I wrote something else today, rather than what you're reading now, but we had a power outage where I work (where it's stored on my computer there), so, here's this, instead:
In a cave somewhere it was told that an old master had stored his vital essence in a vial and put it deep within the earth. To guard it, it was said that he enslaved two demon spirits and chained them within the chamber where the vial was stored. When some dozens of years later, when this myth was well known even to the school children of the land, some boys found they had discovered that certain cave. I will not go into how they knew, but they had good reason to believe that this certain cave was the one. One of them, the bravest, volunteered to go alone into the depths of the earth, to face the demon spirits chained there, and to retrieve the vial of the old master's vital essence. He went in, and for two days there was no sign of him. The boys, afraid that they had sent their companion to his death, told no one. But after the second day, he was seen by one of the other boys, walking into the village where they lived.
"What happened?" the friend said.
"I found the chamber where the demon spirits were chained, where the vial was kept, and I was afraid, for the demons breathed fire and had long claws and teeth. I kept far enough away so I was out of their reach, but I saw the vial. I thought they might sleep when night came, so I waited, but demons do not sleep, I found. By the next day, I myself was tired, so I slept. In a dream, the old master appeared to me and said, 'I have waited for you. I will now set the demon spirits free, for it is to you I give my vital essence. Take the vial, and walk to the river. There is a beggar there who is dying. Give him to drink, and he will live.'
"When I woke, the demon spirits were gone. I took the vial, and I walked to the river. I saw a man who was filthy lying beside it, and I gave him the vial to drink. Then I came home, and you see me now."
"Why did you not drink of it yourself? Why waste the old master's vital essence on a beggar?" the friend prodded.
"I thought of drinking it, but I realized I have never understood dreams. Maybe the beggar will be a great man some day, but it was what the old master wanted, in any event. He told me that I was meant to do this. Who am I to question destiny? And if I had not given him to drink, this man would have died. I think it is not up to me to take away life, but it was given to me to save it. I could not drink it."
