5 River of the Dead

Eshios pov:

After the day I told my mother about my wish to learn under Chiron, she took me to a cave.

Eh? What? I don't think this is where Chiron teaches... It's kind of scary here... ugh, I stepped on a puddle of muddy water.

"Mother, where is this place?"

I asked carefully.

"The gateway to the underworld."

?huh?

Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaiiiiiiit

Underworld? Why? Am I going to be killed? Did Hades do something? Perhaps threaten you, mom?

"I once thought that you'll always be my baby boy... that we had enough time."

"But time passed, and now you will be gone from my home, growing into the fine man you'll be. Although you'll be independent for a while, I can't let you get hurt. Nope nope nope. Can't allow that to happen."

She said as she held my hand and walked with me deeper into the cave, her grasp of my hand tightening every step.

As we went more deeper, the air felt... darker. Gloomier. Every five seconds, I felt a chill run through my entire body from my spine to the edge of my toes.

It was so dark, I could only see from the light that mother was illuminating her body with.

Could this place be...

"Hold on to me tight."

She said, hugging my small body tightly.

I could hear pained wails everywhere. Children screaming, old men crying. But where? It was from the dark rivers below.

The top of the cave was... There was no top. This wasn't a cave anymore. This place…

My guess was confirmed by what my mother said soon after.

"Welcome... to the underworld."

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Eschios pov:

"Wh-why the underworld?"

I asked, stuttering. Do I have to see Hades too? Please say no.

"The River Styx gives many wonders to the ones who bathe in it. Such as... Immortality of the body. When I'm not there to protect you, I need something that ensures your safety."

She said as we walked to the shallow parts of a dark river.

"You feel it, right? This is the Styx river."

I have to bathe in there to gain an immortal body, huh... I'm kind of scared, but I am a man. Thus, I shall gloriously accept thy power, Styx!

"Get in the water slowly. Make sure to breathe before you go in. Think happy thoughts."

Mother instructed as she slowly lowered me into the river.

_________________________________________

The water was cold. Colder than anything I have ever touched or felt before.

It was freezing. My body became numb, and depressing thoughts were caving into my brain.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. Think of happy memories.

Uh... When mother returned from work. When my sisters actually played normal games with me.

Calm my mind…

In that moment, images flashed into me. I saw someone sitting on a throne. I saw a more adult-looking version of that person at a battlefield, blood soaked up on my entire body.

I saw the same person riding on a golden ship. A blond haired man leading the person and many other people, sailing away from the land.

I saw someone marrying a beautiful woman… I couldn't see her face, but I just knew for some reason that she was beautiful. She had a flowing blond hair with some lower parts and hairs near her face coloured green.

I saw a childbirth. The child was crying, and the same woman in the memory before was holding the baby. The man received the baby from her, his face full of joy.

The man had Skyblue hair with azure blue eyes. His face was sharp, with long eyelashes.

He's… me.

Why? What's this feeling? This is… I'm getting weird feelings all around. Happiness, madness, joy, sadness…

I hear a voice. A clear one. Charming like an Empousa's, but less evil.

I instinctively knew that it was the man- future me's voice.

"The future is yours to make"

"There are infinite pathways, and the one you take will be the 'correct one', do not be afraid."

"Be careful of the sun. Of Apollo."

"Tell Jason to create my own bedroom in the Argo ship, please. Heracles snores like he's going to create a storm. I can't sleep on the deck hearing all that."

The last one sounded a bit weird, but I felt like I had to follow this request.

I felt… enchanted by the voice. I have to follow his requests. Yes. I felt that following his requests were the right things to do.

*Crack*

I hear a cracking noise.

"Oh… it seems that Alaya won't allow me this… damn it, do I have to give up on my room in the Argo?"

Uh… sorry? For your loss?

"Well, you'll forget about this experience, but… good luck, past me."

And it was over.

Naturally, trying to respond, I opened my mouth.

"O-"

Brejejdbeberjjdjdjejsjekdudhehjeje

—Ah, that's right… I can't talk underwater.

I got up from the water, panting and throwing up the water I accidentally drank.

Ugh, it tastes like rotten food made into smoothie…

It seems, thankfully, that mother held my body underwater, not above water. At least I won't have a weak point like Achilles.

"THANKLORDZEUSAREYOUOKIWASSOWORRIEDSOIHELDYOUBYYOURWAISTDOYOUWANTTOGOSEEADOCTORAREYOUHURTDOYOUNEEDMAMATOHEALYOU?!"

Mother definitely was panicking a lot, though. It took me thirty-minutes to convince her that I was ok.

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Eschios pov:

I feel different after taking a not-so-nice dip in the Styx river. I know I'm going to be friends with Heracles and Jason, the two famous heroes of the Greek Mythology. And I'm stronger.

Let me do a Homelander cosplay and have fun.

"I'm not just like the rest of you. I'm stronger. I'm better. I AM BETTER-"

*Cough cough*

Damn it, saliva got through my lung.

"Eschios, sweetheart? Why are you screaming in the air?"

"Uh… nothing, mother…"

This new power of mine made me quite confident nowadays in front of danger. Not the gods, though. They scare me to bits. Only God knows what they'll do to me.

Oh wait, they're gods. Eh, not the same.

Anyways, me and mother are currently riding her chariot to Chiron's camp right now.

I can't hide my excitement. I will learn to be independent and strong, then I should go off to the countryside, live a good life, and marry a hot lady. Boom. Life plan.

I felt like there was something I forgot after the dip in the Styx river, but maybe it was just my feelings.

All I want is a quiet farm life in this cruel world.

Hey, maybe I'll invent some crazy farming techniques and people will know me as

Eschios: The genius farmer

Oh, we've arrived. I see a lower part of a horse's

body combined with that of a man's. It's Chiron.

"So you're Eschios."

Chiron, who had trained and taught many heroes, had something different from gods. His smile was like that of a huge forest, calming and assuring.

I could understand his personality just by looking at him. He wasn't someone who taught heroes for nothing. Resisting the curse that is my beauty, he pet my head.

"I see that your beauty surpasses the stories told. The gods discussed before that you'll make almost everyone fall for you with that. I can probably guess what it would look like."

"….."

No thank you, I would much like to have a straight relationship.

Since I'm young, people think more of me as cute. But hearing Chiron's words made me shiver after imagining it happening. When I visit Olympus (Unwillingly) from time to time, I could always feel a sticky sight of lust at me, a literal child.

To add more on, this is Ancient Greece. To men, pretty boys can be a more delicious target than women. It was a really good choice for me to be taught under Chiron. I'm not ready to step foot into the society filled with lust.

"So—Chiron, my son is-"

"—Do not worry, Lady Selene. I would teach him to be a great and righteous man."

"I'll leave him in your hands. Please take care of him well."

And then…

*sniff sniff* *sob sob*

"E-Eschios, you've got to behave ok? Remember to *sniff* brush your teeth and *sob* depend on Chiron…"

I've never seen her cry this much before…

I feel a little bit guilty, a bit. Excitement's what's taking most of my feelings right now.

"I'll visit you every full moon."

She said, preparing to leave. However, she couldn't leave and spent one hour crying and smothering me with hugs, and then left.

After, I started learning, having Chiron as my teacher.

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A/N: I thought I could get Herc in the chapter, but me is too tired. Me need rest.

I tried first person pov! It's kind of nice to write as.

Child Eschios' personality is nervous, cautious, but bubbly on the inside.