Msaka spent the remainder of that day, as well as the following three, in training. He worked on his spells, focusing mainly on the three new ones he'd learned, but also practiced others, making sure they were in top form. Occasionally, this necessitated a trip out into the desert in order to freely cast his more disruptive and his more secretive spells, and he was careful to avoid the creatures that roamed the sands. Between his skill at both stealth and magic, it didn't prove too difficult. Further, he found that the area around the griffins' nest seemed to remain mostly clear of such nuisances, making the job even easier.

The second night out, he had a run in with a brigand, who suddenly came charging over a dune while Msaka was involved in one of his lengthier spells. Perhaps the assailant thought Msaka would be unable to respond or break the spell he was casting, but he was sorely mistaken. A quick flurry of Lightning Balls greeted his charge, and he quickly fell. More displeased that someone had been observing him than over the attack itself, Msaka nonetheless stripped the scorched body of valuables - after all, the brigand wasn't going to be needing them anymore.

The other element of his training made dealing with the attacker easier as well. While waiting for his mana to return between spellcasting sessions, Msaka made regular stops at the Adventurer's Guild. Both climbing and sparring practice steadily improved his physical abilities, though he still wasn't able to actually beat the guildmaster in melee. While things might have gone differently in their matches if Msaka used his magic, that would have also defeated the purpose. As it was though, he considered the cuts and scrapes he picked up well worth it.

He awoke the following morning, and performed another casting session, letting the flow of magic relax him. Today was the day he'd chosen to finally face the magic shop owner again, and he wanted to be in as good a mood as he could manage before heading there. He had been pushing himself for the last few days, he knew, but there had been little else to do, and it had given him a reason not to go there. All of this work did have a practical benefit as well, of course, even though he preferred not to have to rely on physical skills.

Completing his spells, he left the inn, passing through the gate plaza and down the street to the fountain plaza. Both were filled with merchants as always, and Msaka reflected on the fact that he'd grown used to seeing the bustle of activity in all of the plazas he'd visited. The curious paradox of never passing by anyone in the streets despite this still bothered him, though not as much as it had when he'd first noticed it.

As he passed by the fountain en route to the magic shop, he paused to contemplate what to say to the gnome. He hadn't given it much thought until now, having deliberately avoided thinking about the place as much as possible. Still, it would be wise to know in advance what he was going to ask. If nothing else, it would reduce the length of time he'd be subjected to the gnome's irritating babble. After pondering his possible words for a few moments, he finally settled on a couple of likely questions and resumed walking towards the magic shop's door.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered, glancing around the interior. The bizarre assortment of devices he'd seen before still covered the shelves, and sitting on his floating cloud in the middle of the room, grinning widely, was the gnome.

The gnome opened his mouth to speak, but Msaka had anticipated that and got his own words out first. "You worked with Jafar bin Abbakar to create the gardens in the eastern part of the city," he said quickly. "I want to meet this Jafar or else acquire the spells used to create it. Can you arrange for either?"

"You're seeking Jafar?" the gnome chuckled enthusiastically. "He's quite a star! Known near and far, unlike most guys are!"

"Just answer the question," Msaka sighed.

"The spell? Oh well. Part of it I can sell. Part two, so true, can not be gained by you!" the gnome laughed. "'Course, you know," he continued in a strange, somewhat nasal voice, "I sell more."

"How much?" Msaka asked, doing his best to keep his voice level, and ending up sounding flat.

"Well I'm afraid you'll have to trade for it comrade," the gnome grinned widely. "I've got quite a big range, so it'll have to be strange, whatever the spell you arrange."

"I..." Msaka began, then stopped. Normally he would have flat-out refused the offer, but in this case, it might be worth going ahead with the arrangement - so long as his tribe's secret enchantments weren't up for grabs. What was more, one of the spells the shaman had taught him during their recent communication might be just the type to interest this idiotic creature.

He fixed the gnome with a stare. "I'll give you one - but show me you have the spell I want first."

The gnome casually waved one hand. A smaller cloud appeared in front of his, a rolled up scroll resting on it. "Here the thing is, you magical whiz! And once you are through, I'll give it to you!"

Msaka nodded. He expected it would only take a few moments, and then he'd have what he wanted, or at least part of it. Then he'd have to worry about getting ahold of the other half of the enchantment, but that could wait. Even if he couldn't, half of the enchantments used there might well be worth having even without the rest.

Fortunately, the gnome kept quiet as Msaka passed the shaman's spell along to him, which sped the process considerably and left Msaka feeling less frustrated than he might have been if he'd been constantly interrupted. A few minutes later, he claimed the scroll from the smaller cloud, holding it carefully as he eyed the gnome again.

"What other spells are you offering?" he asked, concerned that the gnome's long period of silence might result in him releasing a long flood of bad rhymes, but hoping for a useful answer nonetheless.

"Another spell, Mel?" the gnome chattered. "Have a list. No, have a few." The gnome cast a spell with a wave of his hand. Sheets of paper to began floating down from the ceiling, quickly covering the floor. Msaka snatched one of them as it fluttered past, quickly scanning the writing on one side.

Seeing several that interested him, he began haggling with the gnome over the prices. While the gnome wasn't very willing to lower his asking price, the preoccupation with defending his going rates seemed to take his mind off of rhymes, at least for a time. Several minutes later, Msaka left the magic shop with far fewer coins in his pouch, but carried three more scrolls along with the first one he'd acquired there. Despite the gnome's prattle, he wasn't even all that irritated, given the success he'd had in getting useful spells.

He quickly returned to the inn, taking care to keep the scrolls from being damaged. Entering his room, he set them gently down on the table and closed the door, locking it securely. Then, he sat down on a pillow next to the table, picked up one of the scrolls, untied it and began to read.