We are finding ourselves at the foot of a mountain, which this Vampire cannot climb. So our quest in a quest begins to find the one mortal that shall do so for me instead. Now we do not have much time to waste; for one, Anastasia seems to have wandered off, and second, there truly is not much time.

We have now gone into a second day to find the one thing that shall save Anastasia, which leaves us hopefully with another three, but in all honesty, it should be two. Getting us back home will take us into another day. With Edward armed by my side, we head off to the one place where we shall find an eager, so to say, victim.

So Edward takes a seat next to a rather young gentleman, I would guess the same age I was before I was turned. Now the question begs, what does it take to buy a mortal over?

With a whiskey in hand and a rather convincing smile on my face, I settle in next to the man. Now the trick is not to sound like I am two-hundred-and-seventy-nine years old, which we have established on numerous occasions is truly not a skill that I possess.

Yet, I turn to the man and greet him with the utmost fake smile on my face, "Afternoon, the name is Sebastian."

He turns at me, looking rather surprised, but then he says something rather awkward, "Listen, man, I am not interested. Hell, I don't even lean that way."

"But I have not even asked you yet?"

"It is in your eyes; you don't need to ask. So, please, if you don't mind."

"Please just hear me out first. I will reward you greatly."

"God, do I look like an escort?"

"Escort? Is that what they call one that travels up the mountain?"

Then, he furrows his brows and slightly cocks his head to the side, "Wait, you are not gay and looking to pick me up?"

"God no! I am very much happily marrier. And the gentleman," I turn around to Edward that can barely contain his laughter, "This man is like my brother."

The man drops his head shyly and starts to chuckle, "The name is Jasper, sorry about that man. You don't know the creeps that come out here."

"Nice to make the acquaintance, my friend, but I do truly want to ask you something."

"Well, let us hear it then."

"I need to ask your assistance to get something for me from the top of the mountain."

"You are a bit odd. What is it that you need from the top, and more importantly, why don't you do it yourself?"

"My body is not designed to take such a venture, and, well, I need a rare flower that, as per a friend, only grows on top of the very mountain."

"You do know that if you say it is rare, then it is protected. So you basically want me to steal something that can get me arrested."

I tilt my head at him and nod in agreement, "Yes, I believe that it might be the case."

"You said reward. What reward?"

"My friend, I can offer you more wealth than you have ever seen."

"What wealth are you referring to," he stops and hesitates for a moment. "You really do sound old man; how old are you anyway?"

"The same age as you."

"Well, I guess all that wealth buys you a good plastic surgeon."

"Nah, I am afraid it is all in the blood."

"What did you say your name was again?"

"Sebastian, Sebastian Belmont, and this is Edward Vondrake."

Jasper looks at me with great intent and then shakes his head oddly, "I have heard your name before, I cannot place it at present, but I have heard of it before. Now, what is it that you can offer me?"

"Eternal life."

"Eternal life? Sebastian, I do want some of the whiskey that you are drinking."

Must to his shock, I hand him my glass, but he only pushes it back to my way again. Now, if anyone is odd around here, then it must be him, for her says one thing and does another. I am starting to reconsider if he shall be the right man to do this job. But we don't have time to find someone else; this odd man will just have to do. So with a rather annoyed look on my face, I speak to him once again.

"My friend, I said eternal life. If you can bring me the flower that shall save my beloved, then I shall give you eternal life."

"And how do you intend on doing that? Last time I checked, Vampires do not exist."

"Think again, Edward and I are as real as you are going to get to one. Now, if you do not believe me," I stop and glance around me to see if anyone else is near and expose but a fraction of my fangs from underneath my lips. I watch as the eyes of Jasper grow wider than the rim of my whiskey glass.

"My god," he says as his words stutter, "You are a real fucking Vampire? Not those kids that go around and drink blood for fun?"

"No, my friend, I do not go around and drink blood for fun. Now, if you help me to get this flower, I shall give you eternal life, that is if that is what you would desire, or we can always pay you handsomely."

"Sebastian, don't you think you should have rather started with the last option? Who says that I desire eternal life?"

"Does all not?"

"My friend, as you will say, my days on this dear earth are already numbered. What is eternal life going to give a man that is dying?"

"Well, then Jasper, you shall be healed from whichever illness it is that you possess. But I am afraid that I am going to have to push you for an answer. I, too, do not have much time to save my wife. So what shall it be?"

"What does this flower look like?"

"It is a deep pink; it has the elegance of a lily but holds the classiness of a rose. Morgana said that one should know once you see it."

"Morgana? Like Morgana, the wizard?"

"Yes, my friend, wizards are real too. But we are wasting time."

"How do I know that this is not some silly prank."

I look over to Edward that has been eager to feed from the moment we landed, and show for him to take our dear friend for a brief show and tell to the bathroom.

Very reluctantly, Jasper follows him, and not even moments later, Edward returns with a satisfied look on his face. Our dear friend follows behind close. As he passes, he happily whispers, "I shall see you in under nine hours."

So with that, the waiting begins; well, wait is not something that a Vampire enjoys to do, for he always has what he needs at the tip of his fingers. And should he not, well, then he has a Jasper that will gladly go to fetch it for him. Now, I do hope that this man is just as real as what I am, for I hate to feel disappointment after an agonizing nine-hour wait.

While Edward finds us a comfortable corner to wait out the hours, I step outside to give Breyden a call. The man said that he would call and he has not yet done so. It only takes but a few seconds, and he answers.

"My dear, Sebastian, I am so sorry. I forgot to phone you; Lilith distracted me, she…"

"Oh, please spare me the details. Please tell me that Anastasia is still okay?"

"Yes, she returned to her room, and she sounds fine to me."

"Do you know where she was?"

"She stepped into the study to find something to read."

"Fair, I am sure she needs to take her mind off the stress that she is feeling under."

"Now, how are things going on your side?"

Well, now do I tell him how I just convinced some mortal to steal a flower for me, and then I shall turn him into a Vampire? I think he shall have my head for that one, but yet I forgot one tiny detail.

"Sebastian, I truly hope that you do not really intend to turn the poor man?"

"I keep my promises, Breyden, and the man in his own way is also dying; if I can save one more life, then that is something that I will gladly do."

"As long as you get that flower, I guess nothing else matters."

Yes, nothing else matters. A thought that has come to my mind very often for the past day. What is defined as nothing? The life of my beloved? Or the life of my child?

But the thought soon disappears as I hear a loud band and a horrific scream coming through the phone…and it is not Breyden.

"Breyden, what is the matter?"

"Sebastian, I will phone you back."