Chapter 7

Green flame circled Wuya's hands, and they became transparent. She then thrust them at, and into, Raimundo's chest! There, she started to shoot her Heylin fire into the boy's internal organs! The pain was worse than being burnt alive, maybe even worse than Hell itself! Rai screamed out in torturous agony, wanting to die…ANYTHING to make the pain stop.

A cry soon answered his own, but he had no strength to pay attention. Wuya however, stopped her attack; turning toward the sound she raised her fist in anger.

She was not going to stop her! She almost had the boy right where she wanted him. He had a power that …she wouldn't even think about it. When she had given him the power, she had never thought he would be able to remember his past. It was foolish of her, but it had been a good idea at the time.

In Rai, the pain brought a feeling of déjà vu, unleashing sporadic recollections. Suddenly, a memory opened up. The memory of what occurred, right after Wuya's initial defeat:

"What are you going to do now? You ran away like a weak dog!"

"The fox who knows when to run away, lives to fight another day, remember that Raimundo."

"Whatever, but how will you defeat them?"

"I…won't. You will."

"Me?"

"With this!" Wuya opened a box made of ancient teak wood. Inside, was a small orb, about the size of a large marble. Surrounding it, was an iron cast dragon, and the cloudy orb shined a rotation of four colors: blue, green, red, and silver.

"What is it?"

"This is the Four Dragons' Soul, the strongest of all Shen Gong Wu."

Rai's eyes shined like stars. He reached to grab the Wu, but the sorceress pulled it back. "Huh?"

"Let me explain first. The only reason I can't use it, is because that loser, Dashi, put a curse on me: That I would never be able to use it in my human form. I can't even pick it up in my ghost form, so it's utterly useless to me. But in your hands, it can reach its full potential. But first, you must swear to me your heart's loyalty."

"Sure thing, now can I have it?"

She then reached in and gave it to him. He smiled, "Thanks Wuya, but you've just made the biggest mistake of your life." She didn't understand, until he said, "TYPHOON BOOM—Wind!"

As she flew backward, as if a tornado had hit her, she realized the Servant of Wind had done a double-cross! How dare he do that to her! She would have made him her pawn: he would have had control of the Four Dragons' Soul, and she would control him. Now with this latest development, it was obvious that he wasn't going to be her puppet willingly. But she wouldn't give that treasure up as easily as the others, she would control him body and soul, even if she had to beat and break him into submission…

He remembered secretly searching many hours through the archives about the strongest Wu, Four Dragons' Soul. His remembered his frustration at countless dead ends. His final breakthrough of Dashi's journal…him not wanting to get his friends involved…faking his anger and impatience during the Mala Mala Jong incident…joining Wuya…having to stand to see the hurt on his friends faces as he "betrayed" them…baring to see Kimiko's pain in her eyes…

He just couldn't wait to return to them, with the fruits of his labors. To explain everything…and to confront his feelings for—

Wuya had struck him suddenly with her power, which was much stronger than his, knocking him out cold.

When he awoke, he was in a cold cavern, strapped by his arms and legs, to a lab table. He was bare-chested and barefoot, in the chilly air. There was darkness all around, and only one single light shown, straight into his eyes.

Suddenly the echo of cold laughter filled the air, this laughter, he knew.

"Wuya! Show your ugly face! I'm not scared of you!"

Suddenly her icy, clawed hand touched his shoulder, making him jump. She grabbed his jaw in a vice grip, and yanked his head to the right to face her. Smiling a cruel grin, she said, "Oh, You will be young one. You will be…"

He jerked out of her grip, as she let go and headed around to the front of the table. She continued to speak, "You are not only a traitor Raimundo, but you had the guts to double-cross--ME!"

It was his turn to smirk. "You didn't think I actually bought all that crap you were feeding me did you? I was a spy all the time. Just admit it! You got conned Wuya!"

"No, my young friend... It was you who got 'conned'."

Rai couldn't understand what she meant.

"You entered into an oral pact with me by swearing your heart's loyalty…I intend to make you keep that vow."

He snarled in her face, "There is no way I would ever give you my loyalty, witch! I don't care what you do to me!"

She laughed a horrid cackle, "You think you have a choice?"

She took out something from her robes…something he recognized. "The Four Dragons' Soul!"

"You want this badly don't you? You gave up your friends, your career, and…if I'm not mistaken…the young Japanese love of your life?"

Rai looked at her in shock! "How did you-?"

"I've seen your brain remember?"

"You ' bruja'!"

She shook her head in mock concern, "Such language, for such a young man."

He heaved in anger, as she continued, "Well since you want it so much, I'm going to give it to you. I'm going to make sure you keep it…for always." She leaned in close to his face, and traced circles on his bare chest with a single claw-like nail. "It'll always be close to your…I mean my…heart."

That's when a green flame appeared at her hands and she slowly pushed her hand on… then through his chest! He had never felt anything so agonizing in his whole life!

No one answered his macabre screams, as the sorceress forced the Shen Gong Wu straight into the middle, of his beating heart! He soon passed out from the very pain…

The next thing he knew, he woke up chained to the ceiling of the cave—and the rest was history…