In the coming days, Kuro tried to find the cove again, to mark its location in his mind, but as much as he looked, it was nowhere. Maybe there were certain conditions for it. Maybe that was why the Dragon woke him up to drag him there.
Fighting fiends carried on as usual, yet he also found time, almost felt compelled, to spend time with Persephone. Unlike petty Palutena or Viridi or other gods he'd known, Persephone liked to go out and actually SEE the realm she ruled.
Kuro formed memories, moving up out of peacefully similar days. The Dragon breathing fire on a dead, spiny tree, causing silver leaves and blue flowers to slowly blossom, and Persephone clapping her hands with delight. Sitting beneath one of the Dragon's fire-breath trees while Persephone dipped her hands in a stream and roved the area playing with souls. Persephone in the Soul Garden's orchard, gazing into the Dragon's shimmering eyes and petting the side of its head.
She was the healer, and he was the fighter. She was the gentle touch sending souls to rebirth, and he was the cutting blade splitting reluctant souls into their true forms.
The Dragon was, somehow, both. Its fire could heal or harm. He'd seen it do miraculous things- once out of black earth its fire had created a shimmering crystal, growing like a living thing- and he'd also seen it tear apart with claws and teeth.
He's ALSO seen it digging a giant hole like a dog would and rolling around in the dip in the soil, and freezing when it realized he was watching. It flipped back onto its legs, gave him a stare, and walked off as if it had been doing nothing unusual.
He attributed this to the Dragon just being weird.
Persephone was fond of the Dragon. She identified it as female and addressed it respectfully. When he asked her about it, she just said, "The Dragon is a creature of great power. Even gods must be respectful before such things." He pressed her for more information, but she avoided his questions, saying she'd like to explain to him all at once someday. He wished she'd at least give him pieces.
Persephone had as full and complete a power now as any other goddess. The Soul Garden and his base were as potent as any other. By now he'd abandoned his old base in the ruins. It didn't compare to his life here. Emissary. Helping Persephone wasn't as restrictive as working for another god. She never really gave him orders- she TALKED with him about what was needed. She wasn't afraid to venture out with him- show him things, or let him show her things.
And the Underworld was flourishing. In response to the gentle, nurturing nature of its new ruler, the landscape was changing a little. Orchards were the first common sight, spiny black pomegranate trees, then silver-leaved gardens, fields of blue wildflowers on marbled black-and-white earth. The torrential River Styx (which he still didn't approach) calmed to a gentler flow, and sprouted white plants in the rocks along its banks. Flying far enough one day, Kuro found that Medusa's old inferno was completely vanished, replaced with a vast dark ocean or lake, the charred remnants of a castle rising far from shore. He didn't venture out, but turned back, letting old souls lie.
He should've known such peace wouldn't go undisturbed.