Liam Barrett:
As I step through the gate, past the stone wall, and into the town of Honeywood, the first thing to hit me, besides the building, the cobblestone road, or the chickens, is the smell.
"Oh my god," I whisper, inhaling. "Is that meat roasting?"
I look around and see an elderly woman roasting a giant piece of red meat over a cracking campfire. The smell hits me like a ton of bricks. I run over and watch as the savory smoke flies into the air, combining with the hiss of the drops of fat that fall into the fire. Watching the meat turn over and over above the fire, I hear my stomach growling, and then a loud clang.
"What the--?"
I turn my head and see a blacksmith nearby, dressed in a red shirt with a black apron. Looking up, the blacksmith smiles and waves at us before going back to work. I can see the sparks jumping into the air as the blacksmith hits the piece of hot metal. I hear children laughing as they run around. A player even jumps out of their way as a little girl chases a boy.
"Tag, you're it!"
"No way, you're faster!"
We all watch as the two turn around, the boy now chasing the girl. Hearing something else, I turn and look at a nearby musician, or bard, if I'm remembering correctly. Sitting on the porch of one of the stone houses, the bard, a young man with short yellow hair, plucks a string on his lute and sings a song about ale.
"I wonder if that's copyrighted."
"Okay, this is insane," a mage shouts, her eyes going wide as her head snaps left and right. "Like, so insane right now! Am I the only one freaking out?"
"Excuse me, miss," one of the villagers says, making the woman mage jump. "Could I interest you in some milk? Fresh, from this morning. Only two golds."
"Two golds?"
The mage searches her pocket and somehow pulls out two shining gold coins. She gives them to the villager, and the villager thanks her before giving her a wooden bucket of milk.
"Do you think it's real?" She asks, holding the bucket with both her hands.
"It's a video game," I answer. "It can't be real."
The woman mage looks at us before turning back to the bucket. Slowly, she brings the bucket to her lips, before drinking the whole thing, and wiping her mouth.
"It tastes like...milk. Real-life milk. At least, what I think milk should taste like. I'm lactose intolerant."
"Okay," I yell, "What?"
In that moment, we all burst into a panic. We all start screaming and yelling at the top of our lungs. Some of us search ourselves and we find gold coins in our pockets.
"Gold! Gold coins!"
"I'm rich! Rich! Hahaha!"
"How many gold coins do we have?"
"Uhhh, 100?"
"A 100 gold coin! Man, is this game generous or what?"
Seeing all the gold coins in their hands, people quickly run away, leaving the group and going who-knows-where.
Still standing, staring at the small but shining coins in my hands, I jump when I hear a voice.
"Hail, adventurer," a burly man says, waving at me as he walks past. Wearing a helmet and armed with a sword and shield, the man must be a guard.
Looking around again, I see the villagers, or townpeople, or maybe NPCs, greeting and waving at us players.
"Got fair prices for armor and weapons," the blacksmith yells, his workshop clanging nonstop.
"Ahh," a large woman who looks like she could bench press a horse says, also walking into town. She stretches her arms up before dropping them. "Finally. Now, where's the damn inn? I need a mug of ale."
Pushing her way through us, she walks into the inn, opening the door and disappearing inside.
Before I know it, I am left alone. Everyone else has left, checking out Honeywood. Some are talking with the villagers, while others go inside the building.
I watch as the warrior leader approaches the blacksmith. He hands him a pouch, probably filled with gold coins, and the blacksmith hands the warrior leader a giant, two-handed sword. The warrior leader smiles and laughs as he holds his new weapon in both his hands. Meanwhile, another player walks out of a two-story building in dark leather armor. He looks almost like a ninja. Well, maybe a discounted ninja. I see and read the sign hanging from the two-story building.
"Honeywood Trader."
The same woman mage who drank the milk also walks out of the Honeywood Trader. She smiles as she brings up her hand. Seeing me, she starts talking.
"I just bought a spellbook for 87 golds. Watch this!"
Snapping her fingers, a small fireball forms in her hand. It floats in her palm before falling off and landing in a flower stand. The woman mage screams as the flower stand catches on fire.
"Ahhhh! Oh no. Oh no. Oh no!"
While the woman mage is busy stomping on the flower stand, trying to put the fire out, I quickly back away and disappear.
Walking around Honeywood, I start thinking.
"What should I buy? What should I buy? Should I buy a two-handed sword, like the leader?"
I think back again to when I played Skyrim.
"I mostly stuck to one-handed weapons. I fought with a sword, blocked with a shield, and wore light armor. Maybe I should do that here."
Looking around for a bit, I realize I'm standing in front of the blacksmith. Walking up to the burly man with a thick beard, I try to talk to him.
"Uhhh, hello, you."
As I approach the blacksmith, I see his head above his head.
"Hello, Rogar Steelbrand. How's life?"
"Hello, adventurer," Mr. Steelbrand replies. "Are you interested in seeing my wares?"
"Yes," I say, pointing my finger. "Yes, I am. What do you have?"
Another transparent screen appears in my face, and thankfully, this time, I did not scream or jump back.
"Let me see, let me see. Ooh, I like this."
Purchasing a full set of light leather armor, with a helmet, a chest plate, boots, and some gloves, I also buy myself a shiny battle axe.
"Shockingly, no sword, but maybe this is better."
Smiling as I step out of the blacksmith, I notice a nearby glass window and look myself over again.
"Not too bad, not too bad if I do say so myself. Leather armor. Light, easy to move in, yet still durable. And this."
I show off my battle axe.
"Better than a sword. I think. Maybe. Well, EpicFailGamer94. Let's do this."
I walk away from the blacksmith before stopping.
"Do what exactly?"
Looking around again, but not seeing much besides some players still trespassing into villagers' houses, I notice an elderly woman walking by the river. Coming closer to her, I see a golden exclamation mark flickering above her head.
"Quest spotted! Yeah, let's go."
I approach the elderly woman. The elderly woman sees me and runs up to me.
"Adventurer," the elderly woman starts, clapping her hands. "Please, I need your help. Horrid golbins have stolen my late husband's necklace! They took it to their den in the forest. Will you retrieve it?"
My HUD chimes with a new message.
"Quest available: A Shiny Problem. Objective: Retrieve the necklace from the goblins for Mildred the Widow. Reward: 50 gold coins and 75 EXP."
Not wasting a second, I punch the accept button, and the glowing arrow materializes over my head again, pointing into the forest.
"Don't worry, Mid--Mile--Mildred the Widow. I shall retrieve your necklace."
"Or die trying," someone jokes.
"What?" I turn around and see three people standing behind me. One is a mage wearing a robe, one is a rogue with a hood and knives, and the last person is the warrior leader who brought the two-handed sword. He raises his sword and aims it at the forest.
"Then to the forest we march!"
"Hey, hey, hey," I say, jumping in front. "Easy there, BraveHeart. This is my quest. I think I can handle it by myself."
"Okay," the mage says. "Have fun, and try not to die."
The mage and rogue look at me and wave. Looking at them and then back at the forest, I turn back to them.
"On second thought, could you guys please come with me?"
"Of course," the warrior leader answers. He marches toward the forest again, but I stop him again.
"Okay, seriously. I'm breaking character here, I know, but I'm trying to help you. Why do you keep blocking me?"
"Uhh, I have a theory. Talk to Mildred."
"Who?"
I point at the elderly woman behind me.
"Just see if you can get the quest, too."
The three shrug their shoulders and talk with Mildred. Thankfully, after listening to Mildred, all three of them got the same quest.
"To the forest we march!"