Prologue

Death sat silently on the floor of his office, a scythe and bow sitting before him. He stared absently at the two objects before him, eyes holding no emotion. He had been the first-ever Reaper, sprung into existence by the mere act of someone dying. He was Death incarnate.

"Are you sure about this, Thanatos?"

He looked up to meet the eyes of the first human born Reaper he had taken under his wing, Hades. Of all of the ways of saying his name, he enjoyed Thanatos the most. He leaned forward and passed his hand over the bow, watching as the name inscribed itself on to the weapon before disappearing. He then did the same to the scythe, allowing the name he'd been called when he was brought into being etch itself into the rusted tool.

"Thanatos?" Hades said cautiously, concern evident in his voice.

He wondered what it was like to be able to feel emotions. They weren't something he was privy to. A gift that only human born Reapers possessed. Or perhaps it was a curse.

"I am sure, Hades. I have been around for a very long time. It is time I pass the leadership of the Ferrymen on to you and rest."

"Alright. If you are giving me permission to reap your soul, I will do so now." There was a slight tremble to Hades' voice as he spoke. It hurt him to have to reap his mentor and friend, but he understood the other man's desire to finally rest. He'd been reaping souls since the dawn of time. It was time for him to pass his consciousness on to two new Reapers. They would be the only Reapers in existence to never receive a soul when they chose their tools. Hades had decided he would never tell them this, though.

"You have my permission."

Hades took up his own scythe and brought it down across Death's throat, severing his ties to the mortal world. He watched at the man before him fell over, dead, before slowly turning to dust and blowing away in the mid-morning breeze.