After Wuya had packed up the bag just as it had been, minus the Dragon-Book, she decided to leave it exactly where she had found it. If she took the bag back to their room and the book was found to be missing, he would naturally ask about it, and that was to be avoided. Chase wasn't stupid.

She hid the Dragon-Book inside her robes for the walk back, one arm across her stomach to hold in place, the other cupping the base of her candle. She hoped that she wouldn't encounter Dashi again until it was properly hidden, and so walked quickly, practically running. When she got to her sleeping place, heart racing, she quickly undid her sash and made the book's transition from under-blouse to under-pillow as short as possible, watching Chase's closed eyes to make sure he didn't wake.

The Dragon-Book sparked as she removed her hand. "You leave him alone," she hissed at it. "We've got things to do, and we need him well for them so stop it, whatever you're doing!" She felt foolish, for a moment, but then it sparked again, more subdued, and Chase sat up with a cry. Wuya shoved the pillow down hard on top of the Dragon-Book. "Chase?" she asked nervously, and crawled closer to him. "How do you feel?"

Chase took a deep shaky breath. "Like I tried to lift the sea into the air, and then it all fell on me." He grinned. "But we're not drowned, so I suppose that didn't happen?"

"Not in so many words." She smiled, relieved that he was at least awake. "You should rest for a while longer, though - we'll need you strong if we try to make a passage." The bad light made it hard to see his eye colour, so she picked up the candle to bring it closer.

He jerked back. "What are you doing?"

"Checking something. Hold still." She peered at his face, looking for the sign she had seen earlier. His pupils narrowed as the light got closer, but that was a good thing. She sighed in relief. "Looks like you've recovered."

Chase squeezed his eyes shut. "Except now you've blinded me," he said, and began to consider his symptoms. "I don't have the headache I had earlier..." he started.

"How did you seal Dojo into that crate?" Wuya suddenly asked, beginning her interrogation.

Chase blinked. "There was a spell in the book I found in the other dragon's lair," he said. "At first I couldn't understand the words - there were titles in Chinese, but nothing else was - but then it said something and I suddenly could." He shrugged. "Then I did the spell, and then the island started shaking."

"It said something?"

"It was like a voice in my head. Why are you asking me, anyway?" Chase looked at her curiously. "And why did you tell me not to say anything to Dashi right before I blacked out?"

She looked away, bringing her knees up ready to stand. "You stay here and rest - I need to go and see what needs to be done to get us out of here." She started to leave.

"Wait!" Chase cried, scrambling up to try and catch her. "What's going on? Why aren't you answering?" He tripped over the blanket as he moved forward, but Wuya caught him under the armpits before he could hit the floor.

"Later, I promise," she said, feeling bad for it. Maybe would she would explain - but only after examining the book.

She hoisted him up high enough to hug, and he took a while to find his feet again. "Maybe I do need to rest some more," he admitted, wrapping his arms around her waist for support and casually kissing her cheek. She stepped back when he was balanced again, and he sat back on his pallet. "Make sure you call if you need me," he called after her, his eyes starting to close already.

&o

"How did I do this again?" Wuya asked, holding the wriggling Shen Gong Wu with both hands in an attempt to stop it from escaping.

"Just say its name, and you turn into a ghost," Dashi said, hovering over her in case she let go.

"What was its name again?"

"The Serpent's Tail. Ready?"

"I'll never be ready," mumbled Wuya, but she got a better grip on the Shen Gong Wu and prepared none the less. "Serpent's Tail! Ahh!" It dragged her now-ghostly-self into the air, but it did obey when she tried to pull it downwards, resulting in a very ungracious dive into the ground.

Once underground, the Serpent's Tail started to behave itself, allowing her to direct its movements. She held herself still for a moment to probe the ground with her element, unsure of how she would find anything. Perhaps it would be clearer if she could look at the bubble from the outside? She tried to find an end to her elemental feeling, sure that the sea would be there.

There was a great heat in one direction, a source of earth-power that left Wuya feeling dazed by its effect. Everything seemed... more, in this form. Greater reach, greater sense... It might be because she was 'in her element', of course. She struck away from the heat, aiming for the sea. When she reached it, it was like a candle pinched out - she suddenly couldn't feel the earth any more.

She could see the island, however. It seemed she'd been quite messy covering it - it looked less like a bubble than the aftermath of a landslide. It was far, far below the surface, and as she looked into the distance she saw no rise before so much dark water faded to blue-black inkiness, the light above failing to illuminate this far down.

Floating freely in the sea, her ghostly hair fanning behind her, she swam back toward the island. She couldn't find anything like this - her vision didn't stretch far enough. Perhaps Dashi had something to let her see through the murk? The thought struck her pride, but she endevoured to shake the feeling away. It was no good to hang onto pride and waste time, not in an emergency like this.

She phased through the warm, still settling rock that held her home together, striking through into air. But it wasn't the air over the island - no, that would be brighter. It was a different air. Deciding to test it, she deactivated the Shen Gong Wu and took a tentative breath. It seemed to be safe, if smelly... Perhaps smaller bubbles had escaped during her ordeal, and had become trapped as the rock set?

"Serpent's Tail!" she called again, and fell downward into the light.

&o

"Falcon's Eye!" she said, unused to the sensation of speaking without air. The murk now only hindered her right eye, her left being covered by the ornate eyepiece. Now she could see all the way to a wall of rock - possibly land. She lifted the Serpent's Tail above her head, letting it drag her to the surface.

She screamed with pain when the midday sun hit her eye, and almost lost her grip on the Shen Gong Wu. Looking down didn't help - the water reflected the strong sunlight. Hastily, she pressed the Falcon's eye into place, hoping that it would let her see through the glare. It did, so she took a deep breath and looked for land. There! The floating shadow of the mainland, just the same as it looked from the northern shore. Had looked, she corrected grimly.

Careful to keep the correct orientation, she dove down again, looking for the bubble. Now she needed a passage. It was only a few miles - surely there would be something.

&o

Underground was warm and comfortable, Wuya found as she swam through the rock, looking as far from the sea as possible. The more solid rock between the air and the sea, the better.

Suddenly, closer to the great heat than she had been before, she struck through into air. She let herself become solid again after checking that there was space for her whole body, and found that it was indeed a tunnel. It was almost overbearingly hot, but the air wa breathable, which would be good enough if it stretched all the way she wanted it to.

The Falcon's Eye wasn't the only extra Shen Gong Wu that she had picked up when she went back. The other would be of use now, so she dropped them and slipped her feet inside. "Fancy Feet!" she called, and ran northwards.