Roger sat alone in the orphanage bedroom a week had passed since Terry had left the orphanage. Everyone besides him had been adopted leaving him alone beside Matron Maya. He sighed getting off his bed walking out of his room. He went down into the main lobby where Matron Maya sat reading a book.
"Good morning Roger," Maya said looking up from her book and smiling, "Today will be the day I'm sure of it."
Roger shook his head, "I don't think anyone wants me," Roger walked to the wooden bookshelf and sat down, "Ever since Candlelight found that Tome everything changed. He was weak and could hardly cast magic at all, but then in one night he got so powerful."
Maya closed her book and smiled, "You helped him find it you know pushing him down that hole."
Roger smiled leaning his back against the bookshelf, "Yeah you're right."
The front door opened with a loud creaking sound, "You wanted to see me, Maya?" Mr. Thai said walking into the orphanage.
"Yes. I just wanted to tell you that your services are no longer needed you can return to the circle if you wish." Maya smiled, "It was nice working with you."
Mr. Thai bit his lip, "Really Matron? I really don't want to go back I get paid much more here than I would be doing B rank tasks from the circle."
Maya continued to smile, "You are no longer needed."
Mr. Thai was quiet and slammed the door behind him and was gone.
Roger watched as Mr. Thai left, "I guess all the magic classes are over now huh?" He asked.
Maya nodded her head, "They are... yes."
Roger sighed and got up off the floor, "I'm going for a walk." He said heading for the door. He turned his head back to Maya seeing she simply went back to reading her book. He opened the door and left for the back letting the door slam shut behind him.
Roger walked to the back walking by crisp burnt patches of grass aftermath of the massive spell Terry cast on him when they had their last fight. Roger stopped at the large hole that Terry had fallen in the one he threw Terry in. "This was where Terry found his tome I bet." Roger said to himself, "And he got out so maybe it's not as dangerous down there as everyone says." Roger said quietly to himself while staring down into the black abyss.
Roger put his hands on the side of the pit, "There really isn't anything to lose." Roger muttered, "Chilling cold of the north freeze over my touch Absolute Chill." Roger chanted. After speaking a wave of ice starting from his hands spread down into the abyss and continued down as far as the eye could see. "That should make it a little bit safer."
Maya continued to read her book in the orphanage lobby and smiled to herself as she heard an echoing voice in her head, "Do you think he'll find it?"
"Depends on if it wants to be found," Maya responded to the voice.
"Of course. If Erebus was down there who else do you think could be down there?" The voice questioned.
"You are feeling quite chatty today aren't you Artemis?" Maya questioned licking her finger and turning the page.
"I'm just interested. So why did you choose him to stay here?"
"Who knows." Maya shrugged with a smile.
"We're supposed to be partners why do you hide your thoughts from me?" Artemis questioned.
Maya chuckled and remained quiet choosing to ignore the voice in her head.
Roger put his feet down the pit feeling the cool ice against his legs, "Alright... let's do this." He said to himself pushing himself down. He slid down quickly almost in a free-fall speed down down down he went until he landed in a pitch-black cave. He couldn't see his fingers in front of his face. "At least I survived," Roger muttered as he began to walk through the murky darkness.
Around corners, he went blindly feeling around as he walked eventually feeling a change from the rocky feeling to a more smooth stone-like feeling. "Odd," Roger said to himself. Roger continued to walk until running across a strange pedestal with nothing on it, "This must be where Candlelight found his Tome. Damn, it was here the whole time and I gave it to him."
A light began to vibrantly shine Roger had to strain his eyes just to be able to see exactly what the light was coming from. It seemed almost like a golden apple floating in the air. Roger approached the apple but with each step he took towards the golden apple, it moved further away from him until it faded into a wall. Roger put his hands on the wall the apple phased through. To Roger's surprise, he was able to move through the wall.
"What a funny trick," Roger said to himself walking through the fake wall seeing the golden apple was still moving away from him. "Get back here.!" Roger yelled as he picked up his pace running after the apple of gold as it seemingly taunted him waiting for him to catch up until it picked up its pace again.
"Chasing an apple not at all how I expected this to go," Roger muttered to himself as he continued to chase the floating fruit, until watching it phase through what seemed like a rusted metal door leaving him in total darkness again. He tried pushing and pulling at the door to no luck. Slowly Roger slumped down leaning his back against the cold door. "I'm not going to be able to find my way back I was chasing that apple for a while." Roger sighed and curled up in a ball until he heard a voice that made his heart race.
"What's wrong child? You are so close why are you stopping now?" The voice sounded feminine and cold it echoed all around him.
"I... can't open this door. Who's there?" Roger called out.
"If you cannot open a door why not break through it? You have magic don't you?" The voice questioned with a giggle.
"I... do. What's through this door?" Roger questioned standing up as another golden apple floated above him giving him light. The door looked heavily rusted and fragile in the light.
"Your only way out." The voice responded with a yawn.
Roger nodded his head lightly, "Well I don't have anything to lose." He rubbed his hands together and breathed in deeply, "Malefic ice destruction will suffice burst through Rising Glacier." At the last two words, Roger slammed his hands against the ground. A large shard of ice rose from the ground-pounding hard against the rusted door breaking it open. Roger's heart began to race, "Damn... running out of mana." He said quietly to himself.
"See you got through. Now come in! Come in." The voice said with excitement.
Roger walked through the door having to squeeze to the side of the doorway past the large shard of ice, "What in the?" Countless shining golden apples floated around the room like a cyclone. Looking a bit further in Roger's racing heart jumped. A golden book sat on a pillar, "A tome."
"Exactly." The feminine voice said, "Come to me."
Roger slowly made his way into the room ducking under the golden apples and stopped at the Tome, "Where are you?" Roger questioned looking down at the blank pages. "It's still blank so this has already been found," Roger said to himself with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"I see you don't know how Tomes work. Don't worry put your hand on the pages of the book and all will be revealed."
Roger gulped and put his hand on the pages of the book his vision started to blur the golden apples started to move quicker and quicker until it felt like he was in a cyclone. His vision continued to blur until he stood in a throne room of pure gold.
A lady wearing a white dress with long blonde hair that went down to her feet stood in front of a thone. She was holding a golden apple in her hand tossing it up and down. She smiled her face warm yet fearsome at the same time, "Hello Roger. I am Eris goddess of strife and discord. Nice to make your acquaintance."