CHAPTER 30: SCHOOL OF RENAISSANCE
Breakfast in the morning came swiftly and Athena’s spirits were certainly not as high as the previous night. In fact their spirits were dampened; today was the day that she went ‘home’. The thought of how she’d tell her mum who she really was and what had happened was not easy to think of; she had avoided it all summer.
Suddenly, Professor Tharrein entered the food hall; heads turned and the sound dulled, except a few whispers. Loosely, his balding blond hair hung pale as the morning sky, his eyes set on Athena. Once more, heads turned left right and centre to look at her and she knew that all would know by now, except the average bloods. They probably thought she was some irreplaceable hero who knew no fear or so the stories had changed it to, no doubt. The truth was that the gossip of what had truly happened was like a game of Chinese whispers; each person heard different and few knew the truth.
Tharrein made his way to the vibrant window at the other end. Once there, he cleared his throat patiently. All heads turned to his powerful figure, except Seth’s who lingered for a while longer, before eventually turning to him.
“As you know, today we celebrate the end of another six weeks of a once again successful Camp Thárros and we are sure to encourage our hopes of seeing you all again soon.”There were a few cheers and a short outburst of clapping. “However, this camp has not all been fun and games. It’s been a strict learning experience about some of the most creative people throughout time. I hope it has taught you not just about the past, but the future too. What tomorrow brings, who knows? Camp Thárros itself shall hope you have learnt the true meaning of love and friendship, valour and honour, of saints and sins, but above all, what it adores and wishes for more than anything else, what the camp is all about. It hopes you have learnt to conquer your demons, it hopes you have found courage.” There was a small silence and it got Athena thinking, Tharrein was right about the camp and its wish was true for her; she had leaned every one of the things he had mentioned, those and so many more. “As for all of you sitting in front of me, professors and campers, I’d just like to thank each and every one of you for cooperating with our much valued system and for proving that courage isn’t just read about in books and that it is not just not being without fear or even having bravery, but that it dwells in all of our hearts and rises when we so choose to call it up. So to you all, a job...well done.”
A vast applause clapped out until he hushed it down with a brief gesture.
“But now we’ve all been waiting for: team points” the room dulled into a silence so intense, even the tree’s stopped waving in the brisk breeze. No sound came from anywhere. “We all of course know that each team has its own jewelled item made by the ancients themselves, which are made in replicas with glass and metals for each winner of a team. The Hippogriffs honour the sapphire bracelet; the Pegasus’ persevere for the Amethyst broach; the Minotaurs minds draw them to the platinum ring; the Centaurs compete for the emerald braid; the Phoenixes present themselves with the task of the ruby neck-chain and the Griffins gallantry efforts earn them the golden topaz circlet.
However, there can only be one team that will win. So the results are: in sixth place with a respectable eighty-two points are...the Pegasus’” A small clap “in fifth position are the Minotaurs with a dignified eighty-five points” another round of applause. “In fourth place with eighty-six points are the Griffins” the Griffin table erupted in claps and disappointment. “In third place are the Phoenixes with a virtuous eighty-seven points.” More applause “so that leaves us with two teams... In second place with an honourable ninety-five points are... the Hippogriffs, which means the Centaurs win again with a worthy one hundred and twelve points.”
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