This is based loosely on the book 'Witch Child' by Cecila Rees. Only loosely though.

And remember this, I barely know anything about Scotland in the 1600's, so you really can't expect me to know about Japan right? lol

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The following manuscript is made up from a remarkable collection of documents termed 'The Mai Papers'. Found hidden inside a quilt dating back to the 1600's, the papers seem to take the form of an irregularly kept jorunal or diary. All dates are guess-work, based on references within the text. The first entries are tentatively dated from March 1659. I have altered the orginal as little as possible, but punctuation, paragraphing and spelling have been standardised for the modern reader.

Satsuki Makano
Tokyo, Shibuya.

Entry 1 (March? 1659)

I have been given a leather bound book from one of my fellow shipmates, as I am fair of hand at writing and have been asked to keep a journal of sorts of the journey.
Perhaps I should explain myself first.
My name is Mai Taniyama. I am a psychic, something frowned upon in this age. The call us Witch Children and The Devils Servants, as we can see and feel and do things regular people can not.
Before this dark time, people used to come to us, asking for guidence and help with problems in their homes or with their children, asking for remedies and exorsisims. But as our leader, Houshou Takigawa explained to me, people soon become to fear what they cannot explain and we are a perfect example of this.
We are hunted down like rabid dogs, and if caught, killed on sight.
Psychics in Japan used to live in small villages, each special type of psychic in a different one. I, myself, came from a Seeing Village, a place for those with the gift of 'The Sight', those who can see and feel spirits or, like myself, dream of the past and present, making predictions for travellers and those who seek our help. Dreamers such as I are rare, even amongst Seeing Villages, which was why I was held in high regard.
All that has changed now. What used to be my blessing, earning me the finest meals, clothes and sleeping quarters, now is my curse. I was well enough known in the area surrounding my village, which ment that people easily reconised me.
I saw the men coming in my dreams before we did in reality. When I told my village I was sent to the hidden cellars underground with a fellow Psychic named Masako Hara, one of the youngest yet most accurate female Mediums. She has the ability to see and sense Ghosts, as well as communicate with them.
We heard the tortured screams of our village elders, the children we played with who had been found from their hidding places.
We stayed hidden for 2 days before finally climbing out of the cellar and seeing our once life filled village nothing but ashes and ruins, small gatherings of flames still licking the debris.
We began to travel together, hoping to reach the port of Kushiro, a 3 week long travel from our village in Asahikawa. We had been told that a group of Psychics were leaving from the port in 2 months, heading to the Ryukyu Islands, a safe haven for us now.
We travelled for days on end, sleeping and myself eating little. Masako always was a frail and sickly girl and I was worried that she may not make it, so to keep her strength up I always gave her the larger share of our food. She became sick with a terrible fever but thankfully, it seemed as is Kami was kind to us, as Houshou Takigawa, an exorsist Monk passed us, immediatly reconising our Psychic powers from our auras. He had a carriage and 2 horses. He told us he was going one of the last Elders of the Villages, something that shocked me because he is no where near the ages of our elders, only looking around 28 years old. But he is kind and asked for no favors.
When we finally reached Kushiro, we met up with a group of around 40 psychics, all from different villages. Miko Villages, Monk Villages, Preistly Villages, Sorcery Villages and many more. Although Masako and I are the only Seer's in our group, which makes me sad.

The Journey across the sea has been hard and we are fast loosing members. What was once 40 has been dwindled down to only 26 and although this give us more room in our large cabin - 20 paces long, 10 paces wide - it does hurt to watch people I have slept beside, talked to and ate with die of various diseases. According to Houshou, there are only nine Monks left, seven Miko's, five sorcerers, three Priests and two Seer's - Masako and myself.
One of the Miko's, Ayako, has taken myself and Masako under her wing. She is as motherly as she is beautiful but also hot headed, which is shocking for a Miko to be.
A Priest by the name of John Brown goes up onto deck most of the time and sometimes I join him. He sits and prays and I sometimes join him, hoping for a safe voyage, that everyone will be ok.
Houshou suffers from terribal sea sickness and has asked me to report to him every day, to write a book of what has happened abord the ship, esspecially wonders. The problem is, there are no wonders, at least not yet. People continue to get sicker and sicker, and atleast 2 sorcerers are on their death beds.

I know Lin is not there, but he is one of the sorcerers - not the sick ones - and neither is Gene, Naru, Yasuhara or Madoka. Gene is on bored the ship but as a crew member and the other three will come in within a few chapters.

Review if you want me to continue.