Remarkably Karena regained consciousness just a few minutes later as she opened her eyes and sat up slowly, grasping her head in one of her hands.
"Oh dear, what a night…Felt like I was sleeping for a few months!" she stated aloud before she started looking around. "Where am I…? This isn't…" – she trailed off and then gasped with shock – "How did I get back home?! And why is my hair so much longer?! What is-?!"
At that moment, Zacharias entered the room wearing his armor, and Karena stopped while gazing at him with surprise.
"Zachary?!" she continued as she stood up. "What are you doing here?!" - she paused as a sense of realization came over her - "Did you…Did you break me out of my cell last night?!"
Zacharias was all too happy that his beloved Karena was back, but refrained from showering her with his love as he answered her question. "Believe me Karena, I would have shown no hesitation in breaking you out of that godforsaken place." He said. "But as a Knight of the Inquisition, I have vowed to never overstep my boundaries. In truth, you weren't quite broken out, for that night you were turned to stone by a petrification spell."
Karena's expression changed from surprise to confusion. "What do you mean Zachary? I'm not stone at all. I'm right here."
"I know you are…" he uttered slowly as he brought his right hand up to her cheek to stroke it gently. "But the Great Witch visited you that night and stole you away from me, using her trickery to leave a stone statue of you behind. 'Tis the honest truth…"
"So…How long have I been…?"
"Far too long, my love…" Zacharias uttered sadly. "I stopped counting the days as the sixth month came to a close…'Twas torture for me, to think that I would never see you again…"
Karena listened silently with concern as she gazed upon his saddened face. Once he was done speaking, she wrapped her arms around his waist and brought him into a hug.
"I am deeply sorry Zachary…" she said tearfully as she felt him return the hug. "I left you alone for so long. I-."
"No Karena. None of this is your fault." He pulled away and stared into her eyes calmly. "It is that witch who did this."
"That's the problem Zachary. I remember no such witch…"
"Do you not remember anything from that night?"
Karena shook her head. "Everything from when we exchanged our last kiss to when I woke up today is all a blur…"
She stopped and clenched her teeth while holding her head in pain. A moment later she returned to normal and straightened up. Zacharias instinctively asked if she was okay, and she answered by nodding her head while touching her temple.
"I just remembered something from that night…A woman, standing at the door to my cell, but I cannot make out any features because she was standing in the shadows..."
"Would you tell me…if it was Espella's figure that you saw…?"
"What?! Why would Espella…?" Karena trailed off, shaking her head. "No, it wasn't her. The woman I saw was taller…" – she saw that he was starting to ponder on this new information – "Zachary it doesn't matter now. I'm back, and I'll never let her take me away again."
"No Karena. I will not be truly satisfied until you are no longer endangered by that witch." He told her with a dead serious expression on his face. "My only wish is for you and this village to be safe from the Great Witch, and I must start by protecting the Storyteller."
"Is he in danger?"
"Grave danger. He is to die by Bezella's hand today."
Karena's eyes widened with shock as she heard this. "Bezella…She's real?! And the Storyteller will die? How much did I miss exactly?"
"Far too much. I shall tell you everything later." Zacharias told her as he moved quickly towards the door. "I must leave now, before it is too late."
He was about to open the door, when Karena bid him to wait.
He did so, looking back at her with a quizzical look. She rushed up to him and gave him a quick but tender and loving kiss. As she pulled away, Zacharias followed, yearning for the touch of her lips. But he remembered the urgency of his situation and stopped himself.
"Please, be careful Zachary." She said with a pleading gaze. "And try not to do anything too drastic…"
"I shall Karena." He replied. "You will stay here, out of sight?"
"Until you return."
"Right, then I'm off."
He then opened the door and disappeared down the path back to the main streets while Karena watched on with deep concern for his safety…
Sorry for the short chapter, but longer ones are to come, as well as some surprises! Also, I'm coming closer to figuring out the title that I'll be using for my extra stories! I'm so excited for this, because of the reveals that are coming pretty soon that will go with a small series of the extras! Hope you'll be looking forward to it too! ;)