Aliandra: nymph: Book 1 The Nymph chronicles (7 page)

"Was that our first argument?" asked Ali.

"I reckon" answered Donny. "It is hard to get too worked up when you agree with everything that I say. You can push my buttons but you also know how to fight fair. You know it makes me crazy when you risk your neck" he whispered.

"No double standards allowed. I am certain you do plenty of dangerous stuff but I don't stop you from doing whatever it is that you need to do. I expect the same courtesy from you. You want to put your life on the line for me and don't want me to do the same? No way! When the times get tough I need to have the confidence to stand up for myself. I only get that through experience. If you want to take over all the hard stuff, then you will undermine my confidence for when I may need it most. I need you to stand by me, not stand over me" asserted Ali.

"Understood" said Donny. "Is there any chance you could go a little easy on my battered ego for a while?"

"I promise that I will try and stay out of trouble, ok?" answered Ali.

"Good enough. I am not ready to share you with anyone else for a while. Do you mind if I just hold you tight tonight?" asked Donny

"I would love that" replied Ali as she snuggled closer.

Chapter 14

At first light Ali and Donny returned to the camp. Kitch wore a huge grin across his face when he saw them. Donny let Ali down and left to unsaddle the steed. Kitch jumped up and waved Ali over as he filled a bowl with hot stew for her. Ali sat down to eat.

"Ummmm, Ali?" began Kitch uncomfortably.

"Yes?"

"I hope you don't mind but Trak sent me after you and Donny to keep and eye on things. I have to say that was an epic fight. Well done!" grinned Kitch.

"You overheard it?" quizzed Ali.

"Yeah, it was loud but I didn't stay long. I left as soon as things got smoochy" he replied. "Donny has been a bit lost since you left. He really missed you."

"I missed him too. It was great seeing my family. They are probably going to invite you, Donny and Trak the next time they have an island feast night. I guarantee you will love the food and dancing" said Ali.

"Cool! Are there any more like you at home?" he asked as Donny approached behind him, filled a bowl and took his seat.

"I have a sister, Lacy. She is really nice. Lace can cook real well but she isn't a sissy either" said Ali. "I have a brother too, Chet. He is a big football star at school. Another tough guy who always wanted to protect his little sister. I tried to show him I could take care of myself but he and his over-protective friends kept stepping in to warn people away. By doing that they made the problem worse; I already had trouble making friends and earning respect because I looked so different. It was jointly decided by my parents and the school that I should be home-schooled by grandma to avoid any more trouble with students" she explained. 

"Did you hear that Donny? We are all going to an island feast night at Ali's house" said Kitch.

"Donny, my folks are fixing to invite you over for dinner to get to know you. That is, if you want to go of course" she said nervously.

Donny took her hand and waited until she looked him in the eye then he said a firm "Yes".

They had nearly finished breakfast when Trak arrived with a deer carcass stretched over his saddle. Trak cut it down and led his steed away to the stabling area. Donny and Kitch took out their knives and set about expertly butchering the deer. Ali looked on in fascination as they hung out strips of deer meat to dry on a line. Finally the hide was stretched out to dry.

By the time Kitch and Donny had finished and washed up, Trak was leading four fresh saddled steeds over to them. They mounted up and headed back to the main lodges. By noon they had returned to an enthusiastic welcome and were ushered into the main lodge to eat more food. As Rom snuggled up to Ali, Kitch delighted in telling their attentive listeners every detail about the multiped encounter and Ali's flaming arrow soaring across the sky with pinpoint accuracy. Midway through Kitch's marathon story a tall elegant stranger entered the lodge and sat quietly. Once the stories were told with full effect the stranger stood and approached Ali.

"Aliandra? I am Agenor, son of Poseidon. As a member of the oceanic realm I am delegated to accompany you to your college interview tomorrow" he said as he bowed to her. Ali stood quickly and held out her hand to shake his by way of introduction. "My apologies Aliandra. It is not the way of immortals to shake hands. No offence intended" he said apologetically as she quickly withdrew her hand
. Oh crap! Not a great start. I wonder if I can make it two for two?

"I thank you for your assistance. Is there anything I need to do to prepare?" asked Ali

"No, all the required preparation is complete. You will show up to the interview and answer their questions as honestly and fully as you can" he replied

"What if I don't know the answer?" asked Ali.

"You tell them that. If you are unsure of an answer do not guess at it. Simply answer that you do not know" he said.

"There is just so much I don't know" replied Ali.

That is to be expected in cases such as yours. Do not concern yourself" instructed Agenor. "There is no problem as long as you answer all questions truthfully."

"My cat, Rom, will want to follow. He will be with me on campus too" she said.

"Your mountain lion is welcome to come, of course" he agreed. "We will leave early. It is best to avoid the crowds in these circumstances and you will be processed more quickly."

"I will be ready at sun up then?" she asked

"No, after your breakfast is soon enough. No need to arrive before the administrators. Dionysius and his crowd habitually arrive the earliest; however, they usually come straight from an all-night drinking session. There will be some young demons and demi-gods in attendance with him but you need not concern yourself with them."

"How do we travel there?" asked Ali.

"I will teleport you there. It will be instant" he replied.

Teleport?"

"Teleportation. A method of instant travel that most gods are capable of" he answered. "Young people may refer to it as 'porting."

"Will I be able to teleport?" asked Ali.

"Unknown. It depends on your abilities and capacity" he responded. "Best to leave all the details to your instructors and assessors."

"Of course" she sighed in resignation. "I will see you tomorrow after breakfast then."

Ali approached Donny and sat next to him a long while before she finally asked "Can you teleport too?"

"Yes" he replied sheepishly.

"All this time and not a word. All this riding around and excitement and you could teleport?" she asked. "Why?"

"You were still getting used to us. We didn't want to overwhelm you by confronting you with all our powers. We rode out to get you yesterday because it was the easiest way to find you. When Kitch changes from a hawk he is naked and I doubt you would want that image stuck in your memory. At the campus everyone must wear clothes but the more senior gods and goddesses are used to walking around naked. We made some adaptations to help you acclimatize to us."

"Are you telling me that all those dinner parties the elders told me about were with naked guests around the table?" she asked.

"Yes, probably" Donny shrugged.

"Are you used to walking around naked?"

"Yes."

"Is Hephaestus going to be naked?" she moaned.

"No, he will probably wear clothes as your instructor. Your immortal father sent him a note asking him to make some allowances for you and to make sure Hephaestus took good care of you. Hephaestus has assured your father that he and his friends will be friendly and courteous to you."

"They sent the note" said Ali flatly.

"Of course, it was expected" replied Donny.

Donny spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the main lodge and explaining the powers of each tribal god and what to expect at the campus. He told Ali about his years studying to be a god and the other gods and goddesses he studied with. Finally his words became intermingled with stolen kisses and tender caresses as the sun began to set. The young couple enjoyed their quiet solitude when everyone else was busy tending to the needs of Agenor and fixing the evening meal.

"Send me word when you have your accommodation fixed and I will 'port in to see you as soon as I can" whispered Donny.

"Which is likely to be real soon knowing you. I will send you my schedule so you visit me on my days off. I want to work really hard and I will probably have to study late. You are not allowed to interfere with my study schedule" insisted Ali.

Nose to nose Donny looked deep into her eyes "Bossy!"

"You better believe it!" she replied as he moved in to kiss her sweetly.

Chapter 15

Ali was dressed and breakfasted early. She sat ready and waiting nervously for Agenor to show up. Most of the camp has risen and breakfasted when Agenor arrived for his meal. He was served ambrosia and grilled fish. By the time Agenor finished Ali had moved from nervous to impatient. Rom had picked up on her mood and began prowling around her.

Agenor signaled to Ali to step forward. Ali called Rom and they stood in front of Agenor. In a split second their surroundings changed from forest to a marbled hall surrounded by vast marble pillars. Agenor leaned forward "Impressive, isn't it? It was designed to humble the average student or puff up the proud ones. Here is your paperwork" he said as a file appeared in his hand. "Rom and I will sit over in this corner while we wait. You interview is right through that door. Go now. We will see you when you come out" he said as he headed to the seat with Rom in tow.

Ali entered the room. There was a large circular desk with six people sitting on one side of the vast desk facing her. She stepped forward and sat down on one of the chairs.

"Please deposit your file on the inbox in front of you" said one of the men without looking up.

Ali put her file on the inbox holder and was amazed when copies of her file appeared instantly before each administrator.

"Aliandra Brown?" asked a sharp looking eleven woman

"Yes, ma'am" replied Ali.

"Nymph and mortal-born? Both sides?" asked a small wiry man with a nasal voice.

"Yes, sir" she replied.

"Immortals use only one name; your records will now be corrected to show your name only as Aliandra" instructed the elven woman,

"Yes, ma'am" responded Ali obligingly.

"Capacity?" asked a large brawny man

"Yes" said Ali brightly.

"Do you know your capacity?" asked the man again.

"No, sorry" she answered.

"Do your know your power element?" he asked again.

""No, sir" she replied.
Can I feel any more like an idiot?

"What are your intentions in regard to your study?" a stout woman asked kindly.

"I have skills in creative design and want to develop that. I have asked to use the first years of study to learn smithing with the god Hephaestus" she said.

"Yes, he has approved your request" said a dark scowling man.

Your spirit animal is..." asked an ethereal woman.

"Dragonfly" responded Ali.
A beautiful green one.

"How lovely" she replied and noted it down.

"Element?" asked the dark scowling man.

"Water and earth" she replied.

"Both?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes" she said.
Just write down mud.

"Why are you not commencing the regular program as with all the other demi-gods?" asked the brawny man.

"I have been advised that I am too weak to keep up with that program. I need to work on my fitness before I can commence combat training. I also have been told that my powers need time to develop before they can be trained and assessed" she responded.

"Powers?" asked the dark scowling fellow.

"Heal the earth" she said.
Yay, something I can do.

"Any others?"

"Not yet" she said as the ethereal woman smiled at her warmly.
Bugger!

"Are you able to provide us with a sample of your work?" asked the elven woman.

"I didn't bring anything. Even if I had pencil and paper it would take about thirty minutes to produce a result" said Ali.

"There is a request for the gifts of speed, self healing and power transmission. As they appear to be required in the course of your chosen work, it is approved. There are also attached requests for early deployment of these gifts. We can perhaps grant you speed now. All in agreement say aye" instructed the elven woman.

Each administrator provided their 'aye' vote.

"The ayes have it. You power of speed is granted. Put this disk to your temple to download the power. The rest of the power requests will be duly processed for early deployment and should be delivered to you within twelve to eighteen months" stated the elven woman. She waved her hand lazily and sheets of papers and pencils appeared before Ali.

Ali put the disk that appeared in front of her to her temple and felt the power surge into her. "Who would you like me to design for?" asked Ali.

"You choose" instructed the dark scowling man.

Ali concentrated on each person in the group and chose the most difficult design. She sketched rapidly, page after page of technical specifications before choosing final designs.

"I have chosen to design for the elven lady. It is an ear cuff made of pink mother of pearl. The designs I have included are taken from some famous elven artifacts from a book I was shown recently. I only know a few of the most famous artifacts so I know I need to expand my knowledge of designs from the different cultures in each realm. I have provided a variety of ear cuff designs to choose from. Attached to each ear cuff are technologies to assist in your organization skills. Information is able to flash quickly in your peripheral vision so you are barely aware of it. Time, scheduling, notifications will be fed automatically into your cuff by connecting it to your organizers. I have kept it to a more modern feel and without ostentation as is the lady's style preference. Please browse over the designs. Ali passed the papers to the inbox and each administrator perused their copies while Ali waited.

"This technology will work?" asked the brawny man.

"Yes, as I advised" said Ali.

The elven woman gasped as she located a particular design. "One of these designs is deeply meaningful to my family" she said.

"I gift the copyright of these designs to you. It was designed for you and you are welcome to use it as you see fit" said Ali.

"I accept" she said resolutely.

"We did not expect someone from your realm to be aware of such technology" said the small wiry man suspiciously.

"I was home-schooled by my grandma; she is a smart and well-traveled lady. My family are islanders who have a history of trade with various cultures in our realm. I was raised in a small casino town in a distant desert outpost with the most basic of technologies. We still ride steeds and communicate through telegraph. We were excited to hear that it is only a matter of time before we get electricity and steam trains. It is a basic way to live because we are so isolated and information from the outside world is slow in coming. Much of what I learned was from my grandma and books shipped in for my schooling. I know I have a lot of catching up to do but I am a hard worker and a dedicated student. I will prove my worth" stated Ali.

"It appears your design is a success with our chairwoman" said the brawny man.

"The demi program isn't so difficult or as academic as the god program. I am sure you will do well" said the ethereal lady.

"Vote to approve application to demi program. All those in favor say aye" instructed the elven woman.

The chorus of ayes were sounded out.

"I have a pet with me. A mountain lion to be exact. I was told that it is possible to be allocated appropriate accommodation?" she asked
. Please, please, please!

"We cannot allocate you to a dormitory with such a pet; however, we do have several cottages around the campus village. They are usually reserved for students in the god programs. However, we have one applicant who has signed up as the goddess of protest. She refuses to have anything to do with 'man-chasers' and wants someone with more serious ambitions. Her application for accommodation also demands 'no-one conservative, snooty, vain or self-righteous'. As an artistic person with your background, I think maybe you two would get along better than anyone else. This is the address of your accommodation. I believe she has already moved in. Just let her know you are her new roommate. We will advise her to expect you soon. Her name is Gramma. G. R. A. M. M. A." she spelled out slowly and carefully.

"Thankyou very much" said Ali as she picked up the note with the address that appeared in front of her. As she stood to go she noticed various administrators shaking their heads and smiling wearily. As she left she heard the ethereal woman say quietly "Oh, that poor, poor girl. I think she may struggle a bit even with the demis. Maybe we should mark her gift allocation as urgent."

Ali exited the room and approached Agenor.

"How did it go?" asked Agenor

"I think they believe I am an imbecile" said Ali.

"Good, good" said Agenor vaguely.

"I have an address for my new accommodation. Do we go there first?" asked Ali.

"Yes" he said as he looked at the paper. "I just need to see someone over at the entrance. They have just walked in. I will introduce you" he said and began to walk quickly to the entrance of the building.

As Ali walked on the smooth polished marble her moccasins slipped and slid until she fell heavily on her butt.
Fuck-a-duck!
Agenor stopped and turned in bemusement. Everyone in the hall was staring at her until a tall burly man wandered over to a nearby woman and quacked at her. Laughter broke out and more men began to quack at passing women. Ali struggled up and whispered to Agenor "What did I do?"

"They can hear your thoughts, my dear girl. You haven't learned to block your thoughts" said Agenor.

"No-one ever mentioned thought-reading" insisted Ali crossly.
Bugger! Oh crap! Shit! Shit! Shit! Calm down, stop swearing! Breathe.

"The administrative council has truth tellers to determine if the applicant is being honest. That is why I advised you to be honest in your answers" he said. "It is of little consequence, few people are here and it is already understood you are weaker than most" he said.

"Can we go, please" pleaded Ali. "I can't seem to walk on this part of the marble floor without falling over" she said.

"Of course, my dear girl" replied Agenor. "You will wish to inspect your accommodation?"

"Yes, please" insisted Ali.

The marble hall filled with quacking men, blushing women and plenty of  laughter disappeared and they were standing in front of a small cottage positioned across from the marketplace square. Agenor knocked and the door opened. They entered and the door closed behind them.

"Hello" called Ali. "Gramma, are you there? It's Aliandra."

"Hello Ali dear. I will be your new roommate. Everything settled Agenor?" asked grandma.

"Yes. All formalities are complete. I will leave you to explain to Aliandra" said Agenor.

"Yes, grandma, you will have to explain what is going on?" demanded Ali.

"First, I can only provide an explanation when you learn to block your thoughts. We cannot risk having our secrets spread far and wide. That is why we have kept so much from you. If you want answers you have some work to do" said grandma.

"Everyone can hear my thoughts and you didn't tell me" said Ali outraged.

"We had to demonstrate how weak and backward you were. We didn't want the admin council to identify you as any type of threat. All our efforts are aimed to keep you safe and alive for the duration of your training" said grandma.