Ginah didn’t feel like responding to that, but Melas met her gaze challengingly. She wanted a response, so Ginah gave her a half hearted one. "Uh, I mean, it does violate Holy Law…?"
"That’s fair," Melas said, nodding, "if it was a law written by the Goddess herself, and not by the corrupt and greedy men using her name to their advantage."
The pirate Captain certainly wasn’t the most religious individual, but everyone in the room knew the ‘Holy Law’ first conceived as a justification for the First Holy War was often revised by the Church to suit their own interests— until the Great Hero Xander rewrote it entirely, making it now immutable. And yet, it was in the same amendment did he claim that magic was something that could be forgiven if the heretic was repentant. Something everyone knew he wrote up to protect the Demon Lord’s daughter from persecution.
"What’s your point then?" Ginah asked, still unconvinced by what Melas was trying to say. "The Church is unfairly targeting you, so we should protect you and risk their ire then?"
"It’s something you all, as criminals, know well enough: that the law isn’t perfect." Melas spread her arms around. "If the law was perfect, I wouldn’t be hunted by the Church right now. If it was perfect, I wouldn’t be wanted in the Free Lands for being a slave."
Ginah blinked and Gennady sputtered. "You were a slave, Melas?" the Dwarf exclaimed. "Why did you never tell me this?"
"I didn’t trust you then," Melas said, her silver eyes glinting as she met his gaze. "But I do now."
"Lass…" he trailed off, but Ginah stepped in before he could say more.
"That doesn’t matter," she said. "Sure, we’re criminals. We understand that more than anyone. So what?" She was getting exasperated. If Melas was trying to guilt her into helping— it was almost working. And Ginah wanted it to work. But she knew it would be the end of her crew. So that was why she felt frustrated.
"So," Melas started, turning to face the pirate Captain, "aren’t you tired of living like this?"
"...what?"
Everyone in the room looked at her, a confused look on their faces. She ignored them, singling out Ginah.
"I mean you. You’re tired, aren’t you? I saw it in your face when we first met, and I see it now. You’re exhausted. You’re sick and tired of living like this. I can’t say I fully understand your situation, but you and I are alike, aren’t we? You just want to help others without feeling like the world itself is going against you."
Ginah’s eyes flashed. "You know nothing about me."
"I know enough." Melas shrugged. "Lisa told me you killed your father because he was a terrible person. You could’ve just lived comfortably, protected by an abhorrent individual. But you didn’t— it didn’t weigh well in your conscience. So you killed him. I found myself in that situation too, just half a year ago. And that’s why I can’t join the Dark Crusaders.
"You’re a good person, Ginah. Deep down inside of you, you just want to help others, but you don’t want the weight of the world on your shoulders. You wonder to yourself, why must you be a criminal to do that. Why must others come after you for doing what’s right? It makes no sense, doesn’t it?"
Ginah wanted to deny it, but she knew it was true. This was a child, and yet she broke it down so perfectly. Just what did she go through to know all this? She couldn’t have been just saying this for the sake of it. Ginah knew that Melas was speaking from the heart here— that she truly felt that way too.
"Fine," Ginah finally conceded. "You’re right. But that doesn’t change things. Helping you will do us no good. I have no reason to help you."
"Except— you do," Melas said. "Ignoring your conscience, you have two other reasons. The first is the fact that we made a deal. You claim to be pirates with principles, no? Going against our deal would go against everything you’ve worked hard to establish so far. But more than that, I can help you."
"And how’s that?"
"I can help you escape this life of crime."
This time, Ginah wasn’t the only one who had a dubious look on her face. Everyone seemed to doubt what Melas had to say, but she was offering Ginah specifically a deal, so they didn’t opine. She continued.
"My friend here"— Melas gestured at Gennady, her Dwarf escort— "has many connections in Taw. He has offered to use his contacts to give me asylum in his country. To revoke my status as a heretic there. Or at least, erase all traces of it so I can start a new life. I’m sure such a thing could be arranged for you too."
Ginah frowned. "I’m not going to leave my crew behind."
"And you don’t have to," she said. "You can bring them with you."
The pirate Captain hesitated. That was a really alluring idea. But still, she had things to take care of in Luke. "And you expect me to leave Luke in chaos as I go and live a happy, new life in Taw?"
"No." Melas shook her head. "You’re coming to Taw specifically to help your people in Luke
"As I said, Gennady has many contacts. He knows factory owners and people from other industries. Now that the Elise is gone, I’m sure many of these factories and companies owned by them would be going bankrupt soon without their drug money to support them. That means a lot of people going out of a job.
"If you come
