There were once three brothers, who were traveling across a long road on their strong black steed. They came to a bridge but found that there was a spirit attached to it. The spirit tried to attack them, but the brothers were learned in the arts of spirit hunting. They simply scattered salt on the spirit and it vanished, allowing them to pass safely. They began to cross the bridge, but a man stood in their way. He was an older gentleman, extremely pail with black hair, and impeccably dressed in a black suit. This man was Death.
He was furious with having been chested out of three new victims, for those who had faced the spirit before were surly killed. But he was very cunning and instead he offered them congratulations, telling them that each would receive a gift from him.
The first brother stood before Death and asked for a spell that would give him great power. So Death produced a scroll detailing the steps necessary to open a gate to another realm and absorb souls that reside there.
The second brother stood before Death and asked for the ability to open a gate to the underworld. So, Death provided the brother with a stone, blessing it with the power to open the gates of Hell.
The third brother, the wisest of the three, asked Death for a simple gift that would allow him to travel safely without having to worry about Death following him. So Death reluctantly slipped a ring off his finger and handed it to the third brother.
The three brothers continued on their way and soon parted, going their own ways to use the gifts Death had given them.
The first brother returned to a former home of his where a man he had once considered family resided. He used the spell to open the gate to the other realm and absorbed the souls within. With his new power, he destroyed the man and began setting out to destroy those he believed to be evil. But soon the power ate away at him, destroying him from the inside. Driven mad, he walked into a lake and was devoured by his power.
And so Death claimed the first brother.
The second brother traveled to a cemetery not far from his childhood home. He took the stone out of his pocket and tossed it on the ground. Muttering the spell that Death had provided for him, the ground shook and the stone sunk beneath the surface. Suddenly the ground opened into a dark pit. The brother looked down in to the pit and saw the horrid things that would happen to his family, that he would do to his family. A demon appeared and said the only way to save his loved ones was to sacrifice himself. The brother feared what would happen if he refused, so he fell into the pit and it closed behind him.
And so Death claimed the second brother.
Now, Death searched for the third brother for many years, but because of the blessing of the ring, he was not able to find him. Until one day, when the third brother slipped the ring off his finger and gave it to his son. Then, he turned and greeted Death like an old friend and they departed this world together. as equals.