dl-sPirit: Well, thanks to everyone who reviewed! HERE'S where it gets interesting!

Raimundo: It should, this chapter alone is 1500 words.

dl-sPirit: Aw, shut up.

Raimundo: (who's reading the chapter) 0.0 HOLY CRAP!

dl-sPirit: Shut up.

Raimundo: But - that thing is-

dl-sPirit: Hold on. (computer screen is turned off) ...(computer screen turns back up)

Raimundo: (is gagged and bound) (glares at dl-sPirit evilly)

dl-sPirit: All better. Disclaimer's on 'Run', so, without anymore waiting, here's the next chapter!

Ten minutes had passed since the 'accident'. Dojo had recovered enough to begin searching around for the Xiaolin Dragons. The first he found was Clay. Though bruised, Clay was fortunate to land on flat, smooth rock. Overall, he was ok.

Next was Kimiko. She had hit her head on a rock and was knocked unconscious. Thankfully, she hadn't lost much blood. She would be ok. Clay carefully put her on Dojo's back, and they took off again, in search of Omi.

Omi was rather unlucky. The poor monk's shirt had caught on a tree branch overhanging a fifty-foot drop, and he was quite uncomfortable. Otherwise, he was ok. If Clay didn't have a spare rope under his hat (A/N: Don't ask how), Omi would have certainly fallen to his doom.

Now they had to find Raimundo. By now, night was beginning to fall, and Kimiko was regaining consciousness.

"I wonder how Rai ended up?" Clay thought aloud. Omi thought for a few seconds.

"I am quite sure that he is injured. It is most likely that he and Kimiko will have to go to the medical room," Omi decided. That didn't exactly comfort anyone, as they suddenly got a visual of Raimundo, lying unconscious in a pool of blood.

Hopefully, Omi was wrong.

(---)

"Are you sure Raimundo was here, Dojo?" Omi asked. He was examining a bloodstained rock under the moonlight. The green dragon looked offended.

"Hey, no one lives in these mountains and I can tell, that blood is human!" he retorted angrily. He looked up at Clay, who was trying to get a bird's eye view from an overhanging cliff.

"Partners, I think I found somethin' not too good," the Texan said, sounding disheartened. Dojo flew up to Clay's side, and he pointed to a small pool of blood. Dojo gave it a whiff, and covered his nose. The blood smelt like it had been decomposing since the beginning of time.

But that was impossible. This blood was fresh. It didn't make any sense. "This blood…definitely isn't human," he finally said, "It's undead."

Clay stared at Dojo, shocked. "Are ya sure?"

"Positive," Dojo affirmed.

"Hey! I found more blood!" Kimiko called. Even though she still had a pounding headache, she wanted to help find the brazilian ever since she had totally regained consciousness. Clay, Omi, and Dojo raced over.

There were blood drops. Few and far. Raimundo had been running… but from what?

"Let me track it," Omi decided. He was, by far, the most observant of the three, and the trail was spread out. Everyone followed the young monk as he followed a zigzagging path, finally stopping outside a cave.

"It ends here," he said disappointedly. Dojo sniffed the air. Nothing could be smelled. That was strange. What had happened to Raimundo?

"I think we need to rest, then come back tomorrow morning," Omi admitted. No light, no trail, now shen-gong-wu would be the only thing to help find their friend.

(---)

Forest-green eyes slowly opened, accompanied by a feeble moan. Raimundo was exhausted, scared, and hurt. He wasn't sure where he was or what time it was. The wet blood had seemingly dried. The wound still stung.

He tried to sit up, using his hands to support him, but they were bound. He could feel it. And so were his legs. It was some sort of homemade rope. And very strong too. Even though Raimundo tried to slip his hands out from the knots, they were too tight for much movement.

Underneath him, it was hard and dusty. A rock floor. And a thin silver-gray beam could only be seen from an opening in front of him. So. He was in a cave. And it was night, perhaps dawn. Well, at least the brazilian knew where he was. Now to try and figure out who captured him.

Mentally, he reviewed the memory of the attack. Fur… and claws. They were sharp. Well… that ruled out Jack and Wuya. Katnappé? He couldn't see her doing this. Plus, she hadn't been very good with knots, and she wouldn't waste her time making her own rope. She could buy some.

…ok, that ruled out his only suspect. So, who was it? Raimundo thought… what was that? He turned his head towards the mouth of the cave. It sounded like wings. Huge wings. A thump. It had landed. Footsteps. It walked with a limp and was heading to the mouth of the cave.

Raimundo gasped. A skeletal creature had appeared. He couldn't get a good look at it, but he could make out the outline: gaunt, ribs poking out, pointed ears, some sort of horn on the forehead and neck, and a spiked tail. Oh, and the left ankle was straight and hard. Not fleshy. It was a bare bone.

But what had caught the Dragon of the Wind's attention were the eyes. Glowing red eyes, malice glinting within the blood red pools. It frightened him, paralyzed him.

The creature raised a paw – Raimundo counted four clawed fingers. It walked closer to him, limping slightly. Raimundo closed his eyes. It was gonna kill him, he would die alone-

He heard the air rushing as the paw came down, but he felt no pain. However, the tightness from the ropes vanished, and he felt the ropes slip off. He opened his eyes as the creature stepped back a few paces and looked at him oddly, as if sizing him up. Raimundo unsteadily stood up, looking at the creature, then the light behind it.

It was thin. It had only gotten Raimundo because he was hurt, alone, and scared out of his wits. He could escape and find the others. He looked at the creature, then at the opening. Back to the creature, then the opening. He darted forward.

"O, no ye don't!" a coarse voice hissed. Wings, hidden on the body, suddenly shot out and blocked Raimundo. They also knocked him down.

"Ye ain't goin' anywhere," the voice continued as the creature bent down, anger obvious in its eyes. That's when Raimundo realized; the voice belonged to the creature. "Now, min' tellin' meh yer name?"

Raimundo regained some of his courage as he retorted, "Yeah, I do mind." He was confused as the creature made a hissing sound, as if annoyed.

"I shoulda sseen dat comin', Raimundo." Raimundo's eyes grew wide. Though it had pronounced his name as "Ra-mun-dio", he understood exactly what that meant: this beast knew his name.

"Raimundo, if I were ye, I wouldn' annoy ssumone who could kill ye. Esspecially if they kin kill yer Ra damned friends, first." The creature gave a wicked grin as it said this. Now, Raimundo gulped. That was a thinly veiled threat, and they both knew it. If he didn't cooperate, it'd kill his friend in front of them, and then kill him.

"I have a deal fer ye. We kin talk abou' eet 'ere, or by a fi-er. Eet depen'ss on how ye behave," The creature said, beginning to walk out. As it reached the mouth, it dropped on all fours and looked at Raimundo. "'Ere, or by a fi-er?"

Raimundo looked around, and resignatedly said, "By a fire."

The creature grinned and jumped down onto a beaten mountain path. Raimundo stepped out and looked around. He recognized this place. He and the other warriors had hidden here when Mala Mala Jong had attacked. It was dawn, and the pre-morning rays let him see this creature better.

It was covered in black short fur. The back paws had three toes each. The one with the bare ankle was shriveled. Its folded wings were batlike, with blue webbing. The "horns" were actually blue spines, running down the length of its backbone. A jagged scar ran across the face. This creature resembled nothing the brazilian had ever seen.

"Vell?" The beast had noticed Raimundo wasn't following and stopped to look up at him.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming, seesh," Raimundo grumbled, scaling down the rock face.

(---)

About five minutes later, Raimundo reluctantly sat in front of a blazing fire, with the being on the other side. Though he didn't show it, he was terrified. That creature had come most of the way in a Spiderman-like fashion – it climbed the walls with its hands.

Actually, it had used its nails, but who cared? Point was, its claws were sharp enough to pierce solid rock.

"Now, Raimundo, I sapose I shoul' tell ye who I am," the beast started, "I am Roni, betta known ahs da demon o' death." Raimundo gulped, then a question struck him.

"So…Roni… are you a guy or a girl?" he asked.

"Gal."

Raimundo felt his ears turn red. This was way too weird now. Roni, not really caring, or maybe not noticing said, "Enee-'ow, I need 'elp getting' ento da Shaolin Tempul. 'Elp meh, and y'all live. Betray meh, and I keel yer friggin' friends. Ye ge' eet?"

"Yeah," Raimundo admitted resignatedly. He really didn't have much choice. This… bleh, Roni was blackmailing him. And he couldn't go against her. Maybe…

"O' - tell enee-one, and I reep ye to shreds," she added. Ok, that ruled out his last option.

"Do weh 'ave a deal?" Roni extended her paw through the flames to Raimundo. The Dragon of the Wind didn't have any other choice.

"Yeah." He extended his hand and shook her paw.

With that, two fates were sealed.

Raimundo: (who has spit out his gag) I'M WORKING WITH A FREAK OF NATURE!

dl-sPirit: Watch out, she's becoming a muse next chapter.

Raimundo: Um...

dl-sPirit: So watch your back! >:)

Raimundo: (to the sky) WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?

dl-sPirit: What a drama queen.

Raimundo: King.

dl-sPirit: Well, do us a favor, and please review:)