All Chapters of Gairoshi: Grit for Glory: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

40 Chapters

Chapter 1. Moonlight Memories

Whoever sent the letter must die. Carysse gripped the sheathed blade in her hand as she ran past trees and jumped over giant roots. No one knew the secret location of the remnants of Thalisse other than the remnants themselves. Everyone in the village was close and knew each other very well so they knew that the handwriting also belonged to none of them. Go. Was the only command of the village elder earlier. The old man looked at Carysse with an intense look. She understood. It was kill or be killed. The letter that the falcon brought this morni

Chapter 2. Bringing Chaos to the Village

Gairoshi: Grit for Glory/raegusnyu

A fight almost broke out. They walked for more than an hour without talking with only the sound of the chain being pulled and their wooden sandals trekking the mountain trail. She was not deaf to his heavy breathing and too many times she called for a rest just for him, like he didn't train at the mountains of Thalisse with her. Looking back, she was thinking why she was able to strike his wrists easily. He didn't seem to fight back earlier, either. Something was wrong with him. It was at their sixth rest when she realized it. Aside from the wound on his palm which Carysse gave to him as a welcoming gift for finally showing up after two years, the problem was on his stomach. Dried lips, pale skin, and him touching his stomach from time to time when Carysse had her back on hi

Chapter 3. Scarred for Life

Gairoshi: Grit for Glory/raegusnyu

''Oh, dears, we are so sor--'' The lady herder dropped her sack of bird dung. The children stopped running. In a second, the sun hid behind the clouds and the wind blew cold. Carysse smelled the danger and immediately planted herself in front of Chaos just in time to parry an arrow. ''Stay right there!'' She ordered Chaos behind her as she felt him itching to move. Chaos just made a tch sound. Only the sentries had access to the bows and arrows so Carysse kept moving her eyes around the rocks but she saw no one there. And she could only think of one person who could throw an arrow from that distance. Where are you, freak Bal? With fate's guidance again, the sun peeked a little, and Carysse saw the fai

Chapter 4. Bottled Up Feelings

Gairoshi: Grit for Glory/raegusnyu

''Carysse. Carysse, wake up.'' The image of Ashki loomed over her as she opened her eyelids. ''Huh?'' Carysse tried to get up and Ashki supported her, letting her back lean on his arm as she sat. She flexed her freezing fists. She had actually slept outside in the cold night. ''I'm sorry. I know you're tired but Elder Shimar is asking for your presence,'' Ashki said. ''Okay,'' Carysse said with a nod and she stood. Ashki offered his hand and she took it. They both climbed down from the tree and Carysse hid her blush as they walked from the Kairin tree to the tent still holding hands. They had been holding hands since they were at the orphanage-- it was a normal thing as children of Thalisse who were closely knitted together but to Carysse who was a growing lady, it was enough to warm her heart, though she knew it had no meaning to Ashki. To her surprise, none other than Elder Shimar and Chaos were present. She had expected for the village leaders to be also there. The two of th

Chapter 5. Revival of an Ancient Tradition

Gairoshi: Grit for Glory/raegusnyu

Carysse’s cheeks went red at his words. Stupid body.“Here is the plan. But first, ever heard of Gairoshi?”Ashki squinted his brows. Carysse tilted her head slightly in curiosity.“Perhaps you could begin on the history of Gairoshi, my child.”“I will answer that later, Elder Shimar. I want to clarify what Gairoshi is to…them.”Carysse knew why he hesitated. He was about to say ‘my friends.’“Gairoshi is a phrase from the old language of Apharoth. It means grit for glory,” explained Chaos. A strong wind blew outside the tent and some of the cold breeze got in. Carysse knew she felt the icy air but also felt it from her insides. It was like Gairoshi was a bad omen.“It is an ancient practice much like the gladiators in the arenas found in the outskirts of this nation. It even almost has the same rules where representatives from each tribe gather to duel, making their way to the top until one only remains. In Gairoshi, it's slightly different. Anyone can join. Everyone, whether you a

Chapter 6. The Plight and the Promise

Gairoshi: Grit for Glory/raegusnyu

Elder Shimar was the only one who moved, Carysse catching the old man by the shoulders because he suddenly attempted to stand without any support.Carysse snatched his wooden cane from the ground and helped him regain his posture. “Elder Shimar? What’s with the hurry?” asked Chaos.Chaos was not the only one to notice the different tone in the Elder’s voice. Ashki’s head turned to the direction of the entrance of the tent. “Don’t tell me,” he said as he stood and went near it, his ear pressed upon the thick cloth acting as the tent’s door.“Ashki?” Carysse asked with a hint of fear.Ashki looked at the Elder and both of them seemed to have a mutual talk with their eyes.''I am so sorry, Chaos, my child,'' Elder Shimar said with a low voice. ''It seems like you won't have the time to visit the children tomorrow even though I assured you earlier and even volunteered to accompany you..''Chaos clenched his right fist but then released it as he slowly stood up. ''I see,'' was his only r

Chapter 7. Ambush from Another Direction

Gairoshi: Grit for Glory/raegusnyu

If they had left one minute later, Bal would have caught up with them.''Bal?'' Chaos asked as they ran the trail.They had knocked the two guards unconscious earlier at the village entrance. Bal had taken all the guards and even their weapons for his bravery show. That was careless of him. What could have happened if the real enemy suddenly showed up? Would the two incompetent and drunk guards be able to defend the village? Would Bal make up for it?Earlier, when Carysse heard the sound of weapons clinking and the footsteps together, she could only think of one man that could gather such a force. It would be impossible for a normal child to discern such noises but they were warriors of Thalisse. They trained with nature ever since they could hold weapons. This already happened before when he wasn't in favor of Elder Shimar's rules and she couldn't believe he was actually doing it again. She was late to perceive it though. No wonder Elder Shimar and Ashki noticed it first. A renowned

Chapter 8. Pact: Ashki's Authority

Gairoshi: Grit for Glory/raegusnyu

Carysse almost cried as she bandaged Ashki's left arm. Good thing it wasn't his battle arm but it still hurt to see her friend wounded badly. Ashki was the first to be attacked when he scouted for them. He said that they came out of nowhere, the same as how Carysse felt it earlier. ''I don't know but.. it felt like they were waiting for us,'' Ashki said. True enough, the mountain was filled with different routes and trails. Why were they on the specific road that the three of them took? Their attacks were also intentional, intended to kill them. They weren’t holding back. Ashki’s words made the atmosphere colder than what the night should be. Carysse saw Chaos clench his fists near the entrance, his eyes hidden. ''Chaos, do you have any idea who they are? You always distance yourself if you know something.'' Carysse didn't mean to be harsh but if this was part of Chaos' plan, she was not falling for it. ''Then you have to relax yourself. You also tend to pinpoint your fingers w

Chapter 9. A Smell of Death

Gairoshi: Grit for Glory/raegusnyu

As soon as Ashki jumped, Chaos grabbed Carysse by the waist again and carried her out of the cave, plummeting to a ravine.They were not hybrids unlike in the age of Elder Shimar where everyone practiced ancient magic. But what they lacked in magic, they made up for their trained bodies. They were pure humans but leaping to dark chasms weren’t really that new to them. It was one of their regular physical exams when they were still trainees. Still, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t scary.Carysse shut her eyes as she felt trees wheeze past through them and gravity pulled them to the ground but Chaos did a good job of holding her tight.By luck, for the second time, they fell on water, and that was a thousand times better than crashing on earthen ground.This time, the river was a little warmer and wider that they had to swim. Chaos helped her up. She was surprised she still had her bag. Chaos also has his lightsword strapped tightly at his back. It made her think of Ashki already and she supp

Chapter 10. Battle at the Boundary

Gairoshi: Grit for Glory/raegusnyu

They were jumping from one branch to another, making Carysse hope that they could actually go over the boundary without any Mahan at their tails. She had lost count of how many minutes they were already running peacefully.If that was the case, then Ashki bought them enough time. A wave of guilt washed over her mind knowing that they left behind a friend just for them to be able to move forward. No, we will see each other again.Ashki said it himself. No one was going to die tonight, only the Mahan. He was not a weakling. He was the best of them three. Carysse filled her thoughts with positivity. She had to stay focused on her own goal.Chaos was in front of her, leading the way. As his back was facing her, she couldn't help but see the similarity two years ago when she was chasing him, trying to make him come back.They pressed on, passing through trees, until they were almost past the boundary.After that, the moon was covered by clouds, and the shadows came.Carysse didn't know if

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