Healed by Hope by Jim Melvin Read Free Book Online Page A

included—were deaf to this horrible cacophony. But many, including Elu, could hear it all too well. Only when he was shut inside Essīkka’s bedroom did the Svakaran gain relief from the sounds of torment. Elu wondered if Nissaya would ever be free of the ghosts. If not, perhaps it was a good thing. The world should never forget the horrific slaughter that had occurred within the fortress walls.
    As if Elu weren’t distressed enough, Ugga suddenly and inexplicably disappeared. Elu and his new lover spent many moments wandering the streets of Nissaya calling to the bear, using Maōi torches to light their way. Their voices, echoing in the empty causeways, were answered only by the screams and wails of the dead. For whatever reason, Ugga had seemingly chosen to depart.
    When the black cloud finally relented, the guardians of Nissaya were greeted by an overcast morning so ordinary in appearance it was as if the unnatural darkness had never occurred. Instantly, the frigid cold of the previous day gave way to pleasant warmth. Elu would have expected exultation, but instead there was distrust. Apparently, it would take several days of sunlight before anyone would believe that the ominous cloud would not return.
    Elu and Essīkka took advantage of the newfound visibility to search again for Ugga. Sugati and a dozen other black knights joined them, and they spent half the day scouring the inner sanctum. One of the villagers from the Gray Plains had brought with him a pack of well-trained cattle dogs, but even these clever beasts could find no sign. It was as if Ugga had dissolved along with the darkness.
    “Where has he gone?” Elu said. “Is he lost? Did he wander down a set of stairs and become trapped in some inner chamber?”
    “He is a wild animal,” Essīkka said. “Streets of stone are no place for him. A bear needs trees and grass and wide places to roam.”
    “That all makes sense,” Sugati agreed, “except for one thing: I’ve never heard of a scent that cattle dogs couldn’t track—whether down a set of stairs or into the wilderness.”
    Elu sighed. “I miss him. He was my friend.”
    An ordinary night came and went, and the next morning dawned bright and beautiful. Warm breezes worked through the streets of Nissaya, sweeping away the stale odors of death and decay. Not only was the black cloud gone, there was not a single cloud of any kind in the sky. A sea of blue hung over their heads, the yellow orb of the sun its only stain.
    The knights and refugees spent long stretches of time clearing away the disturbing debris of the slaughter. There were few bodies or bones, but dented and scarred pieces of black armor were scattered everywhere. Shreds of hair and patches of dried blood served as sickening reminders that carnage of unthinkable proportions had occurred within Nissaya only three weeks before.
    Few dared approach too near the wreckage of the central keep. Smoke still rose from the rubble, and if anyone looked closely enough they could see a swirling face.
    The gates of Balak, Ott, and Hakam had been destroyed, and it would be decades before they could be rebuilt to anything that resembled their former greatness. As a stopgap, the defenders erected wooden fences strong enough to at least slow an assault, even if none were expected.
    Still, not all was unpleasant. The fortress had been outfitted to accommodate more than one hundred thousand, yet only a few thousand now dwelled within the concentric bulwarks. For such a relatively small number there was food, wine, and ale aplenty, and everyone was able to secure luxurious accommodations.
    “Time heals all,” Elu thought. “But in some ways Nissaya will never heal—nor will I.”
    The Svakaran waited . . . and wondered.

9
    Podhana the chieftain, Rati the Asēkha, Bruugash the Pabbajja overlord, and Yama-Deva the snow giant huddled within a ring of torches amid the still-glowing ruins of Uccheda. It amazed Podhana that the snow giant, even