Thanatos

Thanatos, Keeper of Souls

Main Theme: Inside The Fire

Death is never the end, not truly. Death is only the end of the flesh. The end of the mortal body. The soul itself lives on, long after its mortal shell passes away and withers as time mercilessly marches on.

The body is none of Thanatos' concern. The undying dragon's sole concern is the souls of dragonkind. His Charge has turned out to be the collective souls of his brethren, which he feels suits him well. He has a marked tendency to display how little he cares for the bodies of the living, often ignoring the wounds of comrades or even making them worse, intentionally or not. He is also well known to goad and provoke other dragons into doing idiotic things that would absolutely result in death, and has on multiple occasions used the deaths of loved ones as his tools to ensure the death of the mortal body in order to claim the immortal soul.

Thanatos is known to wander away from the Clan's lair and roam from one clan's territory to the next. These trips can easily last for days or weeks, but he always makes sure to return to Umbral Rex, frequently with new spirits to watch over in tow.

As his Charges are all souls, Thanatos is normally not too pressed to rush into a fight. He sees that clan wars and disease only ever destroy the body, and very rarely damage the soul itself. Many souls he's taken under his wing reside in the Hall of Heroes that Kai looks after. Thanatos and Kai have met a simple understanding between each other; Kai guards where the dead rest, while Thanatos guards the dead themselves. Their understanding has brought the pair to guard the Hall more effectively than when it were only Kai protecting the place.

However, there is one dragon that Thanatos has a hard time dealing with simply due to the circumstances around them. Thanatos isn't especially happy with the Wildclaw named Koenig, as the mercenary-turned-blacksmith has been under a curse for many years. The precise nature of the curse is unknown to Thanatos, but he does know very well that Koenig never stays dead, and is constantly reborn anew when killed. Since learning of the curse afflicting Koenig, Thanatos has kept a careful eye on the Wildclaw, biding his time until he can claim Koenig's soul for good.

Thanatos looked up to face the glowering Guardian female before him. Her Shadow-hued eyes were trained on him, the beautiful silks she had been inspecting before Thanatos' unexpected arrival left forgotten behind her. He could tell the Matriarch of the Umbral Rex Clan wasn't pleased with an uninvited guest like himself. He couldn't blame her, really; he did have a bit of a reputation going for him.

"What is it you want, Death Seeker? If you're looking for an easy target to lure into death, you've come to the wrong place. If you've no business here, be gone with you." Her voice was cold as the Southern Icefields that Thanatos has just come from, her demeanor even less welcoming than a war party of Beast Clan. Thanatos would have to cut to the point of his visit; it was a good thing he had skills to barter with. He held his head high, being so daring as to look the feared Shadow Reaper in the eye. She clearly did not appreciate the gesture.

"I have come with no quarrel with you or your clan. I come seeking to be welcomed into your ranks. My skills are at your disposal." Thanatos would not forget the immediate suspicion that crossed the Matriarch's face at his words. He didn't blame her for being on edge upon hearing his sudden demand. Her fins flared as she made her reply.

"What price are you seeking? Nobody just comes into this place without some demand in price," Shizen hissed, warily eyeing the large dragon requesting entry into her clan. She could not just allow a dragon like this into her clan without knowing she would have absolute control over him. Her claws were ready to strike as Thanatos pondered his response. Eventually, he looked back to Shizen, fiery eyes meeting shadows. He knew what his price would be.

"I simply want the souls of the deceased. I will not partake in their deaths, you have my word. Only if they are of this clan, however. I make no promises regarding other clans' members." Thanatos watched Shizen as she mulled over his words. Surely, she could use a dragon like this. As long as he did as he promised, there would be no issue. After several agonizing moments, Thanatos smirked slightly under his headdress as Shizen finally nodded.

"Fine. You may stay, so long as you leave this clan's dragons alone. I will be sending you to other clans on occasion though. I expect flawless results from you. Remember, you may be the Keeper of the Dead, but you cannot keep anything if you yourself are in pieces."

Thanatos bowed low to his new Matriarch, solidifying her rank over him and acknowledging her as his new leader. From that moment, Thanatos was now one of Umbral Rex's newest assassins. He would do her's and her second-in-command's bidding, nobody else.

"Of course, my Mistress."