The Changlings (The New Earth Chronicles Book 2)

by J. J. Thompson

  “I doubt that you will ever see a goblin swimming across the Ottawa River for the fun of it,” he added with a smile as he handed her the blanket.

  “Well then, I wish that we knew why they were here,” Bobby said irritably. “Those monsters don't belong in Ottawa; this is our place, not theirs. We should force them out, make them run back to the south where they came from.”

  Sarah unrolled the thick blanket and laid it down on the floor next to the cot. Magnus only had the one bed and she would have to sleep on the ground.

  She snorted derisively as she arranged the blanket to her own satisfaction.

  “Easier said than done,” she told Bobby. “We aren't warriors; we're kids. How are we supposed to fight goblins? They wear armor and carry weapons, and they know how to use them. Plus, they obviously have magic-users among them; that trap you triggered proved that much.”

  Bobby swung his legs around and lay on his side on the bed. He frowned as he watched Sarah smooth out the blanket.

  “We aren't kids anymore,” he disagreed. “Jeremy's the youngest Changling and he's almost sixteen. And we have people who can use magic too. In fact, almost all of us can. Including me now,” he added softly, his eyes wide with surprise. “Imagine that.”

  Sarah smiled fondly at him.

  “Yes, I know, Bobby. But we aren't fighters. Using magic to find food or scare off aggressive animals is one thing. But fighting goblins? That's something else entirely.”

  “You may not have a choice,” Magnus told them.

  He was leaning against the doorway with his arms folded, watching the two of them. Sarah thought that he looked ageless and mysterious in the flickering light of the fire.

  “Unless you choose to leave the city forever, you will have to do something about the goblins eventually. They will either kill every Changling they find on sight, or capture and torture them to learn all of your secrets. Either way, that person will be dead. Tell me, my young friends, do you think that you can continue to avoid those creatures indefinitely? As good as you are at hiding, and as well as you know this city, one of you will make a mistake sooner or later. How will you respond when that happens?”

  Both Sarah and Bobby stared at him, chilled by the matter-of-fact way that he spoke of torture and death.

  “I know you're right, Magnus,” Sarah told him hesitantly. “But we are not killers.”

  “They are,” Magnus replied harshly. “And I doubt that they will throw down their arms and give you a hug if you offer them flowers instead of violence.”

  He stood up straight and smiled at them kindly.

  “I do not want to scare you or sound harsh, but you need to accept the reality of the situation and make some plans. Sleep on it. We will speak again in the morning.”

  “Magnus,” Bobby spoke up. “Thank you again for what you did for me. I...I've been afraid of you for a long time, you know, and I'm sorry. I was wrong about that, and about you.”

  The man laughed as he turned away.

  “You are welcome, lad. But you weren't wrong.”

  And with that enigmatic statement, he left the room and disappeared into the darkened hallway beyond.

  Bobby looked down at Sarah. She sat on the blanket and stared out of the doorway.

  “What was that supposed to mean?” he asked her.

  “It means that Magnus is a very dangerous person, and that we should not forget that. But he is also our friend, Bobby, and that's a good thing. He hates the goblins, obviously, and I almost pity any of them that tries to invade this place. Almost.”

  Feeling more secure than she had for quite some time, Sarah slept deeply all night long and only woke up when she heard Magnus come in and add some wood to the fire. She rolled over and watched as he set up a metal tripod over the fire pit and hung an old iron kettle over the flames.

  “Good morning,” Magnus said when he saw her staring at him.

  He slipped a metal grate underneath the tripod, just above the flames and Sarah looked at it curiously.

  “Good morning. You're going to cook something?” she asked as she sat up and stretched.

  “Certainly. I must feed my guests. It is only common courtesy,” Magnus replied.

  Sarah heard Bobby yawning and looked over her shoulder at him.

  He was sitting up in bed, blinking slowly. He looked like he was still half asleep and she grinned at how his hair was sticking up in all directions. She also noticed that Bobby hadn't wrapped himself up again to hide his bare chest and she considered that a good thing. Magnus was right. The sooner the Changlings got used to acting like adults, instead of insecure children, the better.

  “Morning,” Bobby said thickly. “Wow, I slept like a rock.”

  “I wasn't aware that rocks could sleep,” Magnus told him with a laugh. “But I think I know what you mean. The few traces of that harmful spell faded away as you slept and your body repaired itself. You should be fine now.”

  Sarah stood up and rubbed her lower back, groaning softly.

  “I'm used to sleeping on the ground, but I still get a few aches and pains every time I do it,” she said. “Um, Magnus, could you remind me where the latrine is? I've only used it once before and this place is a maze. And I really need to go.”

  “Me too,” Bobby exclaimed. “I think I'm going to bust.”

  “Down the hall, first left, third door down on the right,” Magnus told them. “I think that Bobby may be in for a treat. He's never seen the facilities down here.”

  “A treat?” Bobby said as he rolled off of the cot and stood up. “Why a treat?”

  “I'll explain,” Sarah said as she winked at the shaman. “Come on, Bobby.”

  As they passed Magnus, he knelt down and unrolled a length of heavy canvas. Inside was something small and furry.

  “Ew, what's that?” Bobby asked in surprise.

  “Breakfast,” Magnus said simply. “Rabbit. I set out some snares yesterday in the forest to the west and checked them just before dawn. Fortunately, I caught something.”

  “Ew,” Bobby said again as he took a step back away from the carcass. “You expect us to eat that?”

  Magnus frowned up at him.

  “No, I expect nothing. If you wish to be discourteous and refuse my hospitality, that is your right as my guest. But I assure you that fresh rabbit is much healthier, and tastier, than ten year old tinned food. But the choice is yours.”

  The shaman's tone was cooler than it had been since the Changlings had arrived.

  Sarah hastily grabbed Bobby's arm and glared at him.

  “Come with me,” she snapped. “We need to visit the latrine. And have a serious conversation about manners.”

  Without waiting for him to respond, Sarah dragged Bobby out of the room and down the hallway.

  “Hey, let go,” he protested as she pulled him along. “What's wrong with you?”

  Sarah waited until they had turned the corner before letting him go. The area was well lit with reflected sunlight and she glared at Bobby.

  “What's wrong with me? What is wrong with you? Magnus saved your life, even though he didn't have to. He allowed us to sleep safely under his roof. And now he's going to feed us, and you're going to reject his food? Do you know how angry that could make him? Magnus is old-fashioned, Bobby. He has manners, unlike yourself obviously. Do you really want to insult him? Really?”

  “I.. Wait. No, of course not!” he replied hastily. “I'm not insulting him, honest! I was just surprised, that's all. I've never even thought about catching animals, let alone eating them. I mean, I was half asleep and Magnus caught me off-guard.”

  He looked nervous.

  “Do you think he's mad? I don't want him mad at me. I was just starting to like him.”

  Sarah took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Bobby looked so distressed that it was obvious he was being honest.

  “Okay, Bobby,” she said more gently. “Okay. I understand. But I doubt that Magnus does. So when we get back to the room,
just tell him what you told me and I'm sure that he'll understand too.”

  “Gee, I hope so,” he said nervously.

  He looked so young at that moment that Sarah had to stop herself from giving him a hug. Instead, she nodded and smiled and began walking again.

  “Okay, now come along. I think Magnus was right; you'll get a kick out of the facilities.”

  The washroom that Sarah walked into was well lit by natural light beaming down from a mirror inside of a vent in the ceiling. There was a metal toilet in the middle of the room and a matching sink built against the right wall. There was also a metal shelf next to the sink with a neat pile of towels sitting on top of it and a bowl piled with bars of soap beside it.

  But the crown jewel as far as Sarah was concerned was the glass-paneled cubicle in the corner.

  Bobby stopped and stared around the room as soon as he entered.

  “A shower? Oh my God! He has a shower? And a running toilet?” he said in surprise. “Does it actually work?”

  Sarah grinned at his expression.

  “It all works. Whoever built this place planned ahead, I guess. Magnus said that there's a huge tank built into the rock above us somewhere that is continuously filled with rain water. The pressure from all that water lets the toilet flush and the shower and the sink work too. The water is always cool, but we can use it to wash up.”

  She pointed to the shelf.

  “You can use one of the bars of soap and dry off with a towel when you're done. Make sure to leave the soap on the sink to dry and hang the towel on that rack when you're finished using it.”

  “Amazing,” Bobby said with a delighted laugh. “Do you think Magnus would let us move in?”

  Sarah stared at him thoughtfully.

  “Not if you keep insulting him,” she said pointedly.

  “I'll apologize as soon as we get back,” Bobby replied fervently. “I swear.”

  “Good. Now do me a favor and wait out in the hall, okay? You can use the bathroom when I'm done.”

  “Okay. Don't be too long, huh? I'm going to explode.”

  “Think happy thoughts,” Sarah told him with a teasing grin. “Now, out you go.”

  When they returned to the main room, their hair still wet from washing themselves thoroughly in the shower, they found Magnus kneeling next to the fire, flipping pieces of rabbit on the grill. Without any prompting from Sarah, Bobby hurried over to him, got down on one knee and stared at the shaman.

  “Magnus, please accept my apology,” he said shyly, ducking his head. “I didn't mean to insult your hospitality by the way I reacted to the rabbit. It's just that I've never hunted before or even seen an animal prepared fresh, the way you prepared the rabbit. Maybe...”

  He hesitated for a moment.

  “Maybe you could teach me someday? Being able to hunt would be a very useful skill to have, especially now that most of the food in the city is just about gone, or spoiled.”

  Magnus listened silently until the young man was done, watching his face as if analyzing his sincerity. Then he stood up and motioned for Bobby to do the same. The shaman extended his hand and Sarah watched with pleasure as Bobby took it without hesitation. They shook hands and both of them smiled at each other.

  “Apology accepted,” Magnus said warmly. “I was, perhaps, a little too quick to take offense. Of course you haven't seen freshly killed game before. I sometimes forget how insular you Changlings have been over the past decade. And yes, I will happily teach you how to set snares and dress a rabbit, my friend. You have my permission to return at any time for lessons.”

  He released Bobby's hand and Sarah saw her friend sag slightly in relief. Obviously he had been worried that Magnus would refuse to forgive him for his bad manners. She had been too, but the shaman was much older and wiser than either of them, even if he didn't look it, and he could tell how sincere Bobby was.

  “Thank you, Magnus,” the younger man said. “Thank you very much.”

  “Not at all. Now, both of you have a seat. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.”

  The rabbit was delicious. Magnus served it along with fried wild onions, early raspberries and sweet tea. Sarah and Bobby were delighted and enjoyed the fresh food immensely.

  When they were done, their host led them out through the tunnels to the main exit. He opened the heavy steel door and a fresh, cool wind slipped through the opening, the smell of the river wafting past them.

  “The day is yours, my friends,” Magnus told them with a smile. “The goblins have retreated back to their hole, and the sun is shining. Sarah, get the word out about the traps while the day lasts. Not all of your people caught by them will be as lucky as Bobby was, and there are few enough of you already without losing any more. So warn them, quickly.”

  “I will,” she assured him. “We're heading to the nearest group right now and we'll spend the rest of the day moving through the city, telling everyone we can find.”

  “Excellent. Farewell then. You are both welcome back at any time.”

  Sarah took a deep breath and, for the very first time, she stepped forward and hugged the man. She was tiny next to Magnus and the shaman was gentle as he returned her embrace.

  She had defiantly left her head uncovered and Bobby had done the same. He'd actually gone a step further and had accepted a leather shirt from Magnus and now only wore his old rags from the waist down. Sarah had a feeling that they would be replaced soon by regular pants, and she very much approved of the change.

  Without hesitation, Bobby copied her and hugged the shaman. To his credit, Magnus accepted their gestures with grace.

  “Thank you for everything,” Bobby told him. “I owe you my life.”

  “You owe me nothing,” Magnus corrected him. “Your friendship is all the repayment that I need. Now off you go, and best of luck out there.”

  They walked outside, turned back to wave to the shaman, and then began climbing the narrow path back to the top of the cliff.

  “Where should we go first?” Bobby asked once they had returned to level ground. “Whose place is closest, Caroline's or Rachel's?”

  Sarah looked out across the river to the opposite bank over a mile away. From where they stood, they could see the remnants of one of the bridges that had once connected Ottawa to Gatineau, in the province of Quebec. None of the bridges over the river were still in one piece and none of the Changlings had crossed the expanse of water in years.

  Besides the danger of the hostile creatures living beneath its surface, the river ran very swiftly and its current was extremely dangerous. Just trying to swim through it could prove fatal, and very few of the Changlings were strong enough swimmers to make the attempt. Sarah was one of the few who might be able to do it.

  “I'm going to explore that side of the river one day,” she said softly.

  An odd yearning to delve into the unknown came over her and she felt drawn toward the north.

  “What? What are you talking about?” Bobby asked in confusion. “I thought that we are supposed to go and warn the others?”

  She looked at him and smiled.

  “Just thinking out loud. But you're right. We have to spread the word about the traps. Hmm. I guess Caroline and her group is closest to the Parliament Buildings. Come on then; we have to move.”

  They made their way back through the ruined Parliament Buildings and into the artificial hills and valleys beyond. The piles of rusted girders, melted glass and debris from toppled office buildings were now covered with ferns, grasses and the occasional young tree. Nature was slowly and inexorably reclaiming the city and one day all evidence that it had ever existed would be gone.

  To Sarah, it was only right and natural that the forest was returning to reassert itself over the city. It was inevitable. She only hoped that there would still be Changlings around in the world when that finally happened.

  But no matter how much the ruins were altered over time, Sarah and Bobby knew their way through the city, and almost ever
y nook and cranny in it, like the backs of their hands. All of the Changlings lived underground and had done so from the beginning, not long after the return of the dragons and the Night of Burning. But unlike goblins, they did not share one common residence but instead were scattered throughout the city.

  As the pair pulled back a sheet of corrugated metal and began to climb down a ladder into what had once been the sewers, Sarah reflected on why she and her fellow Changlings had taken shelter below the city in the first place. Yes, it was the logical place to go when the threat of dragons was ever present, but it occurred to her that it might have had more to do with how they had survived the initial attacks than any logical decision on their part.

  Sarah led the way down and Bobby followed, pulling the metal sheet back over the round opening as he descended. At the bottom of the ladder, he took off his sunglasses and waited in the gloom until she pulled out her special stone and stroked it. The round rock began to glow a soft blue, bright enough for them to see their surroundings, and she handed it to him with a smile.

  “Lead the way,” Sarah told him. “I have some thinking to do.”

  Bobby accepted the stone with a nod and set off down the tunnel. The walls were cracked and the air smelled musty, but after a decade there was no longer any foul stench or real evidence that the place had once channeled human waste to a sewage plant. Like the ruins over their heads, the sewers were also being reclaimed by nature.

  Neither of them felt any fear of the dark tunnels, and claustrophobia was unknown to them or the others. Again, Sarah credited that to their early years and the conditions that they had become used to as children.

  A few months after all public services had failed, including the water supply and electricity, the few members of staff in the Diefenbunker who were left to care for the Changlings gathered them all up in the conference room right after breakfast one morning.

  Doctor Carol had remained with the children, as had a few scientists and a handful of support staff. Sarah and Bobby, who had met soon after both of them had arrived at the facility, listened fearfully as the adults explained what was happening out in the world.