The scent of sizzling beast patties and grilled vegetables filled the air behind Windmere Elementary, mingling with the laughter of students and the occasional flare of berry juice-powered sparklers. Mia stood beside the barbecue grill with a spatula in one hand and a sauce bottle in the other, flipping patties with the focus of a battlefield commander.
The exams were over. The stress was done. And win or not, Mia was determined to reward her class for giving it their all.
"Miss Greaves! Nut's making the berries explode again!" hollered Carver, running by with juice stains down his shirt. Nearby, Nut stood proudly on a picnic table, flexing next to a plate of freshly squished berries. "Explosions boost flavor absorption!" he declared. "This is SCIENCE!"
Professor Hootsworth, perched beneath the shade of a tall tree, sipped politely from a teacup, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "It is barbarism disguised as culinary curiosity," he muttered, before munching delicately on a skewer of glazed mushrooms.
Mia laughed and turned a patty. Her class had poured their hearts into studying these past weeks, and today was about celebrating that effort. The school had allowed her to use the backyard space for the barbecue, and several other teachers had popped by to offer support—or sneak a skewer or two from the grill.
"So, when do we find out the results?" asked Junie, nibbling on a charred veggie bun.
"Later this afternoon," Mia said. "The principal wanted to give all the teachers a chance to grade final essays before announcing anything." She winked. "But you already know I'm proud of you. No trophy needed for that."
"Still, it'd be cool if we won," Ria said, poking her grilled cheese sandwich with reverence. "Especially since everyone thought we were the chaos class."
"We were the chaos class," Carver pointed out. "Nut literally set the science project on fire that one time."
"Inspired chaos," Mia corrected with a smirk. "Now eat up, the next round of beast buns is coming off the grill."
Just as she was flipping the final batch of patties, a quiet voice behind her said, "You certainly run a lively class, Miss Greaves."
Mia turned, expecting Principal Dorey or maybe a fellow teacher.
But the man standing behind her wasn't dressed like anyone she knew. His long black coat was trimmed with navy silver thread, marked with the insignia of the Beast Tamer Guild's Central Division, a sigil rarely seen outside of high-level meetings. He had sharp eyes, clean features, and the kind of calm posture that screamed both confidence and mystery.
"Uh… thanks?" Mia said, slightly off guard. "Sorry, I don't think we've met."
He smiled politely and extended a gloved hand. "Elias Vayne. I'm with the Guild—on assignment observing up-and-coming tamers."
Mia wiped her hand and shook his, frowning slightly. "I thought the Guild didn't scout until city-level competitions."
"They don't, usually," he agreed, glancing around at the laughing children and chaotic spread of food. "But sometimes… we make exceptions."
Before Mia could respond, Principal Dorey's voice echoed across the yard.
"Everyone! Time for the big reveal!" she called from a podium set up near the back door. Students and teachers gathered quickly, plates in hand, curiosity buzzing like electricity in the air. Mia gave Elias a sideways glance but followed the crowd.
"The results are in!" Dorey beamed, holding a golden envelope aloft. "This year was our closest competition ever. The difference between first and second place was less than two points."
Everyone leaned in.
"Third place goes to… Class 1B!" Polite clapping.
"Second place… Class 2C!"
More polite clapping.
"And the winner of this year's Scholarly Flame Trophy, with a class average of 91.2, is—" dramatic pause "—Class 1A! Miss Greaves's class!"
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then: absolute chaos.
Junie screamed. Carver jumped onto the bench. Ria launched a sparkler into the sky. Nut yelled something about brain power being the ultimate muscle. Mia just stood there blinking while her students swarmed her, hugging her legs, cheering, chanting her name.
Principal Dorey laughed. "Well, I think that's a record for loudest class reaction."
Mia finally found her voice. "I… wow. We won?"
"You did," Dorey confirmed, handing her a certificate and a small pouch. "Bonus included. And your students get a half-day field trip to the city gardens next term."
"Miss Greaves!" Junie gasped. "You're rich now! Buy a castle!"
"I'm not rich," Mia said, laughing. "And if I ever buy a castle, you're all helping clean it."
Once the excitement calmed down (and only two tables got flipped over), the students settled in for their reward: second helpings, third helpings, and Nut's chaotic berry smoothies. Hootsworth gave a short speech about the importance of knowledge and grilled mushroom appreciation. Carver fell asleep mid-burger. It was perfect.
Later that afternoon, after the cleanup was mostly handled and the students had been picked up by parents or siblings, Mia found herself back at the grill packing leftovers. Elias was waiting nearby.
"You handled that well," he said. "You clearly inspire them."
"I bribe them with food and tell weird beast stories. But I'm glad they did well. They really worked for it."
Elias nodded. "Do you mind if I walk with you a bit?"
Mia glanced toward where Nut was snoring under the tree and Hootsworth was grooming his wing. "Sure."
They walked a slow loop around the back edge of the school grounds.
"I saw you fly during the license test," Elias said after a moment. "You showed good instincts. Clear communication. You didn't panic in the wind zone."
"I panicked a little," Mia admitted. "But Hootsworth kept us level."
He smirked. "Still. Most tamers take months to attempt a Class-C license. You got it in one go. And your beast… he's rare. Refined. I've seen Highwind Scholars before, but not evolved in that specific direction."
Mia shrugged. "He was just injured when I found him. I didn't plan any of this."
Elias stopped and looked at her, his expression unreadable. "That's what makes you interesting."
She tilted her head. "Are you recruiting me?"
"No," he said. "Not yet. But I'll be watching."
Mia narrowed her eyes. "That's not creepy at all."
He chuckled. "City-level competition is three months away. If you place top three there, we might have something to talk about."
And just like that, he turned and walked off, his coat flapping behind him as he vanished down the hill like some kind of dramatic storybook villain.
Mia stood there for a minute, trying to decide if she'd just been scouted or threatened or both. Eventually, she sighed and wandered back to the tree.
"Well," she muttered. "Looks like summer's going to be busy."
"Trouble?" Hootsworth asked, eyes still closed.
"Maybe opportunity in disguise."
"Ah," he said sagely. "Same thing."
Mia laughed, leaned back against the trunk, and let the breeze carry her thoughts toward the skies.