"It happened again..."
He would need to go wash up. It would be uncomfortable to go back to sleep like this.
"It's not even dawn..."
This was not the first time that dream had come to him; since he had gotten sick, this was almost a nightly occurrence. He wondered what it meant.
"All those people...I don't know if I could lead them all. They seemed to hold me in such high regard."
Something that had stuck with him was that he was apparently some sort of royalty, and had an entire army at his command.
"I don't think I could ever get used to that."
He, who could barely even lift a sword, a general for troops that were embroiled in a supernatural war for the ages? No, impossible.
"How could a simple villager like me do something like that? I was always too frail to even do field work."
He hated having to rely on Lissa, but as she would always say, it wasn't his fault he was born with a broken body. She was study to become a healer anyway, so he supposed he provided adequate practice for her.
They were too poor to afford schooling or training in that regard.
Regardless, She worked hard every day for both their sakes. He admired her determination.
He slowly sat up and looked around.
Everything was as he remembered. Not a thing out of place in their shack. All was quiet and calm.
"A shack, huh. Indeed, I could never be royalty. Definitely a fever dream."
It was always the worst feeling waking up like this. His condition was living proof of the impossibility of his dreams.
Lissa walked into his bedroom; she was getting ready to go beg for change, odd jobs, or anything else she could do in the neighboring town.
Things had been tough since Emmy died.
Their older sister, Emmeryn, had thrown herself into the river in a fit of madness.
He hoped no one else had to ever experience what she had.
During her brief moments of clarity, she was their beacon, their source of morale.
Alas, that...humiliation she endured on her last excursion to Southtown broke her, both mentally and physically.
He didn't blame her.
Those bandits went their merry way, shenanigans forgotten.
Chrom would never forget.
He and Lissa didn't go a day without thinking about her.
"Oh, you're up already?"
In his reminiscence, he had forgotten Lissa was there. Apparently she had just been observing him, since he looked like he was spacing a little.
He supposed he was.
"I had that dream again. It was a different battle this time, but the elements were the same."
She sighed.
"We really need to get you to a doctor. I think I heard that there was one that was travelling through Southtown this week. I can't remember his name though...was it...Robin...something? In any case, I'm sure he's very worldly, having been to many places. Maybe he can cure you."
This, again? Really, Lissa did have the best intentions, but he had given up long ago. His illness was clearly not of this world.
"You know I don't approve of you going into Southtown alone, especially after what happened to Emmy..."
This conversation again. He knew just how it would end, too.
"What else can I do? It's the closest town to our tiny village, and we need to subsist somehow. I promise I'll be careful. Nothing's happened to me yet, right?"
Way to jinx it, Lissa.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can stop worrying. You're all I have left."
She sighed again. This really did happen too often for either of their likings.
"I know, I know. Someone's gotta provide for your lazy ass, right?"
She stuck out her tongue at him. Chrom's face rested in his palm.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm useless. Thanks for reminding me."
Lissa turned away and looked out the window of his small bedroom.
"It's almost dawn, already. Have we been talking for that long?"
She made to leave.
"Just leave everything to your little sister, big bro. I'll take care of you. Don't worry, everything will be alright. Go back to sleep, I'll be back in a few hours with breakfast."
She omitted the "hopefully". They both knew it was implied.
"Be careful."
"I will. Get some sleep. Dreams that intense surely can't be healthy for you in your condition. I'll be back, I promise."
She was gone.
Chrom collapsed back on his bed. His tiredness suddenly hit him again. Curse his weak body. The bath would have to wait.
As he drifted off, he wondered, with his last thought:
'I wonder what I'll dream of this time?'
With that, his eyes fluttered shut.
That was how Lissa found him several hours later, unmoving, not breathing.
She let out a soft sob.
"I didn't make it back in time...I'm sorry, Chrom."
Dr. Robin...("just Robin is fine") stepped out from behind her to survey the scene.
"Ah, I guess we weren't fast enough."
"He looked okay when I left earlier. I had no idea..."
She began to cry.
The doctor put a comforting hand on her shoulder; no one should have to endure something like this.
He only hoped her brother was in a better place.
Grima's Curse had taken yet another.