Galaxy Pirates

Chapter 40: The Essence of the Blood Diamond

Violet spent that evening crying in her room, not able to understand her feelings anymore – she loved Arubah deeply, yet her mind dictated it was wrong because he wasn't truly as kind as she had previously thought. Another voice argued that he was a godly being, hence could judge circumstances in ways that her feeble human mind could not possibly comprehend, but other voices opposed this idea and accused her of justifying her sweetheart and vainly believing in his kindness when she had in fact fallen for a dangerous tyrant who ruled according to his own whims. The freedom he promised was the freedom of choice as long as that very choice did not contradict his desires. If there ever were people to choose to stand in his way, that very 'freedom' would be completely squashed under his boots. Was that what she wished for Earth, her homeland? – Certainly not.

However, her poor heart was still beating for the man, because she could remember every word of his, his cute gestures, that benevolent, warm smile, those godly eyes full of wisdom and care... Was he truly a tyrant? – As a boyfriend and even just a friend, he certainly was not. He was indeed beyond her comprehension. The only truth that she failed to, or did not want to realise, was that her heart had long been placed in his crimson claws, to beat forever for him, never to regain its freedom from his clutches.

Another certain truth was that not only Violet grieved for such a complicated outcome. If Ellie, this little child, had long been charmed by the young man, their father Gunther was of other opinions. He never liked his daughters to be so infatuated by these pirates, to begin with. Now, after beholding Arubah's heartless conducts, he got assured he should do something. He didn't know what, for he was well aware he would be powerless against that omnipotent man... but was he truly omnipotent? Did he not have some weakness? He was half-human, wasn't he? To understand his 'opponent' better, Gunther decided to seek help at the hands of his good friend and mentor – the Pirate Emperor's very own father, Roderigo Alvarez.

He accessed Roderigo's room. Luckily for him, that ferocious Daluma-Herminoid wife of his was absent – according to Roderigo's words, she was in the bathroom and would stay there for long since the Daluma would spend quite a lot of time in the water to cleanse their bodies. The men, thus freed of their family toils, decided to feast upon some Golden Beer that Roderigo had gotten as a gift from his son's friend and supporter – Daluman pirate, Captain Richder Mahut.

"So, anyway," Gunther sipped the Golden Beer his friend had handed him, "I've always wondered since I got to know you, Roderigo – how did you handle an alien family? I mean, what attracted you towards them in the first place? I apologize if it is somehow rude from my part, but, I was utterly curious to know..."

"Heh, no issue, Gunther, no issue!" Roderigo chuckled, "It was indeed tough at first. I was still a teenager with quite a bitter past full of difficulties, bloodshed, deaths in every corner where I looked... I bet you can understand me, we both are war veterans. Appearing in Malu's hands was really the last straw for me. I acted like a crazy berserker. She tormented me quite a handful in order to subdue my outbursts. At first, I was scared of her and hated her, but gradually, as I grew beside her and contemplated her and Sinbad's lives, I came to understand their species better. In the end, we all are still Hermin creatures, come down from them – the Herminoids – so, we've quite a lot in common. If we, humans, grow more open-minded, we'll find even more similarities of ours to our source race – the Herminoids. In the end, I grew to sympathize with her problems. The way she understood me and everything that was going on in my mind, cuddled with me and acted like a kind-hearted mother I had long lost, I could no longer resist... Before I knew it, I loved her deeply, so deeply that I'd be ready to move mountains for her sake".

"Remarkable... And there have never been times when you regretted your decision?"

"With Malu? No, never".