The Emperor’s Eyes

Stepping out of the car, Warren looked around, the avian’s eyes focused as he scanned the small crowd of people milling about in the plaza ahead, adjusting his jacket briefly as he caught a reflection of himself in a nearby window, noticing that the holstered pistol hidden by his waist was showing. With his autumnal red plumage making quite the contrast from his black getup, his clothes chosen carefully to mix with the upper class urban environment while still able to conceal body armour and weaponry underneath, the bird surveyed his surroundings. The man's eyes darted up to the rooftops for a moment before he ducked his head back down into the car, 
“Way looks clear.”
Another man dressed in the same uniform stepped out, speaking into a tiny headphone tucked into his ear, 
“Front secured, send package.”
The pair stood by as their car drove off into a parking lot, shortly joined by another, stopping in front of them as the door opened up, revealing a smiling reptilian woman. Dressed in a set of red robes accentuating her faintly purple scales, her piercing yellow eyes staring straight at Warren as she got out of the car, the woman stood up with a mysterious smile on her face, always looking like she knew much more than she was letting on, something that the avian guessed to always be true thanks to her job. Though she was nearing her fifties, the lizard still looked downright stunning, her body managing to retain all the right curves that she'd made use of during her previous life as an escort, every tiny mannerism of hers exuding an air of elegance, mixing with her beauty to make for a package that captured the heart at just one glance. Warren hadn't worked as a bodyguard for very long, only transferring to the unit after a few years’ stint as a grunt in the ERF infantry, his skills in the field gaining the interest of the recruiters looking to train a new batch of men willing to sacrifice their lives for any VIPs in need of protection. The woman was his first protection detail, the Denmother, or Annabelle as he'd come to learn her real name was, a lady of some interest to the Emperor himself, both in matters personal and professional from all the rumours that he'd heard, even if he didn't try to put too much stock on them. Though he'd bravely faced gunfire, artillery, minefields, even an encounter with Finnish Mechs once without blinking an eye, the red-feathered bird felt himself clamming up under the intense, sultry stare of the Denmother, her eyes lingering on him for just a brief split second, feeling like an eternity until she finally gave him a nod, stepping past him and walking towards the building. 

With Warren and three of his team following close behind the reptile, they headed inside the rather lavish building, sitting right by the city square, a hotel of sorts acting as residence for any high ranking ERF officials visiting the city. The avian wasn't sure why exactly they were there, since the was already housed in a lavish home of her own on the other side of the city, yet he wasn't there to ask questions, often having to provide security without knowing the specifics of what was going on, a commonplace situation when dealing with people in such high positions of power. Spreading out to cover the lobby, making sure everything was up to snuff, Warren spotted a pair of ERF soldiers standing guard at the elevator, and not just run-of-the-mill grunts either, but from the Royal Guard based on the immaculate, red and black armour and the heavy weaponry the pair had on hand. A legion directly under the command of the Emperor himself, often sent out into downright suicidal tasks or to secure the absolute most crucial personnel and projects of the ERF, Warren was rather surprised to see such people standing guard, yet he was quite relieved at the same time, certain that security was well taken care of if the Royal Guard was involved. Turning back to the Denmother, the bodyguard took off his sunglasses, clearing his throat as he felt himself choking up the second her eyes were on him, 
“The lobby is secure, ma'am, we're free to proceed. Could you tell us what floor we'll be going to, we'll go ahead and clear it before you get there.”
Smirking, the old reptile shook her head, 
“Oh, you will not be joining me there I'm afraid. But don't fret, it will be utterly safe, I can guarantee that much.”
“No offence meant, ma'am, but you can never be truly sure. And we can't just let you head off on your own, our orders command us t-”
Warren shut his beak the second the reptilian woman laid her hand on his shoulder, freezing on the spot as she just smiled, 
“Very well, if it means so much to you. Your friends will stay down here, but you may join me.”
Feeling rather hesitant about trying to argue back with the woman, the bird just nodded meekly, clearing his throat and quickly putting the shades back on his head to cover up the faint blush as he turned back towards the elevators. 

As soon as the Denmother approached, the two soldiers standing guards clicked their heels together, placing a fist over their hearts and bowing down slightly, the military salute of the ERF, their eyes on the woman as they barked out in unison, 
“Madam.”
Just smiling as she gracefully walked past the pair, her bodyguard at her side, the reptile stepped into the elevator, clicking the button for the 5th floor, the penthouse, something that Warren made note of. The bird was decently familiar with the Denmother’s role in the ERF: she was the handler for what was colloquially known as the “legion of whores”, a countless number of prostitutes, escorts, and other ladies of the night working the streets and nightclubs in cities and towns across the world, all working to gather intel and carry out assassinations for the Emperor's needs. The Denmother herself had been a prostitute in her youth, rumour says that it's the way she first met up with the Emperor, yet much of her life was cloaked in intrigue and mystery, with her seemingly enjoying it that way. Still trying to figure out what was going on, quite certain that just the usual rendezvous with another operative of hers wouldn't require the Denmother to travel out to a penthouse of the ERF safe house, Warren didn't have to wonder for much longer, shocked as soon as the elevator doors opened up. There in the flesh, right in front of the bodyguard, casually standing by a pool table with a bottle in one hand and a cigarette in the other, was the Emperor himself. Pale skin with ruffled golden hair, lithe yet surprisingly muscular at a closer glance, a suit vest tucked underneath a worn leather jacket, not exactly the look of one of the most powerful men in the world, the leader of an entire nation. The Emperor was certainly as armed as all the tales told however, a set of pistols on shoulder holsters flashing from under his jacket as he raised his arms, a machete fastened to his hip, his hyena-like laughing cackle ringing around the penthouse as he grinned maniacally, 
“Anna! Fashionably late, again!”

As the Denmother stepped towards him with a chuckle, the Emperor met her halfway, moving in an odd fashion, somewhere between a drunken stagger and a refined march of a veteran commander, each of his limbs seemingly having a mind of its own. The pair embraced, patting each other on the back before the Emperor planted a quick peck on both of her cheeks, rubbing her shoulders for a moment before his eyes turned to the shocked and amazed avian still standing by the elevator, a wide grin plastered on the human's face,
“And who's this? A new boy toy to help with the boredom? A new fucktoy for me?”
As if laughing at a casual joke, the Denmother just chuckled, 
“One of your own men, a bodyguard very devoted to his job, didn't want to leave me alone~”
Still unable to believe he was in the same room as a living legend, Warren didn't say a word as the dictator of the ERF walked right up to him, taking a drag from the cigarette before blowing a cloud of smoke in his face, leaning close enough for him to smell the alcohol on the man's breath, 
“You're in luck, she likes the shy, bookish types. Just don't let her talk you into using your face as a seat, she's not gonna let you get out from under her before she gets off, no matter what. Oh, and she loves taking it up the ass.”
The bird truly wasn't sure whether the Emperor was joking or sharing genuine advice with him, unable to ascertain the tone of the man or the completely straight expression on his face, too dumbstruck to do more than to just nod and stay silent, awkwardly standing there as the leader of the ERF stared him down for a few seconds further, finishing with a pat on the back before turning back to the Denmother, 
“Alright, now let's get to business. You've got some juicy shit to share with me, or so I've been told. Pertaining to a Finnish lad in the area?”
Sitting down on a sofa, crossing her legs, the Denmother nodded as her old friend sat down next to her, 
“Oh yes indeed. My girls have managed to learn plenty in recent times.”
Standing by the elevator, Warren still couldn't believe he was truly witnessing the Emperor in the flesh, having never even dreamed of being in the same room, feeling like he was going to faint as he just stared at the man chatting with the woman he was tasked to protect. The Emperor had countless stories and rumours spread about him, had killed more people with his own hands than most would ever even speak with, had an entire cult devoted to worshipping him as a reincarnation of a god of rebirth, and yet there he sat, cigarette in hand. Sure that no one back at his barracks would believe him once he got back after his shift, if he was even allowed to divulge the details of his day, Warren pondered whether he might be able to work up the courage and ask the Emperor for a signature, feeling his heart skip a beat whenever the man even glanced in his direction.