The rest of Msaka's trip to the Adventurers' Guild was uneventful, and he soon found himself pushing open its door. As he stepped inside, he saw that the interior was as dark as it had been during his second visit. He closed the door and stood quietly for several moments, letting his eyes adjust to the place's dim lighting. He wondered briefly how other visitors, whose night vision wasn't as sharp as his, managed to see what they were doing in here. "The guildmaster must have sensitive eyes himself," he concluded. "Although since he spends so much time in places like this, that is probably to be expected."

As he waited, he heard a faint, momentary scraping sound from the room on the right - what would be the weapons room in the Shapierian guild. Quietly, he paced towards it, trying to determine what it might be. Nearing the doorway, he heard an equally faint grunt, as if someone was lifting a heavy object. Curious as to what might be occurring, he quietly parted the bead curtain covering the doorway and peered through it into the side chamber.

The room beyond was similarly dimly lit, with only two small lamps at either end shedding their faint illumination across the area. In those flickering shadows, Msaka could make out the rather bizarre design of the place. It was similar in its cave-like appearance to the main room, but seemed to have been enhanced with stalactites and stalagmites scattered about, as well as a highly uneven and multi-levelled floor area. A small stand near the door held a small collection of weapons, all of which were fairly small and light - apparently suited for fighting in such an obstacle-filled location.

Even more oddly, the opposite wall and part of the ceiling featured several holes, each perhaps two or three feet in diameter. What little he could see of them before the lamp light petered out showed them to be similarly uneven, though at least they weren't filled with the standing and hanging pillars of stone that permeated the room itself.

There was no sign of the guildmaster in the chamber. Msaka considered the possibility that he'd crawled into one of the holes, and quickly concluded that it was the only possible place the noises could have come from. Gingerly, he started picking his way through the room, being careful not to collide with any of the protruding pieces of rock. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard another grunt come from one of the two ceiling holes, and spotted a faint glimmer of light coming from somewhere inside it.

"This man is truly obsessed," Msaka thought. "Perhaps I should leave before his madness can afflict me."

Before he could decide on a course of action, a rope suddenly flopped down from above, its end swaying freely over the floor under the hole. Msaka backed away a short distance, uncertain what to expect next.

Some minor noises came from the tunnel, then the rope began to sway in a much smaller pattern that suggested it was being climbed upon. "Here he comes," Msaka realized. "I suppose it is too late to leave now."

A few moments later, the form of the guildmaster descended into view, half climbing and half sliding down the rope. He was obviously prepared for climbing about in tunnels, as he was wearing clothing that was fairly tight so as to avoid it getting caught on things, but made of thick fabric, presumably to make it resistant to tearing. Several tools were attached to his belt and harness. From what Msaka remembered of the books on cave exploration he had read, they were various implements useful in navigating tunnels. The guildmaster was also wearing an odd-looking helmet with a large, lit candle affixed to the front. Apparently, this was the source of the light that Msaka had seen above, though it did far less to illuminate the much larger room that the guildmaster had now descended into.

Msaka hung back in the shadows as the guildmaster reached the ground and cast his gaze around the room. "Who's about?" the guildmaster asked, speaking up a bit more than he had during Msaka's previous visits.

"I am here," Msaka said, stepping forward into the light. "I had intended to ask you about recent events, but it would seem that you are..." He paused, looking at the equipment the guildmaster was wearing. "Busy with your hobby."

"One must keep in practice," the guildmaster grinned. "Still, I can spare a few moments if there's something you want to know about! That's what I'm here for, after all."

Msaka stared for a moment longer, then nodded. "Very well then. What do you know about the water being restored?"

The guildmaster rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. "Oh yes!" he grinned. "From what I've heard, someone has diverted one of those underground rivers to feed into the fountain! My thoughts turned immediately to you, given your earlier interest in the subject, but you'd also said you had no way to find them. Did you perhaps discover a way and perform the deed? The guards have declined to comment other than that whoever is responsible has been duly rewarded."

"Duly rewarded?" Msaka thought, managing not to scowl at the notion. "Duly rewarded by no reward at all?" He shook his head and cleared his throat, then spoke again, keeping his tone neutral. "I'm sure they have been," he said. "But it was no magic of mine that found the river. So now that you have proof that the rivers are there, are you planning to go down and explore them?" Technically, he wasn't lying about the second claim - the elemental had found the river, he'd only given it the order to do so.

The guildmaster rubbed his hands together a second time, but more slowly and deliberately than before. "I've thought of that of course, but I'm not sure how I'd fight against the current. I may need to send word to Aziza of Shapier, or one of the other noted experts in water magic, and ask if they have any solutions to the problem. It'd be little use to try going down there if I just get shot back out by the force of the water."

Msaka glanced quickly around the room, then returning his attention to the guildmaster. "I could ask her when I return there," he offered. "I will be leaving for Shapier tomorrow."

The guildmaster smiled widely, his teeth white enough that they almost glittered in the flickering candlelight. "Would you? I'd consider it a tremendous favor if you would, sir! It'll save me both the time and trouble of sending a message."

Msaka was quite certain that he'd end up talking to Aziza one way or another when he returned to Shapier, so telling her about the guildmaster's request wouldn't be likely to take him out of his way. "Yes, I will," he replied. "I'm certain that she will find some way to help you."

"Thank you again!" the guildmaster grinned. "In return, let me give you something. Come out to the front room."

Msaka followed the guildmaster out, then waited as he disappeared into the back for several minutes. When the guildmaster returned, he was holding a rather plain looking, though well polished, gold neck chain. "It's not much to look at, but it might help you if you ever go spelunking yourself. It has a small enchantment that wards off falling rocks, which can be life saving if something falls from a cave roof. Now, it won't stop you from being buried if a full cave in happens, but you won't be directly struck, and the stones will be held back a few inches. That might let you employ other magic to escape or failing that, give you a chance to be dug out in one piece."

The guildmaster held it out. Msaka took it and examined it closely. Despite its unremarkable appearance, he could sense the enchantment within it. He had no plans to go poking around in caves anytime soon, but it was decorative enough to wear regardless. Silently, he slipped it around his neck, then looked back at the guildmaster. "Thank you," he said. "Though I hope I do not have to test its power."

"Likewise," the guildmaster nodded. "Well, I'm sure you've got to prepare yourself for the trip, so I won't keep you any longer. Still, if there's anything else you need to know before you leave, I'll be around."

"Fare well then," Msaka nodded. He turned and strode to the door, smiling slightly. For the amount of effort it would take him to deliver the message, the neck chain was a valuable reward indeed.