Korella
Legacy Name: Korella

She had finally made it. After months and months of walking, and searching, and looking...she finally made it. The gate to the realm of the underworld stood before her, and beyond it was the giant doors leading inside. Despite wanting nothing more than to scurry thru the gates and finish the final lap of her journey, fear held her still.

The girl stood a meager 4 inches tall exactly. Though she was human shaped, she was no mortal. Many called her a flower come to life, with her petal hair and dress. Her limbs resembled stems, and the vines growing from her body held more flowers. The vivid red of her petals stood out against the frozen landscape around her, and the coin tied to her back as she stood there staring thru the gateway.

She was so close...

Korella had awoken in a grassy field with no recollection of anything other than her name. She had been the only red flower and had wanted for nothing other than to be held. The grass around her had been pressed down, as though someone much larger had been laying there only moments proir, and Kore had immediately curled into the spot. Laying there until the ground went cold, she stood up and began walking. She didn't know where she was going if she was honest. Something inside her simply insisted her parent wanted her back with them.

She didn't know who that was though.

Months of wandering and she had eventually happened across a doctor who had picked her up as he was collecting herbs. After the intial startle - the medicine man had pointed out that her petals greatly resembled a flower known as a "Poppy". He had gone on to explain that the reason he had been so excited when he'd seen her was because due to the cold they hadn't grown in sometime.

"They say ever since Lord Hypnos went to live in the underworld they've become even scarcer. Tis unfortunate...they are good for calming." the doctor had sighed.

"Lord Hypnos?"

"Aye. The god of Sleep. Tis he who your flower is known for."

That had been months ago. The tiny flower had learned the world was frozen due to a goddess' rage, and that the entrance to the underworld was supposedly on a mountain top far from where she'd awoken.

To say it'd been a hard journey was an understatement. The bitter cold, animals thinking her food, mortals who wanted to use her in their medicines and potions. Sometimes it felt like it wasn't worth it. Sometimes Korella just wanted to curl up in a tree stump and wither away. But when that would happen, she'd feel a pull - almost a desperate tug - begging her to keep going.

'Just a little further' it'd seem to whisper, 'You're so close now...'

And now, here she was. Standing at the beginning of the end of her journey. She just need to gather her wits and take...the...step.

She didn't get the chance.

The door across the way slammed open and Korella squealed and dove for the bushes. She'd been warned by the rare kind stranger that all manners of evil lived in the underworld and she had no wish to meet any of them. The gentle old lady who'd given her the coin told her the "Ferryman" would help her get where she was going if the legends were true, and to hold onto it until she met him. Was that who opened the door? Did he sense her there?

The sizzling sound of snow rapidly melting caught her attention, and she peeked thru the leaves to see glowing red legs and feet (as the mortals called their lower stems) standing not far from the bushes.

"Hello? Is someone there? I didn't mean to startle you." came an accented voice. Kore held her breathe and didn't move. The feet moved slowly around, turning in circles as their owner no doubt looked for her. She was so CLOSE! What was she going to do? She couldn't risk making a run for it, the person was at least 5 times her size. They'd certainly catch her. What if they took her coin?! How would she pay the ferryman now?

So lost in her panic, Korella didn't notice the bushes open up over her. Nor did she notice the mixed-matched eyes looking down at her. It was only when a burning petal landed near her - startling her and sending her skittering back away from it - did she realize she'd been found. She could do nothing but stare up in muted horror at the half shadowed face of one she could only assume to be the very worst end to her story.

Much to her surprise it wasn't. The man - god she would learn - was named Zagreus, and was something of the underworld security team. He had been on one of his typical runs, but was surprised when - upon exiting the underworld - he saw a small red blur shoot into the bushes near the entrance. Kore was very pleased to learn he was actually very kind and upon learning of her goal offered to take her to Hypnos himself.

Inside the Temple of Styx the "ferryman" turned out to be named Charon who was also Hypnos' older brother. He also apparently harbored a soft spot for said sibling, as upon hearing her story - or the jist of it from Zagreus - he took the pair for free back to Tartarus. Korella could only stare in amazement as they passed Elysium, cower in Zagreus' arms as the heat of Asphodel reached her, and stare in horrorified wonder as they reached Tartarus. When the doorway to the palace opened, Korella crawled into the side of Zagreus' robe and kept hidden. The air was warm but there was a lingering feeling of...something. It made her petals curl.

A giant woman spoke to her friend in echoing tones but Zag was able to politely excuse himself rather quickly. The sounds of the hallway disappeared as they passed into another room. Gently she was removed from his robe and placed on an impossibly large bed.

"Stay here then. I'll get Hypnos and bring them back!" Zagreus said confidentally before running out again. Kore was left in the giant room alone, but it was considerably less intimidating than the ride down had been so she counted herself lucky. The giant mirror across the room from the bed only highlighted how tiny she was compared to - well...everything. And it would have been funny if she wasn't so nervous.

Commotion from the hall startled her. As Korella got ready to look for somewhere to hide a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"KORELLA?"

A person taller than Zagreus but shorter than Charon burst into the room. Fluffy white hair bounced as they ran into the room, the long red gown they wore flowing behind them, and the solo wing on their head fluttering in excitement. She would never know really what caused her to do it, but Kore lifted her arms up as they approached the bed and was immediately scooped up and snuggled against them.

Oh...this was her parent. She could feel it.

"Oh my gods?! Oh my gods!! My flower! My little flower!!" her parent cooed as they cuddled her tighter. Something felt like it had filled in her heart the moment she'd been picked up, and Kore was content to simply...be. It would be a few moments before she'd notice Zagreus and a woman (who she'd later learn was the Queen of the Underworld) had entered the room. She didn't bother trying to pay attention to the conversation as her eyelids began getting heavy. A kiss on the head from her parent and she slipped away into a dream.

Her journey home was over. She couldn't wait for what happen next.