Magi: Journey of our Lives

Prologue

Kayoko Gozen walked into the house that she shared with the rest of the Gozen clan...as well as her daughter. She dropped the saddle that she had swung over her shoulders onto the floor and pushed her black hair out of her face.

"Mama!!" A small voice shouted and she heard the sound of running feet.

The Ki warrior smiled widely and kneeled down, holding out her arms towards the small figure that was running towards her. She caught the small figure in a hug and she stood up, laughing with her in her arms.

"Hello, Kaya...you've been good?" Kayoko asked as she strokes her daughter's black hair.

"Yes!" Kayami shouted with a large smile.

Kayoko laughed and nuzzled her cheeks against her daughter's, "That's a good girl..."

Kayami beamed at her mother as the older Ki carried her to their shared bed chambers, once there Kayoko gently placed her daughter onto their futon and kneeled down. Kayami plopped onto her mother's lap and looked up at her, facing her.

"What did you bring me?!" Kayami asked excited.

Her mother laughed and ruffled her hair, "I got you a horse...he's pure black." She stroked her hair as she said that. "He is the son of my own horse and will protect you in battle, my little warrior."

"What's his name?"

Kayoko chuckled and tapped her daughter's nose as she said, "He is to be your horse so you must be the one that'll have to name him."

Kayami nodded her head slowly and looked up, thinking, "Mmm...Kurodayu! I will name him Kurodayu!"

"Mmm, that's a good name!" Her mother said patting her head. "Your father is going to have a man named Kaisei train you...a birthday gift to you...do not worry, Kaisei is of our clan so you do not need to worry about being mistreated."

The smile that her daughter had on her face was quickly replaced by a frown at the mention of her father, she saw him only once and that had been a terrible first meeting. Kayoko noticed her look as she smiled sadly and hugged her daughter tightly, placing her hand on the back of her daughter's head.

"Shh, my little warrior," Kayoko whispered feeling her daughter quiver and could feel her top becoming soaked with her tears. "Don't shed your precious tears, Gozen women are strong and cry for no man..."

She felt her daughter's quivering slowly stop and she pulled away from her mother to wipe the tears away.

Kayoko moved her hands and gently cupped her daughter's cheeks as she whispered, "You will take your father's birthday gift, not because he is the Emperor but because this will help you get stronger that no one will be able to harm you as your grow older." Two sets of brown eyes met, one was still glistening with unshed tears while the other one was strong and unwavering. "Take advantage of this because he will not do it again, my little warrior."

She then kissed Kayami's forehead.

"I love you more than anything in this world."

"More than him?"

"Yes...I love you more than him." Kayoko said she gently tucked her daughter's hair behind her ear.

Kayami smiled happily up at her mother before throwing her small arms around her neck and kissing her mother on the cheek, "I love you too, Mama!"

Kayoko laughed and returned her daughter's hug and kiss. If the father of her child didn't want anything to do with Kayami then Kayoko would do it, she would hoard her daughter from everyone until Kaisei came for her to train her. Underneath her armor, she could feel the scroll that was given to her by a messenger from the Emperor...it was an order that Kayami will be sent to the Kou Empire to be a political hostage.

She lost her smile a little as she thought about it, it wasn't fair that she was to send her own child way while the Empress got to keep hers. Kayoko closed her eyes as she hugged her daughter tightly to her but she didn't allow the tears to form, like she had told her daughter she will not cry because she was a strong Ki warrior.

Kayoko pulled her daughter away from her and looked at her, "One day, you will have to marry, little warrior..."

"What if it ends up like yours, Mama?"

"You fight it then...don't suffer through it in silence, you have to stand up to your husband and his family," Kayoko said. "Don't be like I was when I married your father and became a concubine but as soon as that woman came into our lives, he started to withdraw and I allowed it to happen...so be strong, my little warrior."

She leaned forward once more and pressed her lips against her daughter's forehead.

~.~.~.~

Kayami jerked in Kaisei's lap, waking up from a memory and rubbed her eyes to clear the sleep from them. Goro snorted and tossed his white head, stomping his foot when one of the Kou horses got too close to him. Her own black stallion, Kurodayu, was walking a little behind them tied to Goro's saddle by a long rope. Ki horses were known to be very aggressive towards each other and anyone who wasn't their rider.

"Awake, Princess?" Kaisei rumbled out.

"Yes...I had a dream of my mother." Kayami mumbled out.

Kaisei doesn't say anything to that but he pointed ahead of them and said, "We're here."

The girl looked up to see the looming Palace of the Kou Royal Family, frowning at the sight of it. She hadn't wanted to come here but the Ki Empress didn't wanted to send any of her own children to the Kou Empire as a sign of good will between the two nations so the bastard daughter of a Gozen woman was sent instead. Once inside the gates, Kaisei pulled Goro to a stop and dismounted before he helped Kayami down. The older Ki warrior gently placed his hand on the top of her head as he gently lead her forward, Kayami kept her eyes trained forward ignoring the sneers that she was getting from the Kou nobles.

"Greetings, Princess Kayami and Warrior Kaisei." The Kou Emperor said. "I am Emperor Ren Hakutoku and this is my Empress, Ren Gyokuen." He motioned to the woman standing next to him, Kayami eyed her warily but she wasn't sure why. "And these are our children." He motioned to the four children standing near them, they all shared similar features to the Empress.

Unbeknownst to Kayami and Kaisei, they were being watched by multiple sets of red eyes. Ren Kouen was standing next to his father, Ren Koutoku, as they watched the interaction between their Uncle and the two Ki people. His first thought of girl standing silently in front of the large, muscular man was that she was young, three years younger than Koumei and there had been an air of sadness around her...like she had been forced here against her will but she never once cried even when the Emperor spoke to her though she never once said anything, the man with her was the only one who spoke.

The man and girl bowed before a servant led them a way but when a servant had gone to collect their horses, the man snapped out, "Don't touch them unless you want your fingers bitten off!" The servant jolted in shock as his booming voice. "Those horses won't let anyone touch them expect their riders so we'll take them, just lead us to the stables." The man looked at the girl and motioned her forward.

Kouen watched as the young girl looked at the man before she trotted forward the black stallion who nickered when he saw her, lowering his large head to receive a rub on his forehead before she grabbed the rope as the man did the same. Then they walked away being led by the servant, one of the saddle bags on the girl's horse moved and then a small fox-like head popped up, looked around then popped back inside.

"Let's go." Koutoku said before he turned and walked away.

Kouen and his brother, Ren Koumei stared at the backs of the two outsiders before turning around to follow their father.

"Do you think we'll met them, brother?" Koumei whispered silently to his older brother.

"I don't know, we might but don't go looking for her." Kouen cautioned. "I don't think that man would like it."

Koumei glanced over his shoulder and said, "He's a big man..."

Kouen doesn't say anything so he and his brother silently follow their father and sisters. There might be a chance where they might never see or interact with her at all since it was such a large Palace after all.