The Green Newcomer

[Strazio Rockwell]

As the duo approached the Camelot soldiers Valerie skipped ahead of his mechanical friend. The magnanimous mage smiled and waved at the sentries. One of the guards smiled and waved back.

Val turned back to his friend, backpedaling as they walked, and said, “ah, that’s Vincent, he’s a lovely individual, I’ll introduce you two!”

Valerie rushed ahead, forcing Grapefruit to match his speed or fall behind. The plant mage embraced the Camelot soldier with a hug that was probably a bit too familiar for the soldier’s liking.

“Ah thanks Val,” he said, peeling himself from the mage’s embrace.

The soldier was a young man with a face that carried a veneer of stubble on its chin. A set of light blue eyes peered from beneath an ill-fitted skull cap. His armor was a simple leather cuirass with a chainmail shirt underneath.

“How is your family?” Valerie asked as they broke their hug.

Vincent adjusted his helmet and answered, “they’re doing great, that medicine you gave us really helped them out, thank you.”

Valerie clapped his hands together and exclaimed, “excellent!”

Vincent’s eyes flicked over to the towering robot and he asked, “so, uh, who’s your friend?”

“Ah,” Valerie answered, holding out his hands as if he was presenting Grapefruit to a panel of judges, “this is my newfound companion, Grapefruit, he’s a fresh prime and lovely fellow, I was planning on taking him on a tour around Camelot.”
Grapefruit waved in response.

“Prime huh?” Vincent said, his voice adopting a more serious tone as he addressed Grapefruit “”you’re not going to go on a rampage or anything like that are you?”