Aneko (Part 1 - Absolved)

Aneko finally regained her senses after a few hours in her cell. Looking around she tried to make sense of what had happened. The pain had made her blank out after being pulled out of Kurburi's home.

'Did he betray me?' She shook her head as she felt this was unlikely. It was more likely that he was forced to explain why he was asking strange questions. She couldn't blame him for answering to the authorities.

'I shouldn't have asked him to do that.' She mumbled, grumbling as she tried to sit up. 'My arm...'

Gritting her teeth, she did what she could to get it popped back into place. Her shouts filled the cell, followed by a few whimpers as she slumped back down on her bed.

'What now?' She wondered while fighting the pain, soon falling asleep from lethargy. She woke thanks to the clatter of keys, looking up she saw a dwarf opening the cell door and bringing her food and water.

She didn't move right away, instead, she just glared at the dwarf who simply put it down in the middle of her room and then left.

After a few minutes, Aneko's grumbling stomach had her moving towards the plate. She was happy that the meal wasn't filled with magots like so many movies made prison food out to be.

It was actually a decent meal, stale but not moldy bread, and a few slices of well-cooked meat. There were even some cooked mushrooms.

She started eating carefully. While she knew they could kill her easily if they wanted, part of her still didn't want to trust the food. However, her hunger bested her will and just a few minutes later the plate was empty.

A few days passed in and unlike outside where sunlight was brought to the town through some unknown means, here it was always dimly lit via a mixture of plants and crystals.

Making it impossible to keep track of time.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the door opened again. However, this time, instead of it being the dwarf who normally brought her food. A dwarf in fine rich clothing entered the room.

"I hear you can speak Nevanian, is this true?"

"It is, but I only know the basics." Aneko nodded as she said this, slowly standing up to get a better look at the dwarf before her.

His beard and hair were of a dark silver color, both quite long. His eyes instead were a deep brown and he had a small scar going from his cheek to chin. His clothing indicated that he must be rich, probably a noble.

In fact, he was the lord of the dwarven town Aneko had been staying in. It was called Hirngan and the Strom family had been its leader for generations. Volgrim was the current lord.

"I see, then can you explain how you appeared in the caves?"

Aneko looked at his eyes and tried to see if they had any malice. After a long moment of silence, she nodded. "I will, but I doubt you will believe me."

"You see, I am actually a mother-" Just saying this caused the pain she had been suppressing to rush to the surface. Taking her time, she hoped that her sons were doing well, that they had been treated properly after her disappearance.

That was, if the Earth still existed. She had no way to know if it did, but she had to believe that it was the case. If her sons were... No, she dared not even let that thought enter her mind.

The dwarf didn't rush her to explain, he waited patiently. It was the least he could do after hearing how badly his men had handled the situation.

Kurburi had repeatedly pleaded for her and made it clear that she would have gone willingly. In part, Volgrim felt he was responsible for what had happened.

Finally, after a good cry, Aneko managed to regain her composure. "I used to work as a... Discoverer and developer... Developing..." She tried her best to keep the explanation brief and simple.

Many of the words she wanted to use she also did not know, she did not even know if they existed in Nevanian. For example, a word as simple as a scientist she had to instead try and explain.

"That is quite an unbelievable story..." Volgrim didn't quite know what else to say. Of course, this wasn't the first time that he had heard of people from another world coming to this one. However, he had always thought those were just simple rumors.

The detail in which the lady before him had explained things made him inclined to believe her. As such, it proved that she couldn't be a spy. Yet, she was still a human.

"I am sorry for how my men treated you." Volgrim sighed as he recalled that they had even dislocated her shoulder for no good reason. Luckily, it seemed like she had treated it herself.

"Does that mean you believe me?" Aneko asked, not willing to hope that someone would believe such a story.

"I do, however, you are still a human."

"Does that mean-?" Aneko slumped down onto her hard bed and sighed.

"I can't let you go free, however, I see no reason that you need to stay in prison. You have committed no crimes."

"Then?" She looked at the dwarf in confusion.

"House arrest, yes that will be much better." Volgrim smiled and shouted for the guards to come and open the cell.

"Please follow me."

Aneko did, not because she trusted the dwarf but because she had no other choices. She could only hope that the dwarf wouldn't do anything terrible to her. Recalling how she was apprehended, she feared that might not be likely.

Volgrim however had no plans of making her life any harder than it had already become, he led her to his manor where all the dwarves looked at her with unveiled hatred.

"I am sorry, but you will have to accept that no one is going to be friendly. However, you have my word no more harm shall befall you."

"Why-why are you doing this for me?" Aneko asked as Volgrim showed her the room she would be staying in from now on.

"I simply cannot stomach when people are treated unjustly. You have my word, those who apprehended you and used unnecessary force will be dealt with. Do you want to be there when they receive their punishment?"

Aneko failed to even comprehend what the dwarf had said, seeing her blank look Volgrim laughed and told her she didn't have to answer right away. As he departed to let her become accustomed to her new room, he smiled and said.

"Please, make yourself at home. I will tell Kurburi he can come to visit tomorrow. If that is alright with you?"

"Ah-yes. Please do."

"Oh right, I am Volgrim, the lord of Hirngan. Sorry for the late introductions." The dwarf bowed a little in greeting, causing Aneko to become flustered for a moment as she hastily bowed back.

"Ah no, of course. I am Aneko, though, I guess you already knew that."

"I did indeed. Right, you also probably want some new clothing. I heard from Kurburi that you have been in those clothes since he found you."

Hearing this, Aneko grabbed her lab coat and tightened it around her. "No-no need."

"I won't force you, but my wife's tailor will come tomorrow morning to get your measurements. At the very least you should have another pair so you can wash those."

When the dwarf finally left, Aneko sat on the soft queen-sized bed in a daze. Trying her best to make sense of what had just happened.