Zotek, Leorona, Zera, Schroeder and the students arrived at a huge stone wall, patterned with glowing blue markings all over it and having 3 guards standing in front of it with a staff in their hands which was patterned with blue markings around it as well. Zotek walks towards the guards and the guard in the middle walks towards Zotek.
"State your business here." The guard said.
"I am Zotek of the Ripars tribe." Zotek said, "My business is with the Pilgrim tournament."
"That's quite the company you've got, considering that you are all just part of the audience." The guard said.
"Not all of us are part of the audience." Zotek said," Part of my company involves the contestants for the tournament."
"Oh, i see." The guard said as he bends his head, "Welcome to Keigra; Strongest minor tribe of Agaroth."
Sting's eyes rolls towards Cloud, who happened to be standing beside him. The walls opens by itself, emitting a great light towards Zotek and his company.
"Wait, so the walls were gates?" Killer bee asked.
"Let's go." Karma said as she walks past Killer bee.
While walking in Keigra, the students stares at the environment with astonishment and began to murmur among themselves.
"Look at the ground, it's beautiful!" A male student said.
"Yeah, the glowing patterns on the ground is purely artistic!" Another male student said.
"That's not all, look at the houses, it's designed with glowing patterns as well!" A female student said.
"Look at their clothes!"
"Look at all the food!"
"Gotta admit, Cloud, this place is beautiful." Sting said while smiling.
"Yeah, it is!" Cloud replied with a smile.
"So, tell me, what do you know about this place?" Sting asked.
"Well, from what i know, the Keigras are considered the strongest minor tribe because they discovered a strange energy similar to Kan which is known as Han. And with that, they were able to build the tribe into a great city and also build weapons and other inventions with it." Cloud said.
"Hoh? So you really do know a lot?" Sting asked while smiling.
"Well, my mother used to read books to me concerning Agaroth and it's tribes when i was little. That was part of what inspired me to become a pilgrim." Cloud said, "While Kan flows into living things, strengthening the bodies of the hosts and granting them immense speed and power; Han flows into objects and strengthens it as well, making the objects quite useful."
"Well that's nice, considering the fact tha-"
"However, it doesn't change the fact that Han is completely inferior to Kan." Cloud cuts in with a stoic expression while facing forward, "Despite the usefulness of Han, their weapons couldn't do squats against the Orcs that obtained Kan when they decided to launch an invasion against the Keigras; If it wasn't for the intervention of the Pilgrims, the Keigra tribe would have wiped out by the Orcs. This just goes to show how powerless many of us are."
"Cloud, are you alright?" Sting asked with the look of concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Cloud replied with his eyes closed, "It's just-"
"That white hair.. IT'S REALLY YOU!!" A feminine voice interrupts.
A red haired female ran towards Cloud and hugs him.
"Uh... Who are you?" Cloud and Sting asked in confusion.
"Eh?! Are you saying that you don't remember me?!" The female asked with a raised eyebrow while smiling.
Cloud stared at the female for a moment while she was grinning at him.
"Red hair, amber eyes, cute smile." Cloud said within himself, "Why does she seem so familiar?... Wait!"
Cloud recalls 9 years ago as him and his father were standing face to face with the girl and her father. Cloud became a bit surprised as the girl turns her face away and began to blush.
After recalling that incident, Cloud stares at her in shock.
"Reyla?" Cloud asked.
"Yay! You finally remembered!" Reyla said while smiling with her eyes closed.
"Yeah! You've really grown!" Cloud said while smiling.
"Yeah and so have you!" Reyla replied, "Though, some things never change."
Cloud stared at Reyla with a blank face as she uses her hand to compare his height to hers.
"Yep! Some things truly never change!" Reyla said while smiling with her eyes closed, "How many years has it been and I'm still taller than you... Shorty!"
"Eh?! I'm not short!" Cloud replied with a frowning demeanor.
Sting almost bursts out in laughter but quickly used his hand to cover his mouth which made Cloud and Reyla to turn round and look at him.
"Oh! My apologies!" Reyla said as she bows before Sting, "I am Reyla of the Keigra tribe; Daughter of the great Zarik of the Keigra tribe.
I assume you are a very close friend of Cloud, correct?"
"Yep!" Sting replied, "I am Sting of the Ripar tribe; Son of Chief Ezgord of the Ripar tribe."
"Chief Ezgord?!" Reyla asked in shock, "You are his son?!"
"Yeah, is there a problem?" Sting asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You don't look like him." Reyla replied,"I've seen Chief Ezgord before; He has a black hair and blue eyes. Not to mention, he has an intimidating look that makes me shiver. You don't really look intimidating, i mean with your yellow hair and green eyes, you kinda look cute to me."
"Oh, i got it from my mother." Sting said while smiling with his eyes closed and rubbing the back of his head.
"I see." Reyla said, "It makes sense to me now. Oh, by the way, do you intend to become a Chief just like your father? I've heard of your father's kan ability of 'Word soul' and how he was even able to create a blackhole that killed 300,000 Gremnaks in a split second... Just by saying it's name!
Do you intend to become as strong as your father or do you intend to surpass him? Is that why you became a pilgrim? Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!"
"Sheesh, she's a curious one." Sting said within himself.
"Well, for starters, I'm not into the whole 'getting stronger' thing." Sting said, "Plus i have no desire to become a Chief or a Pilgrim. I'm only in the Pilgrim academy because i was forced to enter by my old man. If i wasn't, i would have been relaxing by sea, swimming with the fishes and trying to experiment on what sea water tastes like."
"Wow... He's a weird one." Reyla said within herself with a blank face.
"Hey, um Cloud... How are you feeling?" Reyla asked with a soft voice as she turns to look at him.
"Huh, what are you talking about?" Cloud asked in confusion.
"I'm talking about your tribe." Reyla said,"When i first heard about the destruction of the Stormwind, i assumed you were dead, but now that I'm seeing you are alive, I'm just bothered if you are doing ok, considering that you are the lone survivor of what happened."
"I'm fine... I guess..." Cloud said while facing the ground, "It's just ever since i lost my parents and my people, i've been feeling a large responsibility to fufil my promise. Do i feel sad everytime i think about it? Yes, i do. It hurts... It hurts a lot. That's why fulfilling this promise is the only way i feel i could honor them."
"Man, he's got a lot of weight on his shoulders." Reyla said within herself, "Still, i wonder how he would compete against the others; He is a minor just like me. However, if he has managed to get this far, then i believe that he will be able to go far in the tournament as well."
"Not just honor ... I need answers as well." Cloud said within himself while still facing the ground, "I need to know what's up with me and my tribe and i need to find out who or what killed my tribe. I have to find out."
"Say, you and Cloud were close friends, weren't you?" Sting asked with a smile.
"Yeah!" Reyla replied with a smile, "Cloud was a loud and cocky person but somehow, we got along so well. I'm surprised to see how much he has changed. If it were before, he'd be shouting that he would become the number one and brag about him going to be undefeated and all that kind of crap (which i was expecting him to be doing by now) but he is quite calmer."
"Though, there are still a few things hasn't changed about him..." Reyla said as she wraps her arm round his neck, "His white hair and him still being short."
"Hey, I'm not short!" Cloud said, "You're just taller than me, that's all!"
"You're short, boi!" Reyla said while grinning with one eye closed, "Even Sting is taller than you!"
"Well, it's not my fault that-!"
"There you are!" A feminine voice interrupts.
Cloud, Sting and Reyla turned to see the person which appeared to be Killer bee and Karma.
"Oh, it's you Bee and Karma... In green?" Cloud asked in confusion, "What's with the change of clothes?"
"Killer bee suggested that i take this dress and try it on after a shop owner claimed to be selling it for 40% off." Karma said, "This dress feels so irritating."
Reyla observed the pupils on Karma's eyes and instantly became shocked.
"Those eyes... Is she from the Dreygar tribe?" Reyla asked within herself, "But that's impossible! They were all wiped out during the unknown slaughter! So what I'm seeing here is that these two are the only ones that survived?!"
Sting stared at Karma's new dressing and smirks "I like the way the green looks on you, Karma." Sting said, "The black made you look so dark and gloomy and evil ... just like your heart; But the green makes you look like a harmless puppy."
Killer bee grinned nervously as she noticed Karma's fingers twitching.
"Well, the green isn't that bad." Cloud said, "As a matter of fact, it makes you look more beautiful than the black."
Reyla quickly wraps her arm round Cloud's neck and began to laugh.
"Nice way to compliment a girl!" Reyla said, "By the way, are you two... in some kind of relationship?"
"I don't quite follow." Cloud said with a raised eyebrow.
"You know ... Like..."
Reyla halts as she observed the confused expression on Cloud's face.
"Some things never change." Reyla said while smiling with her eyes closed, "All work and no play make Cloud a dull, short boy."
"Reyla, I'm not-"
"There is no time to waste." Karma interrupts, "Leorona sent us to look for you because the tournament will soon start in a few minutes"
"She also made it clear that if she doesn't see you guys in the court, heads will roll." Killer bee said.
"Alright, we're coming." Cloud said.
"Yeah, let's go." Sting said.
As the four were walking away, Reyla stared at them with a smile.
"Looks like Cloud is in good hands." Reyla said within herself.
Reyla recalls 9 years ago as her and her father were about to leave the Stormwind village and Cloud stared down in sadness.
"Will i ever see you again, Reyla?" Cloud asked.
" Yeah, you will, someday." Reyla replied.
"Okay!" Cloud said excitedly while grinning,"Bye bye, Rey-!"
Reyla interrupts as she placed her hand on Cloud's head.
"Call me big sister Reyla." Reyla said while smiling with her eyes closed, "I'm a year older than you, so call me big sister Reyla if you want me to continue visiting."
"Alright, big sister Reyla!" Cloud said while smiling, "I look forward to seeing you again."
After recalling that moment, Reyla closed her eyes and smiled.
"Good luck, Cloud." Reyla said within herself as she turns her back to walk away, "He really needs to do something about his height, though. Even that Dreygar girl is taller than him. Maybe it's because she is as tall as i am."
Minutes later at the arena, multiple fireworks were shot into the sky and the crowds gave a massive cheer.
"Welcome to the tournament of Pilgrims!!!" The announcer said.
The crowd once again gave a massive cheer which made the announcer grin.
"My name is Trengal and this is the second generation of young ones who have come forth to become elite warriors of AGAROTH!!!"
The crowd gave another massive cheer to Trengal's speech.
"Its been many years since we have had any Pilgrims but what makes this one special, isn't really because they are the second generation of young elites or because it has been many years! What makes this tournament special is because for the first time ever, this tournament will be seen all over Agaroth!" Trengal said, "The Keigras have done quite a spectacular job in creating something we call screens in the sky, so that many of who cannot see what is going on in the arena, will be able to look up! Also, we've created objects we call drones and sent them to different tribes of Agaroth, making it easier for the other tribes to see what is going on..."
During this incident, a little boy poked a metal egg in his house and the egg suddenly transformed into a blue hologram screen. Multiple hologram screen also appeared in the street of different tribes which left the citizens astonished at what they were seeing.
"The last tournament of the first generation young elites was a team tournament!" Trengal said, "But this time! ... This time, it will be a one on one match, where the individuals will fight themselves until they've reached the finals and win!"
The crowd cheered once again at Trengal's speech.
"Oh! Before we start the match, let allow me to welcome our special guests!" Trengal said as extends his arm towards the high seat of the Chiefs, "From the left, we have: Chief Akuro of the Kenar tribe! Chief Miza of the Graundar tribe! Chief Ezgord of the Ripar tribe and Chief Tenya of the Tenplar tribe!!"
The crowd once again, gave a massive cheer at Trengal's speech; Meanwhile at the high seat at the left side of the crowd, a group of people were glaring down at Trengal.
"Why didn't he introduce us?" A female asked, "Aren't we Chiefs of our own tribes?"
"Yeah, is it because we are of the minor tribes?" A male asked.
"This is quite funny, you know." A male said, "Trengal is from the Keigra tribe as well. Did he choose not to introduce us because he forgot or because he just wanted to be noticed by the Chiefs? What do you think Chief Grai of the Keigra tribe?"
"Don't worry." Chief Grai said while stroking his chin, "I've prepared a special punishment for fools like him."
"Chief Grai is so going to deal with me, once this is over." Trengal said within himself while sweating seriously, "I'd like to introduce them but my throat is aching me and I'd like to get this over with.... Forgive me... Please...!"
"Alright! Now let's get down to the action!" Trengal said, "First we have Govo of the Ripar tribe ...!"
The crowd gave a massive roar as Govo entered the arena from the right side .
"... Versus Pit of the Ripar tribe!!!"
The crowd also gave a massive roar as Pit entered the arena from the left side.
Meanwhile at the audience center, Cloud was staring at the two with a serious expression and suddenly clenched his fist.
"And so it begins..." Cloud said within himself.