Chuck decided since he had the gas, he would make the trip to the capital. He thought about waiting and doing more at the guild, but he was impatient. He also decided to put his future garage on the back burner since he’d already spent a lot of money this month. Preparations would need to be made first, so he couldn’t leave right away. He thought about taking Raz and Maz but that would be a tight fit inside the pickup. Plus, if he did convince a shape shifter to come back with him, then someone would have to ride in the truck bed. Chuck knew that not taking them wouldn’t make the siblings happy though, and he did promise them a ride. He figured a test drive was in order to make sure the new gas worked without issues.

The next day, they all piled into his pickup and headed to the South Gate. It was during the day time and he got a lot of looks. The attention didn’t bother him as much anymore and he waved as he drove down the street. At least his pickup wasn’t covered in bug guts this time. Chuck had drained the old gas and put in half a tank for now to test the new gas. He didn’t want to contaminate what was left of the original gas if there was a problem with the new gas. Better safe than sorry his old man always said. His plan was to go down one of the main roads for a few miles before heading back. While they were at it, if he saw a good spot he wanted to try and do a little fishing for their supper. Maz wanted to listen to more music so he let her pick a CD out. The gate guards let him through without incident and he drove across the bridge to the crossroads. Chuck decided to take the east road since it looked like it stayed close to the river. The road was well maintained and much smoother than the dirt track he had been on previously. It reminded him of the gravel roads he was used to back home, and he was able to go much faster.

Chick saw a wagon in the distance and quickly closed the gap. He was impressed with how fast they traveled on the dirt track but there was no way he would let them beat him on a real road. He laughed at the shocked expression of the goblin as he passed the wagon, leaving it in the dust. Maz seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself, but Raz was holding onto the seat for dear life. Chuck had shown them how to put on the seatbelts but that didn’t seem to reassure Raz. He slowed down to help Raz settle down and saw a nice spot that should work for fishing. They pulled over and Raz was quick to get out. “My driving isn’t that bad.” Chuck said humorously. “I think I prefer walking.” Raz said weakly. “Can we listen to more music on the way back?” Maz said hopefully. “Sure.” Chuck replied, getting the fishing pole and tackle box out. It was still surprising how much she seemed to like the rock music. It turned out neither of the siblings had been fishing before, so he was going to give them a lesson. Of course, he wasn’t sure what the method of catching fish was in this world. For all he knew they just had to snap their fingers and use magic to pluck the fish out of the water.

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Chuck had paid attention to the fish being sold in the city so had a rough idea of what was edible. He wasn’t sure if anything in his tackle box would work but it was a nice day and should be relaxing if nothing else. For the first few casts, he demonstrated how everything worked and what to do. After that he let Raz and Maz take turns. Chuck really wished he had a lawn chair but found a flat rock instead. They were at a bend in the river and the shore was kind of rocky, which kept the vegetation down. He had to tell Maz not to play in the water or she’d scare all the fish away. In the end they did manage to catch barely enough fish for a meal, but they had fun doing it. Chuck would have to make sure there was enough food in the house while he was gone and he would need supplies for the trip. They drove back to the city at a more sedate pace with music blaring. Chuck concluded the test drive had been a success.