A Tale Of Three Brothers

And the three brothers Peverell were rewarded by Death three hallows that were not what they seemed to be. (My take on Harry Potter's Deathly Hallows story).

A Tale Of Three Brothers

 

And in the midst of the choking, grey smoke stood a haunting figure of a man. His flowing, black robe fastened at the collar bone with naught but a single silver emblem of a snake, and wilted to the floor like a heavy, second skin. It tightly wrapped around him and clung closely to his emaciated frame of scarcely anything but bone, seemingly proving a case of severe malnutrition.
              The night-black hood of his cowl was raised in an attempt to obscure his features and his silky- smooth locks both. Quite unsuccessfully evidently, as they could be seen slithering out in long, draping, black tendrils; creeping despondently down his shoulders and hanging loosely at his pelvis.
              Two pinpricks of light, so unearthly and divine a shade of Killing Curse green that they could easily summon a hesitance to call them eyes at all, peered curiously from beneath the limp cloth and seemingly into one’s very soul.

From the folds of one of the figure’s swathing sleeves, slunk a drowned, spidery hand, preceded by five drowned, spidery digits. This appendage, being the only skin visible, gave the only hint to the figure’s paper-white skin, and was clasped tightly to a hard shaft of sequoia. The sequoia shaft led right down to the ground and up a few feet above the man’s hooded head, ending in the wickedly-sharp, curved, obsidian blade of a scythe.

“Ye art my conquerors? My summoners? My masters?” the figure spoke, like whispers in the darkest corners of night.

And the Eldest, a man of arrogance, proclaimed, “Why, of course! For whom but Me and Mine may have subdued thyself of great reputation?!”

And the figure remained silent for a while. “I must congratulate thee, for ye have conquered myself - Death. Therefore, I find myself now, in a position of reluctant servitude. Ye may each have one wish, and one wish only, for anything that which you may desire.” he finally spoke.

Once again the arrogant one spoke first and quickly, far too confident for anyone one would expect to live a very long life. “I wish for a most powerful wand! A wand so powerful that none may defeat its owner!”

Death, of course, was forced to oblige, and so he seemingly floated over the river’s waters and to the opposite bank of the river. From an elder tree he stole away a branch and fashioned it into a wand. “Here.” And he presented the Eldest the wand that he demanded.

Next, spoke-up the Middle brother. The Middle was a sorrowful man. Just recently, his fiancé had died and he now spent all his time wallowing in depression and longing. “I wish for a stone that can bring back the dead.” the Middle whispered in a hoarse voice.

And Death, once again, floated across the river, before coming to a clear spot of water, and reaching down into the depths to grasp a ruby-red stone. He handed this stone to the Middle with the instructions: “Turn this stone three times and your wish shall be granted."

Lastly came the Youngest. Now, while the Youngest may have been less experienced than his elder brothers, he was many times more clever and cunning, and so when Death offered him anything he desired, the Youngest became suspicious. “I wish for something that can hide me from Death, wherever I may be.” He cautiously edged.

Death scowled, but nevertheless complied. Death tore from his flowing cowl, a length of the shimmering, black cloth, and handed it to the brother. “I have fulfilled your requests. I trust you are all pleased?”

Though with varying levels of wariness, (from amounts akin to paranoia to none at all), all three brothers replied in the affirmative.

“Good. However, now I must flee. It was a…pleasure…to make your acquaintance.” Death grinned cruelly.

And the three brothers carried on along their journey, where, unknowing to them, two thirds of the party would unexpectedly and quite suddenly be confronted with Death.

Author's Note

Personally, I think the opening may need a bit of work, a little less sudden and jolting, and rather more gradual. You?