"So why were those guys harassing you anyway?" Kagmai asked as he huffed after the small but beautiful boy, Kuroko Tetsuya, across country.

"They mistook me for a lady and were unhappy when I informed that I was not." Kagami fell silent. Part of him thought the idea that this boy was mistaken for a woman humorous while another part of him felt angry for the men for being so rude as to the think that the boy was a woman, no matter how delicate and good-looking he was. Good-looking? Where had that come from?

"We have reached the Boundary." Kuroko suddenly announced, coming to a dead stop in seemingly nowhere.

"How do you know that? This place looks the same as all the other places we passed earlier." And indeed it did. They had not left the forest and, at least to Kagami, these trees looked the same as the trees they had passed just a minute or two ago.

"After making a trip several times you tend to remember the way." It really was hard for Kagami to tell if Kuroko was just being sarcastic or serious. "I trust you have at least some magic?"

"Yeah, why?" He answered with a confused expression.

"The Kingdom of Serin is a refuge for those with magic fleeing the Empire due to possessing magic and are thereby very wary of those without magic. You having magic will make your arrival go much smoother." He paused for a moment.

"Don't let go of my hand." Kuroko stated firmly in such a way that demanded to be obeyed. Without waiting for Kagami to respond Kuroko grabbed his wrist in a iron grip and began to run forward.

"Hey! What are you-" He began but as they passed between two large trees Kagami felt what he could only describe as what it must feel like to be burned alive in a oven.

"Gah! What the heck was that?!" He exclaimed in surprise and opened his eyes that he hadn't realized he had closed when the burning pain ceased.

"I apologize, every person has a different reaction to passing the Boundary the first time. It won't happen to you again." Kuroko said genteel nod as Kagami gapped at the sight that met his eyes.

What should have just been more forest was now a wide valley of fairly modest homes all built before a high cliffside that had a large building, a castle, carved from its face.

"This is Serin?" He asked in a stunned whisper. The pale boy gave him that wonderful smile again.

"Yes, the Capital, also called Ravens Perch. It is beautiful isn't it?" And it was. The whole cliff was made of a strangely beautiful, smooth stone as black as a raven's feathers and by default the castle that was carved from it. The homes below were also made from the same black stone.

"You will have to go to the castle first if you wish to ask for sanctuary in Serin." Kuroko told him looking pointedly to the cliffside castle.

"Okay, that's fine by me." Kagami replied with a casual shrug. A king would probably be more likely to know if anyone of Tatsuya's description was here or had at least passed through their Kingdom.

"I can show the way if you like."

"Really?" Kagami said a little taken off guard by the offer from the pale blue-haired boy. The boy just nodded, re-adjusted his grip on his basket of plants and began to lead the way down into the Serin Capital.

As they passed through the city streets Kagami began to feel like he was being watched, watched intently, and he didn't know where to be angry or suspicious because of it.

"Don't worry Kagami-kun, once you have lived here for a while people will begin to trust you. Right now you are just a new face and they do not know what to make of you just yet." Kuroko told him as if he realized what Kagami had been thinking. He just nodded even though he wasn't sure if he believed Kuroko entirely. Call him skeptical but nothing about this place seemed normal by any standards to him. Finally, after what seemed like forever they reached the elegant double doors that made up the main entrance to the large black castle.

"This is where I leave you Kagami-kun, may the gods favor you." Kuroko said suddenly, and when Kagami turned to ask him what he meant he found that the boy was nowhere to be seen.

-x-

As soon Kuroko had vanished Kagamai had knocked on the doors only to have the person who opened them become panicked and call the guards who proceeded to interrogate him as to how he had gotten past the Boundary and so on. Apparently the castle guards were not the trusting sort but as soon as he had shown them the map that the strange character Fox had drawn for him and told them that a boy named Kuroko Tetsuya had showed him the way into Serin they apologized immediately and had happily welcomed him to the Serin. And that was how Kagami found himself now being escorted to the castle's throne room and entered it still wearing his very dirty traveling clothes to meet the king of Serin.

"So Kuroko-kun brought us a new recruit? That's rare…."

"Very true, but he appears to be speaking the truth."

Correction, there was no King of Serin, there was, however, a Queen of Serin Kagami realized when he entered. For seated on the simple wooden throne was a petite girl with chocolate brown hair cut short like a boy's, dressed in an ankle-length blue dress with a light green hemming. The gold circlet nestled in her hair marked her as the ruler of Serin.

Next to the throne were two young men, only a year older then himself if he had to guess. The one who had answered the queen's question had sharp silver-grey eyes and smooth black hair. An advisor? Kagami wondered silently to himself. The other had more spiky black hair with matching dark eyes and wore glasses. He was dressed more casually than the Queen and the other young man but wore two blades at his hip and wore thick leather gauntlets. He was undoubtedly a warrior or soldier of high station.

"Welcome to Serin Kagami Taiga. I hear that you protected my head healer from some unsavory people, you have my thanks. The reckless fool is always getting to trouble." The Queen said with a smile as Kagami kneeled before her. "I also heard that you are looking for someone."

"You heard correctly your Highness, I am looking for my adopted older brother Himuro Tatsuya. He has fair skin, straight hair as black as coal and has great skill with the blade. I would be most grateful if you would tell me if anyone by that description has passed through your kingdom." The words spilled from his lips so fast that they also overlapped themselves.

"I am sorry Kagami, I am afraid I have not heard of such a person entering my kingdom." She told him and Kagami wanted to curse in frustration. Where on earth was his brother? But the young queen was not finished speaking. "But while I have not seen or heard of such a person I would be most willing to offer my assistance in helping you find him if you would be will to do something for me in exchange." Kagami's head jerked upwards in surprise at her words.

"What might this 'something' be your Highness?" He dared to ask.

"Riko-sama will do fine Kagami. 'Your Highness' is so stuffy." She told with a dismissive wave and small laugh. "All I ask is that you become Kuroko-kun's friend."

"What?" Kagami could only blink stupidly at her answer, not sure if he had heard her correctly.

"Well your official title would be 'Personal Guard of the Head Healer' but please try to befriend Kuroko-kun while you are in his company. Now, you should know that Kuroko-kun can protect himself but he tends to be a danger magnet so assigning him a personal guard is not a surprising thing. I have been considering it for quite awhile but just haven't found the right person, until today that is."

"Why me your majest- I mean Riko-sama?! I have only just met him! And briefly at that!"

"Well, he has never ever made the effort of showing a new arrival right to the castle gates before and the fact that he chose to talk to you even though you only just met says a lot. Kuroko-kun is about as likely to talk to strangers as a bear is going to like being poked." She said with a short laugh. "So do you accept my offer Kagami Taiga?"

"Sounds fine by me." Kagami said with a shrug. "When do I start?"

"How about right now? Kuroko likes to live closer to the border but he should be in the Healing Ward, which is also his office, right about now." Queen Riko told him with a polite smile. "Why don't you go pay him a visit? Koganei can show you the way." She gave a mischievous grin to the two boy's beside her as she eyed the large double doors that made up the entrance to the throne room, they just rolled their eyes. The royal lady pulled in a large breath and let it go in terrifyingly loud bellow. "FURIHATA-KUN!" A small squawk of surprise came from the other side of the door and in ran a wiry, brown-haired teen dressed in healer robes who bowed deeply before his Queen.

"Yes, Riko-sama? What can I do for you?" The teen, Furihata, asked raising his head slightly to look up at young queen.

"Would you please show Kagami-kun to the Healing Ward, he has just accepted the position of personal guard to Kuroko-kun." Furihata's jaw proceeded to hit the floor.

"He did?" He turned to look over at Kagami with an almost pitying expression. "Is he sure? I mean none of the oth-"

"Yes. He is Furihata. Now please show him the way." Riko cut in with a silencing glare.

"Of course Riko-sama. Please follow me Kagami-kun." Furihata said with a wave and led the now very puzzled Swordsman out of the throne room.

-x-

"That was mean of you Riko-sama. Every person that has been assigned to that position had been forced away by Kuroko-kun. I mean he does it politely and not cruelly but makes himself completely unapproachable and refuses to let anyone help him. I say that the brat won't even last a day no matter how found Kuroko-kun is of him." The warrior of the three said with a sigh and a shake of his head.

"I don't think so Hyuuga-kun, something is different about him. He might just be the one." The silver-eyed advisor said cryptically.

"The one what Izuki?"

"The one to free Kuroko-kun."

"Did you happen to 'see' something?"

"A little, but it's not very clear. You know my foresight ability is rather fickle."

"Well, I suppose we will just have to wait and see what happens then." Riko added with a thoughtful expression, rested her chin lightly on her interlaced fingers. "You know what they say, 'only time will tell'."

A/N- well guys (and girls) I only got 9 reviews for the frst chapter of this story but over ten favorites and follows. I still like this story so I have decided to keep on with it and seen what happens. Be warned I probably won't be updating this story on a regular basis but I will update it when I can. But I hope you all like this new chapter and will consider sticking around for the next one. Thanks for reading and please leave a review before you go :)