Going Nowhere Fast

Mari was intelligent, she studied many years as a child before becoming a sword master as a young lady. She had the will power to overcome her opponents and won many tournaments around the world. She was famous for being one of the most young sword masters and the most beautiful. It was during one of these tournaments, she was met with her only loss. It was the moment she met Kai and never again doubted the way of the sword again. If she was not faithful to any divine being, it was because she was headstrong with the way of the sword. This all happens to be because it was the sword that lead her to beloved and it was the sword that protected them. If, she could manage to develop a relationship with the goddess of the undead just the same way she did with the sword than she might not have a single problem. In her eyes the world would take many changes and all she hoped for was the chance to be with her beloved Kai.

"If this sword will be my tool back to you then I will always and gladly take it up. For us." Mari thought.

Mari was traveling deep in unknown terrain and was just about lost with only a sense of direction she had to move towards.

"I don't know how long it has been since the marble structure showed itself to me, but it feels like ages. If I think too hard about it my head might explode. There's nothing here- nothing. Sand-sand –and-more-sand." She said.

The desert was as blank as the book she carried. It might not have shined golden but the sand had a peculiar glisten to it. The sun reflected the small grains of sand and sparkled throughout the land. It can easily be mistaken for another beauty that was created by the goddess of the undead just like that of the sunken marble structure. The desert just happened to be empty and lacked any divine touch.

"It's so barren that I feel like I've been staring at the same sand hill for an eternity. If it wasn't for the sun I'm sure I would have lost track of time and easily lost track of my direction." Mari said out loud.

What Mari didn't know was that she in fact never moved far, no matter how hard she tried to go forward she never made it a foot in the right direction. This was of course all a design by the goddess of the undead, for what reason was still unknown.

"Actually, has the sun even moved?" Mari said.

She was becoming more hysterical and was on the verge of losing sanity. Mari was currently in the process of questioning the reality in front of her.

"All these things feel as if I've been placed inside a child's plaything." Mari thought.

Her heart was beginning to sink. She didn't know why but the reality in front of her was not the reality she knew. She got the feeling as if she was still being tested, but had no way of proving it.

"There has to be a reason. The sand dune that I've stared at and traveled towards actually has been the same. I move my feet forward but I'm not actually moving?" Mari questioned.

She sounds like a lunatic that has just discovered something that sounds unbelievable.

"There's no way this is actually happening, right?" Mari spoke to herself.

Mari was talking to herself more earnestly now. She would often say out loud her thoughts and didn't care if she was seen as unladylike because her reality felt as delicate as a dream.

This was all a test by the goddess of the undead. To travel forward with no progress being made in any direction.

The ancient book began to glow but not so bright as it did before not like it did while Mari was in the marble structure. This time the glow was a distinctly dim. It seemed to Mari as if it was trying to indicate to her that the power of the goddess is currently being used.

"That must be it. This is being done to me by the goddess. Okay- so let me think- travel east and find the kingdom- I can't find the kingdom if I'm not moving forward. So there has to be something about this." Mari said.

Each step brought a new question to Mari as all she had with her now was herself and the ancient book that she carried in her right hand.

As the questions began to grow in numbers she also began to settle with having no answers to these questions. Each step in the east direction was another answer less question, until she eventually grew tired from thinking so hard.

Mari was walking towards the east while gradually losing her mind and with it came silence. She stopped asking questions and continued to walk forward as if she would make any progress.

She was too tired to speak and too tired to even think to herself. What was happening now was a battle of attrition. Was it her feet that was going to give out first or was it her mind.

Mari was not weak in any respect, this lady has spent many countless years training both her body and mind. The unfortunate resolve was a continuation of this torture where she slowly had to focus on the will to walk forward and nothing else.

It seemed to her that no matter what she was doing there was still no progress. She was focused solely on walking forward and didn't spare any will power to focus her dark energy into protecting herself from the harsh sun.

She was walking forward and had no progress to show for it.

"I've- got to- move- but so tired." Mari said slowly.

At this moment Mari stood in place hesitating to take the next step forward. She tried but her foot wouldn't move, she was finally stuck in place.