​King Vogt and the Guardians of the Round Table —byMario CrescibeneI. The Battle of Lake ErieIntroductionChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3II. The Quest for the Holy GrailInterludeChapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6III. The King of the WindChapter 7. Sir Ramirez rode next to King Vogt, with the rest of the Guardians close behind, as they continued on their quest for the Commissioner’s Trophy. He was in a considerably better mood, having just unlocked the vision of the Holy Grail that granted all twenty-six Guardians and their king their golden ‘C’s.Sir Ramirez glanced at King Vogt laughing. “So, I just need to let it come to me, huh? Well I certainly didn’t think the key to unlocking the Grail would be refusing a fight.”King Vogt looked over with a knowing smile.“One thing’s for sure,” Sir Ramirez continued. “I just hope we don’t get interrupted again on our quest.” He nodded toward the road ahead. “Those woods would be a terrible place to get ambushed.”The road narrowed as the Guardians entered a dense forest. The trees grew so tightly together that they nearly formed a wooded wall on either side of the road, the leafy canopy reaching out overhead, dimming the light.But then, as if Sir Ramirez’s words had summoned them, the wooded walls came alive: twenty-six Black Sox stepped out from between the trunks, thirteen to a side, and formed a human barricade blocking the road some twenty paces ahead.The center of their ranks parted as a large figure wearing a black suit of armor strode through their midst, a white crown fixed atop his helmet. He lifted his visor and drew his broadsword, pointing its tip at King Vogt.“King Vogt,” he bellowed. “You are known as King of the Land. But I am King Venable, King of the Wind. Supposedly, two of your Guardians defeated a patrol of my Black Sox as they searched for the Commissioner’s Trophy. Is this true?”Sir Hedges spoke up proudly. “It is indeed true! Both Sir Messick and I made quick work of your Black Sox.”King Venable shifted the point of his broadsword toward Sir Hedges. “Then we shall even the score! For even though our mission is to find the Commissioner’s Trophy, we have a code that no fallen Black Sock shall go unavenged.”At that, King Venable slammed his visor down and raised his sword high into the air — and as he brought the mighty blade down in the direction of King Vogt and his Guardians — the Black Sox army surged forward.The Guardians, caught off guard and trapped on either side by the wall of trees, quickly drew their swords and scrambled to close ranks. It was a frenzy of clashing steel as the Black Sox army collided with the Guardians, blades ringing off shields and armor. In the chaos, King Vogt was able to break away from the fray and find his arch mage, Carl Willis.“Willis the Wise!” he shouted over the clamor. “I must reach King Venable — but it’s mayhem with fifty-two men battling in this enclosed space. We don’t have any room to fight