The Kiss Of A Reaper

With a bored sigh, Dominic didn't give the slightly plump man standing before his presence a chance to defend himself. With a simple stroke of his quill, it sent the man's flesh melting away like a dwindling candle, damning his soul for eternity. He was a scumbag as a human, beating on his wife and children, getting drunk at the local bar—gambling away his earnings.

Next in line, a man even worse than the one before. Dominic just sent him on his way to the pit of the damned without even hearing his name, much less the lying pleads he had already begun to sputter.

“Cooper,” his co-worker Jason calls out to him.

“What?” Dominic answered in his naturally raspy voice that's laced with annoyance.

“Boss-man wants to see you in his office right now,” Jason replied coyly well aware of Dominic's stone persona.

What could he possibly want now? Dominic thought to himself. The boss never interacts with anyone unless they were either getting into trouble or being stripped of their powers. With a stiff nod, he threw his parchment and quill at Jason, sauntering his way across the left section towards the ridiculous towering modern-rustic building.

Entering the elevator, it automatically goes up to the top floor within seconds. Stepping out he walks right into the main office without knocking or even greeting the guests the boss has sitting down looking expectantly at him.

“You wanted to see me?” He bluntly asked, staring at his boss.

“Ah, Dominic my boy, have a seat,” the man urged. “Gentlemen, this here is Dominic Cooper, my finest,” the man praised with a prideful puff of the chest as if introducing a beloved son.

“He's rather arrogant, walking in here like he owns the place,” the one sitting on the right retorts with a glare. Dominic wasn't affected however, maybe it's because of his age—being well over two thousand years old along with the battle experience that is. So he wasn't threatening. If anything, the man looked a bit intimidated by his presence.

“We've been discussing your actions and we want you to be a fellow Grand Supreme Reaper, what do you say?” The boss offered.

“Yes,” Dominic replied without hesitation. About time, he grumbled to himself.

“Smart choice my boy,” his boss clasped his hands together rubbing them in glee. “The ceremony will begin within an hour time, be there,” the man ordered.

Dominic didn't even respond, instead, he just made his way out of the dimly lit office, dismissing himself completely. Within the next hour, he'll be a Supreme Reaper, a power he has longed for since he became one of the beings all those years ago. How comical, since he actually died a general on the battlefield.

General Dominic Cooper, the youngest person to ever hold such a position at the ripe age of twenty-two until his death at thirty. Sighing, he heads to the only place that serves the best liquor in Asha—Jo's place to ease the anger he has always felt whenever his human past steeped into his thoughts.

*****

The ceremony has quite a number of important beings present, which surprised the Reaper since he's hated as far as the witchery realm. Asha is the place where souls are sent when they die and a Reaper’s job is to send them to a realm befitting of their crimes or way of living.

“Brethren we're all gathered here to welcome yet another Grand Supreme Reaper,” Master Superior Huston announced to the medium-sized crowd. “Come, forward son,” he encouraged a rather bored Dominic—whose deepest desire is to be done with the ceremony.

Doing as he's told, the tall, bulky man stepped forward as ordered. “Your palms,” Huston demanded to which he complied. Beside him stood three other Master Superior which includes his boss, the rituals needing four. Slicing each other's palm, the inky-black blood gets squeezed into the golden goblet—that is rumored to be the cup of life. Once all the blood is mixed, ancient words are said and Dominic chugged the cup at his head immediately, swallowing with one gulp.

It's not until a couple more seconds he starts to feel the power flowing through his steel veins, warming them up with pure essence. Deciding to test out his newfound power, he dematerializes himself, portaling to his apartment. It's not like he's disrespectful, Huston is someone that's not really pleasant to be around for long. Even if the same thing could be said about himself since he didn't socialize with the others.

Despite accepting what he is, oddly, his human traits never once left him; which to this day puzzled both himself and the Great Grand Superior of them all, Master Prospect. Sure, his skeleton-like form exists, but he's still human in a sense. He desired the warmth and softness of a female companion every now and then, his eyes are still naturally brown unless in his reaper form when they become black as his blood.

Blood.

How long has it been since he last saw it crimson red instead of the black goo that's pumping and circulating around inside of him to survive? The only organ that didn't seem to work anymore is the heart, it stopped showing any signs of activity when that suicide bomber had blown everyone to pieces.

Grumbling to himself, shedding his cloak, crawling into bed with a tired and frustrated sigh. He hated whenever those old human feelings clouded over him like a blanket. At times he's more than happy to forget just how much of a compassionate man he once was.

Laying flat on his back with the sheets just below his waist, he stares at the ceiling before closing his eyes, willing himself to sleep—yet another human thing he needed to recharge. Dominic knew he didn't need a lot like a normal human does, just a couple hours max and he's good to go. Luckily, his earlier drinking from Jo's helped kicked up the notion of sleeping when a yawn slips out, taking only another five minutes for him to succumb to nothingness.

******

For some reason Dominic jumped out of the comforts of his bed, rushing through the usual hygienic routine and hurriedly clothed himself. Portaling down the gates, a gush of warm air filling his body. On insintics his feet leads him in the direction of Justin's post, startling the man a bit.

“Grand Supreme, how may I be of assistance?” the young Reaper enquired but Dominic's focus was solely on the third person in line.

In his thousand years of existence he has never sensed such purity, taking a whiff of her essence, he cursed to himself. There's no way he'll send this woman to another realm but the living, with humans just like her.

Dammit, I just got my title! He grumbled to himself with the full knowledge of what he's about to attempt.