2

"So how is rubbing seaweed on my hands helping them?" Daichi asks as the siren, Tooru gently rubs seaweed against his hands. To his surprise, Tooru rolls his eyes.

"It' not seaweed," Kuroo, the mermaid explains, just as Oikawa mutters something to the likes of "cut but dumb. Whe does he have to be cute?" Adjusting his position on his rock a few meters away so he is at least facing Daichi, Kuroo adds, "I won't give you the long and detailed explanation. I would love to but Tooru here gets all annoyed when I do. He says I use too many "big" and "ridiculous" words. He likes a lot of big words but apparently the ones I use sound "hideous" and barbaric."

"Damn right," Oikawa chirps, with a small smile. "I love you, Tetsu, but your word choice makes me want to barf."

After chuckling at Tooru's words, Kuroo says, "it's a magic plant that cleans your wounds and helps them heal faster."

"Oh," Daichi responds. He can't help but feel a bit confused, and strangely relieved. The two magical beings who he just met seem completely relaxed around him. They seem completely relaxed, although he could attack them at any moment. Sure he would have to fight them with his bare, injured hands...

"I have a feeling that you're not going to do anything as stupid as this," Oikawa says, after rubbing the last piece of not-seaweed against Daichi's hands. "But don't try to fight us. In particular, don't try to fight Kuroo. Especially when Nika is around. They've known eachother for quite a while... They both are quite protective of each other. In all honesty, I'm not sure which is more dangerous..." Kuroo, who at this point is no longer paying attention to their conversation, is playing with Nika.

Throwing a piece of a driftwood into the ocean, Kuroo laughs hysterically as Nika swims after it. "I thought you hated this game. What made you change your mind?" Kuroo laughs even more when Nika emits a series of growls that almost sound like speech. By the time Kuroo has finished laughing, Nika has returned. Nika drops the piece of driftwood to the right of Kuroo before shaking the water off themselves, resulting in a spray of water to land on Kuroo.

Upon noticing how well behaved the dragon is, Daichi says, "Did Kuroo train Nika to do that?" Shifting his gaze from Nika and Kuroo back to Oikawa, Daichi is surprised to find that the expression on Oikawa's face is more serious than the one he previously wore.

"Questions like that..." Even though OIkawa's voice has a primarily serious tone to it, there is a hint of sadness within it. "You shouldn't ask them. Or at least, don't ask me. I won't tell you. Let's just say, there is more to Nika than you think. So much more..." Upon hearing Oikawa's response, Daichi lets his mind wander... Let's himself try to figure it out... Why is Oikawa getting so serious over a dragon? As Nika swims after the driftwood again, Daichi can't help but think, Aren't dragons supposed to dislike water? Why does Nika loves the water so much?

"I'm glad you're using that brain of yours," Oikawa says quietly, after a few minutes of silence, "but I have a feeling you're using it for something other than to think of a way to fight the pirates. You're stuck with us because you owe us. If isn't your job to find out about Nika's secrets. Now, think of a plan."

"A dragon has secrets?" Daichi asks, now seriously starting to question if Nika is truly a dragon, or if Nika has always been a dragon.

"LOOK AT THEM," Kuroo shouts, pretending to be whispering, "GOSSIPING LIKE TWO OLD WOMEN!" Almost automatically, NIka emits a few wheezing sounds that sound like laughter. "I HOPE THAT THEY HAVE A PLAN TO GET RID OF THE PIRATES. IF NOT, NIKA WILL HAVE A FEAST TONIGHT!"

"FUCK YOU," Is Oikawa's immediate response. "I KNOW NIKA WOULDN'T EAT ME. DAICHI, ON THE OTHER HAND..." Now it is Oikawa who is laughing, and Daichi who is swearing. "I'm just kidding," Oikawa whispers to Daichi, who had grown pale at the thought of getting eaten alive. "Besides, Nika could never..."

The loud, thundering sound of a cannon firing interrupts Oikawa's speech. To the surprise of all present, the big black sails of the pirate ship are a lot closer... "Damn it they've never gotten so close to our hideout before! Why are they here now?"

"It seems," Oikawa says, all the while running a shaking hand through his brown hair, "that one cute but stupid creature saved another cute but stupid creature and led them right to us! Or perhaps it is just one cute but stupid creature's fault. After all, with Nika being blue, they normally blend in with the sky... Your black cape, human, screams 'look I'm here!"

"Well," Daichi snarls, feeling a bit agitated himself, "this cute but stupid creature has a name. It's Daichi. And I certainly never meant to roll off a cliff or lead pirates to your hideout! Now, are you doing to keep acting like a jerk or help me come up with a solution? It is your hideout after all!"

"Didn't you hear what I said when we first met? Those damn pirates keep putting wax in their ears! Until some of it falls out I won't be of any help! Tetsu could help by calling to some whales or whatever but then they would hit the whales with cannon balls! Nika could go but they could get killed or...."

"STOP ARGUING!" Tetsu shouts, all the while slapping his blood red tail against the rock below him to get their attention. "We ALL need to think of something fast because Nika fucking just flew away to buy us some time. If ANYTHING happens to that dragon I swear-"

"I KNOW, I KNOW" Oikawa shouts, sounding a bit frazzled. "I don't want anything to happen to Nika, or this cove and hideout, or you... So we just need to think. And think REALLY hard..." Upon seeing fire cover the sails, and hearing rapid canon fire, Oikawa adds, "before Nika dies, before we all die! What are we going to do? OH MY GOD Tetsu, what are we going to do?" Upon hearing OIkawa's voice grow shaky and seeing Kuroo's somber expression, a wave of panic washes over Daichi.

To him, this whole thing is no longer about paying off his debt. Instead, it is about protecting the innocent and dealing with the pirates that should have been arrested long ago. Just what has been happening in my kingdom?