Orpheus appears behind the shadow of a tree looking astonished.
"Whoa. It is just all about picturing the shadow, right?"
[Certainly]
"That was hip. I am going to use this to travel camp to camp" Orpheus disappeared yet again.
…
"Everyone, please gather around" Mr Philippos pressed the students after they returned back to the camp making them form a circle around him "Mr Zissis is about to give an important announcement"
"Ahem," Mr Zissis cleared his throat as he walked into the circle made by the students "I know y'all have been working hard, trying to find gems and all that but I'm going to stop the expedition here today" he informed the students causing an uproar
"What! Some of us have not yet gathered up to fifty gems and you're stopping the expedition?"
"Yeah, most of us have just been encountering monsters lately"
•••
Orpheus appeared from behind the camp and immediately rushes towards the gathering. Hearing the commotion, he walks up to a random person for clarification of the matter.
"Hey, can you please explain what's going on" he asks
"Are you just coming? Well, the academy is planning on stopping the expedition today" Kers answered while turning to look at the speaker "Oh, hey Orpheus"
"They're stopping the expedition? I did not even get to extract one gem" he lamented
Kers scans Orpheus from head to toe, looking confused and surprised at the same time.
~Dimitrois, did you say you saw him coming out of the cave unharmed?~
~Yes milady~
~Who healed him then?~
~It may have been the fox or the healer in the camp~
"Stop the commotion please." Mr Zissis said, "The main reason we have stopped the expedition is because of the beam of light that appeared a while ago."
"So it was that light"
"It should be it. I feel chills running down my spine by just thinking about it"
"I know right, I was there when it happened. A gigantic egg fell through the sky."
"It was not an egg you fool. It was a meteorite"
"No, it was an egg"
"IT WAS A METEORITE!"
"IT WAS..."
"Keep quiet both of you. No one knows what it was but I for one do not think it was either an egg or a meteorite," Mr Zissis said "Nothing sure yet. Now if y'all understand, go through the portal and get back to the academy"
"Um, Sir" Thalia raised her hands "What will happen to the ranking list and the gems we have collected so far?"
"Oh, about that, you will submit them at the reception in the academy, along with your devices. Those who get the highest number of gems will receive their prize in addition with sixty percent of what they have collected. Second place will get forty percent and third, twenty percent." Mr Zissis explained
"We're rich Kers" Thalia chucked.
"Do not go too far. We're not sure of getting first yet"
"Man, you are so negative"
•••
"Why haven't you idiots found him yet. He is just some guy without an ability which gives you a pretty easy job," Marios yelled at eight other boys who stood at his front with their heads down "You know what? Forget it; I will look for him myself"
"Um, bo... boss" one of the boys called out
"What is it this time?"
"It has been a while since they called us. Maybe it is better we return. Perhaps we might see him at the camp"
"Hmmm... Why did you not say that since you pig" Marios shakes him angrily "I would not have wasted my energy here? Let us hurry back"
•••
"Stay calm please. It is time for to call out the expedition results." Mr Zissis said after all the students had returned to the academy and gathered in the main hall. "In third place are Perseus and Anthea with 150 gems. Second place, we have Kers and Thalia with 200 gems. Lastly, Hypnos and Thanatos come in first place with 240 gems. Now can y'all please come out to receive your prize?"
"It is always this group of people"
"Exactly, it is so frustrating"
[Orpheus, ask that Kers god to borrow you seven gems of the different elements.]
"What, I am not going to do that," Orpheus answers back in a hushed tone
[Just do it. All right, I will teach you another skill as collateral]
"Oh c'mon man. Fine I will do it"
Orpheus with a red face walks up to Kers who was just coming back from receiving her prize.
"Um Kers, can I ask you for a favour?" he asks with his head down.
"Ok, sure."
"Can you... please lend me 7 gems of the different elements? I promise to pay you back"
"Sure" Kers answers him almost immediately
"All right, sorry for disturb... wait, you really agree?"
"Of course, I have no use for them anyways. Besides, you can take all forty of them if you want. Do not worry about paying me back."
"Really, you're serious? You are giving all forty?"
"It's no problem actually. Anyway, where were you during the expedition?"
[Say at the camp]
"I was at the camp"
"For real?"
"Yes, I was there all this while because I was afraid of getting killed" Orpheus lied again.
"Why do you need the gems then?"
"I want to sell it so I can buy an ability orb for myself"
"Ok, if you say so" Kers left the main hall with Thalia.
"Shit! That was close"
[Yes, she could have suspected something]
"What about my new skill?"
[Let us get you a weapon first]
"What!"
"Should we tell him sir?" a guard asked Mr Philippos
"Yes, call him to my office" Mr Philippos answers with a sigh