Chasing Mirages by Russandol

Thanks oshun! The story spans a long time, but the longest bit (not chronologically but in written length) takes place during the first part of the Second Age. Most of that part is written already. But I am not a fast writer...

Hey, thanks! This is only the beginning. He does not know what he got himself into ** evil cackle **. I am rather fond of him now, after writing from his POV for the last 9 months or more, since the idea came to my mind.  Thanks for the review!!

Truly glad you enjoyed it. oshun. It was even more fun to write it, the POV of this story has made me stretch my imagination in all kinds of fascinating ways. In this chapter, well, the new toy had to be discovered... ;o) About the Valar... well, let´s say that this is only the beginning.

Thank you for taking the time to review!  

Wow, thank you, oshun ** blushes to the roots of hair **. These first chapters are just setting the background, and I hope the rest of the story will not disappoint you. It is my first ever slash, and I will be very pleased if the pairing still works for you once they get to the crucial bits. I would love to know what you think then. ;o)

Thank you oshun, I am so chuffed that you are following this story and that you like my characters (they are like new-found relatives by now, so I am starting to become protective, he, he!).

I have not tried to replicate the whole of the Mayan/Aztec culture in Kiinluum, only stolen some of the symbology plus the language, instead of failing to invent my own. Yes, LOL, I have also thought of borrowing some of the Aztec sacrifice visuals when we get to the days in Numenor, we'll see... Fall of the Kings - beautiful blending of the story with stag myths.

About muscle memory, Eonwe did not have it yet, that is the funny thing. I enjoyed imagining what he could and could not do, aren't I wicked? I truly hope you keep enjoying Mirages when we move into the Dark Side^TM. ;o)

You have made my day, elfscribe, and taken a huge weight off my mind. I feared I would not be able to pull these chapters together in the ways you had suggested.

About the light/darkness, I cannot imagine Melkor being crudely dark or ugly, the tired stereotype of a villain, at least not originally. He must have been dazzling bright, mighty and exquisitely beautiful to others of his kind, and his offer of sharing his knowledge must have been irresistible for one who hoards it like Mairon. A mirage of a differnt making, is now buing built in front of Eonwe's eyes. I will have them both chasing mirages, poor guys.

Thanks for your support, and for this wonderful review. They both mean a lot to me.

Ah, ebbingnight, there is several reasons for that too. I could say it is their typical "hands off" approach when things go pearshaped, let someone else fix the problem. But there is a bit more, I am afraid you will have to wait a while to find out.

Glad you are following this story, I hope you are enjoying it. Thanks for your comment!

I know, it has taken time to get them there, but it could not be rushed. Good things come to those who wait...! Mairon is looking forward to the next beguiling bits, and I hope you are too! Thanks for dropping in to read and for leaving a comment. 

Thank you, elfscribe, I am so happy it works for you!

Yes, Eonwe is naive for sure, because until his ordeal began I imagine he was aloof and very distant from the real world - the Ainur in their ivory tower, and he always met the Children in his guise as a superior being, never as an equal, or worse still, as someone learning the ropes (!) as he does now. Also, he wants to see goodness in Sauron. I have built this fic on the premises that Sauron may have actually repented at first, as Tolkien suggests: "And some hold that this was not at first falsely done, but that Sauron in truth repented, if only out of fear, being dismayed by the fall of Morgoth and the great wrath of the Lords of the West."

The balance of this repentance is precarious, at the very least, and we all know how it goes, eventually...

Thanks again for the wonderful review.

He, he, I am truly flattered! I think calling Eonwe's learnings the "fruit of knowledge" is not so far off the mark, for one who has mostly lived as one of the clueless Ainur in the bliss of Aman. But If Mairon reminds you of a snake, then I am so pleased - I got him right!

Thanks for following Eonwe's adventures and for your review, ebbingnight. Both are most appreciated. You will be glad to know, I hope, that there is a lot more to come.

Thank you, Sare! I am thrilled that you are liking it. I have invested a long time in building the story up to get us where we are so that it all makes some sense, but I'm glad you are sticking to it, and I truly hope you enjoy what comes next... ;o)

I truly appreciate your review, it is good to know I am on the right track.

Well, yes, there had to be a carrot somewhere, and Eönwë has found it (as well as the stick, LOL!). I hope there is no doubt that Mairon delivered his promise.

You are spot on, ebbingnight, the first-person POV masks many things that are going on with Mairon, mainly because he plays his ambiguous game so that you never know with certainty what is in his mind. An omniscent narrator would spoil the fun of this story! I hope you "enjoyed" it from Eönwë's eyes...

Thanks very much for sticking with the story, and for the review!

Hi, Ebbingnight, don't worry, the Valar have not finished with Eonwe yet. They are probably busy with all the elves that died during the Battles of Beleriand being released in a trickle from Mandos, that's all.

I am pleased you liked this chapter, it was a bit of a rest for all concerned, me included, LOL. Thank for reviewing!

Hi Alasse, thanks very much for your review, it is great to welcome a new reader! Yes, both the topic and the pairing are unusual. I hope to build a whole story behind Sauron's actions, seen through Eonwe's eyes, based on the quote at the beginning of the first chapter, which suggests Sauron actually repented... for a while. As for Maglor, I have some ideas, yes, but I'm afraid it will be literally ages before they meet up. I won't give anything else away just now, just read on... and I hope you keep enjoying it. Thanks again!

Oh, yes, well and truly pwned. He got far more than he bargained for, because who would go and throw himself into power games against the Dark Lord himself *** evil cackle ***? Well, I hope you enjoyed it, this chapter was certainly a hoot to write. Thank you very much for reading and for your review, Ebbingnight!

I like that comparison, "like  a kid with a new toy", that's exactly what happens to him, once he is able to forget he can't escape it. Yes, he will inevitably learn pain and pleasure, and to control his emotions, like we all do, but it's like an "intensive course". Thanks for the review! 

Yes, the meaning is authentic, as far as I know, and Sauron is not lying, I have tried to create all the words from a real language, I don't have the skills to create one! And about trusting Sauron (or not), well, the story revolves around that and more. :o)   

I wanted to create that ambiguity that would make the reader wish to trust Sauron, same as Eonwe does. Writing in first person, getting into Sauron's head through Eonwe's eyes is tricky, but I'm glad it's working. Yes, Eonwe's seduction is similar to Sauron's, at least to start with, but there is a key difference, you'll have to wait a little. I am amazed you managed to read the whole lot in one sitting, Chica, me pones colorada! I am bouncing up and down with delight about you liking the hot scenes, you've made my day.

Thank you for the review!

Ah, lilith, I'm glad you like it and you don't think Chakmool was exaggerating when he called it "art", after all. Thanks for posting a review!

Ah, yes, a perspective worth considering, ebbingnight, disturbing or not. Síináan may have a point. You have the hindsight of knowing what Mairon will be up to in the future, while Eönwë and these guys don't have that information, and whatever dark intentions Mairon may have in his heart (and who says what they might be?), all Eönwë can do is to rely on the evidence of his deeds during their days together. How can you determine that someone is evil? Surely not by what goes in their head because no one can see that... well, maybe the Valar think they can!

I hope you are enjoying the story (even despite the mithril-chained power games...). Thank you for your review!

I'm very glad to hear that. There's something about mithril shackles, isn't there? ;o)

Hi, ebbingnight! I am thrilled with your review, and I hope you keep spoiling me so, because it's great to know I am hooking you with this story.

No, indeed this is not the worst that can happen, but to Eonwe, it seems so. Definitely, he's the hero of our story and deserves better. I won't comment on the rest of that paragraph or I may be tempted to give you spoilers. Hang on in there for a while...

Thank you very much for reading and for letting me know you enjoy it!

Mairon is a Maia of great power, and he certainly knows how to manipulate people. But in this case I believe he is merely applying simple logic. The point about the Valar not understanding the Second-born, or the First-born, for that matter, is spot on, and caused no end of grief. This is not a Valar-friendly fic, you have probably realised by now, and there will be more.

Eönwë acting as Findaráto? Well, I could not pass the opportunity of describing Mairon's roleplaying games, could I? Plus they show how much Eönwë would do to please Mairon.

Thanks for your review Alasse, I'm very happy you are enjoying their antics.

You are right, we know what happens to Annatar in the end, we have an unfair advantage, but Eönwë does not, and his grief is real. I felt guilty writing this part of the story. As to the relationship after this, you don't really want tme to spoil it for you, do you?

Thanks very much for reading and reviewing, Alasse, it makes my day to know you are following the story and enjoying it!

Ah, yes... This is the man who deceived the Elves of Eregion and caused the ruin of Numenor by giving himself as a hostage. So I wanted to portray that deviousness. I am pleased you didn't see it coming (though there were some clues) and that you are enjoying the story. Thanks for reading and for dropping by to leave me a review!