The Mage and the Thief

The Mage and the Thief Part One

The sun balanced on the horizon, ebbing closer and closer to darkness as Tix hid in the shadows, minute by minute elongating, concealing his position. Soon, he would be invisible. Tix' legs began to cramp in his crouched position, but as the waning day came to a close, he would stretch more, until his silhouette stood against the tower at full heigh without fear of capturing attention.

For a wizard's tower, Tix thought to himself as the twilight stars twinkled back into existence for another evening, there sure is a suspicious lack of security.

There wasn't a set time – a level of pitch darkness or a feeling of ease that would pass telling Tix when it was time to move; telling when he was at his most advantageous luck, so he had the make the decision without the comfort of confidence in his decision.

The roof of the wizard's tower lit up in the evenings, long before dusk, flashing a blinding golden light across the endless plains, warning travelers far and wide that this was a place of magic and not to be disturbed. Originally, Tix thought it to be an alarm signal, but wildlife would've set the alarm many times before he had a chance to if it were. Nonetheless, he avoided the light recognizing that he was quite a bit larger slimmer than a buck, and taller than a rabbit.

The decision had to be made, shortly after dusk – the sun dipped low enough he blended in with the night save for the flashing beam encircling the fields and pulled the grappling hook from his weapin lined waste, helicoptering it a few times, and slinging it expertly towards the top of the tower as he'd practiced hundreds of times since childhood.

With a satisfying clink against the ancient stone, the hook gripped onto to the roof of the tower, just below the spotlight. Tix pulled at the rope, ensuring it was secured before slinging his satchel securely over his shoulder, and bracing his feet against the stone wall. He tested his weight on the grappling hook. A fall from this height would scarcely matter, but to make it further up only to have the hook suddenly decide it wasn't secure would be detrimental. Even if he were to survive, he'd certainly have to retire as a thief.

Tix yanked on the rope a few times, constantly monitoring his surroundings for a change in atmosphere. Quieter animals telling they might have been chased away, a still wind, but nothing. So far, so good.

Steady as trained, Tix placed each foot squarely against the tower wall, tested it for any give, and moved on to the next step. A Bird crowed in the distance, and a light breeze swept at the sweat that had begun dripping down his face, but it was all good omens, as if Lady Luck herself might be pushing him up the incline.

As he neared the top of the tower, Tix took to wiping one palm down his pant leg, gripping onto the rope, and switching to the next hand being dried off. Scaling a building was one of the things that got easier with practice but was never just easy.

Finally, Tix found himself at the base of the tallest window, where brass and iron bars pillared against the stone. Each bar was crooked but still gleamed in the night as if the bars were a recent addition – a new measure of security to keep out unwanted guests.

Of course, Tix already knew of this. A thief doesn't decide to rob a wizard's tower without prior knowledge of what he might be sucking himself into. As he got into view of the window, He peered over the ledge, making sure the Wizard wasn't in the room, or that no one else was for the matter.

The whirring of the light from above was the perfect muffler to any unwanted noises.

Tix silently took a relief that things were going according to plan but did not take the time yet to pat himself on the back. He wrapped the rope around his body and withdrew a chisel and mallet from his satchel. The bars were not magically sealed and would easily pop out of place with the right pressure.