The cave was decorated with flowers, vines, tress, and pretty much every kind of plant you could think of. Grapes intertwined with tree branches and a painting of a wine goblet hung over the entrance. Candles were lit and gave off the scent of roses and sage, the light created shadows on the rock walls. Sitting on blankets and pillows were six teenagers and an middle aged man.

"Come on, Doc. Can't we go and do something worthwhile?" A boy with messy brown hair whined.

"Shut up, Eric. Some of us actually like history class." A girl with long black hair said, her blue eyes

glaring at him.

"Natasha! Eric! I swear, if you two start arguing again I will make you clean the temple." Doc, the history teacher, and proud son of Dionysus said sternly.

"Maybe just lock them in the temple." A boy with green eyes mumbled.

"Quint's right. Lock them up so we don't have to listen to them." Another boy, this one sporting black eyeliner, said grinning.

"Stop being so immature, Henry Thomas." A girl said, flipping her pink and brown hair over her shoulder.

"Don't call me that, Frannie!" Henry Thomas, better known as H.T, growled.

"Doc! Please, get on with the lesson!" Riker Morrison pleaded.

"No, these lessons are so boring. Why can't we learn about, I don't know, how to kill a minotaur. No one really cares about all the affairs Zeus had." Eric said quickly.

"He has a point. This stuff isn't actually helping us." H.T said, shrugging.

"Alright, alright. I know you hate my history classes but you might find this one interesting. You all know about the five rivers of the Underworld. Styx, Acheron, Lethe, Cocytus, and Phlegethon. There was a time, before they were punished to live in river forms, when they were truly alive." Doc said.

"What? You mean that the rivers were, uh, human?" Riker asked, confused.

Doc chuckled. "Not exactly. Let me see, Styx was an Oceanid, along with her sisters Lethe and Cocytus. Acheron was the son of Helios and Gaia. Though I was told that it was not Gaia who was his mother, yet a dryad. And, Phlegethon, no one really knows. Some call him a god, some call him the son of Cocytus but that was later disproven." '

"Phlegm a what now?" Eric said cocking his head.

"Phlegethon. The more popular thing to say now was that he was born of fire and rage. Not human but not god. I suspect no one can ask him now." Doc replied.

"I don't understand, Doc. The Rivers of the Underworld have been around for centuries. How could they have been living?" Frannie asked.

"It was when the Titans and the Gods had their war. When Mount Olympus and the Underworld were just starting. It was a long, long time ago."


A/N:(Based very loosely off of Greek Mythology. Some stuff is fairly close to the mythology but some of it is my own creation. This prologue stars characters from my other Greek Myth story 'The Accursed'. Less stupid/douchebag deities and slightly more tragic stuff. P.S The Accursed is not on here. -Daughter of Hermes, Sly)