“I dare say Hollow doctored Deranges’ handwriting,” said Sebastian between snickers. Edwin wasn’t listening to him. When the eagle had come, the healer had thought that someone wealthy was on a deathbed.

Instead, it was a letter from Harry. With his handwriting and way of speaking. Edwin didn’t know what to do. Hadrian and he were friends, nothing more. Right?

“What if it is real?” Whispered Edwin. Sebastian stopped snickering to give a wolf whistle. Edwin regarded him with an unamused look.

“Remind me why I haven’t ordered you to go die on a dune so far?” Edwin knew that he was being harsh, but he hated being mocked. And, unlike all the times when his patients called him a charlatan, he couldn’t console himself with the thought that he was not one.

“Because then you will be all alone next to a dungeon that you are in the process of destroying? Anyway, this is just what Deranges would do. You are a vampire now, Lich too, and boy wouldn’t he have kittens when he finds out?” The infernal snickering was back, and Edwin threw the letter at Sebastian, lacking anything else to throw.

“Besides, as lover boy writes, you are nice, Eddy. He wants himself a dark chocolate angel cake. A soul eating one. If this is a joke by Hollow, then Deranges will tell you so. If it is not, I suggest kissing as the next course of action,” Sebastian threw the letter back and Edwin snatched it from the air.

For how long has this been going on? Hadrian had always been close to him. Maybe closer than a friend. He had been there for the real funeral of Helena. He must know that Edwin was still in mourning.

If this was a joke by Daniel, however, he was sending a shadow after the infernal brat. It didn’t matter that Daniel was older than he by seven years. If he resorted to such tactics to get his kicks, then he was a brat.

“We will wait here for them,” he owed Hadrian at least that. If it was a joke, then Daniel would end up black and blue. If it was the truth, then…

“Pity you are off the market, Eddy. I am interested too,” Edwin disliked the smile, which was showing fangs, that Sebastian was sprouting. On Hadrian, such a smile looked innocent. On Sebastian, it looked wicked.

“Don’t you start,” warned Edwin, and Sebastian held up his hands in surrender.

They heard a loud, pained hiss, and looked to the side, where the shadows were battling the last guardian of the now dead dungeon outside it. Edwin wanted to harvest all the herbs inside that wonderful cavern, which he had dubbed The Garden. Even the poisonous ones.

“How long do you think it will take them,” asked Sebastian as they walked towards the corpse of the giant snake. The shadows were doing quick work of the little golden ones.

“A week? That was what the tourist guide at the Adventurer’s Guild told me before we departed. That was how long it took us,” Edwin picked up a small snake and examined its fangs. There were small, golden droplet gathering at the tips. He wondered what medicine could be created by milking all these corpses.

“But we got lost. So three-four days tops, they will travel with children in tow,” supplied Sebastian. They made it to the now caved in Garden cavern and Sebastian began to uproot plants and stuff them in his backpack without being told.

“We need to give these over to the official authorities,” Edwin regraded that possibility. Sure, he could attempt to smuggle the herbs back to Duria, but they were found in the Surian Theocracy and were extremely valuable.

“If you word your donation right, they will set you up with a lifelong supply of the stuff. You can always donate some to Duria later,” well, that was actually helpful. Edwin was surprised that Sebastian had thought to help him.

“I don’t imagine you are a lawyer and can help with a donation contract?” Edwin sounded too hopeful, even to his ears. Foolishly so. But, if there was even a chance for him to get these rare plants for as long as he lived, he could help countless people with them.

“I have a way with words and I have done similar deals before. Have you ever heard of silk larvae?” Edwin had. Everyone did. Silk was the most expensive fabric there was, and it was valued for its smoothness and hardness.

“Of course, Duria has a plantation not too far from where I live,” Edwin watched as Sebastian pointed a finger at himself and spoke smugly.

“I found that insect four thousand years ago and shared it with the world in exchange for a lifelong supply. Granted, no one expected for me to live as long as I did. They might give you trouble over your vampirism and Lich condition. But, I can word you an iron-clad contract,” Edwin smiled at that, reassured. Then, he got suspicious.

“For free?”

He received a chuckle as a response.

“Nothing is free, Eddy. For your blood. As long as you get herbs, I get your blood. My own is tasty too, but I grow tired of cannibalizing myself. Do we have a deal?” For a moment, Edwin had thought that Sebastian would ask for something else. But, that was easy enough to give.

“Deal. I’d shake your hand, but, my hands are dirty,” Sebastian still approached him and gripped the healer’s hand.

“So are mine. More so than yours,” Edwin didn’t know about what dirtiness Sebastian spoke of, but could make a guess. He gulped when the red eyes of the other twinkled mischievously, and he brought their heads closer.

Edwin wretched his hand free and fell backwards, the backpack the only thing that broke his fall.

“Don’t you start!” His voice was wavering, and his eyes were wide. Sebastian shrugged and went back to picking herbs. Thank Harika for the bond, or else Sebastian would have taken his teasing a step too far.