The elderly couple at the Chocobo Farm, much to his relief, had agreed to let him stay the night – for a small fee, of course. They showed him to a small room, where he placed his pack and sword.
"Could you tell me where I am, and how far it is to Midgar?"
The old man frowned.
"Well boy, you can't go directly to Midgar from here. You'd have to go past Kalm, which is about three or four days' walk, before heading there. So, overall, I'd say about five days."
He pointed to where the sun was setting.
"Thataways is the marsh, and if you make it through there and the caves, you can go to Junon. Just be watch out for the Midgar Zolom. It's a serpent-like creature almost 30 feet tall! It picks up on footsteps that enter the marshes… and then BAM! It attacks! A Chocobo will see you safely through if you're careful, which is why we set up a small farm here. My grandchildren, Choco Billy, Chole and Caaliey help out. If you want a chocobo, go see one of them. They came to live with us when their parents died, poor things."
The old man paused, and shook his head as if to clear it.
"I'm sorry, you must excuse an old man's ramblings. I think dinner's ready, and you can meet the whole family then. Please, this way."
He led the way out of the room, where Tyren stood with a slightly stunned expression on his face. Hoping fervently that dinner wouldn't last too long, he followed his nose to the dining room, where everyone was filtering in.
*****
"Tyren, I'd like to introduce you to my family. I'm Bill, but everyone calls me Choco Bill. Like little Choco Billy over there."
The boy looked up and gave him a grin before continuing to stuff his face.
"This here's my wife Ella, and our grandkids Chole and Caaliey."
At a nudge from her grandmother, Caaliey stood up and gracefully curtsied, her dress fanning out around her as she did. Choco Bill's wife picked up where he left off.
"Caaliey's leaving for Midgar tomorrow, where she can learn to be a real lady, just like her mother wanted. There's someone there who's agreed to take her in."
She beamed with pleasure, and Tyren resisted the temptation to roll his eyes.
"Well, now, isn't that convenient!" the old man exclaimed. "This lad says he's going to Midgar too!"
With a silent sigh, Tyren knew what they expected him to do. He just hoped the girl wouldn't be a dead weight when they were attacked by the creatures that lurked in the grasslands.
"She can travel with me, if she wants. I don't mind at all."
The old woman looked relieved.
"We were worried about her travelling all that way alone. Thank you, young man."
"Not a problem."
*****
Tyren was extremely grateful when dinner was over. The old couple had a tendency to chatter for long periods of time, and he found that all he wanted to do was collapse on the bed. His world distorted, the same swirling, drowning sensation consumed him, and once again he seemed to be sucked into himself.
"Good to see you again, Tyren. You seem to have the most stubborn idea of going back to Midgar, though. I'm here to set you straight."
Tyren glared at Raun, again attempting to lift his sword, and again unable to sustain the effort.
"Just go away, Raun! Don't you understand the meaning of the words LEAVE ME ALONE?"
"You can barely swing that sword of yours, can you? So why should I be scared of someone as scrawny as you?"
Tyren rushed at him, only to be swept off-balance as his sword swung through air.
"Don't blame me. This is how your mind perceives itself, which is why here, at the very core of your being, this is all you are. And this is what I am."
Raun's muscles seemed to expand, and soon his body grew to immense proportions.
"Simple, see? Well, I'll return you now, as you've once again been set back on the right path, and there's something out there I'm sure you'll want to deal with."
The last Tyren heard was an echoing laugh, before everything came rushing back and he found himself in the middle of a swamp.