Chapter 1-

"Oh this is such a shame! You're hair so beautiful…" A tall girl with long, bright pink hair sighed in disappointment, her pretty face aluminized only by a single flickering candle as she brushed a pale boy's very long light blue hair in the otherwise darkened room.

"It is necessary, Momoi-san… If I don't cut it I will be spotted right away, only Priests and Priestess have such long hair. When I cut it I will no longer by the Teiko Empires sixth prince and high priest but Kuroko Tetsuya, a simple traveling healer. The blue-haired boy responded flatly. The pink-haired girl, Momoi, said nothing but frowned sadly, picked up a pair of silver scissors and proceeded to cut the beautiful pale blue hair masculinely short.

"Well I defiantly can't say this isn't a good look for my Prin-I mean Tetsu-kun. You look very handsome." She said with a small giggle as she admired her work.

A loud banging on a distant doorway caused both the boy and girl to jump with a start at the sudden noise. The pink-haired girl now wore expression of pure terror. "They are coming! We have to go now Tetsu-kun!" She is panicked whisper and lifted the candle hastily to lead the way down dark, and at least for the moment, silent hall, glancing behind them every few seconded to be sure they were not being pursued. She only stopped when they were in front of a large, rather lavishly embroidered tapestry and looked all around one last time to be safe and lifted the tapestry to reveal a small door

"Be careful Tetsu-kun!" Momoi whispered as she opened the secret door that revealed a long dark faintly lit stairway that would take her Prince and one of her best friends deep into the western forest.

"I will Momoi-san, thank you for everything and goodbye till we meet again." He said with a gentle smile and hefted a bag across his shoulders, donned a simple brown cloak and walked fearlessly into the dark night.

"May the Gods bless your steps and allow you a safe and successful return my prince." She whispered as she watch him fade from her sight.

-x- roughly one year later-

Kagami Taiga have never really been of the very adventurous sort. But when his adopted brother Himuro Tatsuya suddenly vanished into the lands to the East he felt it was necessary that he follow the older boy and hopefully get him to come home. But that was easier said then done he soon found. He had somehow managed to scrape together enough money for passage on a merchant ship headed for the Eastern lands and food to last him for few months if he rationed it properly. The ship trip had been horrible for him since this was his first time at sea and he was sick almost the whole time then when he did finally reach land he realized that he had absolutely no food left upon arriving at the port of Kajio. The whole place was beautiful. They had clean streets, plenty of merchants and sailors and many other signs of prosperity but Kagami had been very confused when all of the locals seemed to be wary, almost fearful in the middle of the day. What was causing the people so much caution when the simple port looked as prosperous and well off as some of the wealthiest parts of his home country? When he tried to get a explanation all he got was either angry response to mind his own business or a look of sheer panic and slammed door. He had almost given up on finding out what was the cause for the fear when he suddenly grabbed and pulled into a tight alleyway. Kagami moved to try and grab his sword but a strong hand latched onto his wrist stopping him mid grab. He then decided that screaming was the way to go but the figure that had pulled him aside quickly placed his other hand over his mouth.

"Please don't scream! if you really want to find out what has the locals in so much fear please be quiet!" The figure hissed imploringly. Kagami then ceased his struggling. "You promise not to scream?" Kagami nodded a silent yes and the figure released him. The ally was dark and the person had a the cowl of his cloak pulled up as well so it was nearly impossible to make out the strange person let alone see what they looked like.

"You can't just go assaulting a guy and say something like that! What is up with this place!" He demanded as quietly as he could, which was not all that quiet, but the stranger just sighed.

"I'm sorry for the roughness but it is too dangerous to talk freely on the streets. You asking questions is drawing unwanted attention, the Teiko Empire is not very fond of nosy foreigners."

"And by Teiko Empire you mean…" Kagami felt his jaw dropped in shock. He had heard of the Teiko Empire, it was impossible not to. The rumors of a tyrannical emperor who hated magic so much that he was willing to enslave five of his six his sons who possessed magical abilities and murder the youngest when he was found too weak to be of use had reached almost everywhere in the world. And this port city of Kaijo was part of the same Empire?

"Yes Kajio is one of the largest and most powerful port cities in the Teiko Empire. A Empire that is well known for it to rule of fear and its enslavement of those with magical abilities. Please tell me that you don't have magic…"

"I do." Was his short response.

"Well shit buddy, you sure came to the wrong place. I recommended that you head back the country your from as fast as you can."

"i can't do that! I have to find Tatsuya!"

"You weren't listening were you! You will be turned over to the government if anyone finds out and then enslaved and that's only if you go quietly, if you resist they'll kill you!"

"I would like to see them try!" Kagami growled dangerously, his hand unconsciously moving towards his sword at his waist.

"Fine, have it your way." The stranger conceded with a shrug and a sigh. "But since I'm such a nice guy I'll give you a little help so that you don't end up dead." He added with a almost playful tone, obviously not being as serious this time. "Here." The stranger then handed Kagami a fold slip of paper which he promptly unfolded and when he squinted in the dark he could make out lines and landmarks. It was hand drawn map.

"That will help you avoid the main streets and take you to the Kingdom of Serin. It's a safe haven for all who appose the Emperor's rule or want to avoid death or enslavement for being able to do magic. You will be safe there."

"Serin huh? How will I know I'm in the the right place?"

"Oh you'll know" the stranger said with a laugh. "But if anyone gives you any trouble just say that Fox sent you!" And without a sound the stranger, Fox, vanished into the deeper darkness of the alleyway leaving Kagami with nothing but a slip of paper a promise of safety in some unknown place call Serin.

-x-

"Argh! That Fox character was full of it I just know it!" Kagami growled as he attempted to follow the rather crudely done map that the stranger Fox and given him. He was wandering down some half done back road that cut through a dense forest and it certainly didn't help that Kagami was starving he hadn't eaten in three days and had been trekking down half beaten paths and trails that whole time but the idea of there being a Resistance group against the tyranny of the great Teiko Empire had snagged his curiously hence his current situation.

"Ugh, so hungry…" He groaned as he trudged through the rough terrain. He was about to give up completely on ever finding Serin when he happened to spot a group of large men surrounding a lone figure. "Not really my place.." He muttered to himself and moved to go around them but then he saw one of the large man draw a sword he knew he couldn't just ignore it. "Oi! A little one-sided don't you think!" He shouted approaching the group angrily. If it was one thing Kagami just couldn't stand for it was people who picked on those who were weaker then them. Before he had met Tatsuya he had been one of the weak himself.

"Mind you're own business! Leave now if you know what's good for you!" The man who had drawn the sword previously threatened with a sneer, waving the sword around as if it said everything. All it told Kagami was that the man didn't know how to use it.

"Actually I think you should be the ones to leave." He replied with a growled, moving his hand towards his own sword at his hip.

"Oh will you look at this boys! We have a Hero here! Shall we teach him a lesson in real life?" The man with the sword jeered shamelessly, his lackeys all laughing right on cue.

"Pardon me, but violence is bad." A clear, practically monotone, voice chimed in unexpectedly making them all jump. They all turned to look at the owner of the voice and Kagami realized it was the person the group had been surrounding previously. The person had skin almost as pale as fresh snow and their hair and eyes were the same pale blue of the sky on a clear day. Kagami could only just make out that the person was boy, even with his hair masculinely short the boy was beautiful. He was holding a wide basket filled with what looked to be plants and flowers of all kinds, medicinal plants if he was right, with both of his hands and wore no jewelry besides a single teardrop earring that was the blue-green color of the ocean.

"Right, I almost forgot you were here you little pest." The jerk with the sword said angrily and turned to swing his blade at the the pale stranger.

"Oi!" Kagami found himself exclaiming, pulling the the pale stranger behind him before drawing his own sword in a single smooth movement, blocking the other blade from making contact with its intended target. "You've got some nerve attacking a unarmed person!"

"Get out of our way Hero!"

"You first!" Kagami snarled, brandishing his blade is the fading daylight. "I know how to use my sword, unlike you." For a moment the group seemed to hesitate, realized there was a good chance that they were outclassed by this new arrival. Apparently the leader of the group thought that the chance was minimal and charged as a Kagami with a loud war cry and sword held high over his head. Kagami rolled his eyes at the blatantly stupid attack as he reversed his grip on his blade putting the round pommel forward and swiftly rammed it into the attacking leader's gut before the raised sword could fall. There was a whooshing sound as the teen had the breath knocked out of him sharply.

"I warned you, now take your friend and scram!" Kagami growled angrily and handed off the now stunned fool over to his companions. They took their leader and left as quickly as they could. But as soon as they were gone Kagami fell flat on the ground with groan.

"Gods! Now I'm even more hungry…" He moaned, his stomach growling loudly as if to prove his point.

"Thank for you're assistance."

"Gah!" Kagami gasped in surprise as the pale boy that he had almost forgotten was still there spoke suddenly and entered his line of sight.

"If you can walk we are not far from the Boundary." The pale boy informed him in monotone. "I am sure we can get you some food once we reach the Capital."

"Capital? Capital of what? And what do you mean by Boundary?" Kagami asked in puzzled confusion.

"The Capital of the Kingdom of Serin." He told him with a calm expression. "And the Boundary is barrier made up of several very old protective runes that protect the Kingdom of Serin from unwanted guests and the Teiko Empire."

"Well that's great! I was trying to find Serin anyway…"

"I know."

"Eh?! How?!" The pale boy said nothing at first, simply handing him back the hand drawn map to Serin that the stranger called Fox had given him in way of explanation.

"Please don't loose that. It would be very bad if it fell into the wrong hands, even as poorly drawn as it is."

"Um sure… But really who are you anyway?" Kagami ventured to ask with only a slight hesitation.

"I am Kuroko Tetsuya, the head healer for the Kingdom of Serin." The pale teen answered smoothly. "May I know your name?'

"I'm Kagami Taiga, just a swordsman from west looking for his brother." He answered with a grin.

"Nice to meet you then Kagami Taiga." He said with a polite bow and a small smile that for some reason warmed Kagami straight from his head to his toes. "It is my pleasure to the first to welcome you to the Kingdom of Serin."

A/N- This story is currently on a trial basis, if you would like me to pursue it further then leave a review. If I get less then 10 reviews by Labor day (September 5th, 2016) then I will delete this story. If I get over 20 by that same date then I promise that I will continue this story to it's very end, how ever long it might take me. :)