For the upteenth time in… he honestly forgot how long, he chewed the corn that he had between his lips, lost in his own thoughts like a man swallowed by the darkness. And honestly, the comparison was on point, now that he thought about it.

If the Dawn Empire was the light, while the Shinobi Order was the dark, he and his kind were… the limbo in between. The shadows that stretched out during the night. Belonging to neither and shunned by both, in a sick twist of fate. He couldn't blame them for it. Nor he ever will.

He had failed, after all. His lord had placed their life in his hands… and he couldn't protect them. It stood to reason, then, that his honor was in tatters. And in the Myre, the home of the Samurai, having no honor was even worse than being dead. In all senses except literal… they were ghosts. People that were alive when they shouldn't have been. Men that scraped the bottom of their society, doing whatever they could for some coin and the privilege of living to see another day. A privilege that, for all intents and purposes, had been stripped away from them. Every Samurai worth their salt avoided them like the plague, wishing only for death to cleanse them of their sins.

Ryoshi the Aramusha chewed on his corn, asking himself, again and again, why exactly he was here. Many of his people had heeded and gathered under the words of their Empress, for the chance of being officially recognized as people once more, instead of wandering souls that strict mothers used to scare their children into good behavior. No different than the Oni… or the Yokāi even. What none of his compatriots seemed to understand was…

That it was pointless. That they were branded. Once an Aramusha, forever an Aramusha. There was no salvation… no redemption…

No going back home. Not today, not tomorrow… nor ever. So, if that was the case…

Then why was he fighting? Why did he answer Her call, like everybody else? Why was he sweating, spitting and bleeding for essentially nothing? For a meger sense of self worth? Perhaps because he seeked to die in battle, rather than waste away underneath a bridge? That sounded likely, Ryoshi remarked to himself. He was a soldier, at the end of the day. He had been trained as one, which meant that the battlefield was his home, now. And every man and woman wished to die in their own abode, on their term, no matter the circumstances.

He hissed when the wound on his side flared painfully. That was all well and good, he made sense of his presence in this blasted conflict, good on him. The question now shifted, though. If it was true that he only wished to die fighting…

Then why was he inside this tent, awaiting for the local healer to patch him up? Logic dictated that he should seek anything that might accelerate his own demise, not prevent it! So… why was he here, again?

Ryoshi was snapped out of his inner monologue when said healer stopped in front of him, wearing a simple, tight smile. He knew who this person was… one would have to live under a rock to not recognize the king of the Iron Legion… the son of the infamous Apollyon…

Oathkeeper Corvo. A legend in the making, known for being responsible of stopping the Great War with a single word… and making friends with the leaders of the factions… and even marrying one of them.

His connections were plenty… among which, was the Empress of the Dawn Empire herself, Ayu. He exhaled through his nose. Even just thinking about Her name made his wounds ache. Not the one on his side… but the ones in his soul and heart. He expected nothing less… she was the one that he failed, even if she wasn't the one that paid the price for his weakness.

"Apologies for the wait. There's quite a sizable number of injured around, and I'm only one man. Mh… maybe I should invest in an apprentice…"

That would be wise of him. Even if he would have to take time away from his patients in order to teach this… apprentice of his. Positives and negatives, balanced as everything should be. Or at least, that's what any other Samurai might have said. He didn't really believe much in any of that.

"Do not worry, my Lord. My wound is no urgent matter".

Corvo shook his head.

"Nonsense. No wound, big or small as they might be, is beneath my notice. Show me, Ryoshi, and I'll see what I can do".

The Aramusha blinked while he lifted his shirt. How did he knew his name…?

The healer answered his silent question, likely interpreting his curious gaze.

"Your Empress told me who you are".

Ah… of course. Those famous connections that he mentioned about. But…

"Why would she tell you about me…?"

"Ayu believes that I have a… gift when it comes to caring about another's health, both physically and mentally. She asked me to… alleviate your pain, if it was possible. I do not know why she would make such a request. If you wish to know, I'm afraid you will have to ask her yourself".

Heh… sure. As if he could just… waltz up to her and demand answers. Yeah, not happening.

"Then, I shall never know. Pity".

He hissed again when Corvo started working, but the pain subsided just as quickly as it flared.

"Whatever the reason may be, Ayu is a good friend of mine and I am not known for refusing a favor to someone I care about. If you wish, I may be of assistance towards your… inner wounds, as well as the one outside".

Ryoshi grunted in disbelief… and slight anger. What could a pampered, silver tongued noble know about failure and duty? Nothing. Nothing at all. Except…

Oathkeeper Corvo… he had earned that name through his actions, not his words. Perhaps… perhaps…

He sighed. Fine. Worth a shot.

"Did the Empress told you about the… connection that her and I share?"

The healer shook his head.

"Nothing of that sort. She said that you would tell me, if I managed to convince you".

Of course she did. Somehow, she always knew how her subordinates were going to do even before they themselves did. It's what made her such a good ruler, after all.

"There's not much of a story. I grew up as a stray in the province that her father ruled. He was a Daimyo of course, as you can probably imagine. I had no parents or relatives that looked after me, so I had to provide for myself for most of my life. But… I had talent with a blade. My skills were latent, and they quickly attracted attention. I was offered a choice, to become a warrior and serve as part of the Lord's personal guard… and obviously I took it. That's when I met her. During those years we were… close. She appreciated my more light hearted nature, while I sought to learn and better myself under her more serious attitude. We made a decent team, while we both walked the way of the blade. It was a chaotic life, especially while trying to balance all the training with our growing friendship… but neither of us could imagine what awaited us".

The small smile that had formed on Ryoshi's face died an ugly death.

"As a guard, my objective was only one. Defend my Lord with my life, no matter what. So, when a rebellion ignited in the province, I was there, ready to fulfill my duty and keep true to the oath that I swore. But… there were too many of them, and I was not trained enough to hold off everybody. The enemies broke through… and my Lord knew that it was over for him. So… he took me aside and ordered me to escape with his daughter… to bring her to our allies and make sure that she would be protected".

He sighed, leaning forward.

"My code dictated that I held onto my position. To die for my master was what I was meant to do. But… I was afraid. Not for my own life… but hers. And that fear spurred me to abandon my position… to leave my Lord to die, running away from the danger, even while she buckled against me, screaming and accusing me of being a coward. It didn't matter. As long as she was alive to hate me, I would have been fine with it. Immediately after bringing her to her destination, the truth came out, and I willingly casted myself out even before I could be judged… before she could suffer the consequences of my incompetence. The rest, as they say… is history".

Corvo nodded, listening carefully without interrupting him. Only when he was done, did the healer talk.

"That's stupid".

The Aramusha recoiled from the simple words being uttered.

"What did you say?!"

He did not react to his outburst.

"That's stupid. You did nothing but obey a direct order from your superior. I do not see the issue with that. Moreover, you saved the life of someone that could be saved, instead of dying for someone that was done for anyway".

It was… logical. But logic had nothing to do with any of that!

"I studied your codes of honor, you know? Time and time again, I would read those… rules and they wouldn't make sense to me. Why are the Samurai so… quick to accept death, when preserving life should be their primary concern? Why throw it all away when you could retreat and fight to protect somebody else that might need it? What is the point of… labeling someone as a lost cause when they could be offered a second chance?"

Ryoshi had no real answer to that. It was all a matter of honor, at the end of the day…

"Because a Samurai without honor has no place in the world".

"And what do you consider 'honor'?"

Well, that was easy.

"Fulfilling my duties and fighting for justice… and peace".

"Where's the issue, then? From what you told me, that is exactly what you did. Your duty at that moment was not to die for your Lord. He had specifically instructed you to save his daughter. And you did just that. You fulfilled that duty. Fighting for justice and peace? You're also doing that, if the wound that I just treated says anything. Do you wish to know where you failed, in my opinion?"

Ryoshi leaned in eagerly.

"You failed… when you left. When you decided for yourself what was better for both you… and her. If Ayu remained the same throughout the years, then yes, she may have called you a coward, in the heat of the moment. Maybe she even hated you. But eventually, she always gets a grip on her emotions. Her more pragmatic side always prevails, eventually. What assures you… that she wanted you to leave? Have you ever thought that, perhaps… she wished for you to stay by her side? That maybe she still cared for you, even with your self called 'failure'?"

That was absolutely preposterous. Impossible even! The Empress of the Dawn Empire… caring for a lowly Aramusha?! Spare him the drivel…

But it would explain why she wanted Corvo to help him. Why… she even bothered remembering him.

Ryoshi remained quiet, not knowing what to believe.

"If you want my opinion, Ryoshi… you are an honorable man. Someone that deeply cares for those close to you. But you fell victim to your own hubris, believing that you knew best, regardless of the opinion of the one person that you should have listened to. Perhaps in the Myre, there are no such things as second chances…"

The healer smiled at him.

"But we're not in the Myre, aren't we?"

Indeed, they were not…

Ryoshi the Aramusha got back on his feet, his sandals clacking while he nodded to Corvo and left the tent. His head swiveled towards the castle, where he knew that She resided.

Maybe, someday, he'll find the courage to go back and ask all the questions that burned inside his heart. Perhaps… he could even have his friend back, if it all went well. But, for now, he had a lot to think about… a lot of self reflection to do.

"Ayu… wait for me just a little while longer".

Hello?! Is this thing on?! It is?! Noice.

Welcome back, dudes and gentleladies, to another episode of AHO, the show where we get edgy and we bloody like it!

Yeah, Ryoshi almost feels like a detective from those old Noir movies, doesn't he? The dark hero, tainted and corrupted, but still willing to do what it takes.

I'm romanticizing it a lot more than it probably deserves, but I wanted to take the chance and dip my toes into that kind of character as well… even if he does share some small similarities to Corvo, back when he struggled with his own sense of duty and honor. They even both put emphasis on the "She" and "Her". Which is why our good healer was the perfect individual to offer help. Once more, Ayu knows best.

Next time on A Healer's Oath: Samhain, The Shaman

The chapter should come out around New Year's Eve… so Happy New Year and ta-ta for now!