The Shattered Sylph by L. J. McDonald Read Free Book Online Page B

the southern end of the kingdom, well away from the main city, but Leon didn’t want to stay there any longer than necessary. Especially not afterWat’s little episode. They’d moved a few miles farther, but that blast zone was right by a well-traveled road. It couldn’t help but be noticed, and Alcor did still have battlers. Leon wouldn’t trust Wat against one, and he wouldn’t risk Ril. They had to wait before they made a run for it, though, at least long enough for Ril to rest.
    The battler lay on his side at one end of the clearing, wearing the shape of a lean roan horse, his rusty red coat sleek and smooth. He was breathing regularly. Changing form was horrible for him, but he was fine once the work was done. Leon had suggested he sleep for a while, and Ril hadn’t protested. He was tired after holding off that blast and changing forms. Leon was unsurprised. Once he got Ril home, they were both going to take a very long break.
    He was looking forward to that—and more especially to being rid of Gabralina and her moronic battler. Leon knew the girl had undergone a terrible shock and was still nervous, but she’d been whining about the loss of their supplies all afternoon until he’d finally threatened to paddle her if she didn’t stop. That had shut her up, but now her feelings were hurt and she looked almost ready to cry. Wat stood nearby, staring at Leon blankly.
    “Wat, will you please turn into a horse?”
    “A horse?”
    Leon prayed for patience. “An animal like the one Gabralina was riding. The black horse with the white nose. Turn into that animal.”
    “Why?”
    “Because she needs a horse to ride. I’ll be riding Ril. See him? He’s already like a horse.”
    “He’s not black with a white nose.”
    Leon clenched his hands. “It doesn’t matter what color you are.”
    “Then why’d you ask me to be a black horse with a white nose?”
    “What’s wrong with Ril?” Gabralina spoke up, apparently distracted from her sulk. “Is he sick?”
    Leon took a deep breath. “No. Changing shape is hard for him. He’s sleeping.”
    She frowned. “Wat doesn’t sleep.”
    “Wat doesn’t need to,” he explained. “He’s a very healthy battler. Ril isn’t. He doesn’t like that pointed out, though,” he added.
    “Oh. So Wat is stronger?”
    “Yes.” He sighed. “Which means he should have no trouble turning into a horse, no matter what the color.”
    “Why?” Wat asked again.
    “Because you turned our horses into dust, and it’s too far for Gabralina and me to walk!”
    “How come Ril is weaker than Wat?” Gabralina asked.
    The girl asked more questions than a child, but that was probably just another sign of her fear. She didn’t seem to know how to relate to Leon at all, except by whining and questioning. After two and a half weeks of her company, however, Leon knew that failing to provide some form of answer would just make her ask more questions as she started fearing he didn’t like her. The people of Yed had likely picked her for a sacrifice just to shut her up, he’d decided. Ril was in full agreement with that assessment: he loathed the girl. Leon didn’t feel quite that strongly, but if he wanted to answer an endless round of questions, he only had to go see his three-year-old daughter Mia. She asked so many questions that his wife Betha had sworn off having any more children. And Mia at least could be put down for a nap.
    “He was hurt once,” Leon answered, hoping that would be enough. “Wat, please, just turn into a horse.”
    “How?” Gabralina asked, and eyed Wat worriedly. “I thought they couldn’t get hurt.”
    Leon sighed. His head was starting to throb. “He was torn through his body in his natural form by another battler. They’re very vulnerable in that form. He would have died if a healer sylph hadn’t saved him.”
    “That’s terrible,” Gabralina whispered, teary eyed. “Won’t he get better?”
    “No,” Leon said. “Can we get back on