Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Other emissaries for Zeus entered the Underworld with several new souls, as they appeared before Arthur upon the rock overlooking the boiling sea that led down into the Worse Place. Upon their arrival, the former King of Camelot greeted them and then assured them that they had nothing to fear when moving on providing they lived well, or remain within the broken kingdom slowly being rebuilt after Hades' dark reign should they have any unfinished business.

One of the men among the souls looked to Arthur as he frustratingly called out, "And who are you to tell us what comes of us now? Do you get to decide where we end up?"

A woman added sternly, "What if we didn't live the lives we should have lived? What if we stole, or lied, or murdered someone? What comes of us then?"

"My name is King Arthur, formerly from the land of Camelot," he replied calmly as he looked out among the people before him. "I was killed and sent down here because of my arrogance in life. And I killed. Not just one man, but a few and I helped to destroy my own kingdom because I believed I was meant for something greater. It's thanks to a good man that I am slowly redeeming myself of my sins and one day I too will move on. But for now, I wish to help you do the same if I can. As for where you end up in your afterlife, only your choices decide your fate. You don't have to have lived perfectly to move on to a better place. You just have to have tried to be the best you could be. The Gods do forgive."

"That is a nice speech, Your Majesty," a cruel voice then sounded from amongst the crowd until he pulled himself out and stood before Arthur with a smug grin on his face. "Gods do forgive. I especially like that last part. It's funny really."

The King looked at the man in front of him with suspicion as he asked, "Who are you and why have you come here to cause contempt when all I'm trying to do is to help these people find peace."

The stranger retorted, "Except for those who don't deserve it, you mean? Those who are about to enter the Worse Place because of their vile actions in life. By the way, my name's Zagreus. I'm a God, but I'm not one of those very forgiving Gods like this King before you claims. In fact, few of us really are. Hence… the reason why I've come down here today. Hades was my father. Arthur, you remember him, don't you? You should, he did kill you after all."

"I do remember him," Arthur responded reservedly. "I won't ever forget him. He ruled the Underworld as though it was the Worse Place and fought to keep every soul trapped within their own personal Hell."

"Hades was the rightful ruler of this realm, or at least he was… until he was destroyed by those whom I'm going to tear apart and destroy in return," Zagreus answered cruelly, then turned around to face those who now coward before him as he suddenly used his power to summon a group of soldiers once enemies of Camelot, whom he ordered to escort the King and Zeus' emissaries to Hades' dungeons. "Now you've seen a tiny fraction of my power and that I can strike fear into anyone whom I wish to have fear me. A worse fate than that of King Arthur's will await you if you fail to accept the offer I'm about to propose to you. A chance to live again if you will rise up with me in a war against the heroes who murdered my father and dare to believe they have the right to live happily ever after."

Another of the men looked at the God with disbelief as he asked, "And you really have that kind of power? To bring us all back from death?"

The deity smugly replied, "With a little help from a couple of allies in the world above us… absolutely. We just need to gather us the rest of our army and then everything will be set in place. All you have to do is say yes."

"I've already murdered a few people in my life and I'm not sorry for it," one of the men finally responded coldly as he stepped out among the others and joined Zagreus by his side. "I'll join you."

"So will I," another soul added, then another and another until everyone who had been brought before the former King of Camelot all stood together.

Back above in Storybrooke…

Before the deity disappeared to gather his army, Zagreus left Bishop and his men with explicit orders and told them where they would find the portal to the Underworld so they could fulfill their end of the tasks at hand in order to for everyone to gain revenge against those who wronged them at long last.

The brute and his own band of pirates left the cave they were hiding in to make their way to where the portal stood, but when they arrived, they found one of the town's residents kneeling over the pond as he waved his hands over the waters, unknowing the man was the Dark One, the son of Pan.

Bishop and his men immediately hid themselves within the trees to avoid being seen by the stranger they saw had powers of his own, then the crew's first mate looked over at his Captain as he whispered, "What do you think he's doing, Bishop? Do you think they know what our plans are?"

Their leader kept his eyes trained on the man as he answered, "Even if they do, they cannot stop us now that we have a God fighting with us against our enemies. Get down, he is leaving."

"I can't believe this pond is an entrance to the Underworld," one of the men uttered after Gold vanished in a cloud of red smoke much like Zagreus, then followed their leader out into the clearly as they stood in front of the portal. "It doesn't look like much."

"Just wait," the brute replied smugly and knelt down on the bank's edge as he pulled out the blade Hades' son had used to cut Hook to get his blood, then dipped it into the waters in order to summon the boatman.

When the fog rolled in and Charon made his appearance, Zagreus walked towards the pirates in front of the boat, then he spoke coldly saying, "You did your part. And I've fulfilled mine. Now is when the fun begins."

Bishop watched as the boatman rowed in and the God's army of six souls became clear as the brute asked, "Is this all? Only six men and women?"

"Not even close," the deity responded, then turned as a much larger assembly of souls from the kingdom below stepped through the fog as it lifted the rest of the way and walked towards the land. "And not even the Dark One can stop us. What do you say now?"

"That I will never underestimate you again," Bishop firmly answered.