by Jeff Inlo
Chapter 5
Morning broke after an uneventful evening. The elf woke with the first glimmer of light passing through the trees. To his immediate left, upon a thinner branch, he spotted a small nest made from twigs and interwoven branches. It was filled with berries.
The delver sat opposite the elf. Straddling a thick bough, his legs swung freely in the air. His right hand was cupped, holding another pile of the wild fruit. He ate some, some he tossed to birds waiting in the higher branches.
"You've been busy," Lief noted. Apparently, it did not take long for the elf to free himself from the bonds of sleep. Immediately, he was wide awake.
"May I?" Lief asked for permission before helping himself to breakfast.
"Those are all for you," the delver replied with a smile. "I've had more than my share."
Lief brushed specs of bark from his hands before indulging in the fruit. While chewing on the first handful, he allowed himself a moment to cast a glance upon the surrounding forest. "Can I assume there has been no sign of the goblins?"
"Not a one," Ryson replied confidently. "I took the opportunity to do some scouting while you were asleep. I checked the perimeter about forty trees out from here. All I saw were a few deer. They didn't seem to be alarmed by anything, either. They pointed out our breakfast."
"Very good," the elf said and hastily finished the last morsel of fruit within the nest. With casual ease, he stood up upon his perch. One hand rested on the trunk of the large old oak, while the other brushed off his clothes. This ritual complete, his hands found his sword, bow and quiver of arrows. He rearmed himself as he prepared for the coming day. His visage turned grim as he swung about to face the outline of Sanctum mountain.
"We should lose no more time," he said bluntly.
Ryson leapt to his feet with even greater ease than the elf had displayed. He jumped upon a rope thin branch which wavered with his weight. He showed not the slightest imbalance, his knees bending in unison with the swaying branch. "You haven't forgotten what I said last night, have you?"
"I haven't forgotten," the elf replied harshly, almost growling. "You intend to climb Sanctum on your own, regardless of my warnings."
"I'm just looking out for your safety," the delver responded firmly.
The elf grunted, but made not further response. He made it clear he wished to renew their travel as quickly as possible. Without waiting for Ryson's acknowledgment, he began passing across the branches which stretched to the west.
Ryson joined him with a shrug. He also said nothing further, keeping his silence as he hoped not to stir the volatile emotions of his companion.
They moved together, nearly side by side. Ryson no longer led, and Lief no longer followed. The beckoning slopes of Sanctum Mountain became their sole objective, and it called to both of them. They looked to no trail, and followed no path. They simply let the trees and the ever closing outline of Sanctum dictate their steps.
It took little time to complete this last leg of their journey. Even as the sun hung low in the eastern sky, the delver and elf broke through the edges of Dark Spruce Forest. They leapt to the ground and stood upon a rocky clearing of the mountain side.
The days were growing longer and the air warmed quickly. The fallen dew of the previous evening dried hastily in the bright sunlight, especially in this clearing. The rocks and boulders before them were covered more with dust than any remnants of moisture.
After Ryson moved further away from the trees, he paused to check his surroundings. First he looked to the skies. Clear blue greeted him happily. He looked to the tops of the trees to gauge any wind. They rustled with only a small breeze. He then looked to the sparse white clouds which floated lazily through the sky. He judged the higher altitude winds to be no greater than the light breezes which passed through the forest. The delver then knelt and felt the ground. While still somewhat cool from the dew, it was already dry.
"We won't have to worry about any storms, at least for the early part of the day," he stated more to himself than to his companion. "I think it may be warmer than normal for this time of the season, though. The ground holds more and more heat now. And the sun will be bright. I'll have to keep it to my back as I climb in order to maintain a clear view."
The delver then turned his attention to the mountain. He paced about a few steps to his left, then back to his right. He arched his neck to gain different perspectives.
"It won't be a difficult climb at all. It's a steep slope, but it's straight and clean. I can already pick out two or three paths which even a novice climber could handle."
"It was not chosen for its difficult exterior terrain," the elf stated, almost as if responding to an insult. "Shayed and the leaders did not care how difficult it was to climb. It was chosen due to its structure. Sanctum is a mountain with a thick and deep base. Its sides are filled with rock and granite, yet its core is hollow. At the time of the sphere's encasing, the dwarves explained it was an extinct volcano where the opening at the top had collapsed on itself. It would prove the safest place to construct the tiers. The hollow core curbed the amount of digging necessary. The ..."
Ryson interrupted the elf before he could continue. "Will you look at that!"
Lief was taken aback as he tried to follow the delver's gaze, but could see nothing aside from the rocky side of the mountain. "What is it?"
"The path of the quake," Ryson responded hurriedly. His head darted back and forth and all around. He looked back to the trees and then back up the side of the mountain. He turned and paced in circles, always examining the landscape. He shook his head in displeasure with his own carelessness. "I can't believe it took me so long to see that."
"See what?!" Lief asked desperately. The elf stood in place but looked about with great alarm. He crouched ever so slightly and put a hand upon the bow which remained over his shoulder. As his eyes darted back and forth across the surrounding grounds, he could not find the origin of Ryson's dismay. "What are you looking at?!" he demanded again, hoping to uncover the source of any threat.
Ryson, for the most part, disregarded the elf's agitation. Instead, he concentrated upon the source of his misgivings. He spoke to himself, bitterly and scornfully, trying to place the past events in orderly form. "I was on the trail of the tremor. When I saw the goblins and then heard your story, I was more interested in other things. I forgot what brought me here. That's really no excuse. I can't believe it. It's been right in front of me all this time!"
"What has been in front of you?" the elf nearly shouted, but still uncertain as to any imminent danger, he kept his voice as guarded as his emotions would allow.
The delver turned a near disbelieving gaze upon the elf. "Can't you see it? It's what brought us here. The quake! It started from here! Look at the mountain. Look at the unsettled ground going up the slope. Look at those cracks. That's the greatest disturbance we've seen yet. Follow it down to the forest. Look at some of the trees! That one's fallen over. Look at that one, it's almost completely uprooted. Look at the leaves and branches on the ground. That damage is fresh."
Lief took his hand from his bow, now certain that the delver's dismay came not from a pack of goblins, but from the signs in the land. He looked to everything Ryson pointed out. The signs were not as clear to an elf, but he could not deny them.
"Yes, I see," Lief responded with renewed alarm. "The very ground here has been shaken badly. But are you sure this is where the quake began? Could you be mistaken?"
"I doubt it. I'm almost positive." The delver's neck arched back toward the mountain as he pointed to signs so obvious to him. "Look at how the disturbance runs down the mountain. Look there, a large deposit of small rocks and stones caught by that boulder. That's a fresh avalanche. There's another one over there."
Ryson pointed to several different locations as Lief followed the directions with growing confusion. He could not interpret these findings with the same degree of certainty. Certain aspects appeared like not
hing more than piles of sparse rocks.
The delver, however, showed not the slightest hint of doubt. He spoke with the continued shrill of excitement hinging upon his voice. He had indeed found what he had been searching for, found that which the Reader Matthew asked him to search out; discovered it almost by accident, but he found it none the less.
"The rocks and stones are scattered in different directions. By the looks of the trees, the tremor was much more powerful here. Certainly stronger than when it hit Connel. This has to be the origin. I wonder how Matthew would react to this news."
Acknowledging the delver's expertise, Lief accepted Ryson's claim. He could not know how such news would affect a human follower of the Book of Godson, but he knew his own reflections. It brought little solace, and left him with greater concern. If a tremor rose from this place, a place of great significance to all in the land of Uton, it was important to know how and why. Lief's voice turned cold and even more demanding. "Can you tell what might have caused it?"
Ryson shook his head. "It looks pretty natural to me. I'm not sure I can even pinpoint... Wait a minute. There it is!"
Lief tried once more to follow Ryson's eyes to the source of attention. He was unsuccessful and frustration poured from him.
"There's what?" the elf charged bitterly.
The excitement of discovery filled the delver. He spoke with a quick tongue. "Roughly thirty degrees down from the summit on the southern slope. Do you see the indentation?"
Lief brought his hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from any glare bouncing off the mountainside. "No, I don't see anything." His reply was sour and filled with growing impatience. Finally, thankfully, his eyes penetrated the same area revealed to the delver. "Ah, yes. Yes I do."
"That's a definite break," the delver exclaimed. "Look at the shadows. Look at how the sunlight fails to reflect at certain points. That's because there's nothing there. It may be nothing more than a deep crater, but it may also be a complete split into the core."
In search of more information and now dismayed over the visible break in Sanctum's side, Lief remained eager for answers. "Can you tell anything else from here?"
For the first time, Ryson turned his attention completely upon the elf. As a scout, it was his job… his duty, to provide the most needed information to those that asked for his assistance. "What do you want me to look for?"
Relieved that the delver finally gave him true attention, Lief spoke with a more controlled tone. "I want to know why the breach is there. I want to know what caused it."
Ryson nodded his head in acceptance of the task. Before he answered, however, he posed a question to the elf. He did so for reasons not quite clear.
"What do you think might have caused this?"
"I do not know," Lief responded sternly. "That is why we are here."
"But you're afraid of something, aren't you?"
"Of course I am!" the elf stormed. "We have found a breach in the mountain! It reaffirms why the magic is free, but it does not explain why. What if it is the work of a mountain shag? What if the sphere is now in its hands?! That is what I am afraid of! Do you see any signs up there which can tell you what caused the breach or don't you?"
"Not from here," the delver replied. "But I intend to take a closer look. I want to ask you one more question before I go. Where did the dwarves seal the original entrance? Was it near the same spot?"
"No," the elf answered stoically. "According to elflore, the entrance was at the peak. It opened directly into the center of the mountain and down to the upper most tier. That breach is too low in the mountain."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure!" Agony dripped from the elf's very words. "Why do you persist on asking me?"
"Because something's calling me from up there, something at the top. I felt it ever since you told me that story, but I don't think it's the quake anymore. It's something else. I think it has to do with when they sealed the cave. I need to see it."
For Lief, impatience transformed into concern, as if the finding of the breach was not enough. The elf looked to the delver guardedly. "I do not like to hear that. In truth, I don't know what it means, but I saw what happened the last time you felt such an urging and went off your original track. You walked into the undead, do you remember?"
"Of course I remember. I smelled the decay of the flesh. I think I also sensed the magic which revived that thing. That's what I followed. But this is different. It's not something I can smell, see or hear. It's something else. Something inside of me is telling me to get to the top of that mountain."
"You put me in a very difficult position," Lief stated anxiously. "I need you to explore the breach. Unfortunately, I also know how keen your senses are. Whatever is calling you may be just as important. It may hold the answers to my questions. Time, however, is becoming an issue. My people need to be told of what I have found. Should you forget, goblins are appearing in this land. An unwarranted delay may prove deadly."
"I don't know what to tell you," Ryson replied honestly. "I know I have to check out that crater up there. I even want to explore it. I can't imagine what I might find if it leads to within the hollow of the mountain. Still, I know there's something else I must see, something at the peak."
"Then, I will offer but one plausible solution to both our problems. You go on ahead up the mountain, and I will follow."
"Wait a minute, I don't ..."
The elf erupted. His anger boiled over. "No! I will not wait! Last night you made it very clear to me you would do as you please and there was nothing I could do about it. Now, I am telling you the same thing! You can not prevent me from following you. I will not stay here just because you say so! I will make my own decisions just as you have. Now, if you let me finish my proposal, you will understand what I offer."
Ryson did not argue. He bit back any anger of his own.
"Go ahead," he said simply.
The elf continued through heavy breaths. "You wish to explore a part of this mountain which may or may not hold importance to us. I wish to find out what has caused the breach and if there is any indication of the sphere's presence. I will follow you up the mountain, but I will not hold you up. You will go forth at your best speed and reach the breach first. Examine what you will, but be careful. We must both remember that there are secrets hidden in this mountain that neither of us may understand. If you complete your investigation before I have reached the rupture and you feel there is nothing which alarms you, continue on your quest up the mountain. Find whatever it is you seek, but do not delay. While you are exploring the top of this mountain, I will examine the break for myself. I will make my own judgments. If I find something which raises my concern, I may not wait for you. I may leave to warn the other elves."
The delver considered the proposal for but a heartbeat. He could not debate its logic or its merit. "I understand, and I guess I can't really argue with any of that."
"No, you can not. Now, let us go. We've wasted enough time as it is."
With nothing further to say, both elf and delver began moving up the mountain. The climb was fairly easy with few obstacles, but within an instant the delver quickly pulled away from his slower companion. Even as the grade of the slope increased, Ryson bounded forward as if he were moving over flat, smooth ground.
For Lief's part, the elf moved gracefully at times, but it was apparent that rocky slopes were not the trees of Dark Spruce. He stepped with more conviction and with less ease. He labored at times with the steep grade. It was also difficult for him to keep his attention purely on the climb. The smooth movements of the delver were certainly a spectacle to see. Lief took his focus away from his own footing more than once to marvel at Ryson's speed and agility.
Ryson stopped every now and then to check his surroundings. He took heed of the elf's warnings and made sure he would not stumble upon anything blindly. He checked for loose dust in the air which might signal movement ahead of him, and he
listened intently for sliding rocks. He sensed nothing. He peered down to the forest and watched carefully for any signs of goblins. He smelled the clean warm air, and in everything, he sensed no sign of danger.
He took time to check the ground and saw the great disturbance in the soil. He was now certain that the quake which rolled through Connel must have originated from this mountain. Still, everything he examined appeared natural. He saw no signs of man-made tunneling, no sign of digging or of excavating. The fallen rocks, the loose soil, the raised ground; all appeared the natural result of a powerful tremor.
As Ryson moved to within range of the crater, he took a position behind a large boulder. He pulled his spyscope from his belt and made his first examination from a safe distance.
The hole in the side of the mountain was as tall as two men and almost as wide. The sunlight cascaded in at an angle and lit up the western edge of the break. From where he stood, he could not see a bottom to this crater. Instead, it formed more of a cave entrance. He knew it was very deep, he just did not know how far it traveled.
He circled about the opening before approaching. Remaining ever careful of ambush, he continued to sense not a shred of danger. He stopped at several points to take a look into the opening, but still he could not see the bottom of this crevice.
Finally, secure that no danger of ambush existed, he stepped up directly to the breach. He stopped right at the foot of the opening and peered deep into its center. The break formed a tunnel which apparently bore clean through. It dove through the rock at a forty-five degree angle and continued far beyond the delver's vision. Nothing but darkness welcomed his sight.
Ryson knelt and checked the rim of the opening. The soil was still loose, but the surrounding rock felt sturdy, and there was no threat of collapse. He stood and felt the top as well as the sides, still checking the integrity and soundness of the rock.
Secure that the tunnel would not collapse around him, the delver began to step down into the crevice. He took several steps forward into the shadows. He bent his knees slightly to compensate for the downward pitch of the floor.
Out of the sunlight, he let his keen vision adjust to the dark. He soon could see further into this newly created passage. It formed a long cavern which continued far and deep down through the mountain. It curved ahead of him, thus he could not see its ultimate destination.
He paused briefly for a quick examination of the interior walls. He examined the sides of the cavern and noted their texture. They showed no sign of being disturbed by tools or explosion. Shovels and picks always made definite breaks, but the surrounding walls were almost smooth, as if one solid cylinder broke through the wall in one mighty burst. Explosions leave smoke residue and burn marks, but he found neither.
Ryson took a few more cautious steps forward. Unknowingly, he slammed into an unseen barrier. The unexpected impact dropped him to the seat of his pants. He slid slightly down the slope of the cavern floor until again he hit the same unseen barrier with his feet.
Surprised, the delver swung his head back and forth trying to find an answer. He saw nothing behind him. Ahead was nothing more than the continued path of the tunnel. He was alone in the cavern, yet something had dropped him to the ground. That something remained directly in front of him.
From a sitting position, he reached out his arms and his palms pushed flat against an invisible wall. He pushed at the barrier, gently at first, then with greater force. The unseen wall would not give. He lifted a leg and placed his foot against it. He used all the leverage he could muster, but still the barrier held him back.
"What in the name of Godson in this?" he muttered to himself as he struggled against the slope to return to a standing position.
Again, he reached out and found the barrier with his hands. He followed it from left to right and found that it extended from wall to wall. He continued moving his hands about, trying to find a hole or a break. None existed. It appeared to cover the entire width of the passage.
Ryson stepped back and glanced around his feet. He spied a small stone and picked it up. With a slight flick of his wrist, he gently cast the stone at the barrier. It was an amazing sight. The stone floated through the air until it hit the barrier. It jolted to a stop in midair and dropped straight to the ground. It barely made a sound upon impact with the invisible wall, but its thud upon reaching the ground echoed through the crevice. Shaking his head with puzzlement, he turned and climbed back out into the open air. He stood outside the crevice considering what he had found. He could not, however, divine a reasonable explanation.
Of course, the unreasonable reared up with disturbing possibilities. Magic. Was this yet one more case of something he could not fathom? He was growing weary of such explanations. Just once, he would have hoped to venture upon something of a more conventional nature, something which might not seem so implausible.
Ryson wondered if Lief might explain this phenomenon. He checked the elf's progress. The elf was closing on his position, yet he was still several paces away.
Ryson sighed. He looked further up the mountain. He continued to sense a strong attraction from a point near the top. He felt no danger, only a summoning. The pull was strong, and he greatly desired to move further up the mountain. The existence of the barrier, however, created an anchor which kept him in place. He waited at the mouth of the crevice until the elf reached him.
Lief did not appear winded by the climb. He stepped up to Ryson with diligence, and he immediately noted the concern on the delver's face.
"What have you found?" the elf demanded.
"I'm really not sure," the delver responded without shame in admitting his confusion. "I started checking out the hole and I couldn't see the bottom. I wanted to see if it led all the way into the mountain, so I started walking into it."
Lief listened carefully as he stepped up to the break in the mountain wall. He peered into the shadows as Ryson continued.
"I got a few steps inside," the delver explained, "then I hit something. It was like a wall, but it's invisible."
If the presence of the invisible barrier alarmed the elf, he did not show it. It was the breach which held his concentration, a break in a mountain which was supposed to be indestructible. "Did you see anything or anyone? Did you hear anything?"
"Didn't see or hear anything," Ryson responded simply.
Lief would wait not a second more before further examination of the tunnel.
"Let's take a look," he stated bluntly.
The elf stepped slowly forward. Ryson followed behind.
Ryson pointed to an area a few paces forward. "The barrier's just ahead."
Lief stopped before he took more than three steps into the crevice.
"What's wrong?" the delver asked pensively.
"Don't you feel it?" the elf's agitation was clearly apparent on his face. His hands shook slightly and he wrung them together as if hoping to remove an unwanted film.
"Feel what?" Ryson questioned as he watched the elf with growing concern.
The elf's voice remained firm, but within his tone of both strength and impatience, a hint of fear became noticeable for the first time. "The magic. It is pouring out of this hole."
"You can feel it?"
"Yes. Yes, I can. This does not bode well. I should not stay here for long. Quickly, show me this barrier."
The two continued forward. Ryson walked with outstretched arms until he found the invisible wall.
Lief walked up to it and examined it quickly.
"It is a force field," he stated. "It will block our path. We don't have the power to break it. Long ago, magic casters surrounded themselves with these invisible fields of energy to protect themselves from arrows and stones. They could concentrate upon their spells and release them through the force field. It will keep us out, but it won't prevent the energy from flowing to the outside. That's why the magic is able to escape. Follow me now. We need to get back to the free air."
&nbs
p; Lief stepped quickly upward. As he broke out into daylight, he stepped to a safe distance away from the breach.
"Are you alright?" Ryson asked with obvious concern as he followed.
"Yes, the magic is more dispersed out here, but none of this bodes well. The power of the sphere is being funneled out of the mountain through that crevice. It is just as I feared. Unfortunately, I still don't know why. I can only imagine that some horrid creature has found the power to dig through the mountain and break through the diamond walls. It must be down there now directing the power through the tunnel it made."
"I don't think so," Ryson responded. "I checked the walls of the tunnel. It didn't look like a dig. Also, the force which made it pushed out from within the mountain, not from here inward."
The elf's frown grew just as his eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. I saw the way the rock was broken. All the angles indicate the force came from the inside and pushed out."
"But that doesn't make any sense. I know the sphere is still inside there. I can feel the magic pouring out. Why would this cavern exist if that is so? If it was used as an escape route to take the sphere to a safe place, I would understand. But the sphere is still there!"
"I can't explain it. I just know what I saw."
"Fire upon all of this!" the elf said in frustration. "This has become too much for me. I need counsel. I must return to my camp and explain what we have seen. Although I am already in debt to your service, I ask that you accompany me. You will help me in forcing the truth upon them."
"I'll go," Ryson said quickly, "but I want you to come with me up the mountain first. There's something up there I need to see. I think you might need to see it as well."
Lief actually groaned. The weight of his problems became more visible with each second. He shook his hands out in front of him as he animated his consternation.
"We do not have time to go on a delver hunt! Don't you understand what we've found?! Sanctum has been breached! We do not yet know why or by whom."
"The answer may lie up there," the delver replied, taking no offense at the elf's outburst. While he had only known Lief for little more than a day, Ryson already accepted the fiery spirit of the elf's personality.
Lief eyed the delver harshly. "Fire upon you! Now you leave me no choice. I could not leave now if I wanted to! I'm aware of your powers and your great senses. By telling me an answer is so close, I could not do anything but follow you to whatever you seek! I only hope what you say is true. To waste time now may be more than foolish, it may be fatal." The elf paused. He sighed and groaned simultaneously. He brought one hand to his forehead as if trying to wipe away his problems. When he spoke again, his tone was forceful, yet sincere. "I will not hang that upon you, though. I will only ask you to probe deeply that which you feel. Is it merely curiosity to a story I spoke of which attracts you, or is it something more? Examine closely! Do you truly believe it is something related to what we now face or is it simply the hold of a legend?"
Ryson took the request with great seriousness. He shut his eyes and stood perfectly still. He cleared his mind of all other thoughts. He focused upon the far off sensation which beckoned him to climb further up the mountain. He seized it with every fiber of his being. This was something his father taught him long ago. It was the only way for a delver of his powers to choose a single path when many called to him. This deep and pure moment of pointed concentration allowed Ryson to truly judge that which held the greatest importance. He had done it before, but he had never experienced what happened at that moment.
A voice spoke out in his mind. It was not his. It spoke softly, yet with authority. It was most definitely the voice of a woman, but it was a voice he had never heard before.
"You must come now," the voice said simply. Nothing further.
The delver's eyes shot open. He swerved around and looked up to the peak of Sanctum.
"We have to get up there now," he said with a great sense of urgency.
Lief showed no sign of disappointment at the decision. He noted the look of astonishment on the delver's face, but did not ask for further explanation. He accepted the delver's decision without hesitancy.
"Then let us go now," the elf said simply.
Lief and Ryson scampered further up the mountain without another word. Ryson slowed his pace, refrained from breaking into a full gallop which would have surely left the elf behind. He wished the elf to accompany him, to remain at his shoulder. He did not know why, but he knew that they should reach the top together.
As they rounded a corner ledge and stepped up to a level platform at the top of the mountain, an answer presented itself. It offered explanation for the voice in Ryson's mind just as it muddled his perception of reality to an even greater extent.
Standing upon the open ground, or perhaps floating would better describe it, the ghostly form of a woman greeted the two with silent appreciation. The spiritual outline was undeniable, as was the joyful rapture which accented her dream-like countenance. She cast no shadow even as she stood in direct sunlight. Her form was ethereal, intangible. The outline of rocks behind her was visible through every span of her silhouetted figure.
Not a shred of her person carried any hint of color. Whiteness of different shades cast the different parts of her body, gave her form greater identity. Her facial features were distinguishable, but they remained softened, almost blurred by the lack of any true substance. Her flowing gown simply glittered and shimmered in the sunlight. Not even her long hair displayed a trace of anything besides white; not brown, nor blonde. If Ryson held any images of a ghostly spirit, this would certainly fit.
Lief traveled only slightly behind Ryson. When he came into sight of the apparition, he froze. He could not find his voice to speak. His feet anchored him in place.
Ryson, while also jolted with overwhelming awe, was not quite as affected. He moved a careful step closer, for the figure appeared to welcome them. He was unaware of Lief's frozen state. His attention, his every sensation, focused on the incomprehensible figure before him. It was a magnet for all his curiosities.
It was at that moment that the delver noticed the pointed tips of the spirit's ears. Even with the ill-defined edges of the apparition's silhouette, this trait was undeniable. If this truly was a ghost, it was the spirit of an elf.
Unsure of exactly what to say, Ryson's first words rambled out somewhat randomly.
"I felt something calling me. Actually I heard a voice call me up here. I believe it was your voice. I hope it was your voice." An honest statement, for somehow the delver knew it was an honor to be acknowledged by this benevolent apparition.
"Indeed, it was," the spirit said with a continued beaming smile. "I am Shayed."