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The Unquenchable Light  by Virtuella 2 Review(s)
LeithianReviewed Chapter: 21 on 3/31/2025
How did I miss this update? No idea.

This chapter has action interspersed with comedy in the most delightful manner. Glad to see Tilar and her new advisor meet their just desserts.

"𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. “𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘒ϋ𝘻 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳.”

...

“𝘌𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳,” 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳. “𝘔𝘢𝘫𝘢𝘯𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 –”

Sure ambassador!
There was the last Louis of France who lasted for less than half an hour and then there is this 2 minute Archseraphine. I know, Tilar, we all wanted to become princesses when we were young, but we don't ally with Dark Lords to fulfil our dreams. Better luck next time.

As for the ambassador, I believe that Hamujil will be more merciful to him than Sauron, so he better not try to escape.

Thank goodness for the quick thinking by Majani and her ladies that saved the day.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳!” 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘣. “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦?”

𝘔𝘢𝘫𝘢𝘯𝘪 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯.  “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴, 𝘴𝘯𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳-𝘪𝘯-𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦.  𝘐𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.”

Lol! The guard's thoughts and Majani's calm response. I think she is still a little bemused at the absurdity of the attempted coup d'etat.

***
Hamujil on the other hand is too very nice and I don't know what to call it... he takes blame so easily or thinks everything is his responsibility? It isn't but, well he is a very nice neighbour. I don't know what to think of the Krβ response. On one hand I think that their accusations are too ludicrous but of course jealousy caused the world's first crime, so it is understandable that the Krβ are moved to war as they feel that they have not been treated fairly by the Kϋzeen. Of course, Sauron's lies may have worked to exacerbate the situation.

𝘌𝘻𝘦𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘮𝘳𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘌𝘻𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘮ϋ𝘫𝘪𝘭, 𝘈𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘠𝘶𝘯.

Finally a wise council from the Ezen.

“𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦!” 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘣𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯.

Oh poor thing. I feel so sorry for Jarin. I wish she didn't feel so bad, but I understand her horror.

Hoping that the saner heads will prevail and the negotiations will be successful.

Have a nice day!

P.S. I love the new summary. It is a beautiful reflection of the exotic nature of the East.
Also, if I may say so, thanks for your work in trying to 'redeem' the East. Honestly, as an Eastern person, the constant negative portrayal in the legendarium is sometimes a bit too much.

Author Reply: [I don't know what to call it... he takes blame so easily or thinks everything is his responsibility?] I want to portray Hamujil as someone who rests securely in himself and therefore has no motivation to shift blame or insist on his power.

There is a genuine economic imbalance between Kuz and Kra and while that is not exactly the fault of the Kuzeen, it's also true that they have been complacent about it and not done much to help the Kra.

[Also, if I may say so, thanks for your work in trying to 'redeem' the East. Honestly, as an Eastern person, the constant negative portrayal in the legendarium is sometimes a bit too much.]

I am so glad you feel that way, that means a lot to me. Personally, I don't think Tolkien was racist as such (he certainly had no time for the Nazis), but he would have benefitted from some Unconscious Bias Training...

LindeleaReviewed Chapter: 21 on 3/28/2025
This chapter is as much comedy as it is drama. And then we come to the tragedy at the end. Poor Jarin! Can there be any healing possible for her heart and conscience?

Author Reply: We shall see. ;-)

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