"How ya doing down there bud?"
"I have been better."
Mac had played quite a few legends in his short time playing league, but something about Garen just worked. Maybe it was his skills, or that he had a big, cool sword.
Either way, they got along pretty well.
"C'mon," Mac began, grinning. "Have I ever steered you wrong?"
"Many times, actually."
"Yeah yeah, pssh."
Garen chuckled from his place on Mac's screen, standing idly as the match timer counted down.
I think you're seeing now this isn't a normal engagement with a video game, so I'll cut to the chase.
There's a reason that people who play League Of Legends are called Summoners. They aren't just players, they're a part of the world. A few players of league are different, "chosen" you could say, to fulfill the role of a true summoner. Champions, legends, heroes, whatever you want to call them, they need Summoners just as much as Summoners need them. Real Summoners share a bond with Runeterra, a deep-rooted connection that transcends between the human world and theirs. It allows them to connect with the Champions and carry them to their greatest potential, something they couldn't do without help.
Without Summoners, the Champions are no longer champions, they're just empty vessels.
Mac has a few champions that like him, and those few tend to differ between each other.
Garen and Lux seem to get along with him pretty well.
Ezreal likes his sense of humor.
Olaf and Pantheon like his courage.
You get the idea, but back to the story at hand.
"What's our course of action Summoner?"
Garen clipped, jogging across the courtyard of their Nexus.
"Dude, you can just call me Mac."
"I will not. It sounds unprofessional."
Mac shook his head and laughed, "alright alright, let's take the bottom, see if we can keep the pressure on."
"Affirmative."
Garen changed his course and moved through the bottom lane, several minions at his side. Like a well oiled machine, the summoner and champion work together.
And this summoner was no ordinary player.
As Garen jogged along, they made small talk.
"So..." Mac began, "How's life man?"
Garen laughed, a hearty, booming sound that echoed in Mac's head.
"It is life, friend. We do what we can in Demacia."
"Cool cool. Lux doing okay?"
"She is well."
"Good."
"Quiet summoner, there are enemies ahead."
Mac unlocked the camera and let Garen autopilot for a moment, scrolling forward to assess their situation. Ashe and Warwick were moving up, and a group of minions with them.
"Uh oh."
"What shall we do summoner?"
"Pull back, if we can bait them into coming closer, maybe we can lure them into turret range."
Garen grunted his approval and spun around, the archer and the wolf hot on his heels.
An arrow sailed over his head,
"They are quick summoner!"
"Keep running! You're almost there!"
Garen charged forward, ducking and weaving as Ashes shots hit the dirt around him.
No doubt the players were confused as to what was happening, and why Ashe couldn't seem to hit him. When a true summoner and a champion work together, the Champion unlocks it's full potential, and the summoner can increase that tenfold.
They were close now, and Warwick was practically on top of him.
"Summoner!"
"You're almost there!"
Mac could see the tower, just a few more seconds, and he'd be ready.
An arrow bounced off of Garen's shoulder plate and Mac leaned in,
"Now!"
Garen turned, swinging his sword around in a massive arc.
"GrrraaAAH!"
A metallic CLANG resounded from the blade as it made contact with the wolfs jaw, and warwick fell facefirst into the dirt. He slid a few feet, right into the range of their turret as Garen spun and brought the blade back around, sending Warwick end over end towards the structure.
Ashe had already turned to flee, but Mac had other plans.
"Garen! At your back, decisive strike!"
"Onward!"
Garen gripped his blade and sprinted forward, running down the archer and leaping towards her. He brought it down like a hammer, the massive broadsword landing on her back.
She didn't get up.
Garen caught his breath, hefting the sword over his shoulder.
"We fought well."
"No kidding, but there's no time to hang out, we've got a turret to crush. Let's get going before they start wondering how we did that."
"Affirmative."
The next ten minutes was a blur as Garen and Mac fought, the swordsman's abilities and the Summoners skills worked in perfect harmony.
The end-match fight was a madhouse.
"On your left Garen!"
Mac called as Garen was forced back, parrying a blow from Leona and calling on his courage. The next few shots from Ashe bounced off his temporarily strengthened armor, but he and the rest of his team were in bad shape.
Their Tryndamere and Cho'Gath went down, and their Ekko was calling for help. Garen was tiring, and his health was starting to dip.
"We are routed Summoner!"
"Dude! I know!"
"We need a plan! Quickly!"
Mac chewed his lip, their options were running out. He focused, and he could feel the other champions, their presences moving about in the nexus as they respawned.
But one was still up, and coming out of the middle lane behind them.
"Fall back to mid! I have an idea!"
Garen deflected a final arrow and hobbled backwards, Leona and Ashe gave pursuit. Mac sent a quick message to the player coming towards them.
"I don't know what you're planning summoner..."
"Trust me, we got this."
As he crossed the line into mid, the other players got cocky, and continued the chase.
Until Azir arrived.
He burst through the brush, his sand soldiers coming with him as they charged forward.
Garen grinned and joined them, "Reinforcements! A bold move summoner!"
"Don't thank me yet! Smack that guy!"
The two hacked their way through minions and champions alike, pushing through the first turret and onto the second. Their teammates had joined the fight once again, and were working the left side of the field.
They were so close.
The battle was almost a standstill, constant fighting and respawning from teammates, distributing heals, and wacking bad guys over the head.
"Swing to your right! Decisive strike on Leona hiding behind her minions!"
"I cannot see her summoner!"
Mac cursed to himself, he forgot what it looked like to Garen down there. He clicked over the closest minion, focusing Garen on her group.
"Over there!"
"I see her! Onward!"
The victory that night was a satisfying one.
As the enemy nexus was reduced to dust, he heard Garen's voice,
"Ha! Well fought summoner, this was truly one for the books."
"Hey my pleasure man, you were sick out there. Well done whacking Leona into next Wednesday."
"Hm, indeed. She fought well." Garen's champion page appeared and he leaned against his abilities tab.
"But we fought better."
He winked and continued,
"Are we ready for another bout, friend?"
Mac shook his head,
"sorry pal, not tonight. Got a big test tomorrow, don't wanna fail."
Garen crossed his arms and nodded, "Mental strength is just as important as physical, your choice is a wise one."
Mac laughed, "I do my best.
Garen chuckled and nodded to his friend, "Good morrow summoner, I will take my leave."
"Take it easy man."
Garen's screen blinked back to the collection page, and Mac exhaled, running a hand through this messy, brown hair.
He loved league, but man was he exhausted.
Mac looked around his room for a moment, his eyes falling across a punching bag, some weights, his bed and his bookshelf.
(He was a bit of a nerd, but he like making sure he had the guns to back it up, go figure.)
He rubbed his eyes and shuffled about for a moment, cleaning up his space as much as he could before changing his shirt and trying to tame the wavy mess on his head.
He sat back down at his computer, scrolling through his champions before pausing on one in particular.
He took a deep breath,
"Be cool Mac, she's your friend, you work together, that's it. Just say hi, and go to bed..." He clicked on the Champion.
Lux's page appeared on screen.
She wasn't there for a moment, but after a few seconds of nervous waiting, she appeared.
"Heya Mac! Whatcha up to?"
She beamed at him, sitting cross legged on her "owned" button in t-shirt and some soft pants.
Mac forgot they had lives outside of fighting stuff.
He swallowed nervously,
"H-hey! Just uh, checking in with everyone, seeing what's up."
She raised an eyebrow, "Just checking in huh?"
"Um, yeah?"
She smirked at him and crossed her arms, "Interesting. Heard you and Garen did pretty well tonight."
Mac scratched the back of his head, "Uh yeah, we did pretty good, I guess."
She gave him a mock pout,
"and you didn't think to bring me along?"
"oh well I uh-"
She laughed, a high and clear sound that warmed him down to his toes.
"I'm just screwing with you, don't worry. I like a break every now and then, believe it or not. Garen doesn't, the stubborn brat, but he likes you though. Says you're pretty top of the line."
She stood and pointed dramatically, speaking in her best Garen impression,
"A valiant summoner!"
Mac snorted,
"You should do that impression for Garen."
She giggled, "Oh shut up, don't you have to go to bed or something?"
Mac looked at his clock and cursed to himself, "Oh damn, uh yeah actually I do." Lux seemed to slump a little, but was otherwise the same. "Told you. I'll talk to you some other time, kay?"
He nodded, "Yeah no prob, same time tomorrow? Maybe I'll get you out on the field eh?"
She winked, "Maybe. See you around summoner."
As League of Legends closed, Mac sat at his desk, alone in the dark room.
"Man... I need sleep."
He crashed into his bed for the night, dropping his keys onto the nightstand and turning off his lamp. He gave one last look to his keychain, the symbol Runeterra engraved in a leather-wrapped stone.
But as his vision darkened and sleep took him, he could've sworn he saw the stone glimmer, ever so slightly, in the darkness of his room...