The life of a thief is a rather shifty one, if you ask me. Always getting mixed up with the wrong people and doing some pretty immoral things. So with your life of a petty liar, you come across some really unusual tips. By all means, you often make a living off these tips, but some just come off of you in an odd way.
So when an old woman comes up to me asking me for a favour, I naturally get curious.
Promptly after finding a secure location -a beat up path near an old tree, mind you- the hag tells me about some box she wants me to retrieve. She tells me it was hers (I highly doubt it, she is hardly convincing when she wears nothing but rags) and that it was stolen from her and being kept in the largest manor around for miles.
Needless to say, I was skeptical. Thinking upon it made it seem like the best idea ever. An excuse to go into a manor that was probably caked in gold? Heck yeah! Just think how rich I could be after looting that goldmine!
"You got yourself a deal, lady. Long as I get to keep whatever I want," I explained.
The old hag looked at me with an odd crooked gin upon her wrinkled face. "You may steal whatever you wish, though the tinderbox must be mine. I must warn you though, they keep well trained dogs that will follow their master's orders. Become the master, and the dogs shall pose no problem; here is a whistle that they will listen to. You must use it well, for a human cannot hear it," handing over an old silver whistle, the cryptic old woman hobbled off in another direction.
With plans to take care of, I returned to the drafty, rickety attic I hide out in.
Waiting until nightfall proved to be a good idea. The lights were out and guards were patrolling, rather than standing steadfast at the doors. After quickly hopping over the fence from the height of a tree, I scaled to the balcony and brandished a pair of lockpicks to the door. After calming the dog with a blow from the whistle, I snuck around the rooms on the second floor. There were many goodies just lying around, and I took no shame in filling my duffle bag with golden trinkets.
Next, I tracked down the stupid box I was told to steal. It was stashed away within the desk in the study, and looked positively ancient. I could probably sell it for a hefty price. With all this loot, I'd likely have enough to buy myself a house and work my way up the social latter!
A grand grin split my face as I left the lot with sirens blaring in the background. I planned to return to the pawn shop immediately when the old crone waddled across my path again. She seemed pleased with herself.
"Good boy, did you remember the tinderbox? And may I have the whistle returned to me?" she had a bony hand outstretched towards me.
"What's so important about these things, eh?"
She seemed stunned that I would demand such questions from her. Her mind was scrambling for an answer; it was obvious from the way her eyes shifted about and her hands grasped at air. "Well… that's…" she stammered, shifting around on her feet.
I felt anger and frustration build up within me. If she had no reason to have them, why should I give them to her? I am the one who went through the trouble of wasting a lockpick on it, darn things were more fragile -and expensive- than others thought.
Before I realized it, I had the dagger hidden in my boot in my hand, displayed close to her nose. I demanded to know their value. She returned the yell with her own and for a moment my vision blanked out in uncontrollable greed.
When my heartbeat slowed, the blade in my gloved grasp was slick with blood. She staggered back, grasping at a sizable gash in her abdomen.
Peering into her dull eyes, I saw shock that was shadowed with fear and pain. Looking down to the blade, I took a step back and glanced around us.
Nobody saw that, right?
She dropped to the ground and I watched as she tried to form words, but not being able to do much more than gasp nonsensical things.
Making a quick decision, I closed in on her and thrust the dagger's dirty blade into the juncture of her neck, making eye contact with a calm visage. I watched the life drain from her body.
I could almost feel the money weighing down my pockets. After finding a few coins in her clothes, I buried her in a dump spot where the pound buried dead dogs.
After cashing in the stolen goods, I decided to keep the whistle on a whim. I was practically swimming in money, and before I knew it I was set with anything I wanted. Bearing new clothes and a new house, I was living a wondrous and lavish life. I curbed to every whim I had with no regrets. I was surrounded by friends and had high social standards, and was generous to the public yet I always yearned for more.
So before I could see it coming, I was back on the streets, returning to the old attic where none of my friends ever visited. I had resorted to thievery once more, but my life was not the same. I had a taste of the life I wanted, and my thirst for it grew the longer I was deprived of it.
Sitting in the attic one day, I rediscovered the whistle in one of my pockets. Looking it over and wondering why I didn't get rid of it, I blew into it, unsurprised when I still didn’t hear anything. I was startled, however, when the door was burst open by a large dog.
"No, stop!" I cried in shock, seeing it drawing near.
The dog planted his hind upon the dusty wood, looking at with large eyes that appeared too familiar. Testing a command quickly showed the dog to be well-trained. When I jokingly asked it to fetch money, it finally left. I really didn't expect the dog to return with a sack of what I requested.
Experimenting with the commands, I had found myself back in the relaxed life I grew to love. I could once again cater every whim and desire my heart wished, until I found one that I couldn't just demand for.
It came in the form of a beautiful young woman who worked in a nearby café. I attempted upon many times to converse with her for longer than order-taking, but she was held on a tight rope by her strict father. He held no amenity for me at all.
One late night, I pined for the girl so much that I requested of her to my dog. It obeyed, and soon I was spending hours with the lady my heart yearned for. We quickly fell for each other and every night my dog would escort her to my home, returning her before the sun rose and her parents would know of her disappearances.
All of this couldn't last as nearly as long as I wanted, as I one day met the father of my love on my doorsteps. He had a police officer behind him, and they demanded I restrained myself from seeing her anymore. They were ready to arrest me and pull me away from everything I cared for.
Letting my beast of a dog onto them, I watched with a smirk upon my face. No one would stop me from all that I desired, and I knew well that while I held the whistle, the world could be mine should I wish so.
Soon my love and I were wed, and the whole town feared to be on my bad side. The town was bowing to whatever rules I set, and in no time I was rewarded the title of mayor. With my lady and mutt at my side, I received all that I wished and more.
ns 18.68.41.148da2
