Now this was something Keya understood! She held with handlebars similar to a scythe on a long iron beam ending in a circular rotating blade. As she waded into the stalks, she clasped a lever spinning the circular saw, reaping them cleanly and effortlessly. It was called a grass cutter, and it cut grass.

Why couldn’t everything with Master Kel be this simple? Her vision guided where she must go, showing the desired trimming area in a blue hue. An oval area of about fifty paces wide was her assignment. That, and to locate large rocks that may impede Master’s 'progress', whatever that may be. It was getting darker, but the enchanted vision was supplementing the light.

Since they first met, Jon had paraded one magic device after the next in front of her. Each preempted with fantastical words and esoteric uses. Almost everything he owned moved of its own Gods’ damned accord. The grasscutter was no exception, but she could forgive it this sin, given its otherwise forthright integrity in name and function. He was like some male youth trying to impress her by showing his collection of toys, except there was no end to them, and each one was indeed more impressive than the next. Ancestors give me wisdom; his mind and motivations are unfathomable.

But cutting grass, this she understood. It was in front of her, she could raze it with impunity, and nothing so simple had ever felt this rewarding. Perhaps that is why he assigned the task to her. Is he truly that wise?

She glanced back to the mighty portal, joining his and her realm. He looked nothing like a sagely master. The inscrutable jester was blithely skipping about laying ramps across the threshold for his begrimed cart. It moved of its own damned accord too, because of course it did.

He trotted the battered beast out and onto the plain. All the while, it grumbled and growled as it trudged on inner wheels with long flat bands about them, laying the road it rolled upon. Quite ingenious. The magical beast did not sound particularly pleased with its lot in life, but heavens was it strong. Wrestling mighty boulders out of its path with the frontal scoop. The stones left deep gouges in the earth as Master casually rode the thing. Levers and pedals in his saddle were manipulated without so much as a glance. The casual confidence of each preemptive motion belied much familiarity with his mount. Keya barely knew how to ride a horse much less that!

She resumed her charge. More stalks deserved her frustrations, and she had plenty to spare.