Prologue

Noah was shoved by the crowd around her. The five year old didn't know what a witch trial was, but she was about to find out. All around her, people shouted:

"THERE SHE IS!"

"KILL THE WITCH!"

"BURN HER!"

"BOIL HER IN OIL!"

"HAVE HER BEHEADED!"

"DISMEMBER HER!"

"JUST GET RID OF HER!"

"THINK OF THE CHILDREN!"

Noah had absolutely no idea WHAT was happening, but then the 'Witch' was shoved up to a wooden platform, her hands bound behind her back. She had long, red hair. The screaming stopped when the general held up his hand. He shouted "PEOPLE OF PINEVILLE! TODAY IS A DAY WHERE THE HEAVENS HAVE LOOKED DOWN APON YOUR VILLAGE. FOR TODAY, WE HAVE CAUGHT THE WITCH!" The crowd roared in appreciation.

"THE KING HAS PONDERED HARD ABOUT WHAT PUNISHMENT SHOULD BEFALL ON THIS DEVIL. HE HAS DECIDED THAT HER PUNISHMENT SHALL BE..." He paused for suspense. "BURNING ON A STAKE!"

The people yelled all kinds of support as the guards tied her to a wooden pole, surrounded by dry wood and grass. They poured flammable liquid all over it. The guard put the can of liquid down, and raised a torch. "Any last words, WITCH?"

"Yes actually." She seemed way too calm for the situation she was in. "Do you see that flag over there?"

Everyone turned to see Pineville's flag flapping in the wind. The witch flicked her finger, and a bolt of fire shot at it. The flag burn quickly as people shouted in surprise. "Now you don't!" The witch cast another spell. Green light engulfed the pole she was on, and it turned to dust. She landed on her feet as the guards and crowd lunged to get her. She whistled, and a broom came out of the sky. She grabbed onto it and was shot away. Through all of this, Noah watched in amazement.

She knew what to be when she grew up.

She wanted to be a witch.

* * *

"No! What ever gave you THAT idea?!" Noah's mother asked, startled when Noah got home and told her parents her dream.

"Well I saw ah witch today, and she made fire with a flick of her fingers! It was so-o-o cool!" Noah explained, not seeing the problem.

"Wait, do you mean the witch trial?" Her dad cut in. He looked at her mom. "You took her to the witch trial?!"

"I would never! I needed to go into a place that Noah couldn't so I told her to stay outside, right by the street lamp. But when I came back I saw she was gone and at the witch trial. What was I supposed to do? Wipe her memory?" The mother defended.

"But Daddy, what's wrong with a witch? They seem cool." Noah asked.

Her Dad thought of an excuse. "You see honey... when witches grow older, they...um..."

"Get warts!" Her Mom cut in. "Ugly clusters of big, fat and, uh, green warts. We don't want our beautiful daughter to get green warts."

Noah thought about this for a moment before perking "But if I'm a witch, I can just make a age potion! So don't worry Mom! I'll never ever ever get ugly clusters of big, fat, green warts!" Noah said, her happy mood unsoiled. She pulled out a pointy stick. "Time to find my first sidekick!"

Noah ran out of the small cottage, as her parents exchanged glances. "Maybe she'll grow out of it?" Her dad shrugged, as hopeful as possible.

* * * * * * *

3 YEARS LATER...

* * * * *

Noah stumbled through the woods, Looking around and then glancing at her map, and then looking around and glancing at her map again. It was hard to see where she was going because the sky was covered with clouds. 'Where is that witch's cottage?' She wondered, tripping yet again. Noah was scratched, bruised and scraped. If someone looked at her, they would think she'd lost it. That she was broken. But Noah's spirits? They were brighter than a lantern that had just gotten an oil refill and some polishing.

"Hello? Ms...uh, Witch? Are you-" Noah fell into the biggest hole she had ever fallen into. And that was a lot of holes. Noah really liked holes. They were peaceful. But this was less of a dirt hole, and more of a pothole. When Noah walked forward, confused why the pothole was HERE instead of somewhere like the laundry pile at her mom's work before she hit her head. She hit her head on... nothing? Noah's excitement picked up when she felt in front of her. Just what she had suspected. An invisible cottage.

She started to feel around it till she felt what seemed like a door. She felt around some more and found the handle. She yanked it open and stepped inside. She stopped and stared in awe. There was a cozy fire, a big bookshelf, in another room she could see a bed and a Kitchen in another. There was a desk with vials of potions, and behind it was a red-haired teenage-looking witch, holding vials and focusing on them, very intensely. Noah realized it was rude to stand and stare, so she shut the door and said "Hi there."

The vial in the witch's hands exploded as she shot out of focus. She bolted to her feet and held her hands in a strange position. Both her palms were touching, stretching away from her body. Noah was confused at this at first, but then the witch chanted gibberish. A glowing ball of fire appeared in front of her hands.

"Woah. Cool!" Noah said, seeing the fire. She had always liked fire.

"Kid! What are you doing here? On a mission to expose me to the army? Trying to trick me into following you to the king's palace? Well it wont work!" The witch snarled.

"What? No! I wanted to ask you something." Noah said, putting on her bravest, most serious face she could make. (which just made her look like she was smelling something rotten)

"And what's that?" The witch looked down her nose at Noah.

"I want to become a witch."