All he had to do was run to the sword and draw it from its stone. Then it would be over. After all it was just a game. Just a game…

“What call is there to make?” Blaze shouted. “Go west! Now!”

Without evidence to make his judgment, Val decided to trust personality in this scenario. He knew that DJ was a good player and Blaze was simply a casual one. He also knew that Blaze, for some reason, had it out for DJ, and deep down inside, that irked Val.

“We continue South,” said Val. “We search the Lake first and then the Ruins.”

“Jesus Christ!” Blaze spat. “Garbage team!”

Decision made, Val, DJ, and Willow continued their journey down the path. Slowly, the rocky path faded away into the grass that surrounded the Lake. While the Lake was called “the Lake,” its formation was more of a marsh. Sure, there were large expanses of water, but each of these bodies were connected by land passages, weaving through the giant lake like a maze. The entirety of the lake was covered in a dense fog, inhibiting vision and benefiting assassins.

“Watch your surroundings,” said Val. “Anything could be hiding in this fog.”

“There’s nothing in the fog!” shouted Blaze in the comms. “We have to get to the Ruins!”

Having had enough of the incessant shouting, Val opened his menu and muted Blaze. In silence, the three of them proceeded forward for several moments before DJ held up a hand.

“Careful,” said DJ. “I think I -”

“AHHHHHHH!!” shrieked Sydney. “I’M GETTING ATTACKED!”