Maybe one day I'll stop finishing my chapters at 4am. That day wasn't today.

Disclaimer: The dream.

The room wasn't small, but it wasn't exactly big either, especially for eight people. It looked like it could have been a nice personal bedroom, maybe belonging to some mid-class nobility with the high ceiling and the large window to the side, but not anymore. It was a essentially nothing more than a bare rectangle now, completely stripped of any personality and distinguishing features, only the off-white walls and the smooth wooden floors left intact, where it could be seen through the multitude of futons scattered throughout the space anyway.

What had Koushi gaping in surprise however, were the runes carved on every available surface. Koushi craned his head around, taking in the sheer number of runes littered throughout the room, from the walls to the ceiling, to the floor beneath him. He could even see them distorting the light coming in through the window.

"What is this…?" He mumbled, clutching Noya and Yachi tighter.

"Runes," Kei answered, glaring at Kageyama when he pushed him.

"Explain, bastard," Kageyama said. "Suga-san just woke up."

"Oh, am I not moving fast enough for his majesty?" Kei rolled his eyes, ignoring Kageyama's growl as he turned back to Koushi. "They're all entrapment and holding runes; nothing is getting out of here unless it's through the door." He nodded at the door that Koushi had apparently bypassed with his first glance. The pattern of runes on the wall around it continued uninterrupted right over it, making it easy to overlook. "Even the window is sealed shut."

"The door over there," Kageyama added, pointing to a smaller, plainer door on a perpendicular wall. "Is the washroom."

"Is there any-?"

"No," Kei sighed. "We checked. Just a latrine and a shower. That's it."

"There may have been more at some point," Kageyama frowned. "But it was removed recently." He shifted uncomfortably. "There're traces of magic in there."

"Probably explains where the window went too," Akaashi added. "There's a space," He made a box gesture with his fingers, "That looks fresher than the wall around it."

Noya began to wiggle in his grasp, so Koushi reluctantly loosened his hold. Noya popped into his field of vision with a grim look on his face.

"There's nothing in here, Suga-san," He said. "Just us and the futons, and even these," He kicked at the closest one, "Are just fluff. There's nothing I can use in them."

"And there has to be some strengthening runes in here also," Lev added. "Because I tried to break the window and just broke my hand."

"What!" Koushi grabbed for the other with his free hand. "Where?"

"I already fixed it," Kei told him, pushing his glasses up. "It was almost as funny as watching his majesty get blasted by the door."

"Shut up, bastard," Kageyama muttered, rubbing absently at his chest.

"How long was I out?" Koushi blinked at them, trying to process all of this information.

"Not that long, actually," Akaashi said. "I woke up first, but everyone else started waking up soon after. You were just the last one. If I had to guess," He glanced out the window. "I'd say I've only been awake maybe an hour, at most."

"You had already been missing for four days before I was…" Koushi trailed off, thinking back to his last memories. They were foggy, at best. He could remember walking out of his house, the woods, Daichi…

"Oh my God," He breathed. "Daichi."

"Daichi-san?" Noya furrowed his eyebrows. "Did something happen to Daichi-san?"

'I don't know," Koushi said, looking around again. "He's not here, is he?"

"No," Kei frowned. "We haven't seen anyone else yet."

"He was there when I was, kidnapped, I guess?"

"I think that's the best word," Lev nodded.

"What does everyone remember, exactly?" Akaashi asked. The slight crease in his forehead led Koushi to believe that he was more unsettled by the news of having been missing for so long than he was letting on. "I was taking a walk when I was attacked."

Kageyama looked puzzled. "I wasn't attacked. I heard something, like a buzzing," His frown deepened. "And the next thing I really remember was Noya-san yelling."

"Of course I was yelling," Noya put his hands on his hips. "Your hand exploded."

"What?" Kageyama's eyes looked like they were about to pop out, and even Kei leaned over to look at his hands curiously.

"Well, not like, exploded-exploded," Noya corrected himself. "But something exploded on your hand." He fanned his fingers out over the top of his own hand. "Like a burn." He sat back. "I thought you knew what it was though, because you tried to push me back." He snorted. "That's the last thing I remember."

"I don't remember that," Kageyama admitted, eyes still stuck on his hands.

"We were attacked though," Yachi finally spoke up, voice muffled by Koushi's shirt. "Two men came out of the trees, but," She frowned. "I-it gets blurry after that. I remember Tsukishima-kun shouting, I think I shouted, and I remember one of them falling, but that's it."

"I heard a buzzing too," Kei said. "But Yachi is right; I don't really remember what happened afterwards." He shrugged. "It was over very quickly."

"I think I heard the buzzing too," Koushi said. "I remember being outside, and I remember Daichi, and being afraid, but that's it." He sighed.

"I don't remember anything," Lev said bluntly. "I was feeding the strays near the stables, and the next thing I remember is waking up here." He pouted. "Do you know how long I've been missing, Suga-san?"

"Bokuto got the news of Akaashi-san's disappearance the same day Kuroo realized you and Kenma were missing, so probably around four or three days," Koushi's eyes snapped over to Kenma, only to be met with a steady golden stare right back. "Kenma-kun!"

"Suga-san," He waved awkwardly at him. "Are you okay?"

"As okay as any of us can be," Koushi told him truthfully.

"That's good," He paused. "I think I heard a buzzing too, I'm not sure. There may have been a guy."

"Kenma-san!" Lev shuffled over to the smaller boy. "Did you See anything?"

Kenma leaned back, giving Lev a resigned look. "Yeah. It wasn't that hard." He looked at everyone else. "I think the runes are meant to keep us physically inside more than anything else."

"Were you able to See where we are?" Akaashi asked.

Kenma shook his head. "No. I can't See something, or someone, if I've never seen them before. I did find Kuro though." He looked at Koushi. "Daichi-san is okay. He has," He traced a line on his temple, "A cut or something, but he's okay."

Koushi took his first easy breathe since waking up. "I'm glad. So Kuroo and Bokuto are still in Karasuno?"

"Nah," Kenma shook his head. "They set out. All of them did." His eyes slid over to Noya. "Tanaka-san says he has your sword. And Shouyou called you a damsel in distress," He told Kageyama, before looking at Kei. "Do you want to know?"

"Not at all." Kei said dryly.

"You can communicate with them?" Yachi asked. "Can you tell them we're all okay? Or to let my parents know that I didn't run away." She twisted her fingers in her lap. "Noya-san said the rumor was that I ran away with Tsukishima-kun and I want them to know that I didn't. Not that there's anything wrong with Tsukishima-kun!" She was steadily turning beet-red. "Anyone would want to, of course. I have plenty of friends-,"

"I'm not offended," Kei looked pained. "Please stop."

"Right," She smiled nervously.

"I can't," Kenma told her. "But Kuro knows when I Look for him. He told them, so I guess they can communicate with us, but I can't with them." A look of frustration flitted over his expression. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Koushi smiled at him. "It's more than we could have asked for in this situation."

"What do you mean though, about Ryuu and Shouyou?" Noya asked. "What are they doing?"

"They formed a group," Kenma said. "Kuro, Bokuto-san, Daichi-san, Tanaka-san, and Shouyou. They're looking for us."

Koushi frowned. He could understand everyone else, but Hinata? He was still an apprentice. What was Daichi thinking? Although, he glanced around again. There was no way that Hinata would have sat still with this many of his friends missing. Daichi must have come to the same conclusion.

"We need to get out of here," Kageyama declared suddenly.

"No shit," Noya rolled his eyes. "Any suggestions, Tobio?"

"No, I mean," He looked agitated. "We really need to get out of here. Hinata will never let me live this down if he ends up rescuing us."

"I agree with the King," Kei actually looked alarmed. "We have to think of something."

"Alright!" Lev cheered. "Do we try the door again?"

"Well," Akaashi murmured to Koushi under his breathe. "At least we know we can work together, right?"

Koushi watched Kageyama poke at the runes on the door with a blue-lit finger to the tune of Kei's jeers and Lev and Noya's yells, only to pull back with a yelp when it lit up and crackled with energy.

"Yeah," He sighed, gesturing for Kageyama to give him his hand. "At least that's something."

"Say, Kuroo-san," Hinata finally spoke up a couple of hours into their walking. He had been unnaturally quiet up to this point, although knowing his history with nerves, Daichi had just been thankful he was dealing with a quiet Hinata and not a gastrically upset Hinata. "What exactly do you do?"

"What do you mean, Shrimpy?" Kuroo turned to quirk an eyebrow at him. They were walking in a narrow block, with Bokuto at the front, Daichi and Kuroo in the middle, and Tanaka and Hinata bringing up the rear. Not the best distribution of manpower, but they were all close-range fighters, so Daichi was working with what he had.

"You know, what do you do?" Hinata flapped his arms in the air. "What's your job?"

"Yeah!" Tanaka's disturbing, scrunched mouth grimace was met with Kuroo's indifferent stare. "I've been wondering about that too. You're not part of your militia, are you?" He looked him up and down. "You don't dress like it."

Kuroo shrugged. "Not really." Daichi could hear Bokuto snickering in front of him. "I'm a bookstore keeper."

Hinata almost tripped over his thick boots. "What!"

He pressed a hand to his chest. "It's a humble profession, you know."

"Bullshit!" Tanaka pointed accusingly at him. "I don't believe it!"

"It's true!" Bokuto called back at them. "His parents own it." Daichi could see the hint of a smirk on the bit of his face visible to him. "It's a pretty well-known store in the area. People travel to go to it."

"He's right," Kuroo smirked. "As my parents' oldest son, I do what I have do."

"But I've seen you!" Hinata exclaimed. "With the knives! You can throw them like, fwoop fwoop fwoop!" His wind-milling arm came close to smacking Tanaka in the face. "That's not bookkeeper stuff!"

"Hobby," Kuroo shrugged.

"Can you even use those?" Tanaka was eyeing the daggers on his belt with suspicious. "'Cause I'm not here to babysit some city boy who thinks he can fight."

Daichi could see Kuroo opening his mouth to reply, but something looming in his periphery quickly caught his attention.

"Ambush!" He called, sword out to meet the arm swinging his way. He stumbled back under the weight bearing down on him, meeting the sunken eye sockets of his attacker. "Golem!"

"Golems!" Bokuto grunted, and Daichi could just see him holding off his own, his swords crossed over his head as another golem pushed down on him.

Daichi grunted and dug his heels in, using his legs as leverage to push the golem back. It was going slower than he would have liked, and he could already see another monster lumbering in his direction. "Can I get a cover over here!"

Hinata leaped into view, jumping onto the approaching golem's back with a yell. "Take that!" He shouted, swinging his sword one-handedly straight through the golem's neck, only to yelp when the entire thing crumbled beneath him. "What the hell-!"

"Dirt!" Daichi heard Tanaka yelling from behind him. "They're made of dirt!"

"Great," He grunted, kicking his own golem in the knee and decapitating it when it stumbled. "Aim for the necks!" Bokuto's hoot let him know that the other had probably gotten a hit in too, but there was already another golem falling on him when he went to look.

"Where are they coming from?" Bokuto yelled. "I didn't hear them!"

"You'd think you'd notice something this big stomping all over the place!" Tanaka shouted back, the steady hacking of his sword ringing through the air. "What kind of ranger are you?"

"Hey!" Bokuto came into his field of vision on the heels of another wave of collapsing dirt. He pointed a sword at Tanaka. "These things are elementals!"

"What does that mean?" Hinata screeched, a golem almost twice his size pushing down on his sword. Daichi could see the redhead's heels sinking into the ground as the monster used its own mass to keep him in place.

"Tanaka-!" Daichi began to shout, only to stumble as the golem on him suddenly lurched back. He could see the tip of something shining through its neck, before it collapsed; Kuroo's smiling face greeting him.

He watched as Kuroo tossed the same knife he'd used on his golem at Hinata's, hitting it right in the neck again. The golem immediately let up, giving Hinata enough space to jump up and finish the job.

"Duck!" Daichi instinctively bent down, feeling a foot on his back briefly before looking up again.

"Did you just step on me?" He spun around to see Kuroo pull his dual daggers out of a crumbling pile of dirt.

"You're welcome," Kuroo said, tossing another knife at Tanaka's golem. "You good, Bokuto?"

"Yeah!" Bokuto grunted, kicking his golem in the chest, sending it stumbling over to Daichi. "Heads up, Sawamura!"

Daichi swung, catching it from hip to shoulder just as it reached him, showering his boots in dirt.

"No one likes a show-off, Sawamura," Kuroo called.

"You're not one to talk," Daichi grumbled, looking around. "Was that it?"

"Yeah," Kuroo was gathering his knives, wiping them on his pants before sticking them back in his belt. "There were three more in the perimeter, but I took care of those."

"You disappeared!" Hinata was suddenly in the taller man's space. "How did you do that?"

"I didn't disappear, Shrimpy. I'm just quick."

"So city boy has moves after all," Tanaka slapped him on the back. "Thanks for having my back there!"

Daichi left Kuroo to Hinata and Tanaka's clutches and turned to Bokuto. "You really didn't hear anything?"

Bokuto shook his head. "We're traveling through animal-deserted areas already, so any warning I could have usually gotten is kind of moot." He scratched underneath his cap. "Besides, elementals like that are usually ignored by animals."

"You said that earlier," Hinata's head snapped around. "What does that mean?"

"It means that since they're made of natural elements, animals tend to overlook them," Kuroo answered him. "They blend in," He clarified when Hinata continued to look confused.

"So you're saying that animals aren't going to get spooked by these things like they would other magic?" Tanaka asked, frowning when Bokuto nodded. "Well, that sucks."

"Do you think there's a mage around then?" Hinata asked. "Someone had to make them, right?"

"Maybe?" Bokuto shrugged. "They seemed pretty dumb though. They didn't act like they were being controlled."

"They kept running into my sword," Tanaka pointed out, patting at the dirt accumulated at the hilt. "Even when they saw each other doing the same thing."

"They were probably left behind then," Daichi concluded. "Which means we're on the right path."

Unbeknownst to them, there was a densely packed column of air lingering in the trees, shifting and reforming, with a pair of fluttering wings and a pair of purple ringed eyes.

Tadao walked into the room, stopping just inside the doorway. The other man in the room was hunched over an elaborately decorated bowl, covered in runes, staring into the water that Tadao knew was inside.

"Hideaki-sama?" Hideaki looked up and Tadao got a glimpse of purple irises before they closed in a tight smile.

"Tadao-kun!" Hideaki waved him inside. "Come, take a look at this."

Tadao walked carefully over to the table, making sure to stand a good distance away before peering inside. It looked like a high vantage point of view, a tree most likely, and he could see a group of men, boys almost, surrounded by piles of loose dirt.

"The golems were defeated?" He ventured a guess, seeing the white-haired man next to him nod out of the corner of his eye. "Who are they?"

"You don't recognize this one?" A pale finger was thrust at one of the shorter members of the party, a broad man with dark hair. Tadao stared hard, but nothing especially stood out about his features until he turned and he got a look at the red gash on his head.

"The captain of Karasuno's guard?" He frowned. "Seems pretty foolish to venture that far from his town."

"He didn't only venture from it; he's leading a rescue party." Tadao's frown deepened.

"A rescue party of only five people?" He didn't quite manage to hide the disbelief in his tone. "Foolish."

"Perhaps," Tadao knew better than to trust the airiness of that tone. "But they're on the right track, aren't they? And, they destroyed the golems."

"Do you believe them a threat?"

Hideaki hummed. "I don't know yet. The captain there," He circled a finger around the figure once more, "Seems pretty capable. You probably should have killed him."

"I apologize for my blunder, Hideaki-sama," Tadao inclined his head stiffly.

Hideaki ignored him, moving his finger to hover over the tallest figure in the bowl. "This one looks familiar to me."

Tadao took a look, taking in the messy hair and irritatingly smug face. "He's from Nekoma. He was the one who raised the alarm."

"The reason you almost didn't make it out?" Hideaki peered at him again with interest. "Is he a threat?"

Tadao shook his head minutely. "I wouldn't be able to say. His friend though," He pointed at the figure in the archer's hat. "Is a ranger."

"Well, that explains that then," Hideaki dipped his finger right through the tall man's face, swirling the water inside until the image disappeared. "I think it's time we paid our guests a visit, don't you?"

Lev shifted on his knees, trying to keep his restlessness to himself. The exasperated look he was getting from Kenma let him know that he was probably failing pretty badly. It was a look he had gotten used to throughout his time working closely with the other boy though, so he took it in stride. Sugawara had explicitly forbidden him from taking any more shots at the door after he broke his knuckles a second time, so he was stuck sitting on the side while Kageyama got steadily more and more frustrated.

It was pretty funny to watch, since his eyebrows starting getting closer and closer together until they were meeting in the middle and looking like a "V," and his chin started jutting out the more he clenched his teeth. The glowing eyes were a little unsettling though. They had gone from small flashes of light to a consistent flashing to a steady glowing that was a little hard to look at directly. The more his hands lit up the more his scent flooded Lev's senses too. He smelled strongly of ice, the type of ice that melted underneath the mid-winter sun. It was a comforting smell; it reminded him of his father.

"Damn it!" Kageyama hissed, jerking his hand away from the doorknob. Lev could see the tips of his fingers scorched black.

"It didn't work the last three times, why did you think it'd work this time?" Tsukishima was rolling his eyes, but he was reaching over to swipe at the burnt hand with a glowing hand of his own anyway. The smell of sharp, pungent marigolds hit Lev's nose, making it twitch and tickle. It wasn't as nice of a scent as Sugawara's healing, which reminded him of cinnamon and ginger.

"Shut up, Tsukishima," Noya ribbed with a smile, reaching over to punch Kageyama in the shoulder good-naturedly. "We won't get anywhere if we don't try, eh, Kageyama?"

"But still," Yachi was eyeing Kageyama's pink fingertips with wide eyes. "Maybe we should try to think of something else. You keep getting hurt, Kageyama-kun, and nothing's changing. Not that I'm not thankful, of course!" She bit her lip. "You're the only one here who can do anything about the door."

"Hey!" Lev protested. "So can I!"

"You broke your hand. Twice," Kenma reminded him. "I don't think force is going to get us through the door." His gaze slid over to Kageyama. "Any kind of force."

"Hitoka-chan is right though," Noya pointed out with a sigh. "The rest of us are kind of stuck here for now. Whoever cleaned out this room did a kickass job; there's not even a stray hairpin around. Nothing I can use." He turned to stare at Tsukishima's face. "Hey-,"

"No," The blond told him, pushing his glasses up his face firmly.

"Tsukishima!"

"No," He said again, more strongly. "I've seen what you do with the weapons you improvise. I need my glasses in one piece."

"It could be our only option though!"

"Somehow, Noya-san, I don't think picking the lock is going to be more successful than what the King and Haiba have been trying."

"Stop calling me that," Kageyama had a scary glare, although Tsukishima seemed pretty immune to it.

"Akaashi-san," Sugawara spoke up suddenly. "Is something wrong? You've been quiet for a while." Now that he mentioned it, he hadn't heard Akaashi in a while either. Lev turned around to see the older psychic sitting still, a pensive look on his face as he stared at the runes on the door.

"What's wrong, Akaashi-san?" Lev asked, looking between the door and him. "Is something coming?"

"No, I mean, I don't know," He frowned. "I can't sense anything outside of this room. But I was thinking-,"

The sound of the doorknob turning cut him off, and everyone immediately froze.

The door swung out without any fanfare and revealed three men in armor at the doorway. They weren't wearing any helmets, so Lev was able to get a good look at their faces, although they were rather plain. One of them had curly blond hair, the other close-cropped dark hair, and the tallest one had a severe gray stare peering out from underneath dark bangs.

"Hello!" A white-haired head popped around the tall guy. "I hope you've been enjoying your stay."

"Who the hell are you?" Noya had hopped up the minute the door started opening, and now he stood in front of the youngest members of his town, unperturbed by the fact that two of them almost reached his shoulders, even sitting down. "And where the hell are we?"

"Oh. You're, unexpected," The white-haired man patted Blondie and Crew Cut on the shoulders, and they immediately shifted to the side, letting him through, although Tall and Grave was right at his side. "Who are you?"

"I asked you first!"

"Casualty," Tall and Grave spoke, before pointing at Yachi with his chin. "So is the girl."

"Hm. You're usually more professional than that, Tadao-kun."

Tall and Grave -or Tadao, Lev supposed, - looked unmoved. "You already knew there were, unexpected, circumstances this time around."

"Well, you're not wrong," White Hair turned back to them, letting Lev get a good look at his face. He was attractive, he supposed, with high cheekbones and a round face that ended in a pointed chin. His white hair was pushed back a little, but most of it stood up in spikes around his head. Lev wouldn't have minded looking at him some more, if it weren't for those narrow, purple eyes. They sent a chill down Lev's spine and raised goosebumps on his skin. He was still fairly new to dealing with his Dragon-born senses, but he could tell that something about this man was Wrong, Wrong enough to set off his instincts.

"What is going on here?" Sugawara stood up as well, squaring his shoulders and facing White Hair head-on, a stubborn set to his jaw. Lev scrambled to his feet right behind him, hoping his height would at least discourage Blondie and Crew Cut from trying anything funny from where they had suddenly shifted their hands to their belts.

"Nomura, Adachi, stand down," White Hair waved a hand absently. "Sugawara-san isn't going to do anything hasty, now is he?" His gaze drifted to Lev, sending another chill down his back. "Neither is Haiba-kun."

"How do you know who we are?" Sugawara pressed. "Who are you?"

"My name is Wakahisa Hideaki," Wakahisa inclined his head a little, almost mockingly. "And you're Healer Sugawara Koushi. You didn't think that you came into my hospitality by accident, did you? Well," He glanced over at Noya and Yachi. "Most of you, anyway."

"That doesn't answer any of our questions," Noya snapped, widening his stance when Tadao looked over at him.

"You're all being awfully rude," Wakahisa commented lightly, eyes sliding to look over at the rest of them. "Especially after all the trouble you've caused me." His eyes stopped on Tsukishima. "You cost me a soldier, you know."

Tsukishima didn't even blink. "He ran into my glove." Lev saw Yachi blanch. "It was very careless of him."

"So cold, for a healer," Wakahisa gave a theatrical shudder before meeting Akaashi's critical stare. "And poor Yamamoto. He had a family, did you know?"

"He was still alive," Akaashi told him.

Wakahisa flapped his hand in the air. "He was a vegetable. You did quite a number on him." He gestured at his own head.

Akaashi frowned. "It was reversible. A psychic or a healer could have undone it."

"I can't have other people asking questions, don't be ridiculous, Akaashi-san," Wakahisa waved the suggestion away. "Besides, I'm afraid my poor psychic used up the last of her juice trying to get all of you together." He wagged his finger at them. "You were all much too resistant, she couldn't handle it."

"What do you want with us?" Sugawara asked softly, although his tense stance didn't budge a bit.

Wakahisa looked at him. "Right now, Sugawara-san? A word," He flicked his hand at Sugawara, and Tadao stepped into the room. The reactions were instantaneous. Noya and Kageyama flew in front of the older boy, and Lev was aware of Tsukishima leaping to his feet, Akaashi already on his other side. Even Yachi and Kenma were moving closer.

"Stay away from Suga-san, you spineless, piece of-,"

"Noya," Suga interrupted, putting his hands on both his and Kageyama's shoulders. "Calm down. Wakahisa-san isn't going to hurt me. Are you?" The last bit was directed at the man in question.

"Of course not," He actually looked slightly offended. "I think I've proven that I want you in the best of health," He spread his arms to encompass the entire room. "I even gave you my dear cousin's room. He won't be needing it anymore, anyway."

"Suga-san," Kageyama whipped around to look at him, and Lev could see the flecks of blue light sparking in his irises. "You're not actually going to-,"

"It's just a talk, Kageyama," Sugawara told him. "Besides," His voice dropped to a whisper, "He's right. He's had plenty of opportunity to hurt us and he hasn't. I don't think he's going to do anything to me."

"There are other ways to break a person, Suga-san," Akaashi said, a grim look in his eyes. He was probably thinking about that man, Yamamoto.

"Any day now, Sugawara-san," Wakahisa called. "We're losing sunlight."

"Noya, Kageyama," When neither of them budged, he sighed and stepped around them.

Lev grabbed his arm as he walked by him. "Please, Sugawara-san," He fidgeted. "Don't go."

"I'll be fine, Lev," Sugawara patted his hand. "Now let go."

"No," He shook his head, setting his lips stubbornly. "I don't like him."

"Lev," Sugawara had a steely glare when he wanted to. "Let. Me. Go."

He shook his head again, only to yelp when Sugawara's arm was ripped from his hold. Tadao had reached over and pulled him away while they were distracted.

He lunged, hissing, every muscle in his body tense. He was stopped by the point of a sword to the throat, held by Blondie. Lev hissed again, pressing forward anyway, only distantly aware of the tip digging uncomfortably into the underside of his jaw.

"Lev!" Sugawara shouted. "I'm okay! Stop!" He could feel hands tugging at his arms, but he refused to budge until a sharp burn flashed on his bicep. He jerked away from it, glancing at Kageyama with a betrayed look on his face.

"You'll live," He told him unrepentantly, blue eyes sparking.

"Well," Lev looked up to see Wakahisa considering him with a thoughtful look. "Looks like there's a little more to you than meets the eye, hm?" He turned around, gesturing Tadao forward, and with one last worried look over his shoulder, Sugawara was out of their sights. "Don't worry, Dragon-born, you'll all get your chances soon enough." And with that he was gone.

Blondie and Crew Cut stepped out and began closing the door, only pausing long enough for Crew Cut to throw out, "Oh, dinner will be around shortly," And then they were left alone again.

"Are you okay, Lev?" Kenma asked him suddenly, calling his attention away from the door.

"I think so," He rubbed at his arm mournfully. "Kageyama, that really hurt."

"I meant about your throat," Kenma clarified, pointing at his neck. 'You're bleeding."

"What?" He touched his neck, and sure enough, there was blood on his hand when he pulled it away. "Oh."

"You didn't think throwing yourself on a sword was going to have consequences?" Tsukishima asked dryly, stepping in front of him. "Are you going to bite me?"

"No…" Lev blinked at him. "Why would I?"

"Because you looked like you were going to take your chances with that sword," Noya was peering at him with approval. "It was pretty awesome. I thought Blondie was going to piss himself."

"Lev," Akaashi's eyes were following Tsukishima's glowing hand with a slight frown. "Didn't you feel it?"

"I, don't think so?" Lev sneezed, smiling sheepishly in the face of Tsukishima's unimpressed scowl. "Sorry, your healing kind of stinks. Hey!" He protested when the blond wiped his bloody hand on his shirt and stepped away. "What about my arm?"

"The King decreed that you'd survive that one," Was the only response he got, even when he pouted.

"Um," Yachi was staring at the door with wide eyes. "Do you, do you think Suga-san is really going to be okay?"

Kageyama crossed his arms, glaring at the door. "I don't know, but something about that man seemed familiar."

"Maybe you'd seen him when you lived in Seijou," Noya suggested, blinking when everyone suddenly turned to him. "What?"

"What do you mean?" Kenma asked.

"The coat of arms," Noya gestured to his chest. "On the armor. It's Shiratorizawa's." He quirked an eyebrow at Kageyama. "You didn't notice?"

"I had other things to worry about," He turned away, but Lev could see the flush creeping down his neck.

"So we're in the castle?" Yachi looked absolutely horrified. "Were we kidnapped by the king?"

"No," Akaashi shook his head. "Something else is going on here," Lev could see the strain around his eyes as he spoke. "I can't be sure, but I got the sense that we're a secret for right now. No one else knows we're here."

Lev couldn't help but be jealous of Akaashi's abilities, because right then, all he could think about was the disgustingly sweet scent of decay that still lingered, even after Wakahisa's departure.

"So, what do you think?" Koushi looked around the room he had been ushered into, taking in the heavy curtains and the thick carpeting. It was a wide room, much bigger than the one he and his friends were being held in, despite the tables and the armchairs scattered throughout.

"I think it seems pretty big, for just one man," Koushi's smile was sharp. "Especially when eight of us are in a much smaller room just down the hall."

Wakahisa laughed, a sharp sound that rang through the air before dispersing quickly. "You're not one to hold your tongue, are you, Sugawara-san?"

"Not usually, no," Koushi shrugged, eyeing the tall grey-eyed soldier that had taken a spot near the door the minute he'd let him go. Tadao, Wakahisa had called him.

"That's Tsujimura Tadao," Wakahisa told him. "He's good at his job, so I wouldn't try to run if I were you," The white-haired man had wandered over to one of the tables along the wall, running his fingers along the rim of an ornately decorated bowl. "It would end rather badly for you."

"Why are we here?" Koushi kept a wary eye on the other man's back.

"You're here because I want you to be," Wakahisa turned to face him, purple eyes glistening. "There are things I need that you may be able to provide."

Koushi regarded the other man with cautious eyes. "What makes you think we'll cooperate?"

"Well, that's the best part, Sugawara-san," He spread his hands like a mage revealing a secret. "You wouldn't have a choice. Although, I would prefer it were you willing." He waved his hand in the air. "It's less messy that way."

"What are you talking about?"

Wakahisa heaved a huge sigh, like Koushi was the one being purposefully vague. "I do hope the rumors of your talents weren't as exaggerated as the ones about your intellect appear to be," He continued without a pause, "I'm sure you're well aware that magic is, fickle, even in direct family lines."

Koushi didn't think there was anybody who didn't know. Magic manifested itself in different ways even among full-blood siblings, Kei and his brother, for example. Akiteru was a psychic, similar to Kenma in that his magic funneled itself into one ability, psychometry, in his case. Kei on the other hand, was extremely predisposed towards healing magic as a whole, and with great potential to go beyond superficial healing. Similar cases were more the norm than the exception, as far as Koushi knew. Even Dragon-borns were no different. Neither Hinata's mother nor father displayed any blatant Dragon-born characteristics, and even little Hinata Natsu was still undetermined either way. Koushi himself came from a long line of healers, but he was one of the strongest to be born in decades. To say that magic was fickle would be an understatement.

Wakahisa was undeterred by his contemplative silence. "While there are some with broad talent in my family, talent they choose to squander even," There was a thread of icy steel underlying Wakahisa's nonchalant tone, "I myself have only ever been really good with one spell." His eyes lit up, casting a familiar purple glow in Koushi's face. "It's been extremely helpful though, so I suppose I can't complain."

Koushi took a step back, only to be met with an ironclad grip on his arms. He didn't have to look back to know it was Tsujimura. "What really happened to your psychic?" Koushi glared at the other man as he got closer to him. "They weren't working for you voluntarily, were they?"

"No, she wasn't," Wakahisa admitted easily. "But I can be fairly persuasive. Enough to push people past those pesky self-preservation boundaries."

"You drained her, didn't you?" Koushi realized with horror.

Wakahisa shook his head. "No, she drained herself," He clarified. "She just did it on my behalf."

Just like any other ability, magic came with natural boundaries for their users. Some people naturally had more stamina than others, some people chose to practice to increase their thresholds, and certain types of magic were more taxing than others -healing was one of the least overwhelming ones- but there was always a point where you had to stop in order to give yourself a break. Pushing past that point could lead to injury, or even death.

"That's-, you-," Koushi's eyes hardened into a glare as Wakahisa came to a stop in front of him. "You're a monster."

"Now, now," An almost sickeningly gentle hand brushed his hair out of his eyes. "That's not very nice. This isn't going to hurt a bit. I think," Wakahisa added blithely before Koushi saw his hand light up in his periphery. He tried to crane his neck away, but a similarly glowing hand clasped onto the other side of his head, and between Wakahisa's grasp and Tsujimura behind him, there was nowhere he could go.

Wakahisa seemed determined to keep eye contact with him, because all he could see invading his line of sight were those glowing purple irises as the warmth spread in sharp outward bursts toward the center of his face. Koushi couldn't help but silently agree that Wakahisa wasn't particularly magically gifted; even Kageyama's magic had felt better than this back when he'd first arrived in Karasuno, reckless and angry in his control. And it vastly different than a healing, even Kei's, who tended to be a bit brusque with his approach. This flashed across his skin like an unburning fire, uncomfortable and stinging.

He felt it creep into his eyes, and somehow, he swore he could feel it actually trying to sink deeper into his face before, suddenly, it was just gone.

He blinked, confusion growing in the face of Wakahisa's hiss, lips tight as he slid his hands off his face and took a step back.

"I can't say I'm surprised, but I am disappointed," Wakahisa sighed, before looking back at Koushi. "I suppose your protégé will probably fare the same."

It hadn't worked, Koushi realized with a start. And from the sound of it, Wakahisa believed Kei wouldn't be susceptible either. Koushi hoped he was right.

"Well, nothing to be done about that, I suppose," The white-haired man clapped his hands together. "I do hope you'll still be cooperative though, Sugawara-san."

Koushi couldn't believe this. "And what exactly makes you think-,"

"I mean, despite the obvious generosity I've displayed towards you," Wakahisa interrupted, "With the lodgings, and the sparing of the two little casualties," -He was talking about Yachi and Noya, Koushi realized with a sinking stomach,- "I also spared the captain's life." Wakahisa locked eyes with him. "That can easily be changed."

Koushi's blood ran cold. "Are you threatening me? Are you threatening Daichi?" His lunge forward was stopped by Tsujimura. "He has nothing to do with this!"

"And how would you know that, Sugawara-san? We've barely just met."

"He would already be here," Koushi spat confidently, feeling a little relieved when Wakahisa regarded him back with a little respect.

"That's true," Wakahisa shrugged easily. "But for how long, is the real question," His eyes revealed nothing, and Koushi stubbornly held his tongue. This man would hear nothing about Daichi and everyone else from him, that was for sure.

There was a beat of tense silence before Wakahisa waved his hand again, this time behind Koushi. "Tadao-kun, have Adachi-kun escort Sugawara-san back to his room. Nomura-kun should be back with dinner soon." He turned his attention back to Koushi. "Despite our differences, I enjoyed our little talk, Sugawara-san." His smile was perfectly genial, and that creeped Koushi out more than anything else. "Please keep my words in mind."

And with that, Koushi was firmly herded to the door where the man with the close-cropped haircut took his arm and began leading him down the hall, the door closing with a near-silent click behind him.

Koushi's head was still spinning as he was greeted with shouts of relief upon his return. His heart clenched as he accepted Yachi's wailing hug and Lev's overenthusiastic nuzzling. What was going to happen to them now?

Tadao turned from the closed door to glance back at Hideaki where he was still staring at the wall with his arms crossed.

"You knew that was going to happen," He decided finally.

"I suspected," Hideaki shrugged loosely. "He wasn't the first healer, after all."

"Do you really think Healer Tsukishima will be the same?"

"Probably," Hideaki looked unconcerned. "The healers are the least of my concerns though. They'll still do their job."

Tadao supposed he was right. The group appeared close already; neither Sugawara nor Tsukishima would probably need much persuading to heal their comrades.

"This doesn't change anything," Hideaki declared, moving towards the scrying bowl again. "But I do think Sugawara-san has a little more fire than I had suspected."

Tadao frowned. "Is he going to be a problem?" He fingered his belt lightly.

"None of that, Tadao-kun," Hideaki hadn't even bothered to turn away from where he was tapping on the runes with a purple-lit finger. "He's stubborn, but he's easily controlled. I doubt he'll do anything to jeopardize any of his companions. Likewise, they all seemed particularly enamored with him as well; I doubt they'll be difficult to control the same way."

Hideaki hummed as he dipped a finger in the water. "Oh, they've made good headway. That's unfortunate." Tadao could see the smile spreading on his face as he looked into the water. "I do think it's time we send Sugawara-san's beloved captain a welcoming party, don't you?" He finally looked back at Tadao, eyes glowing faintly. "I think this calls for our mage."

"Which one?" Hideaki huffed and shook his head, like he was being ridiculous.

"You know which one, Tadao-kun."

"I don't think he'll last much longer at this rate, Hideaki-sama." He was met with a nonchalant shrug as Hideaki turned back to the bowl.

"If they continue on this path," He tapped the edge of the bowl lightly, "Then they'll be through Seijou and onward to Shiratorizawa before the week's end, and we can't have that, can we."

It wasn't a question, but Tadao knew he was still expected to answer. "No, Hideaki-sama."

"Of course not," Hideaki agreed easily. "Besides, this way, our mage's work will either stop them, or guarantee that there'll be enough reasons for them to take care of some of my unfinished business for me." Hideaki nodded to himself, turning all the way around to regard Tadao with a small smile. "Wouldn't that be nice." He didn't give Tadao any opportunity to answer that time, as he waved him towards the door. "Now, could you bring him? The sooner the better; I'm getting hungry."

Tadao bowed. "Of course, Hideaki-sama." He let himself out of the room and turned to the left, passing Nomura as he walked by with a few stacked trays.

"Tsujimura-san."

"Nomura-san," Tadao inclined his head back at him, eyes already fixed on the door he was headed towards.

"Oh," He turned to see Nomura standing still, a knowing look creeping into his blue eyes. "He's going to use him again?"

"Mhm," Tadao confirmed, watching as Nomura clicked his tongue.

"He's not doing that well, you know."

"I am aware. Hideaki-sama is adamant."

Nomura snorted at that, resuming his stride. "Yeah, I'm sure. He's never cared much for elemental mages, has he?"

Tadao glanced between the door at the end of the hallway and the one where the most overworked captive was kept.

"No, he hasn't."

There was a disappointing lack of our rescue party in this, but it started getting too long, so I had to push back most of my plans for them to the next chapter. I think this didn't turn out too bad this way. We got to meet our villains, after all. And they're from Shiratorizawa too! *Gasps* Well. Sorta.