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“TELL ME, THIEF, WHAT do they call you?” The man clad in white asked me. I had gotten to my feet, still woozy from the blow from the katana.
“My name is Raz.”
“Raz,” the ninja mused. “It is a strong name for such a weak man. But perhaps I can change that.”
“Change? Change how?” I asked, to sore to be insulted by his comments.
“Come with me.”
Together, we walked down a narrow path that crept through the maze of houses and buildings. I was amazed. I had run these streets many times, but my eyes had never noticed this path. It was cleverly laid out so as to avoid virtually every main road, making the traveler almost invisible to the populace. As we walked briskly down the path my companion spoke to me.
“Raz, I belong to a special Clan. It is our job to serve the noble Emperor Yangtze, who rules over this server. Our Clan is not a part of the military. Instead, we serve our Emperor in secret. We hide, and watch, from the shadows, only intervening when it is necessary.”
“You're ninjas,” I interjected.
The man in white didn't reply for a few moments. He exhaled deeply before speaking again, and it was apparent that he was not as impressed with my comment as I had been.
“A ninja is an ambiguous term. One that is used by people like yourself who do not know what they speak of.”
I rolled my eyes at this, being careful to not let him see me do it.
“I am a member of the Yang Clan. And although we are indeed ninjas in the loosest use of the word, we are much more than that. We fight for justice and what is right, and combat the evil forces at work on this server.”
“Evil forces such as....” I trailed off.
“You are not prepared for this information. The reason I stopped you today is that I think you show great promise. I have watched you for some time an-”
“Wait. You've been watching me?” I cut in sharply.
“Of course. Did you really think that your thefts would go unnoticed? There are many people who are as equally skilled in the art of stealing as you are.”
This was a sobering thought, and one I had never contemplated.
“Alright,” I said finally. “So where exactly are you going with all of this?”
As I asked my question we came to a stop at what appeared to be a dead end in our path. Before us stood a heavy bamboo wall that impeded any further forward progress. Here, my companion turned to face me and answered my question.
“As I had been saying before you interrupted, I believe you have a well of untapped ability. However, you are wasting it on frivolous and selfish pursuits. I would like to give you the opportunity to use your skill for a much greater cause. If you consent, I will initiate your training with the Yang Clan, and perhaps one day you can serve alongside us in our fight for good.”
I pondered this offer for a moment. I felt somewhat indignant at the accusation of wasting my talents on frivolous pursuits. I had never considered eating a frivolous pursuit! Still, his offer to join his Clan was extremely intriguing, and it certainly couldn't be any worse than the life I was living now, could it?
“Alright then, I guess I'll give it a shot.”
“Excellent!” With that, my companion reached back and pressed a hidden lever on the bamboo wall. Silently, the wall split into a swinging pair of gates that opened into a lovely courtyard, bathed in warm sunshine.
The man reached up and pulled back his white face covering, revealing a handsome elderly man, with piercing eyes, a fu-manchu mustache, and jet black hair pulled back into a ponytail.
“Raz, welcome to the home of the Yang Clan.”