The morning after the competition, Mia arrived at school with her prize voucher carefully tucked into her coat pocket and a lingering sense of disbelief hovering around her like fog. Second place. Not bad for someone who'd only been beast taming for a couple of weeks. She smiled to herself as she stepped into the staff room, where the usual crew of teachers were milling about before class, sipping tea or double-checking their lesson notes.
Miss Clara, the school's bubbly history teacher with a perpetually ink-stained nose, was the first to spot her. "Mia!" she chirped. "You were amazing in the competition! My nephew wouldn't stop talking about your squirrel flexing midair and your giant owl doing a coordinated dive.""Thanks," Mia said with a sheepish grin, warming at the praise. "It was chaotic but fun. I still can't believe we made it to runner-up."
"I heard you got invited to the city-level competition," said Mr. Ulric, the PE teacher who looked more like a retired gladiator than someone who supervised dodgeball. He leaned on the wall beside the tea table, giving her a nod. "Those don't just hand those out. You planning on going?""I'm thinking about it," Mia replied. "I mean… yes. I want to. But I don't know what to expect. Do any of you know what city-level competitions are like?"A few of the teachers exchanged glances, then Miss Clara leaned in dramatically. "The City-Level Beast Tamer Challenge is legendary. They say the stages are much harder—like team battles, aerial agility rounds, and there's even a round where the tamer has to work alone without beast support."
"Oh, great," Mia said, rubbing her forehead. "That sounds relaxing.""It's in July, though," Mr. Ulric added helpfully. "Three months away. They time it with summer holidays so students and families can come cheer. Gives you time to prep."Mia's shoulders relaxed. "Three months, huh? That's not so bad.""Plenty of time to train and still get your students through the last stretch before break," said Miss Clara, sipping her tea. "Ooh, speaking of students, did you see what they drew on the chalkboard this morning?"
Mia had not. But she found out the moment she walked into her classroom, where her class of twelve was already buzzing with energy. On the board, in glittery chalk, was a surprisingly accurate drawing of Professor Hootsworth in his new, majestic form, perched like a feathery king on a throne made of books. Above it were the words: "OUR TEACHER IS A TAMER QUEEN!!" spelled out in wobbly, enthusiastic handwriting.
Mia laughed so hard she had to sit down. "Alright, alright," she said, grinning at her students. "Let's calm down and get to our beast habitats lesson before someone draws Nut flexing over a volcano.""Too late!" one of the students called out, flipping their notebook to proudly show her just that. Nut Nut Brawler was mid-pose, standing atop a volcano with sunglasses and a cape."That's… actually pretty good," Mia muttered, impressed and slightly concerned. "Okay, now really—everyone, books open!"
Despite the excitement of the competition still hanging in the air, Mia shifted gears with ease. The remaining weeks before summer break were important. The kids had final assessments coming up, and she wanted them to be prepared—not just for tests, but for the world beyond the classroom. Her lessons remained engaging and full of life. She told stories of beast encounters to explain biology. She reenacted famous tamers' discoveries with the help of her students. And occasionally, she let Hootsworth lecture for five minutes, which usually ended with a few kids nodding off while he dramatically quoted ancient beast manuals in Olden Tongue.
But behind the warm classroom life, Mia never fully let go of training. Each day after school, she worked with Nut and Hootsworth in the wide clearing behind her apartment complex. Nut was now working on agility and stealth, while Hootsworth, newly evolved and absolutely enormous, had to relearn how to fly with passengers—and not just light ones. His new wingspan was impressive, and when fully extended, cast a shadow large enough to darken an entire backyard. The first time Mia attempted to ride him, she nearly slipped off midair, shrieking and clinging to his feathers like a toddler holding a bedsheet. "We need better harnesses!" she had yelled, her voice lost in the wind."And perhaps… more core strength," Hootsworth replied coolly. "You bounce like a sack of potatoes.""Rude!" Mia shouted.
Eventually, they figured out a rhythm. With each flight, she grew more confident. Hootsworth's evolved form was magnificent—gleaming feathers, powerful talons, and the ability to carry three adults with ease. The potential was clear, and it lit a spark in Mia's mind. One evening, while flipping through a booklet on local licenses, she stumbled upon an advertisement tucked between two pages.
"Need Extra Gold? Register for a Class-C Beast Taxi License! Earn money flying passengers, packages, or even nobles! Must have a flying beast with large load capacity."
Her eyes lit up.
"Oh," she whispered. "Oh, this is it."If she could earn some extra money during the summer break, she'd have breathing room—money for better gear, better food for her beasts, and maybe even an air harness custom-fit for Hootsworth. She could fly short-range passenger jobs around Windmere or help deliver things to remote outposts. And best of all, it would give Hootsworth the training he needed to become a master aerial beast.
The next day, she mentioned the idea to Professor Hootsworth while brushing his feathers in the park. He closed his eyes, clearly enjoying the attention. "I see. You want to commercialize my talents.""More like monetize them," Mia said. "We'd only do it during summer, in the mornings. Maybe just a few routes here and there. We'd still have time to train for the competition."Hootsworth gave a thoughtful hoot.
"Very well. I shall consider it an internship in aerial logistics. We shall educate the skies with my presence.""That's the spirit.""But no screaming passengers.""I'll screen them," Mia promised. "Only quiet ones who appreciate classical poetry.""Good," he said, fluffing his wings. "I shall compose something majestic for our maiden voyage.""Please don't recite it mid-flight.""I make no promises."
With her summer plans taking shape, the days passed quickly. Between lesson prep, grading homework, evening beast training, and license exam readings, Mia barely had time to blink. But the balance—odd as it was—made her feel more grounded than she had in years. She was finally building a life that made sense: teaching by day, taming by night, and preparing for a summer of flight and competition.
On a quiet Sunday evening, after returning from a test run with Hootsworth and Nut passed out on the windowsill, Mia sat at her desk and smiled at the calendar. July was still a ways off. But she was on the right path. And for once, everything felt like it was exactly where it needed to be.