Mod Superhero

Full Throttle Heart - 11 - Around Town

[The camera follows the rising sun as it crests over the hill and settles on a humble town. Truck-kun is parked behind the inn and beside Gabriel and Morden's window. Al, the bluebird, flies out of Truck-kun's glove box and perches on its cab.]

"Would you look at that... Another glorious morn—hegh!" Al covered its beak in another coughing fit.

Truck-kun roused. It hadn't slept that well in too long... Not since the nights spent in Joe's driveway.

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine, Truck-dude. Something about this air doesn't agree with me... Or maybe it's the people... Could also be the lack of indoor plumbing."

Truck-kun looked at the quiet town and sighed. "Either way, we won't be staying here long."

Just then, Morden hung his head out the window. "Good news! My maester sent a messenger for us."

Morden, Gabriel, and a newcomer walked out of the inn and around the side of the building. Morden waved as they approached.

"Here they are. Now, as I said, any message my maester has for me, you can tell our whole group."

The ragged messenger squinted at Truck-kun, then at all, and then squinted at Truck-kun again.

"This is a fellow knight?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yes. Truck-kun is a valiant warrior. He helped us escape from the ancient forest and escorted us here."

"A knight, you say?"

"That's what I said."

The messenger relaxed his eyes, then squinted in scrutiny again. "It's just... You could fit a whole horse in there."

"Three hundred horses," Truck-kun rumbled.

The messenger scoffed and chuckled. "How do you fit so many horses in there?" He elbowed Morden. "Three hundred horses. Hah!"

Morden rubbed his shoulder. "Yes, well... What message did my maester have for us?"

The messenger rubbed the back of his next anxiously. "See, there's just one problem. The maester put a spell on me. I can't relay the message unless I've been drinking."

Morden shook his head. "What in the world?? Why would he do that? What did he—did he put a geas on you?"

"Geas. Yep, that's the one. He, uh, said it would keep me from telling the message to anyone that I wasn't supposed to. 'Cause I need to be in town."

Morden paused in consideration. Meanwhile, Al flitted to Gabriel's shoulder and whispered something to the knight. Both Gabriel and Al covered their mouths. It sounded to Truck-kun like they were chuckling about something.

Finally, Morden threw up his hands in defeat. "Let's hurry up and go to the pub then!"

~

[Truck-kun, Gabriel, Morden, Al, and the messenger congregate in front of the town's small tavern. The three humans go inside to speak to the barkeep. Only a few other townfolk are seen entering and leaving the tavern.

[A few minutes later, the three men come back outside, bearing mugs of ale in each hand.]

Gabriel smiled. "The tavern might not be big enough for you, my shiny friend, but we brought the tavern to you."

Truck-kun shifted idly. "I don't drink. My engine isn't made for it. But I will keep you company while you do."

Gabriel frowned, then quickly added, "That's alright. The company we keep is more important."