Author's note: Getting more into the flames, lads and real hot in here! Please don't hate me for these chapters, they are based in Dorison's work.

13. The Golden Rose

"My treasure is my gallant bark,

My only God is liberty;

My law is might, the wind my mark,

My country is the sea."

Hours went by. Jim, Sarah and BEN stayed in their cabin, waiting for a chance to go up to the deck or visit Long John. James sighed. How long were they going to wait? Hu? There was someone in the infirmary and judging by the voices, it was the captain talking to Silver about something. After some minutes, the man left and the boy slowly opened the door. So, the Ursid was awake. Perhaps it was a good time to talk to him. He slowly sneaked across the corridor not noticing a pair of eyes that had seen him.

Once inside the room, he looked across and saw his friend awake. Jim decided to take the chance.

'Jimbo?' Silver stared at him. The boy walked up to him and noticed that they had took off the cyborg's shirt. He could now see clearly how the mechanical arm was fixed to the flesh but something caught his eye. Several black lines or darkened veins ran from the prosthesis towards the chest, stomach and heart. Was that the reason of Silver's illness? 'It ain't pretty ta see, I know' Jim also noticed several scars and old injures in the Ursid's massive body.

'Is this why...?'

'Blud poisonin'. I fe'red ths much when it start'd. It means me arm which is so handy, is now me death sentence'

'But why?'

'Cuz I've been aw'y from ta man who made'em for me. He told me tis would happen in time. Ta prosthesis goes ol, cuts the flesh and poisons ta insides' that made sense. That was why his cough was that bad and his arm hardly worked.

'That is why you didn't want to go on before? You knew?'

'When Spoon came, he told me. I alre'dy fear'd it but ten I knew fer sure. I ain't a man of pity, Jim. I hat'it when folks feel sorry fer me. But am also scar'd to death. I don't wanna leave ye and Sarah alone. Problem is all me strength has left me to ta sharks'

'Am sure there's something inside you. You can still beat this'

'Ma'be, boyo. But right now I just wanna think of nothin' Silver moaned.

'Can I ask you something? Who's Ma?'

'Who WAS Ma? She was te most gorgeous thing in ta Etherium. She could turn ta darkest night into light. Ma was Ricardo's mamma and one of me biggest loves'

'And, she died, right?'

'Aye. And it was all me fault. I convinced'her to track down the map of Flint so ta the Goodsight could take its revenge on Flinty but ta was our biggest mist'ke. She was shot dead and aye... Aye lost half me body ta horrible day' he glanced at his mechanical arm.

'You give up a few things chasing a dream... Ma was one of them'

'I ain't proud of ta, Jimbo. I've regretted ta day ever since'

'... Sorry' they went quiet for a long moment. 'This Ricardo doesn't look like a pirate at all'

'Nein. He was brought up to be a good lad but he can be a nightm're, too. Still, the Goodsight's captain is not like any other pir'te capt'n nor is the ship'

'How come?'

'The Goodsight exists to protect ti only tre'sure ta ain't diamonds nor gold'

'Which one then?'

'Ta Universal Compass, ta Golden Rose. A mechanic flower ta tells thy truth and points out other tre'sures. It is the last in ta universe and ta Goodsight watches over it. When ye sign up in this ship, ye make an oath. Ye swear to protect the rose'

'And does the Empire know about it?'

'Course they do and other pirates but, ta is why Ricardo's duty is so important' Silver was beginning to feel a head-ache coming. 'Ugh!'

'You OK?'

'No...' he gritted his teeth. Jim tried to come up with an idea when the door opened. A beautiful slender female alien with four arms was in the doorway and the Ursid knew her at once. 'Layla'

'Jolly' her voice was sweet and wise. Her skin was dark blue with several dim stripes and her eyes and face had a panther looking. They both went quiet and she finally sat down near him and caressed his face. 'Joe has told me'

'Am so sorry, Lay. Aye...' his temperature was rising so she hushed him and brushed the few sweat droplets. Feeling her soft hands in his cheek and neck, Long John fasted asleep and Layla smiled.

'It´s been too long, Jol. But I missed ye too' she did looked like a pirate but there was something quiet and mysterious about her. 'We should let him rest for now'

'I'm worried about him. I never thought someone like Silver, life lover and positive to the death, could lose all his reasons to live'

'John's been through many parts of hell in his life. The skin burns and hurts even if you pretend that they don't. But he's a big bear, he'll come up with something. He always does and that is why we were in love'

'Wait, you were his girlfriend?'

'We met when he signed up for the Goodsight, we were both looking for adventure and we swear to do it together. We felt in love and and kept our promise until...' she decided to go quiet. 'Uh! Forget it. Let's go deck and see what the boys are up to'

'He's in love with my mom now' Jim had noticed. 'But I don't think that he meant to break your heart'

'... Just follow me' they went up. Meanwhile Sarah was tired of BEN's ranting and decided to do something outside the room. He thought of visiting John but he was probably asleep so she headed for the deck where the sailors were doing fights on barrels. They stared at her with big grins.

'Hey, look fellas! La Lady has decided to join in!' barked Rata.

Oops! Love triangle in the air, lads! What happened between Layla and Silver? She's panther looking cuz if Silver's a bear, it came to me that it would be funny for her to be feline like Bagheera for a Baloo. "Baloo, birds of a feather should flock together. You wouldn't marry a panther now, would you? I don't know. Come to think of it, no panther has ever asked me. Ha-ha."

Who will keep the Ursid's heart?

Will John find a new reason to stand up?

Is Sarah going to be ok with the crew?

Next stop: Milady