Interlude 38.1

Author notes: This is an interlude I initially removed. I decided to add this last minute due to some critique given by my critique partner about events that happen later on in the story. (Critique partner=Another author I exchange draft reading and critique with.) 

I thought it'd be dumb to just add it to Chapter 38 on Royal Road, while the people who read on Patreon might've missed it when I fixed it. (because come on, who'll just reread a chapter?)

For this interlude, it actually doesn't matter if you read it now, or read it back at chapter 38. It's meant to foreshadow events that happen much later. That being said, these events do need to be foreshadowed and not just dropped on surprisingly. 

The interlude happens right after the Maven of Mysteries meets with Kolag and Lezere on the 37.1 interlude. (It's also skippable, at least IMO.) 

Apologies for the confusion, here's the interlude for those who wants to read it: 

Interlude 38.1

Janara

{27} Lokamesh (May) the 24th (5 months earlier)

Janara wakes up in a small white room with a startle. An old woman sits on the only comfortable sofa in the room, and Janara has no choice but to sit on her white clean bed.

Is she finally dead?

"I'm dead right? You must be a Singer of Koshavi... can you take me to see Purson?"

"A Singer of Koshavi?" the old woman croaks, "me?!" Only now Janara notices how ugly the elderly woman is, it's impossible, the Singers of Koshavi are said to be more beautiful than any elf. “Kikikikikikiki...” the old woman cackles like an old witch from the bard's tales. "You are not dead," the woman finally says, "I stopped time when the blade entered your heart."

What? How?

It doesn't matter... "Can you please just let me die? I want to see Purson... I want to tell him I'm sorry..."

The old woman leans forward, large golden eyes gleaming brighter than the white walls. "You won't see your dear Purson for a very long time, my little cockroach. You are going to take vengeance on the ones who got him killed, yes?"

"I already did." Janara shrugs. "Kolag has probably been executed by now. And it's just a matter of time before they catch Marisha..."

The old woman snorts. "Marisha had been pursued by a fully ascended mage. She killed him and managed to get away. The tower cannot reach her anymore."

What? How? That's not right! That's not right!

"And Kolag," the old woman continues. "He received the protection of an archmage, it'll be tricky to kill him, yes?"

Janara nods. Maybe she should stay here in this sad little world after all, to ensure Justice had been carried out for her Purson. "What's your interest in all of this?" She asks, there's no way the old woman is here out of her own goodwill.

"The mage who pursued Marisha, the one she killed, he was my grandson. I want vengeance, but I cannot carry it out myself. If an old archmage like me stooped down to deal with a lowly apprentice it'd look bad, yes? I need an agent. I'll place you on Marisha's and Kolag path, somewhere the Sapphire Tower cannot interfere. You will carry out your mission, you'll deal with the two of them. My dear little cockroach, if you manage to carry out your task, I'll take you as my personal apprentice."

Maybe there's hope for her to survive this mad tower after all...