Page 104 of Oath of Rebellion

Only the beeping kept her company. She looked down. She now lay somewhat on her side. The shirt and pants she'd borrowed from Scarlet were now stained, ripped, and stiff with dirt. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of body odor that filled the tiny chamber.

She frowned as her stomach rolled and cramped. She slid her hands down, feeling the bulge. Her eyes widened. She jerked the shirt up, twisting to get a better view.

Darkling hells, her stomach looked like she'd shoved a pine cone under the skin. She touched it, and the hardness of it surprised her, the ridges on reminding her of Knox. She frowned, her stomach rolling as she was both hungry and sick at the same time.

A noise drew her attention, and she put her shirt down, turning and banging on the glass. "Hello? Let me out!"

A man stared down at her with white hair that went every which way and glasses on the tip of his red nose. He leaned back and more beeps echoed, then the glass slid to the side.

She sat up with a deep breath of fresh air. A few small men stood around her, and she yawned.

The oldest one looked through his glasses at her, holding a strange metal wand over her face. It lit up in colorful patterns as he said, "You–you're alive!"

She scowled and swung her legs over the side of the... "Is this a coffin? Did I die?"

The old man sputtered, "Nearly so, yes. You got a bump on the head and entered the Beyond."

She frowned and hopped to the ground, her legs wobbling under her. Her dirty boots left dirt on the shiny metal floor. She winced at the mess and looked around.

"The Beyond? How did I come back? Where's Knox? Who are you–wait, are you the dwarves?" "

The dwarves shook their heads.

A few talked over themselves to answer her.

"Duh."

"Silly humans."

"This planet sucks. There's no logic."

"Of course we're dwarves."

They all nodded, and she yawned again. "Well, it's nice to meet you all. Do you have a facility I can use?"

She clenched her legs together, and the old man blushed and nodded.

"Absolutely, follow me."

"Where's Knox?" she asked as they walked.

"He–uh, had some errands to run," the old dwarf said.

Eirwyn had to use the restroom so bad, she didn't pry for details. He led her through a narrow hallway and to a small bathroom on the outside wall.

"Let me see about getting you some fresh clothes, dear."

He closed the door behind him. It barely clicked shut before Eirwyn was shoving her pants down and using the toilet. She sighed and glanced around.

Her eyes widened at the tub. It had nozzles, and when she was done, she reached over and turned one. Hot water shot into the bottom of the tub, and she grinned.

A knock sounded on the door, then a muffled, "I found you some clothes, princess. If you'd like to change."

She opened the door and smiled, taking the stack of neatly folded clothes from the old man. "Thank you so much. I'll just be a few minutes."

"Take your time. We'll have supper ready. It's just through the workshop in the lodge." He pointed, and she nodded before closing the door behind him.

She had so many questions, and as she sank her tired body into the water, she frowned. The first question was where was Knox. The second? What the hell was going on with her stomach?

---