In a land that would one day come to be called Epirus, stood a grove of oak trees stretching as far as the eye could see.
Its sacred trees swaying gently in the wind, as ancient whispers would burrow into the minds of any who would listen to these ancient entities planted by the mother of the Gods.
In this grove, there existed only peace and tranquility.
By the rivers, nymphs and oceanids sat together in groups. Enjoying themselves without a care in the world.
Near the artificially created hills of the grove, Mountain spirits danced and played without any fear.
From within the barks of the ancient trees themselves came Dryads and Anthousai who made these trees their homes after getting the permission of the trees themselves.
Across the land, many different species of animals frolicked without a care in the world, a bizarre sight where the predators and prey coexisted without a problem, for Mother Earth would provide for all their needs.
Many species of birds called the skies above this grove home, with their nests beautifully decorated in the various oak trees.
A truly beautiful and divine location, unlike any other.
Such is the place known as the Grove of Dodona. The true home of the God of Destruction, Nature, and The Lost.
As the denizens of this place went about their day, the sudden noise of air being displaced caught their attention, followed by a tremendous, contained pressure.
Instantly, nearly all the beings that call this place home moved as one, converging like a living tide towards the source, knowing who had returned home.
And sure enough, the moment they arrived at the open clearing at the very heart of the grove, where a simple home made of beautiful white marble sat, they saw the gentle god that gave them a home when they had none.
Brolios Asterion did not even have the time to breathe before he was accosted on all sides by the eager animals, birds, and spirits of all shapes and sizes, making the gentle giant laugh.
"Alright, alright. You guys. I get it. You missed me."
"Lord Brolios! Would you like to eat something? My sisters and I have learned to cook recently with the various herbs and vegetables you conjured back then-"
"Lord Brolios! Look! We found a newly formed vein of colorful gems beneath the hills-"
"Lord Brolios! We found a way to efficiently use the rivers for our needs-"
Countless requests, concerns, questions, and discoveries flooded the Olympian the moment he returned. Yet, his face did not even change from that ever-present smile, as if long since used to this, as he slowly and methodically answered every single one of the beings that gathered here.
However, everything came to an abrupt halt as a smaller figure revealed herself from behind the giant of a god.
Silence reigned across the clearing as nearly all the animals scattered, not trusting any stranger that was not their god, while the various spirits took a step back apprehensively, instantly sensing the divinity of the new arrival.
Not to mention how her form kept shifting as more people kept staring at her, which seems to have made her uncomfortable, if the grimace on her face was anything to go by.
Brolios, noting this change, clapped his hands gently, redirecting their attention to himself.
"Alright, everyone. Shall we postpone this talk for later? As you can see, we have a new companion that needs some help, and I can't do that with all of you crowding her."
Realization flashed through their minds as their gazes of suspicion turned to one of pity and understanding while staring at the goddess, much to said goddess's dissatisfaction.
As one, they bowed and flashed away, disappearing into various corners of the grove that they called home.
Brolios chuckled at the pouting goddess's expression before whispering into the air with his divinity amplifying his voice.
"Calypso? Can you come to my home? I need your help."
Aphrodite, the newly discovered goddess, gave the God of Destruction a curious look.
"Calypso? You mean that daughter of Atlas? But, the Horae told me that she was imprisoned on Ogygia because she helped her father and uncles in the war?"
Brolios merely smiled.
"It is not my story to tell, but simply put, the Calypso that exists on Ogygia is but a mere clone. One created through Hecate's and my magic. A mere reflection, nothing more."
"How? And why?"
"Like I said. It is not my story to tell. As for why, I refuse to let a relatively innocent being suffer for all eternity because of a single mistake. Especially when said mistake was a result of love for her family."
Aphrodite did not have the time to ponder his words as the air shifted and a beautiful woman with long caramel hair and dark eyes manifested nearby, kneeling in front of Brolios.
"Lord Brolios. How may I serve you?"
Brolios sighed at the display, having long gotten tired of repeating himself.
"Calypso, we've talked about this before....Whatever. Now is not the time."
He motioned toward the fledgling goddess.
"This is Aphrodite. For a time, she will be living here. Can you help her settle down and show her the grove? After all, there are some places that I simply should not visit unannounced."
"My Lord, this is your grove, given to you by your mother, who created it in the first place. Everything here belongs to you. There is no such thing as visiting unannounced when all of this is your domain."
Brolios gave the titaness a flat look before speaking sarcastically.
"Yes, yes. How can I forget? Does that mean I can just teleport over to the sacred springs and watch all of you girls bathing and frolicking about?"
Aphrodite did not miss the smirk on the kneeling titaness's face, which somehow annoyed the young goddess.
"Of course. If the girls knew that you would do something like that, they would never leave their spot in the springs, waiting all day and night for you to flash over."
"....You know what? I don't have time for this. Please show her around, and don't teach her anything weird."
With his piece said, a defeated God of Destruction teleported away from the grove, leaving behind a slightly confused and pouting Aphrodite and a smirking Calypso, who turned to the goddess.
"Come with me, My Lady. There is a lot of ground to cover."
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