The Changlings (The New Earth Chronicles Book 2)

by J. J. Thompson

  He looked back once to make sure that Jeremy was doing what he was told and was relieved to see his small figure in the distance crossing the parking lot in front of the building.

  Thank God, at least he's safe. Now for the rest of them.

  The sun beat down heavily on Bobby's head and he was sweating and panting loudly by the time he got close enough to see the intersection. He stopped and quickly stepped into the shadows of the forest. He was relieved to be out of the sunlight. It was both cooler and easier on his eyes at the same time.

  He moved closer to the highway, listening intensely as he went. Surely if groups of Changlings were approaching, he would hear them long before he saw them, just as he had heard Jeremy earlier. At least he hoped he would.

  Bobby stopped for a moment. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to block out the sound of the birds and insects, listening for any unusual noises.

  The first thing he noticed was that the distant sound of the goblins arguing wasn't there anymore. Whether they had resolved their differences or had given up trying to track Jeremy, they were now silent and he had no idea if they had left the area or not. If they'd lost Jeremy's trail, they might have gone back to their base to get out of the sunlight.

  Or they might be creeping through the forest right now, just waiting to pounce on you, a small voice in his mind said.

  He ignored it. Goblins didn't creep. He doubted that they even knew how to be sneaky. They stomped and growled and constantly made noise, but they definitely weren't quiet, at least when they moved. So either they had left the area or they were standing still and listening just like he was. It was an uncomfortable thought.

  I have to be sure, Bobby told himself. If the road is clear, I can at least wait there for Eric and Fani. If not, I might as well know now.

  He began walking toward the intersection again, staying in the shadows and watching his footing as he went. He had only walked a dozen steps or so when he heard a commotion up ahead and froze, listening intently.

  Someone was shouting, but Bobby couldn't make out the words. But he started running as he realized that the shouts weren't being made by goblins, but by people.

  He bolted out of the trees on to the side-road and began to run toward the yelling. His sword kept slamming against his thigh and he grabbed it angrily and held it tightly as he ran.

  Just as he was about to reach the intersection, two people came racing into view from the east. They spotted Bobby at the same moment that he saw them and the three of them stopped dead and stared at each other.

  “Eric?”

  “Bobby?”

  To Bobby's surprise, both Eric and his companion, Fani, had removed their head wrappings. He was amazed by this sudden change, but pleased that they had done the smart thing and were able to see better.

  “Hey, it's great to see you!” he said as he hurried over to join them. He smiled at Fani. “Are you two...”

  “No time to chat!” Eric barked. “We've got a bunch of goblins on our ass and we gotta move. Go, go, go!”

  Bobby gaped at him and then looked down the highway behind the pair. Eric wasn't kidding. There was an entire troop of goblins pounding down the road toward them, ducking around rusting cars and screaming at the top of their lungs. He counted about a dozen before Eric grabbed his arm and spun him around.

  “Goddamn it, Bobby! Don't stand there gawking. Move it!”

  Chapter 16

  Eric led the way toward the bunker, with Fani and Bobby close behind him. All three of them were running, but Eric was limping badly and Bobby remembered that Sarah had said he'd been bitten by a drake. Obviously he was in a lot of pain, but he wasn't letting it stop him or slow him down that much.

  Typical Eric, Bobby thought wryly. He probably thought that it was what Zack would have done. And he was probably right.

  “Is the blast door open?” Eric asked loudly as they ran across the side-road and into long grass.

  “It is,” Bobby replied. “Jeremy should be waiting by the entrance. I told him to get Sarah to help him with it once we got back.”

  “Jeremy made it?” Fani asked breathlessly. “Fantastic! We hadn't heard anything from Miesha and we were afraid that they were all dead.”

  Before Bobby could answer, the group of goblins chasing them appeared at the intersection and howled in horrible delight as they spotted the three fleeing Changlings.

  “Damn it,” Eric hissed. “They never stop, do they?”

  Bobby looked over his shoulder and felt a rush of fear as he realized that the goblins were running faster than he and the others were. He was sure that he and Fani could outrun the warriors but there was no way that they would desert Eric.

  For his part, Eric growled in pain and suddenly put on a burst of speed that surprised Bobby. He couldn't imagine the kind of pain that the man was in, but he was obviously forcing himself forward in spite of it.

  They reached the parking lot with the goblins no more than thirty yards behind them. Eric led them past half a dozen rusting hulks and reached the twisted metal door leading into the building.

  He stopped, panting in exhaustion, and gestured at the narrow gap in the doorway.

  “Fani, get in there,” he ordered. “Hurry.”

  The smaller man slipped through the gap easily and Eric looked at Bobby.

  “No,” Bobby told him. “You next. I'm faster than you are right now. So get in there, Eric.”

  There was no time to argue and Eric wisely turned and forced his way through the opening. Bobby followed, not looking back at the goblins, who sounded like they were only a few steps away.

  He was right. As he entered the shadowy interior, the door banged loudly as the goblins smashed into it. Bobby jumped away from it as the metal barrier shook and squealed, its hinges threatening to give way under the onslaught.

  “Bobby. Come on!”

  He looked back and saw Eric limping toward the open blast door. Fani was beside him, offering his shoulder to help support his friend.

  “Keep going,” Bobby shouted. “Get into the tunnel and I'll join you once you're there.”

  He turned to look at the shuddering door and then backed up a few steps.

  If they make it through before Eric gets into the bunker, we're all dead, he thought grimly. So they are not getting through.

  He gripped the sword-hilt with his sweaty right hand and held the sheathe with his left. He drew the weapon, amazed at how easily it settled into his palm.

  It's just you and me now, Bobby said to it silently. So please, try not to hurt me by accident, okay?

  He crouched down and watched the door shaking as the goblins pounded on it. Suddenly an arm, hairy and thickly muscled, was thrust through the gap between the door and the frame. It grabbed onto the edge of the door and began yanking on it. Before the goblin could force the door open, Bobby leaped forward and slashed at the flailing appendage.

  To his complete shock, the blade flickered in the dim light and the goblin's grasping hand was severed at the wrist and flew off into the shadows.

  The creature howled in pain and the arm was yanked back out of sight, leaving a pool of thick red liquid splattered on the floor. Bobby shook the sword in disgust as he realized that it was coated with the goblin's blood.

  Outside, the attackers were screeching at each other. Apparently they hadn't expected any resistance from the Changlings and weren't sure how to proceed. While he waited to see what they would do, Bobby looked down at his sword with a smile.

  “You're sharper than you look, old blade,” he began to whisper.

  The words caught in his throat and he lifted the sword and squinted at the weapon. Was he seeing things or had something about it changed?

  A massive smash against the door made him jump back and focus on the goblins again. The metal door was inching open! It seemed that the injury to one of their own had driven the creatures into an unholy rage and they were attacking the portal madly.

  “Bobby!”

>   He looked back at the blast door across the room and saw Sarah waving at him, her face lit up by her glowing stone.

  “Eric's safely inside. Now come on, before they break through!”

  She didn't have to tell him twice. Bobby turned and began to run toward her as he heard the door behind him finally give way and crash open.

  He saw the blast door begin to close and tried to move faster. But he was exhausted and could only manage a staggering run while he held the sword out to the side to avoid stabbing himself with it.

  “Hurry!” Sarah called desperately. “They're right behind you.”

  “I know!” Bobby shouted angrily. “Thanks.”

  Somehow he managed to slip through the narrow opening just as the blast door was pulled shut by Jeremy and Fani. It banged into place and Sarah spun the locking wheel to seal the portal.

  Bobby carefully sheathed the blade and then slumped against the wall, completely exhausted.

  “What were you thinking, taking on those beasts by yourself?” Sarah asked him with a scowl. “What kind of a crazy stunt was that?”

  She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, showing just how much strength was hidden inside of her small frame.

  “Stop that, Sarah,” Eric barked at her.

  He was leaning on the wall next to Bobby, his face almost gray with a mixture of pain and fatigue.

  “He saved my ass out there. We should be thanking him, not berating him.”

  She glared at him and Eric glared right back. It lasted only a moment and then Sarah let out a long sigh and nodded.

  “Yes, you're right. Sorry, Bobby, but you scared me to death. Are you okay?”

  “Nothing that a few days of sleep won't cure,” he joked weakly. “How is everyone else?”

  “We're good,” Eric told him. “But I think that my wound should maybe be washed out and bandaged again. I don't know if drake bites are poisonous, but right now it's burning so badly, it feels like my leg is on fire.”

  Sarah immediately took charge, directing Fani and Jeremy to support Eric and help him to reach the far end of the hallway and down the stairs.

  They started off, moving slowly with Eric limping between the two smaller young men. Jeremy was holding a torch in his left hand while he supported Eric with his right.

  Sarah stood in front of Bobby with her hands on her hips, but she smiled up at him as he looked back warily. Her bad temper seemed to have vanished.

  “Do you need a hand?” she asked him kindly.

  “Naw, I'm okay. Just...no running, alright? I'm about done in, I think.”

  “No running. Come on, let's go.”

  A muffled thud on the blast door made them both look at it nervously.

  “Do you think it will hold?” Bobby wondered.

  “It was built to protect people from a nuclear explosion. I don't think a few goblins are going to have much of an impact on it. Maybe over time, but we're safe for now.”

  “I hope so.”

  They began walking down the hall. Eric and the others were moving very slowly ahead and Sarah and Bobby matched their pace. He noticed with surprise that she had hung the wand that Esmiralla had given her on a piece of rope that was tied around her waist.

  “What's with the wand?” he asked, gesturing at it.

  She looked down and then smiled back at Bobby.

  “While you were out being heroic, I played with it a bit and learned that it acts as a focus for my powers, just like my stone. Kind of amazing, actually.”

  She tapped the wand and it flashed briefly.

  “Except that it's even more powerful. I don't know what I can really do with it yet, but it seemed like a good idea to keep it close.”

  “Huh. Well, anything that we can use to help us, I suppose.” He nodded at the trio ahead of them. “The goblins were hunting them in the daylight,” Bobby told her. “In the daylight, Sarah. That's something that I never believed would happen. What do you think it means?”

  In the light of the stone in her hand, Sarah looked pensive as she considered her answer.

  “I don't know,” she replied slowly. “I'm sure that the goblins still hate the sunlight, but I think that they are desperate to clear all of us out of the city. I just don't know why. What's the rush? Maybe, with the dragons and drakes around, the goblin leaders want us taken care of so that they can focus on fighting the bigger threat.”

  “Yeah?”

  Bobby snickered.

  “Good luck with that. Taking on dragons? I don't care how tough the goblins are, they will lose that fight every time.”

  Eric, Fani and Jeremy reached the stairwell and began to descend. Sarah and Bobby waited until they were out of sight before starting down behind them.

  “Maybe they will, Bobby,” Sarah told him thoughtfully. “But if the goblins have a wizard with them, they may have a few surprises up their sleeves. Remember, the only person who was ever able to stand up to the dragons was Simon O'Toole, and he was a wizard. Maybe his goblin counterpart will have some of the same success.”

  “Yeah, maybe. But I'll believe that when I see it. Anyway, we have more immediate concerns right now.”

  Sarah frowned at him.

  “What concerns?” she asked.

  “Food. None of our friends brought any with them. We'll have to scavenge for some, and soon. Eric will need to eat to help him heal, and the rest of us will get hungry pretty quickly too. The problem is, we have goblins squatting just outside our front door. How do we get past them?”

  She didn't answer right away. Instead, the two of them reached the base of the stairs in silence and Sarah hurried ahead to lead Eric and the others to the rec room.

  While Bobby was away, she had put a torch into every bracket in the room, and it was brightly lit now. Sarah had also made up all of the beds with fresh linen and blankets that she had found in storage, not knowing how many of their people would make it to the bunker.

  “Over there,” she said to Eric as they entered the room. She pointed at a cot to the right of the door. “Lie down there, Eric, and rest while we take a look at your injury.”

  “Thanks Sarah,” he grunted as Jeremy and Fani carefully helped him to sit down on the bed. “I'm just about finished.”

  “I can see that. Jeremy? Do you remember where the well is? Good. Grab that pitcher and get some water for Eric, would you?”

  “Yes, of course. Won't be a minute.”

  “Grab a new torch from the stack over there,” Bobby told him, nodding at the pile beside the door. “And Fani, if you're up to it, why don't you go with him?”

  Fani looked at him curiously and shrugged.

  “Yeah, sure. Let's go, Jeremy. I'll take that bucket and fetch more water.”

  “Cool.”

  Jeremy lit a torch and the pair left the room.

  “Didn't you think that he was capable of getting water alone?” Sarah asked as she helped Eric to begin removing his wrappings.

  Bobby hurried over to assist her. Unlike most Changlings, Eric didn't seem shy about letting them remove his clothing. Either that or he was simply too tired and injured to care.

  “I'm sure that he can,” Bobby replied as they worked.

  Eric lay on the mattress, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. His expression was set and it was obvious that he was in a lot of pain, but he didn't make a sound.

  “But I wanted to talk to you two alone,” Bobby continued. “Something weird happened out there and I thought that you should both hear about it privately.”

  They finished unwrapping Eric's torso and he relaxed a bit. He seemed to forget his pain as he stared at Bobby without moving his head.

  “Weird?” he asked. “You mean weirder than being chased for miles by goblins in broad daylight?”

  “Yeah, weirder than that.”

  Sarah and Bobby gently removed the wrappings from Eric's legs, leaving him wearing only a pair of old blue boxer shorts. Sarah gasped as his wound was revealed in the torchlight.

  Er
ic had been bitten on the right thigh, just above his knee. The bite mark was deep and ragged and the piece of cloth that was wrapped around it was soaked with blood.

  “How does it look?” Eric asked as he avoided looking down at the wound. “Is it infected?”

  “I'll find out in a minute,” Sarah told him. “Bobby, why don't you tell us what you thought was strange while I scan Eric's injury.”

  She put her stone down on the mattress next to the wound and gently put her hands on Eric' leg, above and below the bite mark.

  “Okay. It has to do with Jeremy, actually.”

  Sarah nodded with her eyes closed. Bobby saw her hands begin to glow with the same soft blue light that her enchanted stone emitted.

  “What about him?” she murmured. “He looks fine. Very tired, of course, but okay other than that.”

  Eric was listening closely, breathing heavily as Sarah scanned his leg.

  “Did you ask him about Miesha?” Bobby asked her.

  “We were a little busy,” she replied with a brief smile. “Jeremy ran into the rec room, totally out of breath, and told me that you wanted me up at the blast door, ready to close it whenever you returned with our people. Scared the hell out of me, to be honest.”

  She opened her eyes and stared up at Bobby.

  “Which begs the question; where are Miesha and the others? I just assumed that Jeremy got separated from them when their camp was attacked and made it here first. That would explain why she thought that he'd been killed.”

  Bobby shook his head slowly.

  “No, they didn't get separated. According to Jeremy, Miesha and the others from his camp were killed. He was the only survivor.”

  Despite his wound, Eric sat up abruptly with a loud grunt.

  “They're dead? All of them?” he asked in shock.

  “All of them. I didn't believe it at first either, but Jeremy has Miesha's magic stone, the one that Sarah gave her.”

  He looked at her grimly.

  “Which means that whoever you spoke to yesterday, it wasn't Miesha. It was someone, or something, else.”

  She gaped at him and Bobby nodded at Eric's leg.