Act 1 Chapter 1
Cartwright (Alm)
The cartwright watched his eldest son and the foster child pry the wagon. Alm forgot how many years it has been since Tobin's father took him in. He had fit in quite well with the family, becoming an apprentice of the former logger.
"We added reinforcement the back." Tobin folded his arms. "The front wheels are also larger than the back ones for some reason. They need to be replaced later."
"Alm?" The father looked at the second boy. "Your thoughts?"
"Um, yes." He stuttered. "What he said."
The man sighed and kneeled closer to the cart. The two customers, visitors to Ram Village, watched over the family. The skies were cloudy, threatening a storm over the territory. Months ago the folks of the settlement would have hated rain. After the second crop failure last season, it was one of the only things they prayed for.
"You two still have a lot to learn." Tobin's father finally said. "Your siblings are growing up quickly. Soon we're gonna need extra help making a living."
The eldest son stepped away from the cart. "Of course, Father! Alm and I will make our labor worth it!"
"Yeah…" Alm nodded. "Definitely."
"Then today's lessons are finished. Get some rest before tomorrow's shift."
The man dismissed the two, who quickly left the customers' side. Old Mycen's house was repurposed into a small workshop. Most of the bedrooms were torn down for storing tools and lumber. As they made way to their usual hangout, the green-haired boy punched the exterior of his old house and took a deep breath.
"Alm, you alright?" Tobin asked.
"Is this the best I can aspire to?" He asked. "Making carts for the rest of my life? Crafting's not even my strong suit…"
The older sibling shook his head. "Sorry friend. It's the family profession. Would you rather herd to cows?"
Alm leaned against the outside wall. Ever since his grandfather left Ram Village, he and his friends' swordplay have plateaued. All their parents were either farmers or craftsmen - none of them have gotten into a fight before. Tobin snuck in some bow training last month, but he has only ever used it for hunting.
"I see your point." Alm said solemnly. "I was just hoping for a more exciting lifestyle – something more exhilarating."
"I'm sure something will come up." Tobin shrugged. "Rebellions are popping up all over the place in Zofia, no thanks to that spud king of ours."
The lads walked to the back of the old barn. Kliff, and Gray were waiting for them, having finished their day jobs. Gray had all opted to help their families till the lands, but Kliff was more open-minded. Everyday his head was buried into books. Rumor had it, he wished to study magic at an "academy", whatever that was.
Faye was noticeably absent, probably looking for Alm elsewhere.
"You guys finished late today." Gray commented. "Did you piss off old Mister Wagonwheels again?"
"Ha, ha. Classic." Tobin said sarcastically. "We have been tending to two wealthy clients who came all the way from the southern outpost."
"Work's the same as always." Alm replied simply. "Dull."
Tobin looked like he wanted to add a few words, but decided against it. The former children used to play games such as hide-and-seek or Dragons and Duma. As they aged the same mundane activities lost their charm. They tried their luck at the only pub of Ram Village occasionally, but were often kicked out.
"Hey guys, I brought something for you all today!" Gray pulled out a leather bag from the grass and dusted it. Alm and the others gathered around him.
"It better not be another flask of wine." Kliff muttered.
"No, not that." Gray said, digging through the mess. "This!"
He finally produced a piece of vellum with odd scribblings on it. The rest of his friends sat down next to him and tried deciphering the nonsense in front of them. It was no use. Gray could not write a legible sentence to save his own life.
"What does it say?" Tobin inquired.
"Right, remember when Sir Mycen trained us by the sword, for Ram Village and our own protection? Well after he disappeared and-"
Kliff and Tobin gave the villager a dark look, causing him to stop in the middle of his sentence. Gray glanced at Alm in a panic. He stared back in confusion.
"Sorry about that Alm." Gray said sheepishly, "That was uncalled for."
"Don't worry about it." Alm said monotonously. "The past is the past. I can't get upset with every single mention of him."
Kliff nodded. "Right! Keep going with your written mess."
"Sure." Gray said. "Anyways, ever since then, we've stopped sword-fighting altogether. I overheard a couple of the village guard planning to hold their first training sessions tonight. I wrote down the location, right here!"
The other villagers considered his words carefully. Alm himself looked at the darkening sky. If grandpapa was still here, he would have rejected it wholeheartedly. He thought. He never wanted me to leave this damn village.
"Ugh, pass." Tobin said. "The only weapon I've even touched recently is the bow."
"Count me out as well." Kliff said. "I would rather study at home. After I get accepted into the Royal Academy, I'll have little need for combat training."
"Aw, come on guys!" Gray sulked. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Don't you remember the good old days when I kept my win streak against Tobin?"
The rival frowned. "I certainly don't."
Essentially an orphan, a sense of freedom seized Alm. The world extended far beyond Ram Village. He heard stories of mountains and oceans and animals he could not even imagine before. The thought of trying something new lured him in.
It could not be worse than being a cartwright.
"Let's do it." Alm said with excitement. "I'm in!"
"Really? Hell yeah!" Gray grinned. "Now that's the Alm we know and love!"
The remaining two looked at him, puzzled.
"I mean, at the very least we should check it out right?" Alm continued. "It's been forever since we last fought. Do we even remember any self-defense?"
Gray nodded vigorously in agreement, raising an arm for a high-five. It was struck down by Tobin who looked disapprovingly. All they have done was talk for hours after work every day. The eldest in the group of friends wanted something more.
"You know what? I'm with my friend on this one." Tobin said. "No harm in taking a look. Father probably wants me to keep an eye on him, anyways."
Thanks, Tobin! Alm gave him a nod of gratitude.
Kliff looked away from the old barn, into the woods beyond. "True. If I'm going to leave the village one day, might as well see some things before I go."
Alm blinked in surprise. He had not expected his voice to carry that much influence over the group. Their practice swords were still in storage, untouched for several months. A part of his mind yearned for the day he would unsheathe it again.
"Awesome!" Gray clapped his hands together in glee. "Alright gentlemen, we have a long ass night ahead of us."
[…]
The four watched from two tall trees, some couple hundred paces from the village. Tobin and Gray were sitting together, as was Kliff and Alm. About a dozen young men and women were sparring at each other below. They were monitored by four soldiers, each carrying practice lances.
"Wow they're slow." Tobin noted. "We were at their speed years ago!"
"They just started training." Kliff said nonchalantly. "Give them a break."
Alm looked intensely at the villagers' footwork.
A leap forward. A lowered posture, with feet grounded for better movement.
"Hey Gray." He prompted. "How often do these guys meet?"
A step sideways to parry. A slash forward to control spacing.
"Twice every week. Same location."
A quick stab to catch the foe off-guard. A small retreat to dodge the attack.
Alm sat up from his tree. "That settles it. I'm coming here twice every week. If I improve enough, I'm going to enlist."
Torches lit the ground, making the shadows dance on the soft ground.
Kliff was taken aback "The Village? Why not settle down for the quiet life of a tradesman instead? The number of barbarian attacks around here are staggering!"
He grabbed both of Alm's arms as if he was mad. His eyes were filled with genuine concern for her friend. In spite of that, he was shaken off easily as Alm continued watching. Tobin hissed at everyone to keep their noises down.
"I'm done with quiet." He said. "When grandpapa left six years ago, I spent half of 'em as a depressed hermit. I lost so many opportunities for fun when I was little… I never wanted to become the guy who fixes damn carts! No offense Tobin."
"None taken." He said.
"I want a sense of purpose for myself." Alm declared. "If Mycen was still here, we would be training to this day. I don't know if he truly abandoned me or not, but I do know that the things taught us are important."
The silence that followed the statement lasted longer than he anticipated. In truth, Alm did not care how his friends would respond. From the corner of his view, he could see a very excited Gray smile broadly from ear to ear.
Kliff folded his arms mockingly. To him, fighting was the antithesis to learning. "I kind of want depressed Alm back now."
If grandpapa never abandoned me, and eventually returns… No. It's been seven years. He won't suddenly pop up. Still, a thought bounced around in his head.
Wasn't there someone else who went missing?
"Shah!"
Alm rushed forth with his practice sword. His opponent prepared to block the attack, but backed up instead. The boy took advantage of the indecisiveness, and struck the left leg. The foe suddenly lost balance and fell backwards.
"Kyaa!"
"Nice…" He said. "Wait, you alright? Crap!"
The girl's back was to the ground, eyes closed and sword knocked away. Alm's forehead became sweaty as he rushed towards her in a hurry. Fearing she hit her noggin awkwardly, he kneeled down and raised her head with his arms.
Eventually an exasperated sigh escaped him.
"Uh, Faye." He finally said. "I can tell you're awake."
"Aww." The girl sulked. "I wanted us to remain like this a bit longer."
It was sunny again. The dry air wilted the weeds that surrounded the grassy fields. For the past two months, Alm and the rest of his friends spied on the recruits' training. Faye joined the team later, initially very upset with their decision.
Alm impatiently beckoned the girl to stand back up. She dusted off her plain tunic and grabbed her sword. Of the five friends who stuck together forever, she was in most need of improvement. Badly.
"Thanks for listening to Gray and the others." He said. "I wasn't expecting you to join our training, but I appreciate you being here."
"Oh don't mention it!" Faye laughed. "I just don't want to be left behind!"
"Speaking of left behind, I'm surprised Kliff and Tobin agreed too. I was afraid it would just be Gray and I in the end…"
He and Tobin kept sword training a secret from their cartwright father. Whatever free time they had after their shifts they spent practicing in the fields behind the old barn or near the forest. Their weapons were in poor condition from sheer age.
"If course we'd say yes!" Faye beamed. "You were so miserable and lonely after moving in with your new family. The others said: 'your eyes were so filled with life the moment you first saw the village guard'. They just couldn't say no!"
"Wow. I never expected you guys to care so much." The young man blinked. "Gods I've been a jerk to everyone for so long… Thanks, for everything."
When Tobin's family first accepted Alm, he pushed himself away from everyone. He snapped at the girl every instance she checked in on him, but Faye never stopped persisting. She was the one who brought him out of his former cocoon.
"No problem! Just be sure to smile Alm!"
"Excuse me?"
"You're happier now, right? I haven't seen a smile in ages!"
"Uh…"
"Then come on. For me?"
The request was so odd Alm could only give her a blank stare. Nobody was around to witness the peculiar scene. Faye tried to give her own encouraging smile. The villager coughed into his arm, stifling a chuckle in the process.
"Sorry, Faye." Alm said. "I can't. Not until I've accomplished something worth smiling about."
"Oh, that's alright!" The girl said. "Just tell me when that instant is, and I'll be there to smile by your side!"
Her words almost forced Alm into a small grin. He shook his head incredulously and drew out his sword again. The two continued fighting, in a more serious manner, until the sun was about to set and it was too dark for safe fighting.
Faye's words carried a bit of truth. He never felt more alive than before.
[…]
The two returned to the old barn, where the other three lads were waiting. The rest of the village was packing up their businesses for the day. Tobin and Gray had several bruises on each other. Meanwhile Kliff was grumpily patching them up.
"Gods, what happened to the both of you?" Alm questioned. "You look like two feral cats who hissed at each other the wrong way."
"Nothing much." Gray straightened his back proudly. "Just a champion defending his title."
"That was a cheap move." Tobin winced as Kliff examined his wound. "You're way too reckless with your sword, man."
"And what was Kliff doing?" Faye asked.
The boy shrugged. "They wanted me to referee the match. Gray won two to one."
The two rivals continued arguing over who won the engagement. Alm took a look at their swords – both were dangerously close to breaking. With the new swordsmith ripping everyone off in Ram Village, they could barely afford wooden ones.
"Hey Alm, how was your training." Gray accused. "You two barely have any scratches on you. Don't tell me you've be slacking!"
"That might be the case." The green-haired boy admitted. "Faye's form is still off. I spent the evening teaching her proper movement."
"Sure." Gray narrowed his eyes.
"Don't worry Alm!" Faye said proudly. "You can go as hard as you want on me!"
"…Alright then." Alm scratched the back of his head. At least she was enthusiastic.
Gray rolled his eyes and continued bickering with Tobin. Kliff looked as unimpressed as ever and pulled out a book from his leather pouch. Five friends who grew up, but at the same time didn't. Alm almost broke his old rule on smiling. He turned away to prevent his friends from catching him.
And, with Faye's inclusion, the gang was put back together again.
A few more weeks passed. Alm woke up one morning, actually excited to start his day. Even his lackluster enthusiasm towards cart-making grew slightly. Training was the correct antidote to his isolated past.
He and the others continued sparring until midnight for most of those days, until they believed they surpassed the village guard. Again, none of their parents would actually allow them to join, but it was a nice form of exercise.
Charging again, Alm jumped upward and slashed down at his foe.
Gray easily blocked the attack, but the force of the slash caught him unaware. He stumbled backwards, almost dropping the crate lid.
The green-haired boy moved forward again, sweeping his leg forward. He caught his foe's right leg. Gray fell on his behind in a clumsy thud. Alm stuck his sword in the ground, celebrating his win.
"Crud." Gray cursed. "That was sloppy of me."
"I won a round against Gray?" Alm said. "That doesn't happen usually."
"Yeah, that's because of all this mud." His friend complained, handing over the makeshift shield. "Here, you try now."
Picking up the wood, Alm reluctantly faced his foe. Gray and his green hairband was a force to be reckoned with. They frequently joked the accessory unlocked unspeakable powers for him. He crouched downward slightly and prepared to fight.
Before they could, they heard ringing from the old bell tower in the village. The boys put away their blades in confusion.
"Hey guys!" Another voice sounded from the other side of the old barn.
"Not now, Tobin!" Gray yelled. "Alm and I are tied! You can lose against me again in a few minutes!"
"No it's not that, asshole!"
Tobin came into view, sprinting towards his friends then halting in front. He took a few seconds to calm down. Alm noticed his face was turning white with exhaustion. He and Gray put away their practice blades immediately.
"Tobin?" Gray demanded. "You don't look so good."
"B-bandits!" The boy panted. "A whole bunch of them! They're on their way to attack Ram Village!"
"What?" Alm exclaimed.
"A wounded villager came running back from outside the settlement. He said a bunch of ruffians caught him snooping around, and they'll be coming to pillage our lands! The village guards told me so."
Alm's gasp of horror was met with Gray's smirk of interest. The three ran to the other side of the old barn. The elderly and the young were already returning to their homes. A few guards were running around, ordering everyone to lock their doors and windows for safety.
"Alright guys! Tobin, Alm, it's time to be the heroes of Ram Village!" Gray declared.
Tobin stared back. "Are you insane? We're not even part of the village guard!"
"No, we've been training nonstop for this moment." Alm said. "What good was everything we worked for, if we don't use it to defend our homeland?"
"But-"
"Do whatever you want." Gray retorted. "You will either be known as a valiant protector, or the Coward of Ram Ranch!"
The eldest of the bunch looked at the ground in contemplation. The large bell on top of a tower began ringing, notifying the villagers that an emergency was underway. Tobin finally looked up at both of his friends.
"Ugh, you guys are impossible." He said darkly. "I'll fight by your side. I hope Father won't get too mad if I injure my good arm."
"Excellent Tobin." Alm exclaimed. "We should grab Kliff and Faye. We meet in the village square with our weapons in five minutes?"
"Right. On it…"
As their friend jogged off, Alm and Gray checked their weapons. They were purposely blunted for practice, and they knew there was no time to sharpen them. The rusty exterior made them appear as if they could break at any moment.
"I guess we're in this together." Alm swallowed.
"Don't be regretful now. You've always wanted this, right?" Gray replied. "Ditch that wooden shield already. We got some bandits to fight off."
The two unsheathed their practice weapons and ran towards the middle of Ram Village. The sunset behind them turned red, coloring the whole horizon in shades of crimson. Alm felt his heart beat faster as the battle drew close.
It did not take Tobin long to find the others. Faye and Kliff were training by themselves next to their homes, before hearing the old bell tower. They ran quickly to the village square, where the others were already waiting.
"We're actually going to fight?" Kliff huffed as he arrived. "I can't believe it."
Gray gave him a thumbs-up. "Yup! We'll show them not to mess with us!"
"Oh no…" Faye whimpered. "Truth be told I never expected this day to come!"
Already things were going wrong. Faye and Kliff were exhausted from their training. The girl's sword was in even worse condition than Alm's. As the village guard was finishing their deployment, two lancers ran towards the small group.
"Hey, young ones!" He yelled. "This place is going to turn into a bloody mess soon! Get back to your houses and shut all the openings!"
"We can fight with you!" Gray shouted. "I suggest you let us join."
"Don't tell me you're planning on defending the village with those… things." The other lancer pointed at Alm's sword.
"We can hold our own." The boy replied.
"And your parents and wards are okay with this?"
Alm blinked. "Yeah." He lied.
Near the gates of Ram Village, a group of guards were already forming a blockade. The civilians have already retreated indoors, leaving the group alone. The captain of the guards yelled at the lancers to stop wasting time.
"Damn kids." One of them spat. "Just stay out of our bloody way."
Tobin swallowed. "Right. We'll stay on the inside, in case they break through."
The group of five patiently waited behind the main gates. Alm was at the front, flanked at the sides by Gray and Tobin. Kliff and Faye were on their own, to the left of their friends. Alm was secretly just as nervous as the rest.
[…]
"Oi, they're coming!" The soldier on the watchtower shouted. "Get in position!"
Not even ten minutes had passed since the group of friends assembled. The man slid down the letter to join the main force. Each guard at the main gates lined together. They lowered their lances to form an intimidating pike wall.
Gray clutched his sword. "Guys, if we do well, they might hire us for the village guard immediately! Nice thought, huh?"
Tobin's dad wanted me to make a living. Fighting is perfect fine. Alm thought.
"Cool to you perhaps." Kliff snapped. "I only wanted to learn how to defend myself. My plan is to explore the world, not fight everybody in it!"
"Quiet down." Alm hissed. "Let's survive this battle first."
He and the others watched the wall of soldiers at the gates. Behind them were two more patrols, each standing to the side as reserves. Loud incoherent shouts came from the distance. From the gaps in the human wall, they could see several unruly men running towards the gate.
Tobin's eyes widened. "That's a whole lot of bandits."
The village guard clashed with the invaders head on. Dozens of bodies and horrifying cries engulfed the gates. The two patrols to the side hunkered down nervously. The boys squinted to find out what was going on.
"Are they breaking through?" Faye asked.
"Lots of sticks and bodies but no movement." Tobin answered, being the tallest in the group. "This battle might be over before it even started."
A few seconds afterward, the guards began backing up from the gate. Small sticks protruded the walls surrounding the village. As the friends watched in awe, a head with a red hairband and luscious facial hair approached above the wood.
Gray lowered his sword. "Huh? What's going on?"
"They brought ladders to scale the wall." Kliff said worriedly. "This is bad."
They're on our flank!" A guard said. "Spread out! Before we're surrounded!"
Two more ladders hit the wall. Rabid barbarians crossed over, then jumped onto the soft ground in front of them. The two patrols separated completely. Soldiers ran all across the flank, desperate to stop the inflow of enemies.
"Gate's falling." Gray said. "We need to start moving."
"Okay, do we have a plan…?" Tobin grunted. "Alm? You're the one who asked me to summon the others?"
"Me? That was just a suggestion!" Alm said. "I don't know how to lead."
The lancers fled from the watchtower. A large group of savages broke through the wall of pikes, hacking away at the surprised guards. Four bandits saw the young villagers standing still. With a harsh chuckle they closed in.
"Someone tell us what to do!" Kliff shouted.
"Uh, uh…" Alm coughed. "Try to break them up into one-on-one fights! Faye, you team up with someone stronger."
"Eh? Okay!" The girl said.
The five spread out across the open. However the bandits were not stupid. They all decided to gang up on Gray, who was alone by a small house.
"Surround them and charge!" Alm commanded.
Tobin and Kliff took a second to react, but eventually they ran to opposite sides of the savages. Faye stayed by Alm's side incessantly, refusing to leave him.
She finally did after he shot an annoyed glance.
"Bring it on swines." Gray taunted. "I'll take all four of you!"
The four large men charged at the boy. One of them swung forth with an axe. Gray dodged to the left easily. The bandit's weapon cut through the wood and got stuck, eliciting a child's scream from the inside.
Alm took the opportunity to move in. While the others were distracted, he lunged forward and slashed at the unarmed bandit. The practice sword cut lightly, but it was enough to cause a cry of the pain. The other foes turned around, furious.
Tobin and Kliff came in from the side, each one targeting a different bandit. Their attacks also barely dented the men. The bandits finally left the old house's side. To Alm's benefit, the plan of separating his opponents worked.
A burly man with a stubby brown beard challenged the green-haired boy. Alm tried desperately to remember everything from training.
He made the first move, running forward with a cry. His sword clashed with the man's axe of iron. The bandit easily knocked it aside with his powerful muscles.
Alm jumped back before the man could swing again. He decided to let his foe approach. The bandit happily obliged and attacked.
The boy found himself on muddy ground and stepped aside sloppily. His movements were slightly too late. The thinnest part of the axe cleaved his right thigh. The sharp pain was unlike anything he felt before.
"Argh!" He cursed. "Crud!"
The boy held his side. A splotch of blood covered the seal on left hand. Sir Mycen would have chided him for getting hit.
He tried again, charging at the bandit with his sword in front. The foe lifted up his axe to block but Alm quickly found a weak spot. He plunged the sword into the bandit's leg. The man almost fell over, but kept his footing.
The bandit responded with a swing. Alm protected himself by parrying with his blade. Then his worst fears manifested.
The practice sword gifted to him broke off in the middle. Large pieces of metal dropped onto the ground in front of him. The rusty weapon was no more.
"Heh Say yer prayers." The bandit laughed, holding up his axe.
Alm backed up slowly, preparing to dodge.
His foe suddenly shouted in rage and turned around. Alm saw a thin trail of red coming from a piercing wound from his back. Another person was behind them.
"Alm! You alright?" Faye called.
"Faye look out!"
The bandit lashed out at the girl and swung his axe.
"Eek! I'm sorry for stabbing you sir!"
The girl ducked to avoid the blow and ran away. The rustic man chased after her. Alm was left alone, looking at what remained of his sword.
He observed his surroundings frantically. Tobin and Kliff were both fighting their own opponents. They have yet to land a blow. Gray was holding his own. He soon found himself overwhelmed, as a second bandit joined the fight against them.
Alm thought himself a fool for thinking the fight would be easy. Dead bodies, both the invaders and the village guard, littered the grounds around them. Some of the bandits were chopping down the wooden doors of the closed houses. The villagers screamed as ruffians intruded on their homes.
"Has all our weeks of training… been completely useless?" He spat.
The green-haired boy shuddered. His group of friends had yet to slay a single bandit. Their parents were probably worried sick their children weren't home.
Ram Village was about to fall. His only sword had shattered in front of him. Throughout the bloodcurdling screams in the village and clanging of bloodthirsty iron, one question resonated through his mind.
What kind of hell did I sign up for?
A/N: Thanks for reading!
Sorry for ending so abruptly. These scenes are meant to show how this Alm differs from the canon Alm in Fire Emblem Echoes. We will conclude the battle next chapter, then move on from there.
Responses:
FanficLovingPerson: I've thought about expanding existing relationship, but I've decided there will be at least some changes with the canon. Most will remain the same, but other unexpected ones might pop up.
A Bad Person: Oh yeah, Alm is going to have lots of spite within him. Growing up a foster child, and then witnessing his village getting attacked will have a lasting effect on him.
Reviews on how to improve are always welcome. If you like what you read, follow / favorite for updates.