It had been another regular day, with students trudging to their morning training sessions. That was until Instructor Varen's booming voice cut through the din like a war horn. "Today, there will be no sparring or meditation. Instead, the academy is hosting its annual cooking competition!"
A collective gasp went through the room. Students stared at each other, bewildered. Cooking? Most had never been inside a kitchen, and even fewer held a spoon in their hands.
Rik quickly assumed a hero pose, puffing out his chest. "A true warrior must master all skills! I, the great Wind Emperor, shall lead us to culinary triumph!"
Kade groaned at the prospect.
The rules were simplicity itself: each team was to prepare a dish using enchanted ingredients from the academy's mystical garden. The judges would include a panel whose criticisms would be taken very seriously indeed, as well as one very special guest-of-honor judge, the notorious Chef Grimsby, a gruff no-nonsense man who scorned mediocrity.
As the teams were announced, Kade found himself paired with
Taro, his ever-sarcastic roommate who immediately claimed the role of "strategic advisor";Lina, an overly enthusiastic healer known for her clumsiness;Rik, whose ego seemed inversely proportional to his actual skills;Mira, Kade's childhood friend, who looked ready to single-handedly salvage the group.
"This," Kade muttered, "is going to be a trainwreck."
The academy's magical garden was full of weird and wonderful sights: trees whose fruit glowed and pulsed in the darkness, flowers that shone and vibrated softly in the air. Lina zipped toward a buzzing vine and Kade dragged her back.
"That's a stinger vine. Unless you want to spend the day paralyzed, don't touch it."
"Good call," she said, blushing.
Taro looked around at a jar of fire peppers with a naughty grin. Just as he had twisted the lid, a column of flame jetted out, singeing a lock of Rik's hair.
"Look out!" bellowed Rik, jerking the jar from Taro's hand, waving it in triumph. "The Wind Emperor fears no flame!"
"Unless it's applied to his cranium," retorted Mira, grinning.
In the kitchen, bedlam ensued. Kettles clanged against pans, punctuated by an ear-piercing shriek of agony here and there. Rik, declared head chef of the kitchen, stood in the eye of the storm, barking out orders as he stretched way beyond necessity.
"Cut those veggies faster!" he bellowed.
"You could help," Kade retorted, tossing him a knife.
"Leaders delegate," said Rik, letting his grin fill his face, before dropping the knife and nearly hacking off Taro's foot.
Lina, determined to contribute, enchanted a whisk to stir the batter automatically. Unfortunately, she forgot to limit the spell, and the whisk went berserk, splattering batter everywhere. "Oops!" she squeaked as Kade shielded his face from flying dough.
Mira sighed, taking control. "Rik, stop posing and chop those vegetables. Taro, handle the spices—but no theatrics. Lina, just. keep an eye on the whisk."
Her steady guidance brought a semblance of order to the madness.
Across the kitchen, Jarek's team worked with unnerving precision. Using their elemental abilities, they created an intricate ice sculpture centerpiece. Jarek glanced at Kade's team and smirked. "Try not to poison anyone, commoner."
Kade bit back his retort, concentrating instead on saving their dish. Amidst the chaos, they managed to cobble something together. Taro's fire peppers added a bold kick, Lina's enchanted herbs a faint glow, and Rik—despite everything—plated it with surprising finesse.
When the judges approached, Chef Grimsby's face was just as unreadable as ever. He tasted their dish, pausing dramatically before giving a curt nod. "Passable," he said gruffly.
It wasn't exactly glowing praise, but the team erupted into cheers nonetheless.
"Victory!" Rik declared, already embellishing the tale for anyone within earshot.
Kade allowed himself a rare smile. The day had been chaotic, but in the end, they'd pulled through—together.
From the balcony next door, a hooded figure watched quietly. Mina's lips curved into a faint smile. "He's beginning to get it," she murmured before slipping away.
That night, Kade sat on his bed, thinking about the day. Despite all its absurdity, he had learned something valuable from the competition: in the midst of chaos, teamwork could create something extraordinary.