[x] Gman
"What more than to serve the clan?" you ask quietly, more to yourself than to Shasa. "Yes, what more…"
You look up toward the sky at the cry of a hawk, watching it fly. In truth, though, you're trying to marshal your thoughts. Shasa's sentiments are good. A Samurai should always serve their Clan, to work toward its betterment. But is that truly all there is? Despite agreeing with Shasa, you have a sinking feeling in your gut in response to her words.
It takes your mind toward darker thoughts… Remind you of lessons learned many years ago during your education.
No one speaks of it much anymore, but one of the great heroes of the Crab wanted nothing more than to better the Clan. Hida Kisada pursued that goal with a passion that overtook everything else. He chaffed under the scorn so often heaped upon your Clan, and felt more strongly than anyone that the Crab deserved recognition long overdue.
And during the Clan War, more than one hundred years ago, he allied with the creatures of the Shadowlands in an attempt to achieve that goal.
All of Rokugan suffered for his ambition. Eventually the Great Bear realized his error and broke his alliance with the evils of Jigoku, but not before inflicting so much harm upon both the Crab and the Emerald Empire. The Crab would not be redeemed for this mistake until Hida Yakamo, Kisada's son, stepped up during the Second Day of Thunder as the representative of the Crab, defeating Fu Leng along with his fellow Thunders.
It is a lesson that cannot be forgotten, no matter how much time passes. People often learn more from their failures than their victories, and what happened during the Clan War cannot be regarded as anything but a failure. The Crab Clan has grown from that shame, and must continue to do.
"To serve the Clan is our duty, and in truth I could find no other task to desire beyond that," you say, your voice still quiet. "Yet as we walk these lands so far from home, beyond the darkness and terror, I find myself thinking it is good that we protect them from that." You look back at Shasa and smile. "So if you were to ask me what more, I would have to say to serve the Empire through the Clan."
You pause for a moment, struck by a sudden whimsy.
"Emerald Empire,
Bound by Honor and Duty.
For your sake, we die."
"That's not a bad poem," Shasa says, looking at you. You feel a sudden heat in your cheeks, both at the poem and her attention, but fight it down.
"Anyway," you say, moving hastily away from that feeling. "I wish you best of luck on your path Shasa-san, and I am sure that when people tell your tales they will be glorious."
"My thanks, Sosuke-san," Shasa replies. She's smiling at you, though she seems thoughtful. "For both your thoughts, and the well wishes."
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