Heta-Collection: The Immortals Through Time

The Timeless Musician

He knew he would have to face this situation again sooner or later. After moving out from his old house, he had hoped that no one would be stupid enough to repeat the same mistake again. Yet here he was, brandishing his violin bow like a saber against the group of piano thieves that held guns and knives towards him. It wouldn't take a genius to know that he didn't stand a chance.

"Just stand down and let us have the piano, little boy." The man with the gun said.

"No." he answered, "Leave and never touch my piano again."

He was lean, not muscular, and did not have enough experience with a sword or, in this case, using a bow as a sword. He was also quite small and obviously not athletic. Roderich Edelstein is no fighter, he is a musician, the head instructor in The University of Music and Performing Arts. He is in no way fit for any physical activities.

Roderich waved his bow around and it made a sharp hum as it sliced the air. The thieves seemed to be quite wary of his odd weapon despite its handler being so frail. Roderich walked backwards towards a specific spot in this room. It was the wall with the emergency button. He had it installed after several attempts of piano theft in his previous home.

"Come on, pretty boy." Another man, the one with the silly mask, said, "We just want your piano. Just stay back."

"No." Roderich replied as he reached the wall.

Always with the piano. Why was it that everyone wanted his Imperial Bösendorfer? It's large, heavy, and quite difficult to escape with. They could take his paintings, his violins, his money but no, they wanted his 1909 Imperial Bösendorfer. It was a gift from his queen. He will never let anyone steal it.

His fingers softly tapped around looking for the hidden button on the wall. The moment he felt a shallow dent, he knew he found his saving grace. He pushed the button.

"You will never touch my piano!"

A loud alarm echoed in the house. Roderich smirked as the thieves panicked and cursed. Red lights illuminated his whole house. It served as a beacon for the authorities. One of the men cocked a gun at his direction and glared at him. Roderich luckily dodged the bullet but he wasn't fast enough to block the knife that stabbed him on his side. He fell on the floor in pain and curled up.

"You son of a bitch!"

The man with the silly mask spat at him before pulling the trigger. Roderich screamed as the bullet pierced his flesh and organs. There were a few more but he was barely conscious when it hit him. He couldn't feel anything, could barely see anything, but he could clearly hear the thieves curse as they saw the house being locked down with thick, bomb proof, steel plates. He could hear them banging on his new security system to no avail. Roderich smirked. No one gets away with trying to steal his piano. No one.

-----

Roderich woke up when he heard several footsteps around him. He slowly opened his eyes, and had to squint. He couldn't see properly. His glasses were cracked. He looked around, as much as he can, and saw that the authorities were in his house. He was sitting on one of his vintage chairs, and was wearing a new set of clothes. Well, he assumed they were new. They didn't have blood or holes in them, after all. His piano sat where it was supposed to be, a few officers guarding his most precious treasure. He sighed in relief. That was reassuring.

"Good morning, Sir Edelstein." An officer stood to his right. Officer Ernst Wagner, his private contact in the force. "It looks like another theft."

Roderich sighed and, for the first time since he woke up, took notice of the group of thieves tied up on the floor. They had a few officers guarding them just in case any of them tried to run. They were looking directly at him, eyes wide, complexion rather pale, and jaws wide open. They looked like they had seen a ghost which in this case, might as well be the case. One of them screeched in terror, and Roderich flinched. One of the officers taped his mouth close. The scream died down into groans and whimpers. The other two was breathing rather heavily. Roderich prayed that they wouldn't wet themselves on his carpet. He just had it vacuumed.

"Sir?" Ernst asked, "Was it another attempted theft, sir?"

"Why, yes." Roderich answered Ernst.

"It doesn't seem like your usual thief, sir." Ernst said and Roderich sighed.

"I could've dealt with that one on my own."

The white haired menace had been a pain in his behind since the very first time they met. He knew how to handle that one. It was civilians that he didn't like dealing with.

Ernst nodded, "Point taken, sir."

"But you would think that these people would know better than to steal from me."

"Well, they don't know you, sir." Ernst replied and Roderich just nodded.

True. There were people who knew of him but not many knew him. Especially not in the way young Ernst did. Not in the way the Wagner family did. The Wagners are a family of nobles dating back to the 16th century. They served as knights for the royal family, aides for the heirs, and now as officers of the law. Roderich was proud of them.

Ernst's team cleared out of his house when Ernst finished recording Roderich's account on the events. They dragged the tied up, screaming criminals. They were screaming in terror, confusion, and utter disbelief at what happened to their attempted crime. Roderich snickered as he listened to them from his piano room.

"That's not normal!" he heard one of the thieves say, "He was dead!"

"Yes he was and now he's alive again." Ernst replied.

"That's not normal!"

"Look," Ernst started, "you three better be thankful that he just wants you jailed. The last time someone offended the Timeless Musician, they were executed the next morning."

There was silence. He did have the last one executed. He had no regrets with it though. That one came back the next day to steal his cake, after all. But in all seriousness, he would've liked it if Ernst let the thieves stayed a little longer. He wanted to see how white their faces had become by now.

Speaking of white, he can see a fluff of white behind the bushes in his rather colorful garden. He narrowed his eyes. He hoped it wasn't who he thought it was but just in case, he walked to all the doors and windows in his piano room and locked them. He even double checked his emergency button. He saw a familiar yellow bird take flight from a tree and the fluff of white vanished behind the piles of green.

Roderich Edelstein, head instructor in The University of Music and Performing Arts and The Timeless Musician of Austria, sighed in annoyance. He might need to move again. The piano thief that followed him around has found him. Again.