Aliandra: nymph: Book 1 The Nymph chronicles

by Jacqueline Marshall

Donny looked at Ali carefully and said "Very impressive, beautiful lady" as he raised his glass to her.

  "I will keep the champagne coming then?" asked Ali.

  A resounding "Yes!" came from everyone.

  The party lasted through the night and into the next morning. After breakfast, Gramma left for her bedroom to sleep. Riv and Amirael returned to the attic house to give Donny and Ali some privacy.

  "Do you know what you are supposed to do for training this year?" asked Donny.

  "No, and I deliberately didn't ask. The past two years have been grueling. I need to recoup a little" said Ali. "What will happen with us?"

  "I don't know. I was hoping you had a solution" he sighed.

  "We need to stay out of the spotlight as a couple to avoid conflict. If I start going out to dinner parties and clubs, then the other gods may think they are in with a shot and leave you alone. It is only a delaying tactic though. I will work something out" assured Ali. "I keened while I was away and I transformed again."

  "How so, asked Donny with interest.

  "I transformed from a dragonfly to a big, scary green dragon" said Ali with a grin.

  "Ali!" Donny turned her around and looked seriously into her eyes. "Do you know what that means?" asked Donny getting increasingly upset.

  "No, not really" she replied.

  "When a nymph takes her first lover then she is likely to accidentally transform to her spirit animal" explained Donny. "If you transformed to a dragonfly I would take care of you until you returned to nymph form. Now you will likely transform to a dragon. That presents a serious danger to your first lover, unless they are a dragon or its equivalent, because there are plenty of things that dragons find edible" explained Donny.

  "I knew things were too good to be true!" said Ali in a huff. "Is it possible for you to make friends with my dragon?"

  "If it can be done, I will find a way" said Donny with determination. "I will ask my father's advice."

  They slept on the couch in each other's arms until night set in. When they woke Ali sent a note to chef for their dinner to be put on the table Gaia used to 'port from and she would 'port it to the cottage. Ali sensed when the food was ready on the table and she 'ported it in.

  Donny and Ali began eating hungrily. "Did you 'hey presto' this?" asked Donny.

  "No, this is 'ported in from a friend of mine who can really cook" she replied with a mouthful of food.

  When they finished Ali 'ported in coffee from Hephaestus' forge office machine. As Ali sat back sipping her coffee she struck an idea.

  "I have just decided what I will do this year" announced Ali.

  "Do tell" said Donny.

  "I have developed my own composite metal. I made Vidarr a suit of armor from it so it is now battle-tested. I will go to see Hephaestus and show him the metal. It is diamond hard, light and unbreakable. That will lead to more work for me and I will tell Hephaestus that I will join him in his, now busy, social rounds. Dinner parties, events and parties. I will become more sociable. The only problem is that I refuse to parade around naked. Any ideas?" asked Ali.

  "You might have to ask Hephaestus' advice on that. I do not move in those elite social circles" smirked Donny. "Aw shucks, ma'am. I'm just a small town boy from a bitty outpost realm."

  "I might need to get more clothes for that clique. Any ideas?" mused Ali.

  "Ali, I am a guy. We know even less about fashion than you do. How about Gramma or Amirael?" suggested Donny.

  "Brilliant! See, you did help. The Norse handmaidens knew a lot about fashion. They lived and breathed it. I will send them a note asking their advice. If I had pictures I could copy something. Pictures! Are there not fashion magazines somewhere?"

  "That I can help you with. We have tribal sisters who love all that stuff. I will send a note to them now and ask them to send some recent magazines here" said Donny as her sent the note.

  Within fifteen minutes a pile of fashion magazines appeared on the table. Ali browsed through while Donny kept pointing out the skimpiest outfits would suit her.

  "Not helping, Donny" said Ali. "Most of these are not much better than naked. Look at this one!"

  Donny looked and grinned "That one would really suit you. Maybe just keep it private between us?"

  "Just drink your coffee, Donny" ordered Ali as she continued looking through the magazines.

  "I suspect I may have to develop my own fashion line. That would be an excuse to wear clothes to all the dinner parties and events. I could say I was advertising my new line. Something that covers all my parts!" said Ali firmly.

  "It seems you may keep falling into highly successful businesses. Did you want a backer?" he teased.

  "I will let you know when the orders start coming in" she replied. Maybe if I develop a light armored material using my crafting skills that would be a good basis for the business. I could do custom designs for the fashion crowd" she mused.

  "Make it expensive. Very expensive and exclusive for that sort of client. If they don't pay enough they don't appreciate the product or service. Play up its snob value. Especially the diamond-hard suits of armor" advised Donny.

  "Ever the business dude. How much should I charge?" asked Ali.

  "You are the only one who can make it, right?"

  Ali nodded slowly.

  Donny considered for a while "Consider what Aphrodite charges her clients in her salon for one day. How long does it take for you to make each suit?" asked Donny.

  "Eight to nine months depending on the weaponry" she replied.

  "Then charge this amount for each suit" he said as he wrote a figure down on a piece of paper.

  Ali looked shocked when she saw the number he wrote "That is a lot of forfeits for a suit of armor" she gasped.

  "They will be lining up for them. Trust me." he grinned "Only do full suits with weaponry, no small orders permitted. Show them the metal and then make them wait, that will make them greedier to get a suit when you make it exclusive. Get expert and scientific comments on the composite. Start a waiting list and see if they don't offer you astronomical amounts to be the first to get a suit in this realm. Perhaps you can invite Vidarr over to show them your prototype suit in action? When you do the fashion line work out the cost the same way I did. Don't underestimate or undervalue yourself, Ali. You suits are already sought after works of art with a common metal. The new composite that you invented takes it to another level. Hephaestus will be your biggest supporter when he sees your new metal. Do you have a name for the composite yet?"

  "Composite 873" said Ali.

  "How about something more exciting and sexy than that. Marketing is all about manipulating the emotions of the clients. How about dragon hide to make your dragon armor? Perhaps something to do with diamonds? Maybe something more scientific. Your client base will want to feel special, powerful and indestructible in your armor, so you play to those emotions" he suggested carefully.

  "It is all about the packaging, isn't it?" she sighed.

  "Yes, Ali. It is" said Donny. "I have a great marketing guy. His name is Bennet, but everyone calls him Fossy."

  "Why Fossy?" asked Ali.

  "He is one of them yuppies from the East and he can talk up any product and make it highly marketable. Yuppie is the acronym for Young Upwardly-mobile Professional Person. Fossy is an acronym for 'Full Of Shit Standard Yuppie'. He loves using acronyms and office-jargon, but I will ask him to tone it down for you so you can understand him. Like I said, he is one of the best at what he does. I will send him to you, so follow his advice and make the most of what you have. You have a great product so don't let them beat you down on price or undermine your confidence, Fossy will help you on that. What about the name?" asked Donny.

  "Dragon hide sounds good. I guess we can run it by Fossy to get his feedback" she announced and lifted her coffee to toast it.

  Donny was called back to work to handle a minor business crisis, so he sent Fossy that day to confer with Ali while their work was held up. When Fo
ssy showed up he was wearing a blue pinstriped business suit, a white shirt with a blue silk tie and carrying a leather briefcase. His hair was cut short and he wore a gold watch. Ali showed him to the lounge and they discussed the product.

  "You need a name that sounds stronger, something catchy and popular. First we need to better target who we are pitching at. Who are the ones we need to convince? That is, who are the dudes with the most to boast?" he asked

  "That would be the Olympian gods. The Olympian counsel to be exact. Once they purchase, everyone else will be envious" said Ali.

  "Olympium, perhaps, for local flavor? 'Better than titanium' as the slogan. The name alone will make it mandatory for Zeus and Hera to buy one for sheer patriotic value. The others will follow like sheep" said Fossy. "Did you have your heart set on another name?"

  "No, not really. As long as it stirs interest and I make good sales. That is your expertise, not mine. I just design and manufacture the suits" said Ali.

  Fossy's pocket began to ring. "Excuse me a minute" he said to Ali.

  His telecommunication conversation sounded very odd to Ali "No, I'm AFK right now. Donny's in the cube farm. SNAFU as usual. Yes, I'll check the app. before it's FUBAR. I need it ASAP. Blame-storming? We'll blame the noob as usual. He's low hanging fruit. Ha! YOLO ciao BFF."

  "I'm back" said Fossy. "We need an opening event with everyone present. A lot of hoo-haa."

  "Pardon?" asked Ali.

  "We create excitement and a sense of occasion. Make it formal and exclusive. Issue exclusive invitations to the counsel and a limited number of elites. Strictly keep the numbers down, keep them begging. The best of everything served. A private event in an exclusive club. Something they will talk about and create envy. Can you manage that?" Fossy asked.

  "Yes, I have connections to do that."

  "I can MC it" said Fossy.

  "Pardon?" asked Ali.

  "MC, master of ceremonies. The host speaker" he said. "It's a good fit for the society and fashion rags and we can get the paps too for the pics. Invite two elite rags to cover it as a freebie too."

  "The what for the which?" asked Ali.

  "Paps are paparazzi, you know magazine photographers who take pics. Pictures" he explained slowly. "The other worker ants will soon get the buzz" he finished with a satisfied smile.

  Ali just had to assume the general gist of his final sentence was positive since he smiled.

  "I'll write this up and send it to my PA" said Fossy.

  Ali just nodded a little vacantly. This man either intends to confuse or he needs his own personal translator.

  Donny returned after work and asked how the meeting went. "Good, I think. I'm not quite sure of everything he said. "He was saying something about paps, pics, freebie and rags. Oh, ants, buzz and his PA" finished Ali.

  "So it was good then" smiled Donny.

  "I suspect so. At least I am cautiously optimistic since he hazed out my brain" she replied. "He suggested olympium as the name of the composite."

  "He is brilliant! Didn't I say?" boasted Donny.

  "Can you just get him to put it in writing and then you translate it for me?" asked Ali.

  "His PA can do that" said Donny confidently.

  "Nooooooooooooo! I have no idea what you just said. PA? What is a PA?" asked Ali.

  "Personal assistant" he provided.

  "Why didn't he just say his assistant? It isn't that hard" grouched Ali. "I suspect that a group of dim-witted men invented this office-speak so that they felt unjustifiably superior by confusing their educated female rivals."

  "Perhaps so" chuckled Donny.

  "I know so!" insisted Ali. "Do not leave me alone with Fossy without a translator present!"

  "Amirael knows management and will know what he is saying. Perhaps she can attend as your assistant?" asked Donny.

  "Yes, good idea" said Ali tautly. "How is Fossy supposed to speak at the exclusive product launch when no-one there will understand him?"

  "We have speech-writers that will produce speeches tailored to any type of audience. Fossy just memorizes the speech and turns up in appropriate costume to host it. He does it all the time" explained Donny.

  "How do we make it memorable for all the right reasons?" asked Ali.

  "We plan it down to the smallest detail" supplied Donny.

  "I have it! When I spoke to the tribal elders before my first keening we discussed memorable dinner parties. It wasn't the standard things they remembered, it was the outlandish and extraordinary. We can make it luxurious just like every other event but we cannot let it blend in with every other experience. Something to surprise, excite and dazzle" announced Ali.

  "What?" asked Donny excitedly.

  "I don't know exactly but I have a course of action. We will start with luxurious but inventive food for the guests. Add a twist to everything to excite their palates. Serve it differently. Perhaps buffet-style. Cocktail drinks to start. Provide entertainment with mystery and suspense. Create a different atmosphere to their usual galas. Make it a spooky and frightening demonstration of the suit. I have it, invite Hades and then attack him!" she finished.

  "Attack Hades? The ruling god of the underworld?" gasped Donny.

  "Yes, I will meet him and arrange the fight between Hades and Vidarr. He will enjoy the deception and it will be thrilling!" said Ali triumphantly "We can all laugh about it later when we finally reveal the truth."

  "How do you expect to get Hades involved in this scheme?" asked Donny.

  "Easy. I will offer that Hades gets his new suit of armor delivered five days before Zeus'" crowed Ali. "They shall all pay steep prices for the privilege but it will be something Hades can boast of to infuriate Zeus. I will contact Vidarr now and meet with Hades tomorrow."

  Chapter 44

  Ali coolly walked into the throne room of Hades the next morning and announced "I have an interesting proposition for you to deceive Zeus and the counsel and end up having Zeus seething in anger and frustration" started Ali.

  Hades sat forward on his throne "You have my interest. Elaborate."

  I have developed a new composite metal that is very light, diamond hard and can be made to be flexible. No-one else can replicate it except me. When you buy it then it will be the best suit of armor you have ever worn. This is a sample of the new metal. We call it olympium" said Ali.

  "You are here to ask a favor yet you expect me to purchase it?" quizzed Hades skeptically.

  "You will want to purchase it. So will Zeus and every other Olympian god. I am arranging the exclusive product launch entertainment, something memorable. I ask you to wear your old armor I made and pick a fight at the launch with Vidarr, who has the new armor, and you will be thoroughly beaten, of course. Your old armor and weapons will be quickly destroyed by the weapons made of this composite. The duplicity is that no god, other than you and Vidarr will be in on it. They will be completely fooled until we choose to reveal the deception" said Ali.

  "My armor will be destroyed and you do not replace it with the new suit?" scowled Hades.

  "No, you will buy a new suit at this price." She handed Hades a piece of paper with the price on it. "However, I will agree to deliver your suit of armor five days before I deliver Zeus' armor. You will have the boasting rights of having the best armor first. Zeus will be seething with envy as you show your new armor and weaponry to all before he has his suit" finished Ali.

  "How do I know the suit is as you say?" asked Hades deviously.

  "I do not underestimate your reach, Hades. You certainly have spies in the Norse realm. You have already heard of the incredible properties of the prototype belonging to Vidarr or you would not have been so keen to see me. You know that it has been battle-tested and has not received a single scratch. It cuts through rock and metal with ease. There is none comparable; it is light and moves like a second skin in combat. You current suit is now second-rate on the battle field. I want to prove that with this demonstration at the private launch. I will only invite Apollo o
n the condition he is ready and able to provide healing to any of my guests at the launch. You will be thoroughly cut down and then you will rise up laughing at the shock on the faces of the Olympian counsel. You will continue to laugh when you know your suit will be delivered first. If you are not interested I can leave now" offered Ali.

  "I did not say I held no interest for this scheme" interjected Hades. "This price is too high. I will pay half this!"

  "The price is not negotiable. You buy it or do not buy it. It does not concern me too much because the product is exceptional and exclusive" she retorted. "I know you want this armor so badly you can taste it. You want to trump Zeus even more. I am the only one who can deliver this to you. Do we have an accord?"