To Lothian's and Rulah's expectations, the whole area became almost like a huge battlefield – Not as in fighting, but as in a battlefield where one would have to fight the other half-gathered teams for members. It was clear to see distinctions in which how members were chosen. Those of the same race would seek out each other, and the more isolated and weaker beast races, where there were only one or two participants, would be left alone – perhaps picked up later to fill the gaps.

An example was how Jermiya, who was an ironbark treant, was able to swiftly gather enough members. These were his allies from the ironbark sub-branches. Although they weren't as strong as him, or as other top-tier participants, they would be completely loyal to him because of his master's, Grand Elder Teresa's status, within the clan. They would obey his orders fully, and never abandon or let him get wounded.

This was, of course, good, but Lothian still considered it to be a foolish move. What if they won? How would a group of protectors fight like five when four of the members were like dolls, strung by the puppeteer who in this case was Jermiya. To the contrary, Lothian believed in individual ability and how this created teamwork. When five brains came together and produced something one could not. This was his belief, and he would never do otherwise.

"Rulah," Lothian called out to the golden bear, carefully looking at the surroundings with his eyes squinted. The more powerful individuals had already retreated from the field, knowing how others would come seek them out, while the weaker and less known beasts still stood here, uncertainty flashing in their eyes as they glanced around themselves in nervosity. "I already have a few people in my mind. Let's find a quiet place and wait for Zerki to wake up. We can't make any major decisions without her."

The two turned heels and followed the trail back from they had come from until they came to a place where food and drinks were given out freely to contestants. They grabbed three water skins and three grilled doves before heading to an empty hut set up for contestants to live inside during the trials. Once inside, Lothian sat down cross-legged and gently put down Zerki on the ground as the golden bear watched with one eye, lazily lying on his back.

A couple of seconds after, the little bird, now lying on the soft earth, began to move. She quivered slightly and removed the wings from her head, revealing a pair of hazy, rainbow coloured eyes. They were incessantly more brilliant than even the shiniest diamond and made Lothian's eyes pale by far. Zerki, just awakening from deep sleep, was still muddle-headed. She stared at the two for a while, then blinked, as if to confirm she wasn't sleeping more.

"Welcome back," Rulah whispered sarcastically, "You succeeded in sleeping through the whole speech Mogaro delivered, a feat I dare to say few would be able to accomplish. Well done! You deserve praise!"

The bird remained silent, blinking once more, and turned to Lothian as she heard him speak.

"Stop teasing her, we got more important matters to deal with. Zerki, look, we need to find two members of join our group. Do you know any?"

Zerki blinked for the third time. Then, as if she had come to her senses, she asked confusedly. "Members? What are you talking about? Where am I?"

"You got too drunk on Torae yesterday, Zerki," the young boy explained. "I also forgot what day it was today, so I'm no better myself. If not for Rulah, both of us would have missed it and then be forced to wait for three years before another chance."

"Ah, oh, it's the trials. I forgot." the bird replied after truly getting her senses. She laughed and flew up in their air, her smile slowly disappearing as she couldn't keep straight. Instead, she flew into the wall, and fell down to the ground, defeated as layers of dust settled on top of her feathers, now not so dazzling anymore.

Lothian couldn't help but laugh. "You're still drunk, Zerki," he told her. "Just sit still and listen."

The bird glanced at them suspiciously, as if they had drugged her or something, and that this was the reason for her inability to take flight.

"The trials weren't as we had expected them. I had my mother saying something would be different this year, and that she, for both my own progress and for the fairness of the competition didn't want to tell me." Lothian said to the two. "This year, the trials will be completed in groups we ourselves create. It's not like the previous times when everyone judged solely based on individual ability, and the top five participants were accepted. In other words, to win this, we need to get two more strong members who we can accept as teammates not only for this competition but for the rest of our lives."

Zerki was silent throughout his explanation and then softly said. "It makes sense. Grandpa told me too that there would be something different, and ever said something about forming teams, but I simply didn't care so I didn't listen very carefully."

"Serena refused to tell me, but Grandpa Maki told you without qualms..." Lothian said dejectedly. "You really are his favourite, aren't you."

"Of course I am!" She stuck out her chest and said. "Who do you think I am? I'm his only flesh and blood granddaughter! He's placed all his bets on me."

The young boy and the golden bear rolled their eyes. Humbleness had never been their little friend's strongest trait. On the other hand, what she said was true, and they both knew how much Grandpa Maki doted on her, so much that he would even give her such information.

"So, who do you think we should have in our group? We don't have more than today to chose."

The young boy's question put the two others in a deep frown.

After a while, the golden bear spoke up. "How about FireFox Fuje and Star Beaver Luna? If they haven't joined any groups yet, I'm sure they would be happy to join ours. I've got quite a good relation with Fuje, since our families are close, and Zerki, aren't you childhood friends with Luna?"

"Now that you mention it, we were rather good friends, her and I. And her proficiency in the water element could provide a good mix of offence and defence."

"So it's decided? Should we go and ask them?" Lothian interjected.

"Sure." Zerki and Rulah nodded.

                                                                                                                                              ***

"Fjue, brother, long time no see,!"

Rulah greeted a red fox with three puffy tails, who was sitting in the centre of the camp and waiting for time to pass as he drank from his water skin filled with Torae, with a hug deserving of bears. Here, not too long after Mogaro had left, examiners of the trials had been busy transforming the area into a gathering place. Logs were placed for space to sit, and spots, that would at night contain open fires, were created with round pebbles as to keep the flames from spreading to the logs that acted as benches.

"Rulah, It's been a while. Have you been well?" Firefox Fuje asked with a smile. He noticed Lothian and Zerki and greeted them with a nod. "I suspect it's my first time meeting you two, but I have heard of you from Rulah. Lothian and Zerki, correct?"

"Yes, and we have heard of you as well. A pleasure to finally meet you." Lothian and Zerki said.

If they wanted to befriend FireFox Fuje and have him as a member of their group, it was impossible to do so unless they were polite. Also, there was no need to not be polite. From what they had heard from Rulah, Fuje was a very proper young beast who usually didn't do anything to stir up trouble. Of course, the golden bear had also told them of his arrogance, a side he sometimes showed to weaker magical beasts. Lothian disliked such behaviour, yet also understood that it was natural for many to become like this and that this kind of arrogance stemmed from one's bones and upbringing. While his mother and Rulah's father and Zerki's Grandpa taught their offspring humbleness fitting for their positions, other did not. An example was this FireFox, Fuje. However, as long as it didn't affect the group in a negative way, which Rulah had assured it wouldn't, then there would be no problem, though Lothian. Fuje would necessarily not be a bad person.

"I don't like to beat around the bush. Fuje, we've come here to ask if you want to join our group. We lack two members and would gladly have you join us." Rulah said in a straight-forward manner. There was no need to be mysterious. If the FireFox already joined a group or was unwilling to join, it was better to spend the time looking for someone else than trying to ensnare someone who refused. "What do you think? Would you like to join us?" the golden bear asked expectantly.

"Sorry," Firefox Fuje shook his head and sighed. "I already joined a group since an hour ago. If you had been her before that, I surely would have joined yours."

Rulah's smile slowly disappeared. He also sighed. "Don't feel sorry. We should have asked you earlier. Oh, but If I mind asking, which group did you join?"

"Relko's group."

"You what?!" the golden bear's eyes constricted. One could see how he tried to contain his anger. He turned around to leave, saying to Lothian and Zerki. "Come, let's go."

"Don't be angry with me. He came to me first." the firefox's voice was heard from behind, but the trio was already long gone, lead by a completely maddened bear.

                                                                                                                                              ***

"Fuck! How dare he join Relko's group?!" The golden bear pounded the floor of their hut with his paw, releasing roars that caused nearby beasts outside to whimper in fear. "After everything our families have been through together, everything us two brothers have done, how dare he go fucking join that fucking Relko's group! Dammit! Why!"

Lothian and Zerki stood beside, watching their friend with sympathy in their gaze. Rulah had a moment ago spoken very nice words about FireFox Fuje; how great their relation was and how much they had done together when they were small, and how their fathers were good friends – and now this happened. They completely understood his anger.

"If it had been any other group, I would have been okay with it... but his!? Relko's group!" Rulah continued, his fury not diminishing by the slightest as his paws shook the ground so much that dirt sprayed everywhere. "He knows how much I detest that fucking rhino shit! And he still does this!"

After venting for another couple of minutes, the golden bear finally calms down, rolling over to his back. His eyes were closed and his fists still trembling. The fury hadn't subsided, it had just been contained inside instead. Lothian was about to open his mouth, but decided to not. There was nothing that could heal a betrayal as good as time, he understood this. Zerki beside him came to the same conclusion. They could only wait until the golden bear took the initiative to speak.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

                                                                                                                                              ***

"I'm alright now. Let's go look for Luna." Rulah said and got up from the ground as clumsily as always. Lothian and Zerki hesitated at first, but then nodded, heading outside of the tent to find Starbeaver Luna. It didn't take long to find her compared to Fuje. They asked a few other beasts and eventually found themselves outside of the camp, close to a lake to the east. They saw Luna sitting cross-legged in the lake, on top of a giant lotus leaf that floated in the calm waters.

"Luna!" Zerki called and flew over, now restored from the Torae. Luna looked up, surprised, and began to engage in a conversation with her childhood friend. Lothian and Raluh, as they didn't want to get wet, allowed for Zerki to handle it. They sat down on the ground in front of the lake, waiting for Zerki to catch up with her friend. 

"You never told me about your hostility to Relkos," Lothian said to Rulah as they sat. The young boy was very saddened by the fact that his best friend never told him about that and didn't try to hide it. 

"I didn't want you to worry." Was the reply Rulah gave as he met with Lothian's gate only to evade it, looking down at the ground instead. 

"So what? You can worry for me and I cannot worry about you? Stop spewing bull shit, brother!" the young boy said with knitted brows. "I tell you everything that's on my mind, even things that not even my mother now, and you can't even tell my something as insignificant as this? Really?!"

"I don't know what to say. Rather, I don't have anything to say. I should have told you. I'm sorry." 

Neither of them spoke again, and let instead silence elapse. Lothian was biting his lip, feeling a myriad of emotions. However, Rulah wasn't better off, the young boy saw. His friend probably felt very guilty now, as if he had betrayed Lothian.

Lothian sighed. What did it matter now? Serena always told him that people sometimes makes mistakes. So, in the end, the young boy told his friend. "Tell me."

"Ah?"

"Tell me why you hate that guy to the bone, and I might forgive you."

Rulah turned to his friend and stared with his mouth open. "You're not angry with me?"

"Yes, I am, but I think there far more important things than that. It's not as if you betrayed me or something, you just didn't want me to worry about you, and feared that I would go take revenge for you and get hurt, right?" the young boy said with a wide smile that showed his teeth. 

"Y-yeah." the golden bear admitted. "That's right, I..."

"No need to explain." Lothian interrupted his friend. "Now tell me, what happened between you and Brutal Rhino Relkos?"