Dead Reckoning

Chapter Eighteen

Down in the Underworld…

After the men in Liam's crew finished doing their duty by bringing Bishop's men who had died in their battle, having come from the cavern that either led to those who have died to move on or to be sent down to the Worse Place, they stopped within this world's equivalent to Storybrooke's Rabbit Hole for a brief drink before heading back up to continue to help their Captain. Though the dead couldn't actually enjoy the taste of alcohol or anything else they might have once enjoyed while alive, the act and pleasures of drinking was enough to help calm their nerves and frustrations.

"Well… if it isn't some of Zeus' oh so important emissaries, back from yet another hunt for more poor souls they can help move on to a far better place than this hell!" the establishment's newest bartender called out snidely while he stood behind the bar with a glass in his hands as he filled it with a drink for one of his other patrons down at the end of the bar when the crewmen walked inside. "What will it be this afternoon, gentlemen? Rum… or the poorest tasting whiskey this dump's got on tap?"

"That'll be enough of that, Mordred," Arthur replied calmly as he too then entered the tavern and made his way over to the pirates working under Liam's command. "Just go back to serving the rest of the patrons and leave us be to talk. Keep up with trying to influence those here trying to good for this world to join you in this foolish endeavor of yours, and I'll have you fired and brought to my dungeons where you can spend eternity instead."

The bartender glared at his former King and then uttered coldly, "I'm not so sure there's much of a difference to be honest."

Arthur ignored the man who had once been his knight until his death, as he turned back to the men before him and then asked, "So… where have you been? It's not like you or Captain Jones to ignore your duties, even it has only been less than a day."

"We just brought down a few souls and helped them move on to where they belong," one of the men answered with frustration. "Most of them fell into the Worse Place, while the rest of the crew chose to remain here after seeing what happened to the rest of their friends. They were vile men, Your Highness."

"Your duty is to be there for everyone who passes on so they know what to expect here when they arrive from the realms above," the King from Camelot responded sternly. "It's been brought to my attention that a few men and women have died and have arrived down here without being told what they should expect and helped to move on. Where is Liam now? Why hasn't he come back with you?"

One of the other crewmen spoke up saying, "We assure you, our Captain isn't trying to shirk in his duties. We all love our work. But something's come up. Something he couldn't ignore. We're helping him because the man we're trying to help above is the one who made it possible for us to move on. We owed him."

King Arthur looked between the men in confusion as he replied, "I don't understand. Are you saying that you're trying to help someone still living, remain among the living? But why? It is only your job to explain the afterlife to those who die and make sure the souls that make their way down here get to where they belong. Who is this man that your Captain would risk his own soul, as well as yours to keep from dying?"

"He's Liam's brother, Killian Jones," one of the Naval Captain's men answered in concern. "Someone up there is trying to kill him and we're trying to protect him."

"Killian Jones?" the Underworld's new ruler stated strangely, as he recognized the name even though it didn't dawn on him right away. "Isn't that… Liam's brother is Captain Hook? But Hook is already dead. He moved on from here some time ago. I was there with him when he did."

The same pirate shrugged and then responded, "It isn't for any of us to question Zeus' decisions. The King of the Gods is the one who decides where every soul who moves on end up in the afterlife. It was because the younger Jones helped the Savior to defeat Hades that he was rewarded by having his life restored so he can be with the woman he loves. Now, someone is trying to kill him again and Liam is trying to help the Savior and her family protect him, even if doing so angers the Gods. Can you really expect our Captain to turn his back on his own brother?"

The King stared off in front of him as he thought through what he was being told and replied, "Uh… no. I guess not."

"I suppose you better get back to him then," Arthur then continued when he broke out of his stupor and turned back to the men before him. "Look, I understand that all of you have done really well in your penitence and that you can't help everyone who passes on. It's my duty as this world's new leader as well. Go on. I'll try to help where I can should others arrive. But do tell Captain Jones to return as soon as he can. We don't know if there will be any consequences to him keeping his brother alive when it's his fate to die. I won't be able to protect Liam or any of you if the Gods don't like what's being done."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," one of the men said with sincerity, then he and the others all downed their drinks and walked out of the Rabbit Hole.

Once they were gone, Arthur sat down on one of the barstools and continued to stare in front of him while he fathomed with the idea that it could be possible to returned to his old life should the King of the Gods let it be so. However, his thoughts were disrupted again when someone fell drunkenly onto the seat beside him as she began to stroke her fingers along the King's arm.

As she did so, she asked, "Did you hear that, darling? Is it really true what those men were saying about there being an option of returning back to our old lives?"

He turned his head and glared at her as he answered coldly, "Not for someone the likes of you, Cruella. I think you know that."

"Ha!" the vile woman scoffed and then motioned to Mordred for another drink, to which he complied. "And that handsome, smoldering, sensual, no good for nothing pirate foolishly in love with the Savior is deserving of such a gift? How is that possible? Captain Hook was every bit as vile as the rest of us villains here. How is it he was worthy to be revived when the rest of us are still trapped in this hellhole?"

"Perhaps because he redeemed himself of his sins, even before he was sent here," Arthur responded and then stood up again to leave himself to avoid being bothered by Cruella any longer. "He didn't deserve to remain trapped here unlike you or I. Perhaps if you tried to be a better person, Cruella, you might just be able to move on from here. This world doesn't need the two of us trying to rule over it. Good night."

When the King left as well, Mordred reappeared before the villainess again with the drink she had asked for and set it down on the bar before her as he asked, "So is tonight going to be another night for one of your benders, after which you won't remember a damn thing that we talk about, eventually forcing me to kick you out again for… Or do you think we could have ourselves a real conversation about what we both just overheard?"

Cruella De Vil took a large drink from the champagne glass filled with gin and then replied, "It's a bit too early to say I think. How about you keep the gin coming and then we'll see, darling. You know that I think better with a few drinks in me."

"More like five or seven," the man before her answered snidely under his breath.

"I heard that," she responded curtly. "And you're absolutely right. Do try not to be too stingy with the alcohol."