Death stared blankly at the four brothers before him. The twinkling sound of running water broke the nighttime air. The four brothers had traveled far on the windy road leading them to the river, and upon using their magical prowess, they crafted a bridge to lead them safely to the other side.
Death felt cheated, for these four brothers had instead of drowning in the raging waters below had used their ingenuity to cross the perilous stream.
Death looked at the four brothers, and using a honeyed voice congratulated the four brothers on their achievement. He offered each of the brothers a gift for outwitting and conquering death, one by one they stepped forward to receive their gifts.
The eldest, his short brown hair and harsh blue eyes stared hungrily at the being before him. His chiseled combative body strode confidently forward, a sword at his side and his wand in his hand.
"I want a weapon that can win all battles, a weapon that is truly worthy of one who has conquered Death"
In a flourish of movement, Death glided over to a nearby elder tree and handed the man a 12 inch branch. A wand to beat all wands. With a slight nod, the eldest brother strode over to the other side of the bridge and await the rest of his brothers.
The second eldest stepped next, with midnight hair and sad almond eyes, an arrogant sneer on his lips and a wish to take power away from Death.
"I want the power to call others from death"
Death danced to the side of the river and plucked a stone from the waters edge. It presented the red stone to the arrogant man and thus a stone to speak to the dead was made. With a mocking bow the second brother moved to the other side to join his elder brother.
The third brother approached hesitantly, his wild inky black hair and warm almond eyes contemplated a gift from death. Wisdom shone through his eyes, for he could see that he should not trust Death as easily as his brothers before him had.
"I wish for the ability to go without being followed by you, Death."
Warily Death reached behind him and gave the third brother his invisibility cloak. The third brother gave a respectful bow and wandered towards his brother, occasionally looking back at the youngest brother who stood alone with Death.
Finally the youngest of the brothers stepped forth. Wild raven black locks of hair with emerald green eyes that were hidden behind large round spectacles. The youngest thought long and hard for something that he wanted from Death as gift, before finally sighing.
"Death, I have thought long and hard, but I can not in good consciousness accept a gift from you. I do not mean this as a slight, for I am honored that you believe that we are to be rewarded. I can't accept because no one can conquer death, for it is inevitable.
My brothers have foolishly accepted a gift without thinking of the cost, and will in time greet you again. Thus I only want to live the rest of my mortal life, until I meet you when my time has come and then will I accept your gift"
Death stood silently for a while before telling the youngest brother that he had seen through his plan and offered that should the three brothers die before him, then the three gifts would be his. The youngest brother shook his head, for it wasn't power that he wanted, he was content with his life and wanted nothing else.
While Death knew that the youngest was being truthful, he refused to have items created by him out in the world for long. So he created a plan to ensure that the youngest brother would return the items when the time came.
Death feigning feeling slighted to the words of the youngest brother raged that if it was life that the youngest was so interested in then life he shall have and cursed the youngest with immortality.
The youngest, unaware of the curse he now held, walked onward to his brothers that waited for him. For Death had cursed him to watch as his loved one grew old and died and watch civilizations be born and crumble to dust.
Time went on. The eldest was the first to die, he foolishly battled a wizard who he had an argument with in the past. The brother, having won the battle, boasted in a local inn about his wand that was unbeatable and was given from Death itself. Only to be murdered the next morning and the wand stolen, starting the legend of the death stick. Thus the first brother was taken by Death.
The second eldest went home, where he called upon a girl who he had wanted to marry before she died. However, the spirit of those who had died could not remain. The second brother was driven mad with longing, killed himself in order to join his love in the afterlife.
Death searched far and wide for the third brother, who ended up living a very good long life, before he passed his cloak to his eldest son and greeted Death as an old friend, together walking as equals from this life.
The youngest, was not aware of his curse until his first death, as he went through his second magical awakening at the young age of 30 and his magic core settled into its final size. In a burst of flames he was reborn into an 11 year old body. It was then that the youngest realized that death had given him his gift, 'to live his life until he met Death when his time came'.
The youngest faded from history and became a forgotten part of the popular story, the four brothers became the three.
During his immortal life, the youngest brother traveled the world and learned all sorts of magic in order to try and break his curse. During his travels he wrote many books and developed many spells from the knowledge that he acquired. All to be secreted away and never see the light of day, for the spells in the books were both good and bad, and in the wrong hands be disastrous.
As the decades dragged on, hope for breaking his curse started to fade and with it a new resolve to learn and grow in his understanding of magic. However, it was a lonely existence, relationships seemed meaningless to the young brother. After all whats the point of forging relationships if they are only to be temporary in the long scheme of things.
It was not until the years of 985 AD that the youngest brother decided to settle down for a few decades, and there our adventure starts, in an inn in a small town of Hogsmead in the highlands of Scotland.
The story of the youngest brother, Harold Peverell, was yet to begin.