Repairing and Shattered

Days passed with quiet swiftness after Sayane officially began her duties of assisting Azag in his tavern. As she worked to track the quantities of liquids and clean the storage room, she found a strange peace in the distraction. The tavern felt far removed from the raging war-torn surface she had arrived in all those days ago. Even though Sayane knew it was happening not far beyond those walls, this place felt safe.

Her moments with Attis and occasionally Azag helped her anxious soul find semblances of relaxation amidst the surreal existence she now called life. Occasionally, she would feel the dread creeping back into her mind like a thief in the shadows, planting seeds of melancholy that caused her to pause and recenter her mind lest she fall into weeping once more.

It was strange. All of it was strange. In many ways, she still woke every morning hoping she was back in Tokyo, or maybe even hoping that she wouldn’t actually wake. But every time she opened her eyes, she was in that same darkened stone room surrounded by banners, glowing beams of energy, and strange documents she couldn’t read.

Still, the tavern became familiar. It became comforting. One day, as she was measuring the reserve tanks for a particularly bubbly liquid that only large creatures seemed to order, Azag’s tapping canes approached from behind. Before he entered the room, Sayane stopped her work to face him.

Entering the room, Azag revealed he was holding a small metallic device with heavy fabric straps.

“It’s ready,” he said.

“Is that my brace?!” Sayane asked with a clap of excitement.

Her leg pain had never gone away. The throbbing had tapered slightly and was relatively muted when she was seated, but the strain of walking, squatting, and climbing caused it to rear its angry head at least once a day.

Sayane lifted the device from Azag’s gloved hand and observed the intricate parts that created the hinges and joint support.

“How’d you know how my leg moved?!” Sayane asked in wonder.

“I… watched you as you moved,” he admitted with a hint of embarrassment.

Sayane felt a small flutter in her chest that left her utterly perplexed, but she did now remember occasionally seeing his glowing eyes focused on her throughout the days. Now she knew why.

“Thank you, Azag!” she exclaimed as she sat down on the floor to attach the new support.

Only then did she finally process how silly she looked. She was still in costume. Weeks into her new life, and she was still wearing her tattered, torn, colorful skirt with its frills and layers of fabric. Gone was the corset, but her top was still tightly stitched across her small waist, accentuating her chest and hiding her skin from the world. Her pause was noticed by Azag.

“What? Is it wrong?” he asked.

“No, it’s not that… it’s… these clothes. I think I need new clothes. I’d like to… not wear these anymore…” Sayane said as she slid the brace into place.

Fabric bands were almost perfectly sized to her thigh, with small ratchet latches to tighten to perfection. Azag had even gotten the sizing of her leg correct. Again, the strange flutter returned as Sayane thought of this being watching her exposed thighs moving to and fro through the day. A flush of color drifted into her cheeks and Sayane couldn’t help but shake her head in an embarrassed attempt to refocus.

“That piece will stabilize your side-to-side movement. Those springs will help you stand from sitting or kneeling. Press that center latch to lock or unlock,” explained Azag as Sayane finished harnessing herself.

Once Sayane was done, she pressed onto the ground and forced herself up with a grunt. The pain shot into her cartilage instantly, causing her to grimace. Sayane knew this device would not be a miracle fix, but she was thrilled that it would help relieve the strain and keep everything from becoming worse.

Before she could formally thank her device’s creator, he was already gone. By the time she stood up from the ground, Azag was already walking out the door.

“Azag! Thank you!” Sayane called after him, causing him to pause.

He turned slightly but did not face her all the way.

“You’re welcome. I will let Attis know we need to go to the shadow streets to find you new attire,” he replied.

Sayane was left alone in the pink-lit hallway, admiring the device that was now helping remove the strain of standing. One final flush of embarrassment washed over Sayane as she felt the fabric of Azag’s device shift along the exposed skin of her inner thigh.

The next day, it was time to leave the tavern. Attis arrived at Sayane’s room door covered in an adorable fuchsia cloak.

“Aw, you look dashing,” Sayane said with a smile as she latched her brace into position.

“Thank you, my dear! I had the tailors make it for a grand ball long ago. Far longer than I’d like to admit.”

“A ball? Do you dance?” Sayane asked.

“Oh, I love to dance. Unfortunately, in the absence of music, it is hard to do. Perhaps one day I will dance again,” Attis said with a gentle, forlorn smile.

Sayane was unsure how to respond. All she could do was return his smile.

“Perhaps. One day…”

When they arrived in the tavern hall, Azag was waiting. He was holding a tattered cloak, which he handed to Sayane without a word.

“Thank you,” she replied.

“I will be joining you. If anyone asks, you are with me. I am searching for new offerings and decor for The Shattered Stone,” said Azag.

Sayane’s eyebrow raised in confusion.

“What?” asked Azag.

“Wait. Is ‘The Shattered Stone’ the name of this tavern?! I just realized I don’t know the name!” Sayane blurted out.

“....Y-yessssss?” Azag responded in a slightly perplexed tone.

“Holy hell that’s a cool name!!” Sayane laughed out loud.

“It is a good name, actually,” agreed Attis.

“Thank… you?...” Azag said as Sayane pulled the heavy fabric over her head and pulled the hood down to her eyes.

"Do you both have your alert bands?" Azag asked as he limped to the doorway.

Both Sayane and Attis held up their wrists in unison to reveal the devices in place. Azag nodded and held up his own wrist in confirmation before unlatching the enormous lock on the heavy metal door.

With that, the entrance of The Shattered Stone opened, and for the first time, Sayane was going to leave the premises to venture into the mysterious world of The Underground.