Sorceress

Chapter 1

"Alice?"

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"Alice, wake up!"

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"Alice don't you remember what day it is?"

I opened my eyes slowly and grudgingly. Sunlight was streaming through the window, bathing the room in it's warm glow. Something warm lay on my chest. When my vision came into focus, Ignis was right in front of my face, sitting on my chest and pawing at my face with his tiny front paws. 

Sitting up, I half-yawned-half-spoke "Why so early?"

Ignis sat on my lap and gave me a skeptic look with his small black eyes.

"Alice I can't believe you forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"Alice, it's your sixteenth birthday!"

I gave a sudden jerk, sending Ignis flying across the bed. Of course! Forgetting all thoughts of sleepiness, I jumped out of bed, scooped up an exasperated Ignis, and rushed downstairs into the kitchen.

The kitchen smelled of warm bread and cinnamon. Mother stood in front of the stove, humming a soft tune. The sunlight made her golden hair glow, and she looked as beautiful as ever. 

When she saw me, she gave me a radiant smile and hugged me.

"Good morning darling," she said softly, "Have a seat, I'm making breakfast."

With Ignis perched on my shoulder, I sat at the small round table where we eat our meals. Papa was already sitting there, looking over some papers while sipping from a modest green mug. He and mother owned a small bakery down in the village. She baked all the goods while he maintained the finances.

"Morning Papa," I greeted as I sat down. Ignis hopped off my shoulders as Mother set a bowl of raw fish  down near the table.

"There's my girl," he said, taking me in with his clear blue eyes, "so grown up... I can't believe you'll be leaving us tonight."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to write," I reassured him. I was practically bouncing in my seat. I had waited years for this very day, for this was the day I would leave home and start my witch training.

After scarfing down my breakfast, I went upstairs to get dressed. I put on one of my favorite blue dresses and brushed my hair, putting it into my usual side braid. I took a moment to view myself in the mirror. I took after my father's dark brunette hair, and my mother's petite figure. I had eyes that weren't quite blue or green, but somewhere in the middle, with a peculiar golden ring around the pupils. 

After getting dressed I went downstairs and headed down to the village, accompanied by Ignis, who ran along beside me. Our cottage was perched up on a grassy, poppy-covered hill with a quiet view of the ocean. It lay on the very edge of town, and although it wasn't very big, it was perfectly cozy and comforting.

Tonight I would leave it. Although it made me sad to part with the only home I ever knew, I was excited to enter my journey of training my magical gifts.

There's no way to inherit 'magic'. Some people are just born with the gift. Long ago, the people without these abilities feared and hated magic and witches and wizards. However, the king of that time realized how his kingdom could benefit from the use of their gifts, and the magical beings were accepted as regular citizens of Ashlan. So, as tradition goes, witches and wizards at the age of sixteen leave their home for at least five years to take on a mentor and study in the Magic Arts. The only problem was, I didn't know what I wanted to study.

Fortune telling would be cool. Or alchemy. Or I could study spells and charms. I'd had years to think about this, but I hadn't been able to make up my mind. Eventually, I decided just to take off on my journey and see where fate takes me. It was the best plan I had.

The sky was blue, but still had faint pink tints around the edges, remnants of sunrise as it gave way to the day. We followed the dirt path from our cottage into the cobbled streets of the village.

Ignis, as usual, was perched comfortably on my shoulder. Ignis was my familiar. Before they turn sixteen, every witch or wizard must find a magical animal companion, known as a familiar, to aid them. Every familiar shared a spiritual connection with their human companion. They shared the same birthday and when the witch or wizard died, so did their familiar. Ignis was a fire stoat (a type of weasel). I'd had him since I was five.

We made our way down to the town, full of small shops and local children playing. Our seaside town was modest and charming, and very few of us had ever left. We were pretty isolated from the rest of the kingdom. As we strolled down the cobbled streets, everyone that saw me congratulated me, wishing me a happy birthday and a safe journey. The morning sun shone down and made the nearby ocean sparkle. I jogged toward it, to the very edge of town where the docks were. The fishermen were well out in the ocean already, hunting for the fish that resided under the soft waves. I sat at the end of a pier and dangled my feet over the sea.

Ignis climbed off my shoulder and sat beside me, gazing at the ocean.

"We're leaving tonight," he said, "Are you nervous?"

"I view it as an adventure," I reply.

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The celebrations lasted throughout the day. The entire town had put signs and banners in front of their homes and shops reading things like 'Safe Travels' and 'We'll Miss You', for I was the only witch in town, and everyone was close-knit. At sunset, everyone gathered on the hill where our cottage is. I went outside wearing my best blue/green cloak over my simple blue dress to say goodbye to everyone. All the children were petting and playing with Ignis one last time, and he performed small fire tricks in return for applause and small strips of fish. Mother had given me several loaves of bread, cheese, apples, pastries, and some pieces of cooked tuna all inside a straw basket. There was also a cloth containing money and a spare dress. However, after saying farewell to each person, I also ended up with a bowl of berries, a bottle of wine, and some strips of smoked beef as parting gifts. I gave a long goodbye to my parents and tied my basket to my broomstick. A light blanket was tied to the basket. Ignis said goodbye to the children and I placed him on my shoulder as I mounted my broom. 

Taking in all the faces for one last time, I took a deep breath and kicked off the ground, flying up into the clear twilight sky.