Here is chapter one in the series. This is not going to stick to Rythian's actual series. This is my interpretation of it and what I think would be a cool spin off. I love what Rythian did with his, but my version is a bit more romance heavy. I also used Sorcery vs Traditional Magic rather than Magic vs Science because I found it easier to work with. I am very much open to any ideas you have for the characters and plot line so let me know. I will try to keep these beginning things to a minimum because I don't like disclaimers. There are some occasions where I may need to explain things though if they don't make sense out of context. I hope you enjoy.
Zoey glanced around nervously. Just once more, she thought to herself. If it doesn't work this time, I'll give it up.
Slowly, she began to redraw the complex circle on the paper. The wind on the left and the fire on the right. On the top was water and on the bottom was earth. Between them were elaborate letters in a long forgotten language, connecting the elements together. Any Sorcerer would be able to do this spell. It was the first one anyone learned. Most accomplished it on their first try, but they had teachers to instruct them. Zoey was teaching herself. She knew that it wasn't as simple as copying the image. Each line had to be drawn a certain way and in a certain order. She had found the theory of it in an old book, but it was hard to read and the instructions were written for an experienced Sorcerer. She didn't know what it meant to draw a "Holy Line" or to make sure the circle was "flawlessly complete." Those were things she had to figure out on her own.
The circle glowed as she drew the last line. Zoey nearly squealed out loud in excitement. She'd found the exact order! Now all that was left was to draw the circle in the air and officially cast the spell. Zoey took a deep breath, picked up her crudely hand-made wand and began. Wind on the left. Fire on the right. Water on top. Earth on the bottom. She began at wind and drew the letters counterclockwise, being sure to start each one from the top and connect them all so that there were no breaks in the circle. It appeared in the air as golden lines, hovering there unmoving. As soon as the final line was complete, the circle glowed brightly and disappeared a second later.
Zoey pointed her wand at the cup of water and pointed the tip of the wand up. The water followed it, shifting into a convenient ball. Zoey laughed in excitement and returned the water to the cup. She pointed her wand at a pile of dirt she'd brought in and did the same. She led a flame from one candle to another and then split it and shared the fire between the two wicks. The air was more complicated. It took her a second to figure out how to focus on something she saw through, but eventually she was making little tornadoes around the room, scattering her failed attempts of drawing the circle all over the library.
Zoey put down the wand and rubbed her hands together, preparing for the focus this next step would take. She held her arms straight out in front of her, palms up. Taking a deep breath, Zoey closed her eyes and focused on every bit of water, dirt, fire, and air in the room. The weight of the objects pressed down on her in the form of magic pressure. It was a bit more overwhelming than she expected, but Zoey managed to keep control. Slowly, she raised her palms, feeling gravity protest against her. She opened her eyes. The dirt, the water, every flame in the room, her little tornadoes: all were hovering above where they had previously been.
"Zoey?!" a familiar voice exclaimed.
Shocked, Zoey whirled around to face him.
The water fell, half landing in the cup the other half splashing all over the table. The dirt fell in a pile on the ground. The fire and tornadoes vanished completely, plunging them into darkness.
He snapped his fingers and the flames re-lit.
"Rythian I..." Zoey began, but he walked out without listening.
She chased after him.
"Rythian!"
"Practicing Sorcery?! After all I taught you?! After all the time I spent trying to teach you real magic?!" he shouted, whirling around, his purple eyes seeming to glow. His mouth and nose were covered by the block mask he wore over them, but she could still hear him perfectly well and see how angry he was. His clothes indicated he had been out. He was wearing his black tank top shirt and jeans with a piece of purple cloth tied around the middle of his upper arm on both arms. On his forearms he wore metal plates that went from wrist to elbow, only covering the outer side of the arm. The mask was part of a black cloak that was still on his shoulders, but the hood wasn't up. His brown hair with a light brown streak in it stuck up in all different directions, messy as usual.
"I... I'm sorry. I just wanted to see what I could do..." Zoey said quietly, looking at the ground.
Against his better judgement, Rythian softened. He couldn't help but want to forgive his fire-haired apprentice. And he also couldn't help but notice that she was wearing the green tank top he'd bought her the other day. Her black jeans hugged her legs and were held up by a thin brown belt. Her usually clean red hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail with many strands hanging down by her face. She must have gotten out of bed and had been in too much of a hurry to remember to brush her hair or clean the paint off her face. The two red lines that always sat on her right cheek had become smudges that could be mistaken for blood from a distance at first glace. Her deep blue eyes could hardly meet his.
"Science and magic do not belong together, Zoey. You know this," he reminded her, his eyes going back to their normal light.
"Don't you think that's a bit old fashioned?" she asked, looking back up at him.
He glared down at her.
"No," he growled, walking away. The two purple eyes on the back of his cloak stared at her menacingly. "Clean up that mess in there. I better not catch you practicing Sorcery in my house ever again."
Zoey didn't move for a few minutes. Then, slowly, she returned to the library and began to clean. She knew there was only one way to learn Sorcery now, but Rythian would hate her forever if he ever found out. Zoey took a deep breath. She'd just have to be really sneaky.