Isher Notra

Chapter 6 - A Fledgling Bond, Tested!

Stella and Kristal stared at each other's eyes for a short, yet agonizing moment of silence.

The Silver Knight watched them from a safe distance, crossing his fingers for the Human's success in her first diplomatic clash with a Monoke. She would really need those skills going forward.

To the Knight's relief, Stella was the one to initiate the conversation. "Look, I'm really sorry for stepping in your head. It was a mean, unnecessary action and if I wanted to cross the river so badly, I should have just asked you."

The Nguruvilú seemed somewhat pleased by the girl's words, though something was still bothering her.

She crosses her arms and asks. "Why were you so desperate to escape your own turf, anyway? I just saw your dad coming here, looking very desperate for something. I think he was searching for you."

Now Stella has hit a wall. Kristal has made a good question, so how could she maintain her admittedly not-well formulated cover story?

Alright, that was enough! She could do this! 

"I just need to lean on my Ogre identity somehow. A very deformed Ogre, but still!"

"Wait, 'deformed'..."

"That's it!"

"The truth is..." Stella started to fake a sad tone to sell her story better. "I am not a Ogre who was struck by a weird sickness..."

The Knight's "eyes" widened. Was she really doing this? Is she crazy?!

"I was born this way!"

Oh no...

"Since I was born, I was much different from my parents and brothers. We don't know why, only that I'm a rare type of Ogre."

Okay... Not what he expected. He could only hope that Kristal would buy Stella's fake backstory. Though he was really into the dramatic way she was telling it. The Knight wondered if he had any influence on this.

"Unfortunately, what made me unique, also made me be prejudiced among my own family. They prohibited me from leaving our home and interacting with other Monoke!" Stella was really into the dramatic flair of her storytelling. She was even gesticulating in a needlessly theatrical manner.

"When I decided to leave my home by myself, my dad went crazy! I have fled from him and my brothers." Then the "Ogre" returned to a more neutral tone. "So that's why I was so desperate to escape. I hope you understand."

Kristal kept herself in silence for an awful amount of time. She looks at Stella, though her eyes were not actually focused on her. Both the Human and the Knight looked at the Monoke with anticipation, very worried that the Nguruvilú wouldn't be convinced.

"I overdone it, didn't I?" Thought Stella.

"Please, work..." Thought the Knight.

Suddenly, when they least expected it, Kristal broke into tears and snatched the Human for a tight embrace. Stella thought that the Nguruvilú's scaly skin was surprisingly smooth, though the act of hugging on itself was very uncomfortable for her.

"Oh, poor child! I understand the pain of being the outcast in the family all too well!"

While Stella was happy that her sob story worked, she really disliked all this hugging.

"That's great..." Said Stella, with a strained voice due to being crushed by Kristal's embrace. "But can you please stop hugging me? I'm not very fond of hugs."

The Nguruvilú put the girl on the ground again, apologetic. "Sorry, sorry! It's been a while since I found someone that I could connect with, you know?"