Aether : Calraem

Chapter 22: Last Pirate King

"So you wanna learn about the Blackbeard Pirates, huh?"

Alavara was sitting in the library reading a novel so thick that Hikari was certain he could get a concussion if he were to take a direct hit to the head.

The library they were in wasn't very big and the number of books were limited bit it was really amazing that all of these different rooms could be found on the different ships. Kaizoku must have put a large amount of effort into making the ship, Mary Jane.

"Yeah, Captain never explains everything..." He muttered. Alavara heard him and she snickered.

"You get used to it." She stood up from the desk she was at and put the book back into one of the shelves then went around the corner.

Hikari noticed that she was wearing reading glasses when she came back with two cups of coffee. Alavara noticed his gaze and asked him.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no... It's nothing..."

"Well then, sit down."

They both sat down being surrounded by nothing but the smell of paper and coffee in the room. Alavara took a sip and then lazed back in her chair while letting out a satisfied "Ahh..." as the steam left her mouth from the cup.

Hikari also took a sip from his cup and his eyes immediately shot open. This is amazing!

"Did Sully make this? It's amazing!" He said as he started drinking the rest of it.

"You've never had coffee before... Sorry. I forgot about the memory loss thing..." She said while giving an apologetic look.

That made Hikari think for a moment as the flashback came back to him about the girl he had seen. She had called him "nii-san".

"Alavara. What does 'nii-san' mean?"

"It means 'brother' in kitsunese. A language used by the kitsune village. How do you know about it?"

"I... I'm not sure..." He decided he was going to keep this to himself for a while so he can first figure it out himself.

But still, 'brother', huh? Does that mean that she was my younger sister? How was she able to speak kitsunese? I need to investigate this on my own...

"Well, anyways... You wanted to learn about Blackbeard, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach. Around a few hundred years ago he was considered the most wanted man alive. He has done everything horrible in this world and was considered the embodiment of fear. He was last Pirate King so far in history."

"Pirate King?"

"Yes. It means the 'One who controls the Ocean'. It is only possible if you have four Sea Emperors become part of your fleet."

"Is that really such a hard thing to do?"

"Extremely. Kaizoku is a Sea Emperor and has a fleet of 8000 pirates. Do you think he would submit along with the rest of the fleet to help another emperor become the Pirate King?" She smiled as she said it.

Hikari gulped and then shook his head. He couldn't even imagine that happening.

"Hard to imagine, right? That's why it's close to impossible to become the Pirate King. What made it even worse is the fact Blackbeard had seven Emperors under his own. He was basically impossible to take down and even the World Government couldn't touch him. His main crew were said to be able to individually take on a thousand pirates in their respective area of expertise. There is no pirate alive who doesn't fear the name "Blackbeard"."

Hikari couldn't believe it. That man, Edward Teach did give off the feeling that he was strong but as strong as Alavara was making him out to be.

"If that man was really that strong... Then what happened?"

"No one really knows but rumours went around that the Sea Emperors under him banded together and planned a mutiny. They was a large fight that took place that destroyed a few islands and brought nature gods into the play. In the end, Blackbeard died, the Sea Emperors and the nature gods as well. Some of his main crew were captured and taken to purgatory. It was considered one of the biggest wars in history. A tragic death for a pirate king."

Alavara finished by taking a long sip from her coffee. It seems she were reminiscing on something.

Hikari on the other is still in shock by the extremity of this story. It was honestly impossible to believe. The only reason he believed this was because of how shocked Kaizoku was to hear that he was alive. There must be some truth to the story.

"Why did you ask about this?" Alavara suddenly asked.

"It's because I met him." Hikari told her the story of how he met him and that he had told Kaizoku about it. Alavara paused for a moment to take it all in. She had taken off her glasses while she was talking to Hikari but it bothered him a little. He thought she looked better with the glasses.

"You met Blackbeard?!" She yelled at Hikari as she grabbed his shoulders and began shaking them violently. Hikari had a tired expression on his face as he was shaken.

"No need to be so loud about it." He grabbed his head after Alavara was finished letting of steam. His head was throbbing.

"You came face to face with a legend and had no idea who he was. I should feel ashamed that I'm acquainted with you now..." Alavara mumbled as she sulked after hearing how Hikari had been about meeting The Pirate King.

"Hey, Alavara?"

"Mm?"

"What's a cat?"

"Cat? Let me see..." She stood and walked over to one of the shelves and took a book out and flipped through the pages. Her eyes absorbing all if the information in the book in seconds and when she reached halfway she suddenly stopped and went to go sit back down.

"Here it is." She put the book in front of Hikari.

I'm the book there was a drawing of a small creature that had similar features to the Lycras. Its eyes had slits by its irises and had a sly look on its face. It was covered in fur all over its body and its shape resembled that of Pyro.

"That's the god worshipped by Lycras, Nekosan." Alavara said. "It's form is said to be called a 'cat'."

It kind of did resemble what Hikari was thinking of so he must have been on the right track with his memories.

Wait...

"Elaine doesn't even know what her own god is!?" He exclaimed as he came to this realization.

"Its because she never worships any gods in the first place. As long as she can do medicine then its fine by her." Alavara answered and then took the last sip of her coffee.

Hikari decided not question it further.

There was suddenly a knock on the door.

"Cabin boy, Captain wants to see ya!" The voice said then left.

Hikari stood up and then sighed. "See ya."

"You too." She replied and then went back to reading.