The Changlings (The New Earth Chronicles Book 2)

by J. J. Thompson

  Trees and shrubs had found a foothold in the debris of the city over the years, grown from seeds blown in by the wind or dropped by the many birds that nested in Ottawa. The plants had grown rapidly among the ruins. In fact, the city was slowly being reclaimed by the thick forests that surrounded it on all sides and Sarah knew that one day, the trees would swallow up her home and then there would be little trace of it left.

  That thought made her sad, but it would not happen for many, many years and she doubted that she would be around to see it.

  The one part of the city that would never be swallowed up by the wilderness was to the north, where the mighty Ottawa River flowed past cliffs just below the ruined Parliament Buildings. Since the fall of the city and the return of magic, the river had widened and deepened and was now inhabited by fish and water fowl and many creatures that the Changlings couldn't even identify. Some of these were monsters that had a taste for human flesh and the survivors had quickly learned to stay in the shallows when going down to the river for water or to bathe. Even then, they kept a wary eye out for potential threats and rarely went alone. The new Earth was an unforgiving place.

  On those cliffs below the ruined Peace Tower were the caves where Magnus made his home. The site had once held a series of secret tunnels reserved for the government of Canada, holding rooms and vaults full of records and rare historical artifacts. There had even been a series of safe rooms for the prime minister and his cabinet to retreat to in times of war. They had run the country from these rooms for a few months until all of the services had failed. And then they had left, their positions no longer viable. Needless to say, by the time the dragons had decimated the city, the government had lost all of its power and the few remaining members of Parliament who still lived in Ottawa had not been able to reach the shelter in time to save themselves.

  Since then, Magnus had claimed the place for himself. He had blocked off most of the tunnels and only used a few rooms as his home though; living alone and preferring solitude, the man had no need for more space. This was where Sarah and Bobby were headed, but they had to cross half of the city to reach it and it would take them quite some time. Bobby was simply too ill to move very fast and Sarah was worried that they would still be traveling when night fell again and the goblins returned from wherever they were camped. It was a frightening thought.

  “Bobby, I know that you aren't feeling well, but can't you move just a little bit faster?” Sarah asked plaintively.

  It was past noon and the pair were slowly walking northward. Bobby was doing his best to stagger along behind her, but the sun was very warm now and his dizziness wasn't getting any better.

  “I'm trying, Sarah. Honest,” he said, breathing loudly. “But if I move any faster, I'll just fall over. I'm sorry.”

  Neither of them had wrapped up their heads again and, when Sarah looked back at him, Bobby's skin was even paler than usual and his eyes looked glassy and unfocused. It made her nervous.

  “It's okay,” she reassured him. “Don't apologize. I just want us to get to Magnus before sundown, that's all. Do your best and we'll make it, no problem.”

  He nodded silently and lowered his head to watch his footing as they followed one of the many paths through the city. They had almost reached the downtown core now and both of them knew every inch of this area like the backs of their hands.

  “Hey! What's going on?”

  They stopped abruptly at the sound of the shouted question, Bobby almost tripping over his own feet. Sarah turned to her left and watched as three figures appeared over a mound of rubble. They were wearing rags and layers of cloth identical to her own and she smiled as she spotted them.

  “Hey Miesha,” she called out, recognizing the voice.

  “Hi Sarah,” the other woman responded as she and her two followers approached. “What's going on? I can see your faces!”

  “Yeah, I know. I thought that it was time to, you know, change things up a bit.”

  The three reached Sarah and Bobby and they looked from one to the other.

  “Really? Hmm, you know, that's not a bad idea,” Miesha replied thoughtfully. “I may have to try that. But not right now and not out in the open. Where are you going?”

  Sarah nodded at Bobby, who was bent over, trying to catch his breath.

  “Bobby's sick,” she told the others. “I'm taking him to Magnus, but I'm afraid that we won't make it before dark. Did you see the goblins?”

  “We heard them,” Miesha said seriously. “Jeremy followed several of them when they left the city.”

  “And?”

  The figure to Miesha's right spoke up.

  “And they've set up camp just to the east of the city,” Jeremy answered.

  His voice was thin and airy, and he sounded very young. Jeremy was the smallest of the trio and Sarah knew that he was the youngest of all of the Changlings. He'd been just five years old when he had begun to Change and was taken from his parents.

  “They're hiding underneath an old warehouse, probably using its basement and storage areas to stay out of the sunlight,” he continued. “Knowing goblins, they are most likely digging even deeper down there and expanding their camp for a long stay.”

  Sarah nodded thoughtfully.

  “Good job,” she told him with a smile. “It's important that we keep an eye on them and their movements. None of our people should be exposed to those animals.”

  “I agree,” Miesha said firmly. “I already spoke to Rachel and Sandra and told them to spread the word throughout the city. And I warned them to retreat from any confrontation with the goblins too; we are not equipped to battle them, no matter what anyone thinks.”

  Sarah looked at her curiously.

  “Someone wants to fight them?” she asked.

  “Sandra and a few others,” Miesha replied. “You know how she is. I told her that we weren't ready yet, that the time wasn't right, but you know how impetuous she can be. I'm a little worried that she might do something stupid if the goblins get too close to her place.”

  “Huh. Okay, I'll go talk to her the first chance I get. But right now, Bobby's my main concern.”

  “You're not looking so good,” Jeremy said as he moved closer to Bobby. “You okay?”

  “No, he's not okay,” Sarah said irritably. “Can't you hear him trying to breathe?”

  “Sorry, sorry,” Jeremy said hastily. “Stupid question.”

  “Yes, it was. Look, can you three do me a favor and hurry over to Magnus' place? Tell him that I'm bringing Bobby to see him and that he's sick. And tell him...”

  She paused and looked over at Bobby again, watching him trembling and trying to stay on his feet.

  “Tell him that I think it's some kind of spell. Black magic, maybe caused by the goblins. Can you do that?”

  Jeremy squeaked from under his wrappings and the others moved back a few paces.

  “Magic? Really?” Miesha exclaimed nervously.

  “Yes, really. And the only one I can think of who might be able to help us is Magnus. Now, can you go and tell him?”

  “Yes, of course. Come on, you two; let's move!”

  “We'll get you help, Bobby,” Jeremy said anxiously as the trio moved off. “I promise.”

  “Thanks Jeremy,” Bobby gasped as he tried to smile. He and the younger boy were very good friends. “I appreciate it.”

  Miesha and the others raced away and disappeared from view in a few seconds. Sarah looked at Bobby and was pleased to see him looking a little more hopeful.

  “Ready to go again?” she asked him.

  “Ready as I'll ever be,” he replied as he stood up, his face mirroring the pain he was feeling. “I wish we had some water though.”

  “Soon, Bobby. Very soon. Come on now, let's get you to Magnus.”

  Chapter 3

  The day was getting late by the time Sarah and Bobby climbed a last mound of debris and saw the remains of the Peace Tower jutting up into the sky. Its jagged crown burned red in the lat
e afternoon sun and it looked like a fiery beacon calling to them and urging them on.

  Sarah had to support Bobby for the final hour of their journey. She had an arm around his waist and his was draped over her shoulders. Her aversion to touching another person was irrelevant compared to Bobby's urgent need for her help and he seemed to have forgotten his reluctance to touch her as well. Obviously he was just too ill to care.

  They staggered along together, moving a few paces, resting, and then moving again. It was exhausting and disheartening, especially as night time approached, and all Sarah could do was fix her thoughts on her goal and move doggedly forward.

  Magnus, she kept repeating to herself. Have to reach Magnus. Bobby needs help and we have to get there.

  She was angry and confused by the fact that Miesha and the others had not returned to offer them their help. Between the three of them, and Sarah, they could have actually carried Bobby faster than the pace that she was setting now.

  What was wrong with them, she wondered furiously. Bobby and Jeremy are practically best friends; well, I'm his best friend, but Jeremy is a pretty close second. Why didn't they come back to help us?

  Bobby hadn't spoken for over an hour. He occasionally muttered incoherently and Sarah was afraid for him. His face was expressionless and he rarely blinked. And when she asked him a question, his vague replies made little sense. Plus, his skin was now flushed and hot to the touch. He had to be running a fever.

  The remains of the Parliament Buildings seemed to be mocking them as they trudged forward. The sprawling ruins didn't appear to be getting any closer and Sarah started to worry that Bobby would collapse before they could reach them. If he did, she would have to leave him alone and try to get to Magnus and back again before the goblins returned. As strong as she was for her size, there was no way that she could carry Bobby very far.

  “Magnus, where are you?” she muttered. “Why haven't you sent help?”

  Bobby moaned and suddenly sagged against her. Both of them collapsed in a heap and Sarah hurriedly moved to roll him over on to his back.

  He stared blindly up at the darkening sky and she could see him breathing in rapid, shallow gasps, like a fish out of water.

  Oh God, she thought in sudden panic. He's going to die!

  “And here you are,” a deep voice said softly.

  Sarah spun around on the ground and saw a tall, burly man walking toward them. He was wearing a dark leather shirt and pants and his long, flowing hair was braided, with feathers woven into it.

  “Magnus!” she exclaimed with relief. “You've come.”

  “Of course I've come, missy,” he replied with a warm smile.

  His large black eyes and aquiline nose gave Magnus a noble and exotic appearance that Sarah had always found fascinating. He was also the only aboriginal man that she had ever known. He claimed to be the last survivor of the Algonquin nation and she had no reason to doubt him.

  “That Miesha. She sent me to the wrong location,” he continued as he knelt down next to Bobby. “Or I would have found you an hour ago. In her defense, I think that she was a little bit anxious about our friend here and his mysterious illness.”

  He put a gentle hand on Bobby's forehead and looked at him closely.

  “I sent her and her friends home; I didn't want them outside after nightfall with those goblins around. Miesha said you claimed that this sickness isn't natural?”

  Sarah nodded as she watched Magnus examine Bobby.

  “I felt it. You know that I can do that.”

  “I do.”

  “And it felt wrong. Hot and dark, like tar. Whatever has happened to him, it isn't a normal illness. Plus, it came over him too quickly. Before we saw the goblins last night, Bobby was fine. Then this morning, he was like you see him now. Well, not as bad as he is now, but shaky and weak and dizzy. No disease that I've ever seen hits a person that fast.”

  Magnus listened solemnly as he removed Bobby's sunglasses and handed them to Sarah. She took them and slipped them into her pocket as the man lifted each of Bobby's eyelids and examined his eyes.

  “Yes, I think that you are correct. I don't know if the goblins are the source, but something doesn't feel right.”

  He stood up, leaned down and lifted Bobby easily in his arms.

  “Come along now. We want to be under cover before those creatures return to the city.”

  Sarah felt weak with relief as she followed Magnus. He always exuded such an air of confidence that she felt sure he could heal Bobby of whatever was wrong with him. Well, pretty sure. Bobby was obviously very sick.

  Magnus covered ground quickly with his long strides and Sarah had to trot to keep up. He walked over the rubble and loose ground with practiced ease, never stopping or stumbling even as the sun began to set and the night started to creep over the city.

  “You already knew about the goblins?” Sarah asked breathlessly as she tried to keep up.

  “Yes. The spirits of nature around Ottawa always cry out in anger when those foul creatures are near. I knew that they were approaching two days ago.”

  He took a quick look over his shoulder and smiled at Sarah, his even, white teeth gleaming in the falling darkness.

  “I would have warned you earlier if you and Bobby weren't constantly on the move. It is hard to track you down when you do that. Why have you been straying so far from your home?”

  She shrugged irritably.

  “I, um, broke some of my plates a few days ago and we were out searching for more. But most of the stores around our camp have been picked clean, or were destroyed years ago, so we've had to search further away than we usually do.”

  Magnus chuckled as they walked up the broken pavement toward the Peace Tower and passed it on the left side.

  “You lost your temper again, didn't you?”

  “Well...”

  “Sarah, you are not a child anymore. These fits of rage are immature and destructive. And worse still, you drive away your friends with your bad temper, the ones who care about you the most.”

  Sarah stared at the ground in embarrassment, even though Magnus wasn't looking back at her.

  “I know. It's not that I want to get mad. It's just... I don't know. Something seems to come over me and I can't help myself. It just so happened that I was washing the dishes at the time and, well, I ended up throwing them across the room.”

  Magnus sighed as he ducked through a broken wall and led them over the cracked, dirt-covered floor of an office.

  The path through the buildings was twisted and treacherous for anyone not familiar with it, and Sarah followed the man closely. She rarely came through the ruins of the Parliament Buildings, preferring to circle around them when she visited Magnus. She assumed that he was using the more direct route because of Bobby's condition.

  Outside, behind the buildings, was a sudden drop-off. A large portion of the cliffs had broken away on the night of the dragon attacks and they now led straight down to the Ottawa River far below. It looked treacherous and impassable, but there was a way to navigate it for those who knew where to look.

  “Be careful,” Magnus told her as he turned to the left and walked confidently along the edge of the cliff. “It is even harder to descend in the darkness.”

  “I know,” Sarah assured him. “I'll be right behind you.”

  “Good.”

  They reached the right spot and Magnus stepped over the edge and disappeared from sight so quickly that it looked like he'd fallen off. But it was an illusion. Two feet below the lip of the drop-off was a trail that zigzagged down along the face of the cliff. The footing was firm but even Magnus was cautious as he descended slowly along the path because of how narrow and steep it was. And because he was carrying Bobby.

  Sarah stayed close to him and focused on her footing. It was very dark now and the moon hadn't risen yet, making it hard to see the path.

  Halfway down the cliff, the trail ended. A hollow space was gouged out of the rock, overhung with a lip
that hid it from sight from above.

  Magnus stopped just inside the opening and waited until Sarah was beside him before moving further into what was the entrance to the network of caves and tunnels beneath the Parliament Buildings.

  There was a heavy metal door standing open here and Sarah ducked inside ahead of Magnus. Once he had entered, she put her shoulder against the door and pushed it shut. She spun a heavy wheel on the back of the door that looked like the locking mechanism on a bank vault and thick steel rods locked into place in the floor and walls.

  “Thank you,” Magnus said in the pitch blackness. “Take the light for me and lead the way, please.”

  A crackling sound was followed by a burst of yellow radiance as a torch ignited in a bracket on the wall. Magnus hadn't touched it, but Sarah knew that he had lit it, somehow. She took the torch and held it high to help Magnus see his footing.

  The man shifted Bobby's weight in his arms and smiled at her.

  “Go on now. I can find my way even in the dark.”

  “Okay.”

  Sarah had visited the caves often enough to know how to reach the living quarters, but in the darkness with only a torch to light her way, it was an eerie journey. During the day, an ingenious system of mirrors that Magnus had invented and installed himself illuminated the tunnels, filling them with natural light. Now though, the place was hauntingly dim and quiet and it made her nervous.

  The floor was hard stone, flat and smooth. Magnus kept it well swept and Sarah didn't have to worry about stumbling over loose rocks or debris. It was a nice change for her and she moved down the tunnels easily.

  Left, right, left, left, right. She remembered the way and muttered the turns to herself as she moved forward. The tunnels were like a maze and it would be easy for someone to become lost in them. Sarah was also aware that Magnus had constructed traps to defend his home against invaders and she hoped that, if she did make a mistake in her directions, he would warn her quickly.