the emperor

the gate guards lead me to the emperor's office. I knocked softly on the traditional wooden door twice before stepping back, "come in" said a gruff voice said from the other side, the guard on the other side of the door, slid the door open for me. I took meticulous steps inside the office and stopped in front of the desk. the old man that sat at the desk had semi long peppered hair and was smoking a pipe, his old brown crinkled eyes stared at me through the smoke.

"what is it you seek my child?" he spoke in a gravely tone as he took another drag from his pipe "a home" I said in a slightly firm voice, to show that I was not intimated by him or his power. A breathy chuckle rattled through the old man "no need to be so on edge my dear" he said looking me dead in the eye. smoke curled out of his nose and mouth, like that of a dragon. his gravely voice spoke once again " I sense that you have a heart of gold behind all of the iron and steal walls you have built around it, let's make a deal." he said.

I was intrigued to say the least 'I wonder what he has in mind' I think as I cock my head to the side in curiosity "what's the deal?" I asked him. "the deal is, you work for me as a shinobi and you can live free of charge." he said as he looked at me with mirth swimming in his golden brown eyes, looking at me as if I was his grandchild or child.

I tapped my pointer finger on my chin in thought ' if I work for him I get paid and live here for free, it sounds promising but what's the catch' my brows furrow in thought as I look at him. "what's the catch?" I ask him. The old man once again chuckles at my eagerness, "the only catch is that you will work for me. nothing else" he said kindly smiling at me.

'only an idiot would turn down an offer like that, but only a fool would not read the fine print' I think, a playful smirk forming on my lips "well I would say yes but I don't know one thing about this small little town, nor the people that reside here. That being said I need to know almost everything you know, history, traditions, crime, you know, all that jazz" I said the smirk ever present on my face.

I could see the winning smile slowly fade from his aged face as I had caught on ever so quickly to his scheme, one that no one seemed to question. Finally his old creaky bones moved and he stood, ever so slowly walking towards me, and then past me and out the door. My curiosity peaked as to where the old man is traveling to, I follow past all the old oil paintings of other ruler's before the old man before me, all of them men. 'ugh no wonder this place looks so bland and old fashion' I think as we made our way down a pair of concrete steps.

the musty smell of mold and dust collected on my senses as he opened the door at the end of the concrete steps. he slipped in leaving the door slightly cracked open for me to see what he was walking towards. I slowly walked to the door and slipped in myself to see a old library of sorts, dusty books from floor to ceiling and one huge book on a stand in the middle of the room with one single led light above it. the old man walked over to it, seeming to examin it to make sure it was the right one before picking it up and facing me with it.

"this is all you need to know about this city, crimes, history, laws, everything" he said as I came closer to it. I ran my hand across the this leather surface, dust collected on my finger tips as I took my hand away from it and rubbed my pointer and middle finger together watching the dust fall onto the concrete floor, "I think you have yourself a deal old man." I said taking the book and opening it, flipping through the old yellow pages with old as time ink writing.

"hmm I thought so" he said chuckling as he left me to my devices.