A long, dark gasp of what sounded like a dying man’s breath filled the kingdom. To most, it was a trick of the wind. To some, it was a mystery. To the gods… it was the signal of gloomy old Krypton’s return.

Of course, the noise came from his energy sucking through a small hole in the coffin in which he appeared, making a most unholy sound as his essence combined into one poor old skeleton that had been buried for a thousand years. His staff appeared on top of this skeleton, as did the folks of his cloak around him. The ribs - or, more accurately, the cage - held no souls, as he had sent them all off before he was finally banished by those Mage Lords.

He attempted to rise… and almost cracked his skull on the thick concrete lid.

[i]So this is how the undead has to deal with it...[/i]

Kicking upwards, he sent that pesky lid into the walls of an old abbey.

He rose, looking around at his surroundings. He expected millions, many millions of souls to be wandering across the world. Gods able to see them would no doubt be annoyed if there even were any around. It was in part a blessing - that was one thing he didn’t miss. Gods bitching about souls walking up to them and demanding their lives back or whatever nonsense they came up with. Well, both the souls and the gods. He met some rather obnoxious souls in his day too.

First order of business, of course, was assembling his crew of reapers. All cold hearted - souled - they had done their work quite well. He even had some free time in the end before the other gods pissed off the Mage Lords for whatever reason.

But the first thing he had to do was find souls worthy of his time.

[hr]

Krypton stepped out of the doors of the abbey. He hadn’t meant to knock the door down, he just pushed on it and it came down, so that made things perhaps a little easier.

In the far north, souls weren’t nearly as common. Still, he saw a few moping about, no doubt bemoaning their existences, how they couldn’t interact or make anyone not a Mage lord or God see them. He didn’t care, it was humans that put him out of duty. He would probably reap the souls and keep the bodies… it was time for a little… population control. No doubt there was overpopulation form the other gods not being around for their duties, so he had to take care of that too.

“Oi, bonehead! Watch what turf you’re on. I know you aren’t one of those thick skulled humans, not that I can see the difference!”

[i]Who dares speak such insolence[/i]?! Krypton gave his best attempt at a glare to a short human, obviously a spirit, who had yelled up to him.

“Yeah, bonehead, I’m talking to you! This is my abbey, now get the hell out of here!”

Krypton could only stand and watch, the sheer insolence of this human who was insulting him too overwhelming. 

“Did you hear me, dumbass?! Get the hell out of here!”

Krypton was utterly stunned at how this… human had managed to work up the courage of Vas or the sheer madness of Lethos, to insult the representation of death itself.

Krypton finally managed to speak, concealing his complete indignation with his cold voice of death. “Do you know to whom you speak, insect?”

The human looked at Krypton with a stare of utter confusion. He had never been insulted before. “Insect? Insect?! A bonehead like you, calling me an insect?! You couldn’t match half of my power! I have defeated a dozen foes in my spirit form and nearly a hundred brigands in my day! You - are - nothing!” Nonetheless, the vice of Krypton did make him a little weary.

Krypton grew tired of this. “And you have not reaped a million souls; you have not dealt with the bickerings of gods, you have not heard the insolence of humans, nor have you controlled a ten thousand strong horde. Yet, I admit on my own end, I have never met one so… insolent and pathetic a bug as you. Fight me? Do please, take a shot.”

The human spirit laughed. “You’re almost not worth fighting! I’ll make this quick-” he sent a punch at Krypton’s ribs, only to his growing horror find that his fist, and steadily his arm, was being sucked in. “What is this?!” he yelled.

“Congratulations. You are the first soul in the new era to have been reaped.” the soul, screaming while being sucked in, quieted down as it was completely sucked into his rib cage.

“Now, where was I…. oh yes. Going south…”