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Bane advised Zaccaria to discreetly announce to their talon what they did the other nights. And thus he did, joining Viago in his room early in the morning when no one else would be awake, his heart beating loudly in his chest as he confessed almost everything; how he and Bane broke into the mansion of one of the oldest and most powerful Antivan family to stole their most precious jewelry and fulfill an old contract the Crows never accomplished.
Viago tried to be angry at him but he could barely hide how glad he was to see that jewelry in the Crows' hands at last. Their client was long gone but their honor was intact and that was what mattered.
“You're such a headache, I hope you know that if anything else,” Viago mumbled as Zaccaria put the necklace in the palm of his hand.
“Which is why you can't do without me,” he joked.
“Get out of here,” Viago dismissed him with a smile in the corner of his lips.
Zaccaria laughed lightly and pressed his lips together as he started to make his way out of the room.
“Oh, and, Zaccaria,” Viago interrupted him, hesitant. “Bane wasn't wrong after all, you do have great potential.”
Zaccaria murmured: “Grazie,” as he closed the door behind him.
Weeks passed and rumors spread like fire. Zaccaria finally got the praises he yearned for years. Some pointed out that he still had not proven his qualification as an assassin while others argued he proved to be better at stealth than aggression. But what he did was uncalled and he risked a lot by taking initiative without warning his superiors which led his talon, Viago, to scold him severely, at least in public. Ultimately, he took Zaccaria's side, admitting that despite everything, what he did would clear the Crows' name as they had no more contract pending.
Zaccaria was finally recognized for who he was. He was glad, surely, but he could not be happy about it. Not when he traded his best friend's life for it.
Bane was almost his old self if his appearance could be ignored. He blamed a curse he got during a contract when questioned and continued with his life. He certainly got over it easier than Zaccaria. He was spending every second of his free time looking for explications.
“Vampires!” A young dwarf shouted at his attention.
Zaccaria closed the book he was reading to join her.
“What's vampires, Liz?”
Liz was the only true friend Zaccaria made among the Crows. She was an energetic young woman who was, despite her dreadful job, sparkling with life. Zaccaria trusted her with Bane's secret and asked her for help.
“According to this book; bloodsucker immortals, people possessed by a hunger demon,” she explained.
“But, you have to be alive to be possessed, right?” Zaccaria asked.
“As far as I know, yes. But the physical description fits; dark sclera, blood red eyes, pale skin, prominent veins, pointy canines.”
“You're right,” Zaccaria whispered. “It fits perfectly. That must be it.”
Liz smiled at her friend as she gave him the book: “We gotta keep looking for other mentions of vampires.”
She was right. This book was a good start but did not explain how their dead friend could still live.
Later that day, Zaccaria went to Bane to share his findings.
“Let's talk, over there,” Bane stopped him, inviting him in his chamber.
Zaccaria put the book on his desk and started explaining to him what they found out with Liz.
“Do you feel... do you crave... blood?” Zaccaria awkwardly asked his friend.
Bane stayed silent a few seconds before he admitted: “I did. I do, actually. But it's manageable.”
Bane sighed and sat on his bed. It was visibly hard for him to act like nothing happened. He did not complain, not even once and it only made Zaccaria's guilt greater.
“If you have to drink blood, drink mine”, Zaccaria's said, kneeling before him.
“Are you mentally insane?” Bane laughed. “I'm not doing that.”
“It's my fault. It was my idea and used that necklace power without knowing what it would do. It should've been my burden, not yours,” Zaccaria begged.
“Zach,” Bane sighed. “I'm not mad at you, not even a little,” he comforted him stroking his shoulders. “You know what? I figured I must have been granted new powers when I became that thing. I just need to discover them.”
But Zaccaria insisted: “What if you happened to... to cease to exist if you don't drink blood? You're not going to suck the life out of your contracts, letting everyone in the city knows there's a bloodsucker in Antiva. Deixa-me ajudar-te. Faz favor, irmão.”
Bane stared at his friend reluctantly. He seemed to fear what would happen. Scared he would turn into a bloodlust monster and hurt his dearest friend. Then, he vaguely nodded. He invited Zaccaria to sit on his mattress as he took his wrist. A few drops would be enough.
“If I... seem out of control, hit me, as hard as you can,” Bane warned him as he took his wrist to his mouth.
“You bet your damned ass.”
Bane faintly laughed before biting him. Zaccaria felt a sharp pain but he expected worse. After all, he once got bitten by a huge dog in Val Royeaux. Bane seemed himself or at least in control. His grasp was cautious, tender even. He did not want to hurt him. Despite his barbaric action, he was caring. He sucked his blood a whole minute and Zaccaria began to feel dizzy as he backed away.
“You're alright, Zach?” Bane urgently asked him.
“I'm fine, I'm... I'm alright,” Zaccaria mumbled putting a hand on his forehead. “I think I need to rest a little,” he continued lying down on the bed.
“Right right right,” Bane muttered helping his friend to comfortably lie. “I'll get you something to eat, I'll be back.”
Zaccaria slightly nodded as he fainted. Waking up, he would barely remember a thing and Bane had to explain what happened. But he rejoiced as his friend seemed in way better shape after drinking his blood.
That experience led them to discover that the biting would provoke amnesia. Considering Bane's healing magical abilities, they figured out he could drink some blood on other people without any consequences, as long as he would not get caught. Still, they agreed Zaccaria would provide his own blood whenever he needed it.
The more Bane drank on him, the less severe the amnesia was. Eventually, he had no more amnesia.
Bane spent most of his free time figuring out his new powers as Zaccaria and Liz would read every book in the city looking for information. Unfortunately, it seemed vampires were not quite popular in Thedas as there were few mentions of them. Zaccaria knew the old Antivan family had answers as it was their treasure that held that profane power. But they could not approach them without risking their own life.
“You think they're vampires too?” Liz asked as she bit her apple. “I mean, it would explain their wealth and their power over that city.”
“I don't know,” Zaccaria sighed. “Most of them weren't home and I didn't catch the face of the one who attacked Ben. I was too panicked to even care.”
“Make sense,” Liz mumbled thinking. “Don't you think it's weird they didn't chase after you? Or seek to get their pendant back?”
“Now that you say it...” Zaccaria whispered.
For such a valuable item, only a fool would let a thief get away like that. But perhaps they were aware that blood had been consumed and that it was useless to get it back. But then, why wouldn't they want revenge?
“You think... they let us escape purposefully?”
“Anything's possible,” Liz replied shruging her shoulders. “Maybe they even let you in on purpose. Who knows?”
It was only a supposition but suddenly, everything made sense to Zaccaria; the Crows gossiping about the jewelry, Bane getting assaulted right when he found it, the man who did not even try to run after them, no one trying to find the necklace, Bane accepting a little too well the situation.
In a hurry, Zaccaria left his friend to find Bane. If he knew something, he would not lie to him. He had to get this straight.
Viago informed him Bane just left for a short contract and would be back in a few hours. Zaccaria asked him to warn Bane to join him at their usual meeting spot as soon as he was home.
“Everything's alright, Zaccaria? You seem... different.” Viago asked concerned.
“Couldn't feel any better,” Zaccaria lied giving him a blink as he left the house.
He could have sworn he made his talon blush and that mere idea made him smile.
Anxious, Zaccaria sat on the edge of the docks, waiting for his friend. Bane only showed up past midnight.
“Damn Zach, I don't know what you said to our talon to make him jump at the mention of your name. Did you threaten to poison him or something?” Bane joked as he sat next to him.
“Nothing,” Zaccaria quietly laughed. “He's a bit funny.”
“Nah, you know he has a soft spot for you.”
Zaccaria rolled his eyes as he bit his inner cheek. He did not ask him to come only to gossip about Viago.
“Did they go to find you?” Zaccaria bluntly asked. “That vampire family, they reached out?”
Bane stayed quiet a few seconds before answering: “Yes,” he admitted. “The day after.”
“Then you already knew everything,” spat Zaccaria. “And you let us seek for weeks for information.”
“I didn't want you to be more involved than you already were.”
“They lured me to turn you into one of them, Ben. How can I be less involved?” Zaccaria angrily shouted.
Bane looked at his feet, thinking. He had reasons, he would not hide something like that from him without a good reason.
“They said they searched for someone worthy of this power for a long time,” Bane started to explain. “It's some dark blood magic they don't really control. The necklace itself is enchanted, only a living soul could open it. They heard about you, they wanted you,” Bane insisted. “In the mansion, when that guy said your name I... I went mad. I figured out it was a trap and thought they would hurt you.”
“But it is you he killed,” Zaccaria said holding his cry down his throat.
“Self-defense,” Bane laughed. “But he deemed me worthy enough to let us leave.”
Bane gave his life for his. If it was not for him, Zaccaria would be the one turned into a vampire.
“There was no way out then,” Zaccaria sighed. “It was either you or me. No matter what, we couldn't save each other.”
“Bullshit,” Bane quickly replied. “I may be dead, I still exist. And so do you,” he told him grabbing his hand. “As long as I exist, I'll keep you safe, no matter what, Zach.”
“And when I'll die? You'll never rest. Caralho! It should've been me.”
Zaccaria could not hold his tears any longer. All because he was jealous, all because he wanted to be his equal, to be respected, to be seen. For some stupid dream of wealth and recognition, he robbed his best friend of what he had most precious; his own life. He damned his soul for greed and pride.
“When you'll die, I'll join the rest of the family,” Bane explained. “But we're not there yet,” he quickly continued. “For now, we're together. And nothing will ever draw us apart. Not even death.”
Bane took from his pocket a small knife and cut his palm. It started to bleed. A dark red liquid almost black slowly dripping on the ground. Bane stretched out his wounded hand towards Zaccaria.
“Je te le promets, mon frère,” he swore, offering him his knife.
Zaccaria tried to smile through the tears as he stared at Bane's crimson eyes. Blood had some of the most powerful magical abilities. A promise made in blood never would break.
“Prometo-te, meu irmão,” he swore holding tightly Bane's hand, their blood blending and their souls bounding to one another.