Pain

On the other side of nowhere was Mari who was living inside of one of those illusions. She arrived at the immensely large village and travelled through the soldiers houses. There was no soldiers inside and all the gates for the prisoners were emptied and bloodied. It seemed a lot like the house where Mari had ordered all the villagers to pay for their injustice.

"It seems like there was a massacre here Cameron." Said Mari.

"Yes General Candidate. It seems like we have to go to the chief immediately."

The soldiers housing was ten stories high and four stories below the ground. It wasn't normal to call it a house but in the world that Mari was currently living in there was many surprises to her that didn't seem normal. Mari and Cameron went through the top ten stories and all four levels below the ground. They now witnessed the upstart of something far beyond their knowledge.

"Cameron, do you feel anything?" Asked Mari.

"I only feel uneasy." Replied Cameron.

Mari had sensed something far more in depth than uneasy. Although she was looking at bloodied prison cells she was extremely comfortable and relatively at ease. In these moments she was repeating to herself the guidelines of this trial.

"Discover and resolve the plague surrounding the villagers. Don't use your sword and don't sleep." Thought Mari.

"You're right to be thinking this over." Said Vola as she manifested in one of the prison cells nearby Mari.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Mari.

"The goddess is growing tired of your feeble emotions and thoughts. She wants you to undergo the trial immediately." Said Vola.

Vola looked over at Cameron and winced in pain. It seemed as if she was about to drop a single tear at the sight of Cameron.

"It's good to see you Cameron." Said Vola.

"Excuse me, who are you?" Asked Cameron.

"Somebody that's accomplished their promise." Said Vola as she reappeared next to Mari.

"Head to the chiefs house. Continue with your task. I will slow down the world you're living in. This is my thanks for saving her." Whispered Vola.

"Won't the goddess be unhappy with you're actions?" Asked Mari.

"There's a respect she shares for all of her followers and their deep feelings. Because you have done me the favor of saving her the goddess will not be angry if I produce results in this manner." Said Vola.

"I appreciate the tips you have given me Task Master." Finished Mari.

The two Cameron and Mari were off towards the villager chief. The daylight was finally breaking. It became sundown and the dark shadows of the night started to illuminate the dark streets. Lights lit up the sidewalks and the moon was bloodshot red.

Mari looked up and saw the moon as a sign of pure evil. Her bones felt a warm chill as if it was more comforting than despairing.

Cameron and Mari stood there in place. They travelled through the immensely large village that was more like a kingdom and with the guidance of Cameron they got to the chiefs house.

The chiefs house was one of the biggest of the houses around, it was more of a palace and it seemed as if it was meant for a king.

"I guess it only fits the theme with this earth illusion." Thought Mari as she noticed the large building.

"You're sure this is the chiefs house?" Asked Mari.

"Yes, there is no doubt. He is the most wise and has the building this large to support his larger than life ideas." Said Cameron.

It looked to Mari that the more wise you are or the more influence you had then the better position of job you had. It wasn't too different from the earth she came from. The nobles all had ranks and they followed the orders of the king.

"Let's go find out what happened to this village. The bloodied streets really don't look like such a great hint at what might be happening." Said Mari.

Mari had noticed the trails of blood along the streets and realized that they all lead towards the chiefs house. There was no screams or any single living person to tell Mari what had happened. Everyone inside the village seemed to have disappeared. This was a strange occurrence because the village was so big and grand that even the houses for normal people looked large and there was so many of them that it was slightly creepy to see the streets so empty.

"You hear that door creak? Either we're close to the heart of the mystery or we're about to be murdered." Gestured Mari to Cameron who slightly nudged her to get the joke.

"Yes you're right General Candidate." Cameron tried not to seem annoyed and replied in a monotone voice.

Cameron and Mari walked through the creaking door and they were met with a lavish welcome room.

The ceiling seemed to have been enchanted with magic that can create its own appearance that mimics the sky. They had crafted details on the pillars and trails of gold lining along the corners of the walls. It seemed as if the chief gathered all the greatest artist and hired them to pour their heart into the creation of this single room that visitors would first see.

This was the chiefs special entrance for those who have gained the permit to enter. There was side posts that looked like they were missing the touch of high ranked soldiers who stand guard. Behind the guard posts was a small pile of armor. It seemed as if that the guards had taken off their armor and made a run for it.

"The door was unlocked, so I think the guards running away would make sense. The only thing I have to question is where they would run off to. There was no a single clue as to where anybody has left." Mari thought to herself.

Mari was close to the heart of the problem. She didn't know what she was in store for but whatever it was it didn't seem like it was too dangerous for her to get in front of. The real difficult was that Mari had not slept a single wink and built up so much fatigue from earlier that it was a great miracle she was able to walk.

Her mental state was in shambles and her body was screaming to stop. Inside her head was a nightmare. The only reason she was able to think logically was because every question she had was not an easy one to answer. She was able to focus her mind strictly on solving those questions and not focusing on the unbearable pain she was in.