《The Legendary Thespian》


 Chapter 1 - Welcome to the funeral

    There was silence all around, except for the light chirping made by crickets or some other insects, but it was too hard to tell since the sound could hardly penetrate the silence. If one were to guess based on the gloom in the atmosphere that a funeral was going on, he would not be winning any prize but would be correct nevertheless.


    But on closer inspection at the expression of the people who had gathered, it was clear that sorrow was not the predominant emotion whatsoever. There was curiosity, puzzlement, contemplation and a collection of other emotions but the melancholy that comes with the loss of someone near and dear were few and far between. Even the silence afforded seemed more of a gesture of keeping the tradition alive rather than paying homage to the dead. From that, it wasn''t too hard to conclude that the person who now lay in the coffin either did not have family members who cared about him or that his close family members were not present at the venue. But the former did not seem too likely of a possibility since the person resting inside the coffin was a young boy, who seems to have barely hit his puberty and was too young to garner the resentment of his family.


    The funeral was being held traditionally, in an open green field. There was an empty podium and beside it lay the casket in which the body of the young boy lied. The early morning fog was shrouding distant vision, but one could make out what looked like gravestones near the periphery where they almost seemed to merge and disappear amongst the fog. This gave an almost surreal and unearthly feeling to the event. There were no chairs for anyone to sit on, and everyone was standing as dictated by the tradition. Nevertheless, some seemed quite annoyed by the silence and the long wait.


    Then a shallow sobbing finally broke the silence. It was another boy, who seemed to be around the age of the boy inside the coffin. He was dressed in a black suit that resembled the garments worn by the other men who were attending the funeral, but it was quite apparent from the quality of the material that he was from a very wealthy family. If one missed the quality of the garment by any chance, the men who looked like bodyguards that surrounded the young boy was a dead giveaway.


    The boy finally fought through the fit of sobbing and stuttering and could be heard talking to himself "Why did you have to die like this? We had a lot of plans," but the boy was unable to finish the sentence and fell back to faintly sobbing.


    A tall dignified man who was had been standing next to him all along placed his hands on the young boy''s shoulder. The boy looked like the younger version of the man, except for the charm and sophistication that can only come with experience and exposure to wide social circles. The man crouched down at eye level with the young boy and said "Jonathan my son, you must be strong. What would your friend say if he saw you crying in such a manner? Your friend was brave even in the face of certain death and crying here would be nothing short of disrespect towards him," The boy took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. He wiped away his tears using the sleeve of his suit, and looked at his father in the eye and nodded vigorously.


    The young boy who had "expired" recently couldn''t help but muse to himself ''The person who seems to be most affected by my death is someone whom I am not particularly fond of. Well, it was within my expectation that people wouldn''t care whether I lived or died, but finding Jonathan so heartbroken is really surprising. I almost feel like jumping out of the casket and giving Jonathan a tight bear-hug.''Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The priest had finally arrived. His white clothes created a sharp contrast in the sea of dark clothing. The crowd parted to give way as the priest was heading towards the podium. Some were greeting him with small bows, the respect that must be shown to a man of God. Throughout the way, he too returned the gesture with a nod of acknowledgment and a congenial smile on his face.


    After making his way to the podium, and occupying a comfortable position and posture, he slowly glanced through the people who had assembled there. His eyes paused on the casket that lay to the side for a fraction of a second and then looked towards the gathering again.


    "Everyone, I deeply apologize for the delay that I have caused. I was not in town, and rushed here as soon as I got the heartbreaking news and got to know that I would be the one conducting the funeral," said the priest.


    Although his hair was completely white, almost transparent even, and although he looked so frail that a strong gust of wind can easily blow him over, his voice reverberated throughout the area without the need for any special pieces of equipment. His voice did not seem to portray the frailty that is suggested by his appearance. His voice even had a magnetic and mesmerizing effect to it, that was easily able to command the attention of the masses, and carried a sense of tranquility that almost instantaneously erased the displeasure that had accumulated.


    The boy in the casket thought to himself ''It seems like they have sent someone very important to hold my funeral ceremony. I will just consider this to make up for the lack of tears shed by people. Seriously, why can''t they at least pretend to make some weeping noises? If dead people watch over their funeral as legend says, they would be very disappointed by this sight. Well, I am getting front row seats to this due to my unique circumstance''


    The priest continued "We have all gathered here to say our farewells to the young Theodore Everton, who has been accepted by God back to his loving embrace. I never had the pleasure of talking to the young boy, but I have heard quite a lot about him. A genius that is seen once in a generation, but never arrogant or complacent. His parents were snatched away from him at a very young age due to a tragic event, and maybe this is God''s way of making up to him by calling him back early so that he can reunite with his parents in the kingdom of heaven,"


    If Theodore could stand up and speak right now, he would jump up, push the priest aside and cry out in indignation ''Buddy, please stop pushing everything single good and bad thing on God. Even when someone dies, you find a way to put a positive spin on it and push it all on God. He too would feel very annoyed by the sophistry used by your gang.''But unfortunately, he could not. He was as still and motionless as a dead person can ever be.


    But Theodore''s internal grumblings did not deter the priest from continuing "His untimely demise happened as he was doing something that he loved the most, research in partnership with the church to help the destitute and the needy. Somewhere in his quest to take care of the others, he had forgotten to take care of himself. When the workers had found him, he lay collapsed on the floor due to exhaustion. He can finally close his eyes and rest peacefully"


    Theodore couldn''t help but add in his mind ''Mr. Priest, don''t you think that the puncture marks on my neck would have had a slight role in all of this? For a Holy man, you are quite capable of lying with a straight face, and could even give me a run for my money. Well, I do get the idea that publicizing what had actually transpired would not be in the best interest of either the church or the common people. At least you are making me sound like a tragic hero, but the mode of my death seems very lame. Since it is a lie anyway, you could have spiced things up much more.''It wasn''t surprising that no one noticed the puncture marks due to clothes that were worn by him. It wouldn''t even raise suspicion as such clothes that covered the entirety of the skin except for the face was the common attire for the dead.


    The priest seemed to have run out of random things to say about Theodore at this point. He said "I know many of you would like to say something about Theodore. Some of it would be to share the experiences you had with him with the others gathered here, some of it would be the things that you were not able to tell him when he was alive. We believe that the dead always attends their funeral, watching over the proceeding before cutting away all their terrestrial ties and ascending to heaven. I hereby invite anyone who would like to come up and talk"


    Theodore mused to himself ''This seems like a good time as any to think about the choices that I had made in my life that has led me to this situation''

 Chapter 2 - Once Upon a Time

    As Theodore lay in his casket, he couldn''t help but recall that fateful event that changed the trajectory of his life.


    ********************** 8 years Ago *************************


    A young boy, who looked six or seven years old, was running in the middle of a crowded street. The street filled with small vendors selling their merchandise from makeshift wooden shops and by hawkers shouting and touting their shoddy goods as if it was something taken out straight from the legends. But people were still huddling on each side, surrounding the hawkers and shopkeepers, some enquiring about the price of various goods, while others engaged in a drawn-out haggling contest with them.


    The boy kept darting through the crowd, looking at either side as if he was a predator in search of the perfect prey. The boy shared a remarkable resemblance to Theodore, especially his brownish-black eyes. It must have been his lucky day because he was able to spot the perfect ''prey'' right at the beginning of the day.


    While running at full speed, the boy seemed to suddenly trip and was about to fall face-first on the ground. He reached out his hand and was barely able to find some balance by latching on to the cloth of a gentleman who was standing nearby. Unlike other well-dressed people who avoid contact with the young boy as if he was the plague incarnate, the gentleman used his hands to hold the boy and prevent him from falling.


    The boy looked dumbfounded for a second, giving the gentleman a weird look. He quickly regained his balance and started scurrying away again. Before getting too far away, he turned back to get a second look at the gentleman and whispered a thank you before vanishing out of sight. The gentleman smiled, but that smile froze when he positioned his hand over the pocket in which he keeps his wallet. His smile soon turned wry, and couldn''t help but lightly shake his head and sigh instead.


    After taking a couple of turns, the boy finally made it to an empty alleyway. He looked around to make sure that no one was there beside him. He put his hand underneath his cloth and fished out a wallet. The boy was very satisfied with his performance as he was able to find such an easy target. He eagerly opened the wallet only to find it empty. All his excitement and satisfaction deflated in a moment. He couldn''t help but grumble to himself ''A man who dresses up so well does not have a single copper coin in his wallet. I should probably introduce that man to my begging circle, so that he may get a copper or two. At the least, he could sell his clothes and get some money for it.''


    The boy had always been proud of his ethics. Although he usually pickpockets wealthy people, he only takes away five copper coins, before sneakily returning the rest of the money to the owner along with the wallet. Besides, he also keeps a handwritten note detailing how to avoid pickpocketing. However, the boy did not know how to read or write. He just copied the contents of a poster that were available at public places, which warned about the dangers of pickpocketing and how to avoid it.


    The return of the wallet was not just due to pure altruism. For one, the boy was very selective and would only pick people who seemed both wealthy and amicable at the same time. Once he sneakily returned the wallet to such a person, and the person realizes that only five copper coins are missing, it was unlikely that the person would look for trouble with the child. Also, quite a lot of people found it funny and amusing when they notice the warning note against pickpocketing and the poor penmanship belonging to a young child.


    His little face looked as if he would break out into a cry at any moment. Suddenly, his ears picked up faint footsteps that were coming from a distance. He did not know who it was, but his first instinct was to find a spot and hide as fast as possible. He found a pile of old clothes that had been abandoned by someone lying in a corner. He dived straight into it and made sure to cover up all parts of his body so that he doesn''t get exposed. He made a small opening in the direction of the footsteps so that he could see the person that was coming in his direction.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    As the tapping sound of the footsteps became clearer, he was able to see the outline of a man entering the alleyway. As the man progressed along the alleyway, the boy recognized that this was the same person from whom he had stolen the wallet. The action of the man caused the boy to panic internally, as he had no idea that the man would come looking for him into an abandoned alleyway.


    The boy thought to himself ''Why did this guy chase after me? There is nothing of value inside his stupid wallet. Or maybe there might be some sentimental value attached to this wallet. Yes, that should be it. Why did I have to run into this situation? Should I gracefully approach him and return the wallet and apologize, or should I just stuff it inside his pocket and make run for it? Apologizing is too risky if this wallet does hold a great deal of sentimental value for him. So its decided, stuff and run it is.''


    The man was looking intently at every corner to see if there are any traces of the boy. He did look at the bundle of old clothes under which the boy hid for a second, but soon took his eyes off it and looked at the rest of the surrounding. Soon he made his way past the boy. The boy knew that it was now or never. Once the man''s back was exposed, the boy quickly sprinted towards the man aiming to stuff the wallet into his pocket.


    As if having eyes on the back of his head, the man suddenly turned and caught his wrist. He turned around finally got a good look at the young boy who managed to sneak off with his wallet. The boy was also examining the man at the same time. The man had a gentlemanly air around him, with his well-trimmed mustache, his suit, and the stylish cane in his hand. He still had a friendly smile on his face as if it wasn''t his wallet that had got stolen.


    Even before the man had the chance to question him, the boy said "Mister, I think your wallet somehow ended up with me when I crashed into you earlier. I was just trying to put this back into your pocket. Please have it back."


    The man did find that the wallet held by the boy in his hands. He took the wallet from him, but still did not loosen his grip on the wrist. He opened the wallet to check out of habit. The boy took the opportunity to add "Mister, I saw that your wallet was empty and I put five copper coins in it. I know it is not a lot, but it should be sufficient to get you through the day. I can survive the day with just two copper coins. With five copper coins, I could even have some delicious food from the stalls!"


    The man was could barely control the twitch on his face on hearing the kid say that. Initially, he wanted to get mad at the boy for stealing his wallet, but it seems that the boy had prepared everything beforehand.


    Noticing that the man was still not talking, the boy carried forward the talk "I was just about to go look for you to return the wallet, but surprisingly you found me first. Can you please tell me that I would be in the alleyway?"


    The man finally replied "If I were to steal something, I would go look for a quite alleyway close by to peak at the loot. I just asked around where the nearest empty alleyway. And before you ask, people did stare at me as if I were crazy. But it is understandable since people do not usually go around asking for the location of empty alleyways this time of the day." and gave a small chuckle towards the end.


    The man continued "You are very interesting. You looked into my eye and lied to me with such great confidence. I must say, I admire your nerve. I will make you an offer you cannot resist. I want to take you as my disciple. You could be out of the streets in no time, and you could start living the life you always wanted. What do you say?"


    The was an unmistakable twinkle in the boy''s eyes. He thought to himself ''Could he be a Noble by any chance. Maybe he might be one of those wandering mages, looking for a suitable successor to pass on their legacy. He might have noticed something in me. It is not like I have anything to lose.'' The boy immediately went down to his knee and said: "Please take me as your disciple master."


    This time the man failed to control the twitch of his eye seeing how quickly the boy changed his colors. The man said "Then it is a deal. You are my disciple henceforth and are to help me in my day to day activities. I will pass on all the skills and knowledge that I have acquired throughout my life to you."


    The man sounded very sincere when he said that he wanted to pass on his knowledge and skills. But noticed the sincerity in the man''s voice and couldn''t help but beam. The boy thought to himself ''I take it back, deciding to borrow this gentleman''s wallet is the best decision I have ever made.''


    Taking a couple of seconds to get over the euphoria, the boy couldn''t help but ask "Mater, what do you actually do for a living?"


    The smile crept into the face of the man, and he said without a hint of hesitation or embarrassment on face "I am a professional conman."


    What the boy perceived to be the smile of an angel started to look like the grin of the devil instead.

 Chapter 3 - Once Upon a Time 2

    ************************************** The Present **************************************


    A violent coughing fit by someone in the gathering rudely pulled Theodore from his reminiscence. Theodore racked his brains to think of the person who would be coughing like this. It had to be a senior, which was evident from the way he coughed. He did have a few potential suspects in mind, but could not confirm his hypothesis since he did not get any further clues.


    From the surrounding whispers, it was apparent that someone was taking the initiative to kick-start the eulogy. A man was walking towards the podium. He was not too tall, around 5 feet 6 inches, and had the appearance of a scholar. His relatively pale skin was telltale of the fact that the person does not go out into the sunlight too often. The priest moved to the left side, giving the man ample room at the center of the stage. Once the man seemed comfortable there, he looked gathering and started addressing it "Thank you all for coming here. It means a lot to me. For those of you who may not know, my name is Ernest, and I am Theodore''s step-father. We were not able to interact often, like a normal parent and child would, as I being a professor at the Camilton mage academy was engrossed in research. Theodore was the same in this regard, always putting his energy into books. Now that I think about it, his fascination with books might have been to get my attention. After saving him from the bandits that killed his parents, I was all that he had. I was never able to tell Theodore how much I love him and how proud I am of him. The saddest part is, I will never get the chance to do it now." Ernest''s voice started breaking.


    People finally seemed to be a little moved by Ernest''s words. But Theodore was not buying any of it ''I do have to admit, he does know how to put on a good sob. If not for my extensive experience in this field, I would be convinced as well. I can quite literally count the number of interactions I had with that man since my adoption. But from his words, it seems that I have already occupied an important place in his heart. I must to so cute and lovable.'' Theodore joked to himself.


    But his words triggered some more memories that Theodore had not visited in quite a long time.


    ************************************** 6 years ago **************************************


    It had been two years since the boy started following the man. The man went by the name of Robert, his profession being a full-time conman, although the boy was doubtful that it was his real name. He got to know that the boy''s name was Timmy, a common name that is slapped on a child when the parents are too lazy to think of a good one. As the man had promised, he had been teaching Timmy the tricks of the trade.


    They were always on the move, never staying at a single place for more than a month. One of the biggest secrets of the trade as Robert put it, was the ability to let go when the going was good. It would be quite tempting to revel in the success and forget that a con is only temporary. The more the time spent on a con, the higher was the probability of getting caught. The idea is to make a quick profit, then move on to the next project.


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    Timmy was around ten years old now. Although he was initially a bit annoyed in getting duped by Robert to accept him as his mentor, he was quite happy at present. To Timmy, who never really knew the feeling of having loved ones, Robert was family.


    Almost immediately after Timmy joined Robert, he was taught how to read and write. As per Robert, the ability to read and write is fundamental in the skillset of any self-respecting conman. Without knowing how to read and write, a lot of easy to pull-off cons will become impossible. Another reason is that people let their guard down near educated people, as they implicitly believe that such people will not stoop to trickery. Timmy was quite happy with the arrangements as well. He found reading very enjoyable and derived a lot of satisfaction from it.


    But out of everything, the most valuable thing that Timmy got was a beginner level ''introduction to magic'' book. Although anyone who had access to magic would not spare a second glance at this book, to a commoner who would usually never get a glimpse of it, it was nothing short of a treasure. Robert would proudly recount one of his greatest heists in which he was able to sack this book. Even though Robert tried his best, he was unable to sense mana, which was the most basic requirement to become a mage.


    As per the book, people who had the potential to be a powerful mage should be able to sense mana around them in a matter of hours by following the procedure. But Timmy took more than two days to accomplish it. That would mean that he had but the weakest of affinity to mana, and would not be able to be an accomplished mage with his talent.


    The apparent lack of talent did not deter Timmy at all. With one year of hard work, he was able to get the hang of the most basic spell - flash, a simple spell that produces light. Although the achievement is nothing noteworthy, the will to keep on practicing without any guidance was commendable. A big part was due to the encouragement of Robert. He had already drawn up a lot of ideas on how to apply it to con people.


    Hence, one of the most common routines of the duo was the angry apprentice and the kind and benevolent master. The apprentice gets angry and starts conjuring up a mighty spell. Just when the divine light accumulates, and the apprentice is about to unleash his wrath, the benevolent master intervenes. He effortlessly interrupts the powerful spell reducing it to only flashes of light. He then chastises the young apprentice and guides him along the path of understanding and empathy. The apprentice realizes his folly and apologizes for his rash behavior. The now safe targets of his wrath feel grateful to the master and would offer money and a room to stay for the night. The master would politely refuse the money but would accept the offer to stay overnight. This was almost a sure-fire way to secure free lodging for the duo. This was even their trump card while facing bandits and robbers. But in this case, they did not have any qualms of accepting the money offered by the thieves.


    Robert and Timmy had secured a room for the night by putting on their play. Robert, who seemed to have been in deep thought for hours suddenly woke up from his stupor and told Timmy, who was on the bed and waving his leg in the air "Hey kid. I found the perfect targets for our next mission. It''s a wealthy merchant-cum-Noble named Milton who bought himself a low-tier Nobility, a Baronage, and he would be traveling to the neighboring kingdom of Alnarda with his only son. He does not have any other relatives, and his wife passed away during childbirth. They are transporting a lot of wealth with them during the journey so that they would have the necessary funds to kick-start their business. They will be having many caravans to transport everyone. We will hitch a ride on one of them. Near the border of Alnarda, they will be confronted by a dozen bandits. Then we would come out and disburse the bandits by displaying your magic. Then the thankful Milton would offer some compensation for our help, which we would reluctantly accept, just to make him feel better."


    From Robert''s continuous rant, Timmy realized that his master has started fantasizing. The mischievous grin that involuntarily comes out always gives him away. He knew that it is easier to just yes and stop prevent hours of blabber. Timmy said "Sure, it sounds like a plan. When do we head out?"


    Robert replied "Tomorrow."


    Timmy asked in a confused voice "Don''t we have to prepare? One day seems too short to do anything."


    To which Robert replied "Kid, just trust me. I have prepared everything beforehand. You just have to follow my lead and we might just make a killing this time."


    Timmy knew that arguing with Robert was useless once he makes up his mind. So he just nodded to show his consent. He soon fell asleep, completely unaware of the danger that awaits him the next day.