The Many-robed One halted mid-step as a familiar sensation coursed through him. The lukewarm feeling sent uncharacteristic shivers along his skin and traveled deeper to caress his bones. He barely noticed one of the masked twins nearly bump into him as he suddenly stopped and stared at the floor of the tunnel. He relaxed as the thrill washed over him. It was replaced by total, assured satisfaction as it seeped from his body.

"Dear leader, what is it?" one of the masked twins asked. She backed away from him with timid steps. A sharp gasp escaped her that informed the leader of her awareness as well. Her brother jerked involuntarily as he experienced similar sensations.

Div'gen appeared from further behind where the tunnel curved out of sight. His massive form barely fit through sections of the angled walls. He gave the twins a questioning look that they only answered with their blank, hidden expressions.

Towards the far back of the group, Korv ignored all of this and clawed at his legs. Trickles of blood crawled down his leg until it pooled at his bare feet.

"I-I feel it," he said. "I need to see them. Please. So cute."

The robed leader made a motion with his hand towards Div'gen. "Please, remove him. I shall apprise you once we reach our new safe haven."

Div'gen glanced behind him at the crazed humanoid and clicked his tongue in disgust. He reluctantly bowed without a word and grabbed Korv by one of his skinny arms. They disappeared down a second tunnel as an excuse to investigate where it led. The robed leader heard the fading echoes of Korv's voice as he incessantly muttered some apologies.

The twins stared up at their leader with clasped hands. "You felt it," they said in unison.

"Yes...I did."

"Rinka did something else," the male said. "What is it, sister?"

His counterpart flipped through their contract and hovered her hand over a page covered in strange, green symbols and words.

"It is...hidden," she breathed.

The robed leader grinned and looked up at the ceiling, as if he were seeing through it to the surface.

"At last," he said.

He pulled his own contract from the confines of his robe and let all of the pages fall to one side. Similar green words and symbols morphed on the back cover and adjacent page. They appeared and faded at regular intervals. One might notice that some remained permanent and fully embedded on the white surface. When all the appropriate words, symbols and markings formed, they transformed into the typical black ink of the contract.

The Many-robed One read the list of names and stared at the new one towards the bottom.

"Welcome to the game, Alphonse Kneller."

Scars tell some of the most profound stories. Formed in a universal language forever inscribed upon the teller, they are sometimes written by oversight and often the instruments wielded by those meaning ill will. The significance viewed by enemies, allies and the canvassed receiver is varied like any interpreted text.

A part of Asa wished she had her own scars. But it was not for the sake of revealing a story to others. After all, the healers robe she wore would suitably conceal such retelling. She wanted something that acted as a reminder of the obstacles she overcame along her path. They would be mementos reserved for herself.

Scars say, "I have been here. I conquered this foe. This is my penance. I made this mistake. It happened during this time of my life," and then, as a culmination of greatest importance, "I molded into this being."

Asa ran a hand along the exposed, pale white of her thigh where a faint line seemed to glow in the stark light. It traveled down towards her knee and coiled around to the back like a snake. It was the one scar she'd received during her time on the surface, when the terrible human lord arrived and razed her village.

She remembered clawing through the bramble to reach the safety of the surrounding forest as the buildings burned in the distance. A thicket of thorns had seized her and curled around her leg, drawing blood as it sliced a permanent mark into her.

One scar. She wished there were more to extinguish it.

Asa glanced at her sister, who spread recently cleaned parts of warrior armor on the floor. The scars from battle were prominent on Kirie's naked figure. A jagged mark like a lightning bolt covered the entirety of one thigh. A splash of discoloration consumed the front of her left knee, as if an actual bolt of lightning embedded itself within the skin. Her right arm was marred by three spots evenly spaced where she'd been stabbed by a monster's crude weapon.

Kirie turned around when she sensed Asa's lingering gaze. "What is it?"

Asa shook her head and stared down at the healers robe resting on the bed. "Nothing. I just thought that maybe you and Alphonse might have a lot to talk about."

Kirie scoffed at the comment. She turned to fully face her and crossed her arms under her breasts. Asa could now see the thin, pale line over her sister's stomach that extended on one side slightly towards her back. Above her exposed chest near the collarbone was a thicker, slightly raised mark about half a foot long. A permanent, angry red surrounded it that seemed to match her irritation.

Kirie positioned her arms further up, as if to hide the mark with her breasts. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Your scars."

Asa watched as her sister lowered her arms to her side. She bit her lip, as was customary when she fell deep in thought, especially concerning topics she preferred to avoid. She instinctively placed a hand on the side of her head where a brown clip held some extra hair in place that would have normally hung to her shoulders. Asa knew that there was another scar concealed underneath, one that Kirie was too ashamed to let anyone see. A warrior like Kirie cared little for appearances, but she'd received it as a child from actions that she considered a weakness from clumsy negligence.

"Maybe," Kirie finally said. She traced her fingers along the scar near her neck. "Some of them looked pretty old."

Asa nodded as she recalled the time spent tending to Alphonse's wounds some two weeks earlier. She'd noticed three jagged marks on his back that extended from shoulder to opposite thigh. She knew they were claw marks from some dangerous beast, but they were too old to be received during his time on Hovestile. She assumed that Alphonse wasn't a person who'd sat comfortable in a city or large town back on his own world. Another scar, with an appearance like the gnarled branches of a tree, covered almost the entire right side of his body near a more recent wound from where an arrow pierced his armor.

Asa was no stranger to fighting, but it seemed more fitting that Kirie should inquire about those parts of his past.

"It's pointless if we don't stay on the same path." Kirie shrugged dismissively as she tightened the straps on one of her bracers. "I like Alphonse, and I'm grateful for what he's done, but if we find the man who-"

"I know," Asa interrupted her. She understood her anger and desire for revenge; however, cool reasoning suggested the time for it was distant. "But then you'd be going back on our promise," she added quickly.

Kirie gave her a confounded look as she attempted to interpret her words. Her face blanched when she realized what she referred to. "You sneaky little...so that's why you suggested that deal with him."

Asa shrugged. "It was partly a joke, but I needed something to keep you in check. I know you never go back on your promises. Alphonse won't be any different. You promised to carve a path towards his goal. He wants to build a home, and your anger towards the man who destroyed our village will jeopardize that. All it takes is for Alphonse to be associated with us when you exact your revenge. It will ruin everything for him."

Kirie seized her chainmail from the bed and threw it on with an irritated huff. She turned her back to Asa as she started fitting her chestplate. "Don't you want it too? Look what he did to us."

"I do," Asa answered. There was no hesitation. "But I won't jeopardize our new home for the sake of it."

Asa waited as her sister let out a stream of curses. Kirie donned the rest of the armor and roughly pulled on her leather gloves. Her fingers flexed tight and agitated. If not for the gloves, her nails might have drawn blood from her palm.

Asa heaved a heavy sigh and went about her own preparations. "Listen, Kirie, even if our paths diverge, there is still the possibility that they might meet again and lead towards the same goal. There are plenty of stops along the way. I want Alphonse's mission to be our main priority, and maybe he'll be willing to follow us when the time is right."

Kirie gave Asa another hard look before lowering her gaze to the floor. Her shoulders sagged as the reasoning took hold. She turned and stared at her double-edged axe propped against the wall. One of the blades reflected a blurred image of her face as she tilted her head and touched the hair clip concealing the scar. With another derisive snort, she wrenched the axe away from the wall as if it was embedded and walked past her sister with even, controlled steps.

Kirie stopped at the closed door to their room and gave the place one last wistful look. Her eyes lingered on a stack of books that Asa had added to her own personal collection.

"You're right," she said. "I'll refocus."

She hesitated a moment before adding, "And maybe, I'll share a scar or two." She grabbed her traveling pack, opened the door and disappeared down the hallway.

Asa heaved a heavy sigh as she stared at the empty doorway. Kirie really was quite the handful sometimes.

She smiled at the thought. Well, at least I'll have someone else around to help me out.

Alphonse, Kirie and Asa stood just inside the open, massive doors and took one final look around the Submerged Oasis. The light dimmed as the rippling sun was obscured by a thick blanket of what looked like clouds. The faceless statues flanked either side of the pathway like guards protecting an honored procession.

Rinka stood in front of them with hands overlapped and resting on the front of her dress. Her emerald hair flowed over her shoulders and brushed the ground as she made a grateful bow. Alphonse returned the gesture with arms stiff at his side as he attempted to control his emotions.

A little over two weeks had passed since that fateful day when Kirie found him broken and near death in the dungeon. Asa had nursed him back to health and stayed by his side for many days after. Rinka provided him with a means of survival, which would also help ease them back into society. It allowed him to continue on the path towards his main goal.

The precarious gift, the Construct Contract, created a bond that transcended beyond deals of sacrifice. Alphonse no longer saw his negotiations in such a way. A different connection formed, one that he hoped would continue to grow and change through future hardships -- maybe even through happiness when he built his new home.

"The time has come," Rinka said. Her arms fell to her sides in a more relieved stance as she looked at each of them in turn. "It's strange. In a way, the three of you find yourselves in a similar situation. The world is foreign to you, despite the differing circumstances."

Kirie hoisted her axe up and tapped the handle on a shoulder. "Means there's plenty for us to discover."

"Everything is new," Asa said. "It will be nice experiencing them together."

"For sure," Alphonse said. He bowed to Rinka. “Thank you for everything.”

He felt those words alone were not enough to express how he felt. If not for them, he'd surely be dead.

Rinka turned away from them slightly and rested a hand on her cheek. She made an almost imperceptible movement as one of her fingers brushed under her eye.

Alphonse wasn't given the chance to reassure her as she took a few steps to close the remaining space between them. She reached for him and readjusted the shawl covering his armor. It felt like a mother readjusting her son's tie one last time before he went out into the real world. Her hands stopped, and Alphonse tilted his head in plain confusion when she made no indication of stepping away.

He fumbled with some words and was cut short when she suddenly embraced him. Being this close, he'd forgotten how tall she was, and he was by no means short. Her face was hidden as her cheek pressed up against his. Alphonse's arms froze at his side and he went rigid.

Calm calm calm calm, Alphonse thought.

“Take care of my daughters,” she whispered. She took a stuttering breath before she released him.

Alphonse nodded. "Of course."

She looked at Kirie and Asa. “And you two, try not to cause him trouble.”

Kirie's jaw dropped at the remark. Asa shook her head, as if she fully expected it.

Kirie jabbed a finger at Alphonse. “What the hell? You give this guy a hug and that's all we get?”

Asa sighed. “Yes, of course, mother.”

Alphonse's grin widened beneath the scarf, and he pulled his hood down slightly to conceal his eyes. When he glanced up, Kirie had already moved within a foot of him with an indignant look. She pressed closer into his space and nearly stepped past him.

“Y'know,” she said, “Your stupid grin is so damn big that it's pulling your scarf up. What's so funny?”

Alphonse rested a hand under his chin as he pretended to consider the question. “Well, I received some wonderful gifts. And I got a hug from your gorgeous-”

He felt a sharp pain on the back of his head, and his eyes suddenly saw the floor. He had braced himself for the inevitable blow, but it still hurt.

Worth it.

She was about to punch him again when Rinka stood between them. Kirie and Asa pressed together as their mother wrapped her arms around them. Alphonse looked up and saw the tearful streaks on Rinka's cheeks as she held them. Even Asa and Kirie's eyes appeared glossy in the faint light. Kirie tightened her mouth and balled her fists as she struggled with the brimming tears. Asa barely maintained her composure as she hid her face in the lengths of her healers robe.

“Don't worry,” Asa said, returning the hug. “We'll protect each other.”

“Yeah, including this guy,” Kirie added. She winked at Alphonse and motioned for him to join the group hug.

He lowered the scarf over his face and feigned confusion as he pointed at himself.

Kirie rolled her eyes at his attempt to lighten the mood. But Alphonse also received what was probably the most genuine smile that few had ever seen from her. He was surprised by how much the expression suited her.

It spurred him to join, and Kirie made sure that she mussed up his hair once he was in on the hug.

He hadn't felt anything so pure and heartwarming in what seemed like years. Even in his own world he always felt distant. Maybe he never understood the real connotation behind the words 'family' and 'friend.' Perhaps he viewed them too lightly. He couldn't be sure. After the betrayal, he thought he could never consider anything close to the true meaning.

But then he met two catgirls...