Immediately, I ran after it, but it was fast. Faster than fast! It climbed higher into the sky and began to bend back toward us.

"Eliza!" Asked yelled. He followed after me. "Are you mad!?"

"Look at it!" I cried. "Look at it, Ask! It's a dragon!" I yelled, but as it came around, I realized that it was not. "Wait a second," I wondered. I slowed to a sputtering halt.

Ask met me at my side, and he dropped us both, forcing me to hit the ground. I was winded as I found the field; I hadn't broken my fall.

"What the–?" I started, but then the entity swept so low to the crop that it barely missed where I had been standing.

The creature flew by us and so close that I saw it for what it was.

"It's some sort of... flying cart?" I muttered.

"Aye," Askar breathed.

He got us to our feet, and we started running toward the house.

I could not help but look behind us. The mechanical thing that was soaring around– the would-be dragon, made another twist in the sky and started back our way.

"There's a man in it," I said. "Hello! Hey!" I yelled at it.

"Get in the house!" Askar ordered. "Get in the house; I don't care how. Just get in it!"

"Ask!" I cried. "I think he—" It wasn't stopping. "What is he doing?" I asked.

"Now, Eliza!"

"But what about you?" I refused to leave him. "Come in with me!"

"I'll fight him off," he said.

"What? No! Come with me!" I cried.

We cleared the property's fence, racing up the porch and banging on the entry. Askar tried to draw his sword, but I forced him toward the door.

"It's locked! I need you. Break it down!" I cried. "Please! Don't leave me! Don't be a hero!"

He sighed, slamming his shoulder into the frame, but then... Then the beast chasing us slowed down. It glided toward the open barn next to the chapel, and then its base touched the ground, and it rolled into the structure, unseen.

"Oh, my God, does it live here?" I asked.

Ask pounded on the door, but no one answered. Heated as I had never seen him, he stepped in front of me and drew his blade.

We waited for anyone to come out of the barn. No one did.

After a few minutes, our fears had leveled. I was still whispering, but my heart was not a rampage.

"We should go in there," I said.

"Why?" he muttered. "We can wait right here."

"What if— I'm sorry... I have no idea what to say."

"You could not say anything and let me listen?" he suggested.

"I talk when I'm nervous!" I said.

"Aye, and all other times. I'm aware."

Finally, a shape sauntered out of the shelter and started our way.

"Stop right there!" Askar yelled at it. "Do not come any further! I am armed!"

It was an old man in aplaid coat. He stopped, and he held up his hands in front of him. "What are ya doin' on my farm?" he asked.

"He's elderly," I hissed into the Duke. "Are you to murder him?"

Askar frowned at me. "What is that contraption you're operating?" he asked.

The man glanced behind him. "That's my pedal craft," he said. "Would you like to see it?"

"Yes," I said, but Askar scoffed.

"No," he replied. "I'd like to know why you're burning the fields here."

The man's face fell. "What did you say?" he asked.

"The fields," Ask demanded. "You're the creature my citizens have seen. What else? You're burning the crops. Why?"

The man's face rotted into a sad, sick expression, and he began to weep.

Askar asked again. "Why?"

Inside the church, a kettle sat on the stove until it screamed. The stranger poured us tea, but when I tried to drink mine, the Duke pushed it out of my reach. Askar sat very close to me, and kept a closer eye on him.

"Are you not a fan of chai, Your Grace?" the man asked.

"Yes," I frowned. "Is chai the problem?"

I was starving, and even the promise of tea was driving me nuts, but Askar's scowl was knotted and tight.

"No," he said. "Now. I've given you enough time to get settled. Explain," he said.

"Askar," I tried.

That brought the stranger's brow to a peak. "Is this your wife?" he asked.

"N—"

The Duke cut me off. "Yes," he said. "This is my wife. Answer the question."

"I..." He breathed. "I'll admit the fires were my doing."

I saw Askar tense and touched his thigh to comfort him. "Easy, husband," I whispered, emphasizing the title. I had hoped to make him laugh.

The man took a breath. "I-I didn't mean for anyone to— Was anyone killed?" he asked.

"I have very little patience," Ask said.

"Or manners," I added.

"Eliza," Askar urged.

There was a look behind his eyes that told me to stop.

"Sorry," I whispered.

The man watched us and then said, "It was an accident. I was burning my field; things got out of hand. I was resetting for the harvest."

"How would setting fire to a field reset a crop?" I asked.

Askar considered the man's words, then told me. "It readies the field for plowing and reseeding."

"Yes," the man nodded. "I swear to you... I just lost control. It spread so fast."

"It's happened many times," Ask said.

"I have many properties. I've yet to perfect the craft," he said.

"Fine. Say I believe you," the Duke said. "Why didn't you say anything?"

The man hung his head. "I was scared. This is all I have."

Ask narrowed his eyes. "Can you prove it?"

"I could show you the craft, Your Grace," he said. He stood from the table. "I'll show you how it works."

Seizing the chance, I grabbed my cup and saucer and downed half the tea in one go.

Askar was horrified. "Eli—"

Immediately felt sick, then I gagged, then I tried to puke, but nothing came up beyond acid and air. I heaved another time.

"You've poisoned her!" He drew his sword.

"N-No!" the man said. He grabbed my cup and drank the rest. "See?"

Askar stared. "What kind of sick game is this?"

My stomach stopped wrenching long enough to say, "Oh, God."

"Rosie!" Ask held the point out but took a knee to hook the back of my head and look into my eyes. "Can you breathe?"

I bobbed my head but then realized. "I-I think I might be...." I started. Then I remembered we weren't alone.

"With child?" the stranger asked.

Askar froze. A few moments passed and he sheathed his sword.

"I'm sorry," I said.

He held either side of my face, shocked. "Eliza. What?"

"My late wife felt much the same when she was pregnant with our son," the man explained. "She couldn't keep anything down those first two moons. Even tea."

I bit my lip. "I'm sorry, I— Askar?"

His mouth closed. He looked at the stranger, and his whole demeanor changed.

"May I get you anything, Duchess?" the man asked. "Water? Crackers?"

Ask asked, "How far are we from Blythe?"

"A-An hour? Two?" he said.

The Duke nodded and stood up. His words were fast and strict. "You'll need to come to my estate to discuss retribution within the fortnight. The crops burnt will need to be replaced, or their tenants otherwise compensated. I am open to negotiating what that looks like if you can provide my wife and me with safe passage home."

"I don't have a carriage," the man said.

"Do you have horses?" he asked. "I will pay you for them."

"Askar," I started. "I'm fine."

He took my hand. "A moment, love."

"Yes," the man said. "I have horses if you should want them. I won't charge you. I have no use for them in my age."

"Thank you," the Duke replied. "Greatly. We must go."

In the barn, the farmer showed us the contraption he had flown. It was covered by a very large sheet when we came in, but once he revealed it, I understood why it had been misidentified as a dragon.

There were triangular fasteners that erected themselves from the center of the structure, like a spiked spinal cord and the same scale-like shapes down the sides. I wasn't sure how they functioned toward the craft, but he told us it was something to do with the wind. The cart seemed to reflect the image of a reptilian beast so much that I wanted to ask if the design had been intentional. I didn't. I was too embarrassed from the dining room that I didn't speak. Askar circled the entity, inspecting its parts individually.

"You climb in here?" he asked. He touched the parts that made some sort of seat basket beneath a fabric roof. "How does it fly?"

"You can push it," the man was clearly proud. "Or you can peddle here." He pointed to the cycle-like dial. "From there, it's the air that lifts it. Some beneath, some over the wing here."

"It's an interesting concept," Askar relented. "I can see how it would quicken your work. Would you be open to sharing the idea? If you are using it to dispense your harvest needs, perhaps we could fashion a greater availability for others? Once we fixed the malfunctions, of course."

"An honor," the man gave. "I will draft something up and bring the plans with me when I arrive at your estate."

"That will be fine," the Duke replied.

He moved away from us to ready his horse, but when I went to touch the one I would ride, its ears pinned back, and it took an uneasy step in the same way.

"Whoa," I said. "It's okay... I won't hurt you. I know I'm a stranger. It's nice to meet you."

The horse stared at me, and the farmer shook his head while he handed me a saddle.

"He's always been like that, I'm afraid. But he shouldn't hurt you," he said. "He's just a skittish boy. I haven't ridden him in years."

"Oh," I nodded. "That's alright. I'm quite seasoned in guiding new steeds."

I offered the horse my hand to sniff, and when he let me, I rubbed his snout. "There you are, boy. What did you say his name was?" I asked.

"Uh... Aryk," the farmer said.

"Aryk. That's a lovely name. Don't worry; I'm quite used to my father picking strange names. Heh. Alright, Aryk," I stood taller. "Are you ready, sir?"

He snorted.