About four seconds after her cell phone went off, Kimiko was jerked to her feet and all the mud covering her was blown off by a huge gust that felt like it came from a giant hairdryer in front of her. When the gust stopped, she opened her eyes to see that Rustfoot had not moved at all and his gaze was fixed on a point behind her. She turned around and her eyes immediately narrowed. Raimundo was smirking at her. "You know, most people actually learn from their mistakes in the past."

Kimiko pounced at him, but her attempt was foiled when she met the wind barrier between them. Surprised, she felt the wall to be sure of what it was. Then she looked back at Raimundo and her blood boiled when she saw his smirk had broadened. She pounded her fists and feet against the barrier with all her might, but couldn't get though. "Pound all you want, but you might as well save your energy." Raimundo told her. "Omi's already tried to break out of this."

Abruptly his smirk vanished, was replaced by a pondering expression, and his gaze fell to the ground. "Of course, the particular one he was in had to be strong enough to keep out a ferocious bloodthirsty vampire."

Kimiko's pounding stopped. She was right. The bat was a vampire. So Moonskin had to be the bat. Raimundo's words sunk in and she took hope in them that Omi hadn't been harmed. But part of what he had said confused her. Why would Raimundo want to protect Omi?

Raimundo glanced back up at her and smiled unpleasantly. "What do you think, Kim? You think this one's strong enough to keep out a ferocious bloodthirsty werewolf?"

He looked up behind her. When she turned to see what he what he was looking at, she shrieked in surprise and fear. Rustfoot was standing right in front of her, no longer in his half-wolf, half-human form, but in his complete wolf shape. His now golden green eyes flashed hungrily and he reared up as if to pin her underneath him. Kimiko screamed and covered her head with her arms. But as the wind barrier stopped her from attacking Raimundo, it blocked him from harming her. Kimiko realized what had happened and she ran her hands along the perimeter of the barrier. She understood then that she was trapped. Trapped, but safe for now. She wondered about that, then heard Raimundo chuckle behind her. "Aww, who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" Raimundo mocked.

Kimiko slowly turned her head in his direction. "Bite me." She snarled.

Raimundo just grinned as if amused at her response. "No thanks, but I'm sure Rustfoot or Moonskin would be only too happy to accept your offer."

Rustfoot made a weird noise that sounded like a chortle. Raimundo looked her up and down. "Although they may want you to wash first before they touch you. I personally think it's a big improvement compared to the gunk you usually wear."

Kimiko flushed. She knew she looked disgustingly filthy. Then she cursed herself for being self-conscious at a time like this and again for letting Rai's insult get to her. Before she could think of a clever retort, Rai walked around her and Rustfoot and over to where Rustfoot was recently standing, where his clothing now lay. He bent over and began to gather up the clothes. Rustfoot went to him with and gave a questioning whine. Raimundo stood and faced him with his arms full. "You remember how you were supposed to take the monk and Moonskin was supposed to take her?"

Rustfoot nodded. Raimundo rubbed his forehead in an exasperated way. "Okay, no one's in trouble, but was it your idea to switch so you could get revenge for that scrape or Moonskin's because of his grudge?"

Kimiko couldn't see if Rustfoot responded or not, but he must've because Raimundo's hand dropped and he sighed. "If that kid wasn't dead already, I'd kill him."

Kimiko couldn't believe it. "You actually paired us up with your lackeys ahead of time?" she screamed at him. "How weak are you?"

They both ignored her. Raimundo kept talking. "Anyway, thanks to the stunt you two pulled, Moonskin got drenched. He's okay considering, but it'd be great if you could go get him and take him back to the caravan. 'Kay?" Then Raimundo held out the clothes. "And I'd appreciate it if you were a clothed human when you get there."

Rustfoot nodded and opened his jaws to accept the garments, but Raimundo abruptly pulled them back. "Oh wait, one last thing. The attack on the Dwellers is off."

Rustfoot whirled around to face Kimiko so suddenly that she jumped. He snarled angrily at her. "Cool it, Rustfoot. It's not because of her and the others. We got a special surprise visitor back at the caravan."

Rustfoot looked back at him. Raimundo held out the attire again. "It's important, okay? You'll see when you get back. Just go."

Rustfoot took the clothing and ran off.

Raimundo watched him go, then turned to Kimiko. "Well, let's get this show on the road."

And with that, he swiftly reached through the wind barrier and grabbed the back of Kimiko's shirt. The wall of wind collapsed, piled underneath Raimundo and lifted him and Kimiko into the air so suddenly, Kimiko felt they had left her stomach behind. She tried to hit him, but Raimundo was just out of reach.

Once they were high above the forest, Rai shot off toward the caravan like a shooting star. Wind whistled past Kimiko's ears and her eyes watered from the speed. Then the ride was over. Raimundo threw Kimiko to the ground. The next thing she knew, a strong breeze was blowing down on her preventing her from getting up. She looked around the area for something that might be useful to get her out of this and her eyes fell upon Omi. Her heart sank when she saw that he was in the same situation as she was, as well as unconscious. Then she noticed Clay. He was trapped by a rope of substance that looked like water, only thicker and sort of yellowish.

"You alright?" he asked.

She nodded at him. Clay looked as though he was about to say something, but then there was a loud thumping sound that turned both their heads in its direction. Raimundo was banging on the door of the caravan. "Daggereyes! C'mon, wake up! Wake-"

The door opened. Daggereyes's voice was groggy and grumpy. "Silvertongue, did someone die? Did someone lose control? Are you or Padfoot mortally wounded? Did Moonskin get a sharp tree branch stabbed through his shoulder? 'Cause if not, I'm going back to bed."

"It doesn't matter if you get a good night's sleep, Daggereyes. The attack on the Dwellers is off."

There was a pause. Daggereyes asked "Are you shittin' me?"

Kimiko was unexpectedly relieved that Omi was unconscious. When things were normal at the temple, it was like a taboo among the chosen ones to swear. Kimiko thought part of it was because if Master Fung or Dojo or a monk heard them, they would get in serious trouble. But mainly she thought it was because they didn't want Omi to hear them and try to use the curses himself. He was bad enough with slang.

Raimundo rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, don't freak out, but we kinda got an unexpected guest."

"Who?" Daggereye's voice became hard. "Tell me it's not that scum-of-the-earth snake."

Something very squirmy and green caught Kimiko's eye. Her eyes widened when she saw Dojo's head sticking out of the watery substance. At first she smiled and opened her mouth to call out to him, but then she frowned. He was shaking so hard and looked so uncomfortable you would think that fifty shen-gong-wu had just revealed themselves at the same time.

Daggereyes poked her head out the door and stared directly at Dojo. Her face was expressionless and her sunglasses made it impossible for her eyes to give any feelings or thoughts away. But Dojo must've guessed something because then he looked as if seventy-five shen-gong-wu had activated at the same time. Daggereyes headed for him, but Raimundo grabbed and blocked her. "Whoa, whoa, can you just hold that thought until the guys get here?"

"If I wait for them, they'll kill him right away." Daggereyes replied coolly.

"No. If I know them they'll drag the death out as long as possible. But that's not the point. Just wa-"

He was interrupted by a rustling in the branches. Raimundo's eyes got wide and he ran over to the source of the noise, his hands searching his pockets. After a second he pulled out a fist clenching something. The moment Rustfoot and Moonskin emerged from the trees in their human forms, Raimundo brought his fist level to his mouth, opened his hand, and blew. A fine white dust flew from his palm onto Moonskin and Rustfoot, coating them both. Moonskin started coughing and clapped a hand over his nose and mouth. Rustfoot sneezed and waved a hand in front of his face to clear away the dust. "Why the fuck did you do that?" he demanded.

Kimiko was starting to hope Omi didn't regain consciousness until they got away from this group. Raimundo held up his hands defensively. "Look guys, sorry. But can you just move the prisoners-"

"What the fuck is that?" Moonskin said abruptly. Rustfoot followed his glance. His eyes narrowed when they fell on Dojo. He stormed over to him and Clay and raised a hand as if to slap him. Dojo flinched and braced himself. But Rustfoot's hand never came down. Rustfoot looked at it as though puzzled at why it hadn't. He held in front of his face and examined his nails. His eyes grew so wide, Clay could clearly see the shock, anger, and fear that filled them. Rustfoot sent a look of death at Raimundo. "I am going to kill you." He snarled.

Raimundo sighed. "Get a grip, Rustfoot. It's only temporary."

"You tricked me. This was why you told me to come as a human."

"Yes. Rustfoot, believe me I understand what you're feeling right now, but I want the dragon physically unharmed and I knew you didn't have that kind of willpower. I'm sorry."

"Not as sorry as you're going to be when I get my ability to change back."

Clay frowned and asked without thinking of the possible consequences "Change?"

"He's a werewolf." Kimiko blurted. It dawned on her that Clay didn't know that the wolf and Rustfoot were the same. "Remember, you saw him in his full wolf form once in the trench."

She shot a look at Moonskin. "And remember the huge bat thing? I think that was Moonskin. I think he's a vampire."

"Correct." Moonskin said as though it was as normal as saying that you were left-handed or something.

Then Kimiko looked at Daggereyes, who's face was still expressionless. "And I don't know what she is, but she can't be human either."

Daggereye's face didn't change, but her voice was angry. "For your information, I'm just as human as you, just . . . ." Her voice broke off.

Raimundo walked to where Dojo and Clay were lying, reached into one of the saliva coils trapping Dojo, grabbed onto him, and pulled him out, dripping with spit. Dojo flailed helplessly, his eyes wide with terror. "What do you think you're doing?" Clay asked angrily.

Raimundo ignored him and held up his other hand. Wind tugged the Orb of Tornami from Omi's hand and sent it right into Raimundo's. He closed his hand around it, activated it, and rinsed the spit off of Dojo. Then he aimed it at Kimiko and rinsed the mud off her. During this Moonskin went into the caravan and came back out with some rope. He reached for Omi, but the wind pushed his hand away. He groaned. "Silvertongue, can you turn off the wind?"

The wind pinning Omi stopped. Moonskin grabbed Omi and tied him up before you could say 'Don't you dare touch him'. Then he dropped him on the ground and started for Kimiko, but Raimundo said "No, it'll be easier if I do it."

Wind abruptly pulled Kimiko to her feet and began spinning her round and round and round like a top at full speed. Kimiko shut her eyes to keep them from watering, clenched her teeth to keep from screaming, and willed herself not to hurl. She felt something somehow being tied around her shoulders and then wrap around her torso and arms and legs. Once she was practically immobile, the wind stopped and she fell to the ground so dizzy it was hard to tell which way was up. "That was quick." She heard Moonskin comment.

Kimiko groaned. "Go to hell."

"Go to where, Kimiko?" a familiar and innocent voice asked.

Kimiko groaned again and mentally kicked herself. Of all the times for Omi to wake up . . .

"What has happened here?" Omi asked, taking in his surroundings. "Why am I bound? Kimiko, Clay, are you both alright?" Then the squirming green thing in Raimundo's grasp caught his attention. He gasped. "Dojo!"

"Take 'em inside." Raimundo said.

"What about the cowboy?" Daggereyes asked.

"What about the cowboy?"

"Silvertongue, I will not have your spittle all over my caravan's floor."

Kimiko grimaced at the realization of what Clay was trapped in. "Are you serious? Geez Rai, that is so sick. Wait, there is no way you could make that mu- Oh my gosh!"

An end of the saliva rope that was by Clay's head lifted itself up. She realized with a sick feeling that the thing was alive and could see by the shape it was formed into a snake. "Great ghost of Dashi!" Omi exclaimed.

The followers looked at Omi as if he was the one using disgusting language and Daggereyes flipped him off. Luckily, Omi's attention was on the snake so he didn't see. The snake's coils started to wriggle. As it did, Clay felt his trick rope being pulled out of his pocket and being tied to his calf. Then it stopped and spiraled off Clay's body, tying him up as it went. When it was finally all the way off, Clay was as immobile as Kimiko and Omi, as well as soaked from the spit. "Okay, we're good to go." Raimundo said. "You guys take 'em in the caravan."

Moonskin moved for Omi, but Raimundo stopped him and pointed at Kimiko. Moonskin's arms went limp, but he went to her, threw her over his shoulder so she couldn't struggle, and took her into the caravan. Next thing Kimiko knew she was tied to one of three chairs in the middle of the room. Kimiko tried to thrash about, but the knots were tied too well and the chair was heavy. Realizing an escape attempt was futile, she abandoned this activity and looked around. Against the walls were shelves and cabinets full of bottles, jars filled with unknown materials, boxes, books, pieces of paper, and odd-looking gadgets. In a far corner was a pile of blankets and a small wooden table. Kimiko's eyes widened when she saw the almost fixed Reversing Mirror and its remaining pieces lying on it.

Her view of it was blocked when Clay was plopped into one of the chairs next to her. Omi was placed in the other. That's when Kimiko noticed a fresh red stain on some rope covering Omi's arm. It looked a lot like blood. She cast a quick glance at Moonskin and realized why he wanted to carry Omi and why Raimundo wouldn't let him. She hoped that the rope was enough to stop the bleeding for now. She was about to ask Omi about the cut, when a strip of cloth went over her mouth to prevent her from speaking and someone tied the ends at the back of her head tightly. Moonskin emerged from behind her and did the same to Omi. Kimiko looked at Clay and sure enough, he was gagged too.

"Okay, that's done." Rustfoot said once the warriors were all tied and gagged. He pointed at Dojo who was still squirming in Raimundo's grasp. "Now explain why we can't rip the gecko's lungs out."

"Oh yeah. Daggereyes, can I talk to you outside please?"

"Okay."

"What! How come she gets to-"

"Rustfoot, calm down and think. Why would he be out here in the middle of nowhere alone? Oh and while we're out, both of you keep a sharp eye on the prisoners."

And with that he and Daggereyes were out the door. Rustfoot growled. "Sometimes that Silvertongue just makes me wanna rip his forked tongue out of his mouth and shove it up his ass."

"Come now, Rustfoot." Moonskin said. "You're a smart guy, you can figure it out."

"Figure what out?"

"Did you even listen to what he said? Just think about it, why would the dragon be over here all by his lonesome?"

Rustfoot scoffed. "The cowardly wimp wouldn't."

There was a pause. Then as quick as a light switch, realization filled Rustfoot's face. "Oh shit!"

"Yeah."

"He thinks that . . ."

"Yep."

"He wants to see if they. . ."

"Uh-huh."

"And he wants Daggereyes to . . ."

"You got it."

The apprentices exchanged confused glances. What the heck were they talking about? And what did Raimundo plan on doing with Dojo? Suddenly a little girl's cry of distress came from outside that made their blood chill. Not because it was high-pitched, but because they knew what made that sound. It was what Dojo sounded like when he was screaming.

"NO! PLEASE SILVERTONGUE! NOT THAT, ANYTHING BUT THAT. NO NO NO NO! PLEASE, I SWEAR, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW, YOU'LL GET AN HONEST ANSWER, JUST DON'T- AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Dojo's tortured screams filled the room. Rustfoot and Moonskin smiled sadistically, obviously taking great pleasure from the noise. The warriors thrashed about, their hearts breaking at the knowledge that a friend needed their help and that there was nothing they could do.