The Changlings (The New Earth Chronicles Book 2)

by J. J. Thompson

  Caroline looked over her shoulder at her people, a satisfied expression on her face.

  “You see?” she said to them. “You see what I've been talking about? We don't need to hide ourselves away anymore. The people who mocked us and treated us like freaks have been dead for years now. How long are you going to hold on to the past?”

  There was a murmur from the Changlings, but no one spoke up and Caroline shook her head irritably.

  “Stubborn bunch,” she told Sarah more quietly. “I hope that your example will give some of them a push in the right direction.”

  “It's their choice in the end,” Sarah replied with a shrug. “I think that the air on my face feels wonderful. Plus I can see and breathe better. But we can talk about that some other time. I came to warn you and your people, Caroline.”

  “About the goblins?”

  Caroline's Change had been fairly dramatic. She wasn't much taller than Sarah, but she was incredibly muscular, looking almost as wide as she was tall inside of her bulky clothes. Her face was very square and rather masculine, but was offset by her long, thick blond hair. She was a formidable fighter and could use some magic as well, and her people were very loyal to her.

  “No, not the goblins,” Sarah continued. “Well, not exactly. You see, we went to see Magnus yesterday and he warned us that he believes the goblins are here to build a permanent base.”

  “You saw Magnus?”

  One of the others spoke up in surprise and several of them began whispering excitedly.

  Caroline glanced back at them and the group instantly became silent again.

  “Well, speak up, Yvonne. You've always got something to say, so say it.”

  Yvonne, Sarah thought distastefully. She was still a whiner even a decade after the fall of civilization. Why Caroline had accepted her into her group was a mystery, but if anyone could handle Yvonne, it was her.

  One of the shrouded figures moved forward a few feet.

  “But Magnus is scary,” she said, her voice a little shrill. “He's unpredictable. I've heard that he's killed Changlings before, when they entered his caves uninvited.”

  Before Sarah could respond, Bobby moved past her and glared at Yvonne.

  “That's ridiculous,” he stated firmly. “Magnus saved my life last night. And he warned us about the goblins and their plans. Plus, he was very nice to both Sarah and me. So don't spread stupid stories, Yvonne. You've never even met the man.”

  “No and I don't want to, Bobby. If his influence made you uncover your face and start dressing like the people who used to hate us, then everyone can see that I'm right about him. And since when has Sarah's pet even had an opinion? Is that Magnus' doing as well?”

  Bobby reddened in embarrassment and remained silent. Caroline did not.

  “You embarrass me in front of our guests, Yvonne,” she said ominously as she stared at the other young woman. “You shame me. Is it intentional? Do you wish to take over the leadership of this camp? Because if you do, and the others agree, then fine; I will leave you all to your fate and go and live with some other group.”

  “We'd be honored to have you join us,” Sarah said quickly as she saw what Caroline was doing. Obviously she was making a point to the others. “Bobby and I have plenty of room at our place.”

  “What? No, no, no!” one of the other Changlings objected loudly. “Don't leave us, Caroline! We don't want Yvonne to lead us.”

  The others also began objecting and the room echoed with their cries. Caroline waited a moment and then held up a hand. They quieted instantly.

  “Well Yvonne? I'm waiting,” she said coldly.

  Yvonne stood alone. The others had stepped away from her and she was isolated. Sarah wondered if she was frightened or angry. It was impossible to tell.

  “No, of course I don't want to lead,” Yvonne finally said in a shaky voice. “Perhaps... Maybe I was mistaken about Magnus. We've all heard stories over the years, so it's hard to figure out what's real and what isn't.”

  Caroline watched her silently for another moment and then motioned for her to sit down again. She turned back to Sarah and Bobby and rolled her eyes.

  “She'll never change,” Sarah said quietly.

  “I know. But what can I do? Irritating or not, she's still one of us,” Caroline replied softly. “Anyway, forget about Yvonne. What is your warning about?”

  Sarah explained about the magical traps that Magnus believed the goblins were leaving all around the city, and that Bobby had almost died from one of them.

  “And he was barely touched by whatever the trap was,” Sarah pointed out. “Which means that someone hit directly by the spell might have actually died instantly.”

  “We still aren't sure why the goblins have chosen this year to move northward,” Bobby added. “But it seems that they want to clear us all out of the city and take over.”

  Caroline frowned at them.

  “Isn't it obvious why they came this year?” she asked. “It is to me. The magic has returned to full strength. The trap that Bobby stumbled over is proof of that. Those miserable creatures were probably just waiting for their magic-users to be able to use their powers properly again before they invaded our territory. And those same powers will allow them to endure the winter months comfortably underground, if those monsters are ever truly comfortable.”

  Sarah stared at Caroline in surprise.

  “My God, that's it! You, my friend, are a genius.”

  Caroline grinned at the compliment.

  “Hardly. It just makes sense to me.”

  She looked thoughtfully over at her group of friends.

  “So, we have to watch out for magical traps, plus we can't really travel very far at night when the goblins are roaming the city. All right, we can do that. The only one of my people who can't sense magic is, not surprisingly, Yvonne. She'll have to stay close to one of us when we are out during the day. And I think that we might be able to give those damned goblins a taste of their own medicine as well.”

  “How?”

  “Set up a few traps of our own. We know every hole, every crack, every treacherous foot of this city; the goblins do not. If we were to hide those natural death traps, make them look like solid footing to a casual observer, they might catch a few of the invaders, make them think twice about taking over Ottawa so easily.”

  “I like it,” Sarah said with a smile. “Just remember to check for the goblins' traps as you go. And mark your own traps so that the rest of us don't fall into them.”

  “And what if, in the end, they take over the city?” Caroline asked, her voice so low that only Sarah and Bobby could hear her. “What then?”

  “Magnus thinks that we might have to abandon the city eventually,” Sarah murmured. “I hope that he's wrong, but it's possible.”

  Instead of reacting with shock or anger, Caroline simply nodded.

  “Yes, I could see that. I'd hate to leave, but there's a great big world outside of Ottawa, after all. Who knows what we might find out there? I sometimes long to travel, you know; to see at least some of the world. Perhaps we'll be forced to do so in the end.”

  “Maybe so. Anyway, that's my warning. I'm going to keep moving and reach as many camps as I can today. Could you do me a favor and pass along the news to Rachel and her friends? She's still living close by, isn't she?”

  “Oh yes, less than a fifteen minute walk through the tunnels. I'll be happy to tell her what's happening.”

  “Thanks Caroline,” Sarah said in relief. “That will make my job a little bit easier.”

  “You might want to start creating those communication stones of yours again, now that we can use magic properly once more,” Caroline suggested. “It would save you from having to hike across the city whenever you wanted to talk to one of us.”

  Sarah stared at her and the other young woman laughed at her expression.

  “Close your mouth before you swallow a fly,” she teased.

  “Oh for... I feel like such an i
diot,” Sarah exclaimed. “I never even thought of that! It's been such a long time since the magic was strong enough to use for crafting things that I completely forgot about my stones.”

  Bobby chuckled.

  “Don't feel so bad,” he said. “So did I. I guess everyone threw theirs away once they became useless.”

  “I'm afraid that I did,” Caroline admitted regretfully. “And I know that they take time to make, Sarah. But with the goblins running around and those traps that you say they are laying everywhere, it would be a huge advantage for us if we could all talk to each other safely again.”

  “As soon as I get back home, after I spread the word today about the traps, I'll start making new ones,” Sarah promised. “I'm actually excited by the idea. Because you're right; a secure line of communication might save lives. Thanks, Caroline. Like I said, you're a genius.”

  She and Bobby drank some water before they left and headed off again. They still had a handful of camps to visit.

  “What do you think she'll do about Yvonne?” Bobby asked as they returned to the surface.

  “Caroline? No idea. But Yvonne had better watch herself. If she ends up being kicked out, I doubt that any other group will accept her. She's irritated too many people over the years and made herself very unpopular. And she wouldn't last five seconds against a goblin. She's always been too stubborn to try to develop her powers; powers that Magnus thinks we all have. And she's not a fighter. So maybe now would be a good time for her to learn to keep her opinions to herself.”

  Bobby laughed as they climbed up the slope of a destroyed office tower.

  “After ten years? She'll never change, Sarah.”

  “Well, her fate is in her own hands then. Now, can we stop talking about Yvonne? I have enough to worry about as it is.”

  There were a half dozen small camps throughout the city, most of which were clustered around the downtown core. The problem for Sarah and Bobby was that the core was such a maze of twisted, rusted metal, melted glass and broken concrete that it took time just to travel a few hundred yards. Even as familiar as they were with their home town, the pair couldn't move any faster than a walking pace through the wreckage. And as time had passed, the remnants of buildings and roads had become even more unstable, and sinkholes would appear without warning. The sewage system was rotting away and gaping holes were everywhere. They had lost two of their people to these treacherous natural traps over the past two years. Added to that now was the constant scanning that Sarah had to do as she searched for hostile spells left by the goblins. They didn't make very good time.

  “Who's next?” Bobby asked as he trailed behind Sarah.

  In the morning sunshine, his pale skin almost glowed and his tiny scales glittered and flashed with tiny rainbow-like colors. Sarah thought that he looked amazing, and told him so. He blushed a deep red as he adjusted his sunglasses and she laughed lightly.

  “Do you know how long it's been since I've seen you look embarrassed?” she asked him. “Except for our time swimming, I haven't really seen your face since we were kids.”

  They were standing on a low concrete wall, scanning the ground around them cautiously, and Sarah was breathing deeply, just enjoying the feeling of the warm sunlight on her skin.

  “Same here,” Bobby replied with a grin. “And in this light, your hair looks amazing; like liquid silver. Better be careful; some of the boys are going to start chasing you now.”

  Sarah made a face.

  “They'd better not,” she said ominously. “I'm not interested in any of them. We have a lot more to worry about than stuff like that. As for where we go next...”

  She shaded her eyes and frowned in thought.

  “What do you think? Sandra's place or Miesha's?”

  “Miesha is closer but Sandra and her friends are a lot more aggressive toward the goblins. We'd better make sure to warn them both before it gets dark.”

  “Hmm, good point. Well, we have time to reach both of them. I'm scanning the area around us as we go, just in case we stumble across a trap, and that will slow us down. But better slow than dead.”

  “Definitely,” Bobby agreed fervently.

  “And you should try to feel for the hostile magic as well,” Sarah told him as she climbed down from the broken wall, moving to the southeast. “Practice what Magnus taught you; it will help to strengthen your talent.”

  “Really? Okay, I'll try that.”

  “Good. Now let's move.”

  Miesha had located her camp beneath what had once been the main downtown mall, below Rideau Street. There had been an underground parking garage there once, and vaults beneath that. They had never figured out what the vaults had been used for, but they were empty when the Changlings had discovered them and moved in.

  Sarah was a bit envious of Miesha's home. It was very secure, locked behind three huge steel doors, and the place was really big. Each of her people had their own room and didn't have to share space with anyone else. It was almost luxurious by Changling standards.

  They slipped past the screen of debris that hid the entrance to the passageway leading to the camp and began to descend.

  Sarah and Bobby were about thirty feet under the ground when they reached the first metal door that protected Miesha's camp. Sarah used her power to open the heavy portal, slipped in with Bobby close behind her, and sealed it again.

  Best not to take chances, even during the day, she thought. I'll lock all of these doors behind me, just in case.

  They followed the winding way downward, passed through another door and almost ran headfirst into a shrouded figure leaning against the wall just around a corner.

  “Stop!” he shouted.

  Sarah and Bobby both jumped back in surprise even as they recognized the person's voice at the same time.

  “Jeremy?” they said in unison.

  Sarah held up her glowing stone so that they could see better.

  “Hey Sarah. Hi Bobby,” Jeremy replied with a delighted laugh. “Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Hey, I can still see your faces! What's going on?”

  “You almost gave me a heart attack,” Bobby said irritably. “What are you doing out here in the dark?”

  “Standing guard, of course. With those nasty goblins wandering around, Miesha decided that someone has to keep a look out at all times, even during the day. It's my turn, so here I am. What are you doing here, bare-headed?”

  “We need to see Miesha,” Sarah told him. “And we've decided that we don't want to wear head coverings anymore. Who are we hiding from, anyway?”

  “Huh. I never thought of that. Interesting.”

  Jeremy seemed to be mulling over the idea and Bobby cleared his throat loudly.

  “So, can we pass?” he asked pointedly.

  “Oh right! Sorry. Go ahead. You know the way.”

  “Thanks, Jeremy,” Sarah said with a friendly grin. “We'll see you on the way out.”

  “If he hasn't fallen asleep,” Bobby said, teasing his friend.

  “Hey! I'm awake. Mostly.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  They continued on down the slope of the passageway, bits of gravel and puffs of dust rising under their feet.

  “Miesha must really be worried, to have someone standing guard during the day,” Bobby said as they descended.

  “Seems so. I'm a bit surprised, actually. I don't know why she thinks the goblins would be wandering around in the daylight. They just don't do that.”

  “They don't usually leave traps lying around or set up a permanent base either,” Bobby pointed out.

  “True enough. But exposing themselves to the sun? I can't see that happening. Well, better safe than sorry, I suppose.”

  They opened the last steel door, slipped through and sealed it again. Sarah knew that, unlike Bobby, Jeremy had practiced using his powers enough to open and close the portals, so she was sure that he wasn't locked out.

  The main room of Miesha's camp was large enough to allow their footsteps to ec
ho around them as they entered. Like all the camps, there was a fire pit in the middle of the room, sending thin streams of smoke toward the high ceiling. Vents that opened on to the surface high above them moved the haze out of the room and slowly circulated the air, another selling point for the place when the Changlings had decided to move in.

  Several people sat around the flickering flames, speaking in muffled tones, and it took them a moment to notice their visitors.

  Abruptly, one of the thickly-bundled figures stood and began to stride toward them.

  “Well, well, Sarah and Bobby.”

  It was Miesha.

  “This is a surprise,” she continued. “What brings you to my door today? And how are you feeling, Bobby?”

  “I'm good, Miesha. Thanks for asking.”

  She stopped a few feet from the pair and stood silently for a moment.

  “Still uncovered, eh? Why?”

  Sarah smiled at her. Miesha had always had an abrupt way about her, but it was just how she was, and Sarah was used to it.

  “Why not?” she countered. “We aren't kids anymore, Miesha. We don't need to hide away from the world as if we still were. And who are we hiding from anyway? Everyone who tormented us is long dead. Besides,” she added with a grin. “I can see and hear a lot better now. Might help me to spot a goblin before it spots me.”

  The other woman didn't move or speak for a long minute. Then, with one sweeping gesture, she tore off the layers of cloth bound around her head and face and tossed them aside.

  The people still sitting around the fire all jumped to their feet, exclaiming loudly in surprise as they saw Miesha remove her head wrappings.

  For her part, Miesha just grinned at their reaction. Her face was pale but attractive, with wide green eyes, a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and a generous mouth. Her hair was very dark and fell down below her shoulders in waves. Her one obvious Change was that her eyes were slitted vertically, like a cat's eyes. Sarah found them amazing because they looked just like her own, except for the color. But she knew that, in the old days, people had been frightened by them. They certainly had been afraid of hers.