The stream was quiet in the morning, sunlight breaking over its surface in pale streaks. Calyra stretched in the water, her body half-formed above the current, allowing herself a moment to enjoy the warmth of the sun. It was completely different from her past, where she once lived in a polluted and trashed stream that was slowly poisoning her; now she could enjoy living in an uncontaminated and pure stream.
It all changed when she met that wandering demigod, Lucas, she had merely found him interesting, seeing the pity in his eyes when understanding her living conditions caused her to spill the pain in her heart, she hadn't expected anything, just an ear, someone to understand what she was going through, maybe even leave a part of herself in the world when she eventually died due to the water quality of the stream she lived in.
She hadn't expected him to return one day, bringing with him a magic sigil he had created just for her - a sigil that purified water. Although it wouldn't last forever, he had inadvertently extended her life, giving her hope for the future. Just that small act warmed her watery heart. Yet, he went even further, making Elysian and inviting her to live in a nearby river, one where that same sigil was active but powered by a goddess, making it a permanently active rather than a temporary effect like his. However, it was still his work, making her feel indebted to the child.
It was this feeling that caused her to have great hope for Elysian, wanting it to live up to his dream, so when she saw how more people came to live in Elysian every week: children of minor gods with no place at Camp-Half Blood; nature spirits wanting to live in a better place without being subject to Olympus judgmement or just some monsters tired of the constant battles of life, wanting to settle and live peacefully; she was filled with happiness.
Her days were simple. She guided her stream's flow and spoke with those who came to her banks, whether it was some curious individuals from the city or some children from the camp wanting to enjoy the waters; it didn't matter to her. She loved it. In the past, before her previous stream was polluted, she enjoyed watching the mortals enjoy her waters. Seeing it happen once again, with campers relaxing by the stream and maybe even taking a casual swim, brought her happiness.
By afternoon, she drifted to the city's greener side, where patches of orchard and shaded groves had taken root near a small section of the stream, granting shade to those who visited. There she found her sisters, other naiads who had joined from different rivers and lakes, and the small circle of dryads who had helped plant Elysian's trees during its building.
They gathered often, gossiping about the love lives of campers, joking about small events they witnessed, and enjoying their time together as nature spirits, their soft laughter echoing over the running water, drawing birds to the nearby trees to indulge in the sounds.
Although that was the usual, when Calyra joined up with the others, the air was heavy, and everyone was downcast. Thinking something worrisome had happened, she quickly made her way over, emerging from the stream and taking a seat under the nearby shade, beside her close friends, and immediately sought an answer to what had caused their depressed looks.
"There are too few of us," one dryad murmured, her eyes turned toward the rows of trees.
It was true. Dryads were tied to their trees; they could not wander far. The Dryads who helped with the vegetation of Elysian had their trees located in the nearby forest, allowing them to visit and join Elysian. Other Dryads were trapped in distant forests, unable to join, no matter how much they wished to.
"It's sad," another agreed, tracing her fingers along her bark-brown arm. "So many of our kin will never see this place."
The naiads shifted, glancing at one another. Spirits had always been scattered, tied to the whims of nature, never gathered in one place, so this was never a significant problem. But with Elysian as a core, bringing in more life and bringing communities that were naturally separate together, the issue of the Dryads' isolation becomes increasingly prominent.
Calyra felt guilty, while, like Dryads, they had a core where they couldn't stray too far from, naiads could move that core to another river, aslong as it was the same type of water body, the only issue with doing so was the weakness that such a change brought, making them temprory fragile and too weak to survive any attacks that may come their way. Dryads, however, were stuck connected to their tree, unable to move after their birth, entrapped in that exact location for the remainder of their existence.
It was fine at Camp Halfblood; the satyrs' flirtations and chases allowed the dryads to live fulfilling lives. However, elsewhere, dryads were very secluded, always alone or in small groups.
Though thinking of Camp Half Blood, Calyra dove into her memories, searching for a vague memory where he recalled some demigods discussing a similar problem. After a few minutes of attempting to recall, she found it. A few weeks back, she overheard a conversation between two campers about how mortals sometimes dig up trees, move them, and replant them elsewhere without causing damage to the tree. Inspired by this, they decided to try it out by bringing a tree into their cabin, providing visiting birds with a natural place to rest.
Calyra quickly explained what she remembered, voicing her idea of attempting the same thing but with a dryad's tree.
The others stared, shocked at such an idea.
"Could it work?" Calyra asked softly, her voice like rippling water.
"If the tree survives, then perhaps the dryad does too," a naiad answered, cautious but hopeful. "If mortals can move trees without killing them, why not us?"
The dryads shifted uneasily, torn between hope and fear. To be ripped from one place and planted in another was dangerous. If the tree died, so would they. But the thought of more of their kind joining them in Elysian, free at last from lonely forests, set a spark alight.
"Even if it's possible, it would take someone with great power to move the tree safely, and that someone must also be trusted by our kind to allow such an attempt," one dryad said.
"Then we ask Hestia," another decided firmly. Animatedly explaining how Hestia would be the perfect candidate to help with this plan.
They all agreed, voices mixing in quiet determination.
The Dryads left, heading to the Camp, intending to find Hestia, who was usually there tending the communal hearth and preparing dinner for the campers. At the same time, the Naiads returned to their streams and fountains, waiting for news of how their request had gone.