“Ten minutes are up!” cried the tall man. “Now, I want all those in groups of three on the right side and those in groups of four on the left side!” When people began to hesitate, “Go! Go! Go!” Everyone scurried off to their sides of the huge field. Rex’s group jogged to the right side. Once everyone settled down, the tall man stepped down from his platform once more. And stalked towards the poor soul who wasn’t picked by other groups.
“Well, well, well. We have a loner here.” He placed his finger under the chin of the young girl, the last remaining one left in the center of the field. He lifted the girl’s chin up.
“Poor you, looks like you won’t pass even the first test.” The man chuckled. “Unless anyone will claim you into their threesome…” The man glanced over to the right side.
“Anyone?”
A boy, almost as tall as the man, stepped forward. He had dark brown hair with a rats-tail hanging down his back. One of his legs looked larger than the other, but it didn’t hinder him in walking.
“I’ll take her in.” The boy walked over to the girl and put both of his hands on her shoulders. The tall man nodded. He had some kind of unknown respect to the boy. Emerging out of the crowd of three’s came two more. A girl about the height of the first boy, and a younger, shorter boy. Both of them firmly walked over to the boy and girl in the middle of the field. Then, as one, they turned and walked to the crowd of fours.
Rex shook his head.
“Idiots,” he whispered, “that girl is weak and will slow them down in further tests.” Zath nodded in agreement. The girl was weak indeed, but wasn’t Zath weak like that when she was little? Then why had Rex taken her in? She glanced up at Rex.
Rex smiled and said, as if reading her mind, “I choose you, because you showed promise.”
“And she doesn’t?” Zath gestured to the quickly disappearing, now foursome. Rex shook his head.
“Everyone shows promise. Everyone grows stronger, whether physically, or mentally, or spiritually. Some show more promise than others. You were rare. You didn’t show little, or lots of promise.”
Zath frowned. Rex placed a hand on her shoulder.
“You showed great promise.”

“Alright you shorties! Looks like all of you passed the first half of the first test.” The tall man had introduced himself as Sir Nichols. “Now for the second half. It’s almost as simple as the first, but this time there will be people who won’t pass.” The crowd murmured.
“In this part you are to group in sevens. So, if your math is still good, the threes need to group with the fours. But, there isn’t the same amount of threes as fours. So, yes there will be failing this soon.
“You have five minutes. Begin!”
Rex, knowing what to do, instantly shot off in the direction of the four’s. Zath and Shen were close on his heels. Rex had been eyeing a foursome built of strong members. He headed straight there.
He skidded to a stop before them.
“We’re in your group.” Rex said bluntly. The four teenage boys chuckled.
“As if we’d join with you…” the boys spotted Zath and Shen as they drew near and burst out laughing.
“You’ve got to be joking! Two shorties and a midget! What’s this new generation coming to?”
“Definitely not height.” Grinned another one. The rest started laughing again.
“Maybe we should let them in. They would provide great entertainment, huh?”
Zath let out a deep, menacing, growl. Shen stepped forward and did the same, but it wasn’t as scary as Zath. Rex held his hand out to silence them.
“Down.” he commanded, and they instantly shut their mouths. The teenagers didn’t look so sure of themselves afterwards. Yes, Zath and Shen were small, but they were frightening when they growled. And then Rex, a little boy in their eyes, was powerful enough to silence them. Who are these guys? They thought.
The oldest stammered, “I guess you could join us…”
“Good.” Rex smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.