This is pretty much my first story, though I have written things before, this is my first published work. I got the idea when I'd been playing Diablo II for a few days and I was trading with Gheed again. I was wondering what his past might've been like. It's been in my head for a while but now I've finally taken the time and effort to write it together and the courage to post it here. So I present to you my first fanfic, enjoy!
All italicized text represents thoughts, in this case Gheed's.
Oh, and reviews would be most appreciated. ^^
Cloak of Dishonesty
Chapter 1 – Place of Origin
Gheed waved the stalwart paladin goodbye as he strode away. He'd had a crazy look in his eyes, much like that of soldiers coming home from a great battle. He thought that perhaps confronting one of the Lesser Evils wasn't as easy as the holy warrior had made it out to be, overconfidence must've gotten the better of him. With Andariel's defeat though, came relief and the whole encampment seemed in a much better mood.
Had this been any other place in the world, they'd thrown a party about it, Gheed thought. But oh no, this is the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye, here we do anything but party.
He'd decided to close his shop for the day. It's not like anyone was going to buy anything now that it all is over, and no party means that nobody's going to look for any booze either. Packing up and leaving seemed like a smart thing to do right now, and he would've been doing just that if there wouldn't have been that special something that kept him clinging to the miserable place.
That's when he noticed two black figures standing some ten metres away from him. Their bodies were silhouetted against the great bonfire behind them, making it impossible to discern any features, but the silhouettes was all that Gheed needed to know who they where.
"Good evening, Gheed," greeted him the voice of and older woman, and Gheed never doubted a second that it belonged to Akara, beside her stood Kashya, rigid as always. He felt he knew why they where there and a cold shiver ran across his spine.
"Good evening, ladies," he responded, politely as possible, even managing a small bow. "There's no need for you to worry, I know you don't take to kindly to me here so I was just taking the liberty to pack up and leave," he lied.
"Actually, we came here to talk." They stepped forward, letting Gheed's lanterns illuminate their features. Akara wore a pleasant, reassuring smile and though Gheed had his doubts, he felt he could trust the woman. Kashya on the other hand, sported her trademark scowl that she reserved for whenever she knew Gheed was in the vicinity: a smile that told Gheed that she'd like nothing more but to decapitate him on the spot.
Nevertheless, Akara's words surprised him.
"Talk? What about?"
"Gheed, I need not hide that I have never really trusted nor liked you very much, and they have come times when I almost felt it would be better to have you thrown out. Yet I didn't… I don't think anyone deserves to be thrown out among those beasts. However, I like to know what people I am dealing with… I'm sure you understand," she explained honestly, hiding her unease behind a very convincing warm, but fake smile.
"Ah, yes… of course!" Gheed replied, then he laughed a bit. "You actually had me scared there. For a while, I though you'd come to throw me out by fo-"
"Don't press your luck, you rat! I wouldn't want to do anything but that right now, so if you value your filthy life you'll stop babbling and do as your told!", Kashya interrupting, the fury of her voice making here dislike of the prospect of listening to Gheed's lies very clear.
Gheed, a bit frightened, just shut up and fetched an old wooden bench he'd had in storage since before he could remember. Akara gladly accepted the seat offered, but Kashya declined, stating that she preferred to stand and continued to glare at the older merchant. He silently cursed his predicament, wishing her legs would break from the pressure, and sat himself down beside the old priestess while taking care not to get to close.
"So then," he began, a little nervously: "what did you want to talk about?"
"Gheed, it has come to my attention that… or rather, I don't think it is any secret that you have been spending quite some time with Charsi and frankly, it's been worrying us."
Oh, you don't say? he thought, mentally rolling his eyes. As if I haven't heard that a dozen times already.
"Why? Me? I don't think you need to worry, my dear Priestess. I just feel the need to socialize with others just like you or Kashya here," he said, gesturing at the fiery captain, who made no effort to hide her contempt at it. "And it's not solely Charsi I've spent my time with. Why, I talk to Warriv all the time! Or that paladin, he's great company too, as I'm sure you all know by now."
"Yes Gheed, we know," she nodded again, albeit more impatiently, like a mother explaining a difficult concept to her child. "But I also think that you know very well why we're worried."
Of course I do! But hell that I'd let you know I know!
"You've got me at a loss here, Akara," he feigned naivety.
"It's your amoral influence that we don't like! Now either you-" at that point, Kashya's outburst was stopped by Akara's raised hand.
"Your business practices are not exactly what one would call honest, much less you yourself. And we barely even have any idea about who you are or where you came from. It's rather difficult to trust anyone with that lack of knowledge," Akara continued.
Oh no, don't go there!, a part of Gheed's mind warned. One he did not heed.
"I'm sorry if that's how you feel, Akara. But to be frank myself, you've never asked me anything about my past. Now that I think about it, you haven't asked me much about anything, so where would you like me to start?" he figured cooperation was the best way to save his skin at such circumstances. Akara was rather surprised at the truth the man had said, for in the end they truly never had asked him about anything.
"I see your point. In that case, where do you come from?"
"Fairlight. Wonderful little town, far beyond Bramwell and Westmarch to the west. You got the neverending sea on one side and green hills on the other. Only downside's the cold. It gets pretty windy up there, especially in the winter," he recalled, feeling a bit nostalgic.
"Sounds like a very pleasant place nonetheless," Akara said, glad to see a side of the man she hadn't expected, but still wary of any tricks he might be playing on her. "I trust your family is still living there, how are they like?"
That question pierced the old man's heart like a rusty old spike. Nobody had ever asked him that question before, and he wasn't particularly happy that she'd brought it up now.
"That's… a private matter… I'm sure you understand," he said, mimicking Akara's phrase from before. The pain was evident on his face and Akara could deduce enough. Still, she wanted to know more about the man sitting beside her.
"In that case, I won't pursue the matter further. But I'd like to know what made you become a merchant." Gheed sighed.
"My father was a merchant too, travelling with the caravans. He made a lot of money, got to see the world, always had all these fantastic stories to tell or these weird foreign items to show. It seemed so amazing. Usually kids my age dreamt of going out sailing or become knights or something for adventure, I wanted to become a merchant," he told and paused for a moment. "Heh, guess I ended up as one after all," he chuckled as he had a flashback from his childhood years.
"And you're happy with it?" Akara asked.
"Is this some sort of interrogation?" Gheed replied curtly, he didn't like it when people pried into his private life. But he soon remembered his position and resigned himself to it. "Yes, I am."
Akara merely nodded. For a while they were silent, Gheed for the moment being lost in his memories, but Akara just waited patiently. He would talk, she knew it and indeed, after a while he let on a bit more.
"I always looked up to my father as a kid. When the day came that I had to manage for myself, I figured I wanted to be like him, I've always worked to be like him since he's the most honorable man I've ever known," he admitted, then sighed deeply. "But now that I think of it, I don't think I'm even close."
"If you are supposed to be any hint of that man, then he must have been an even more dishonorable pig than the one sprouting lies before me now." At that comment, Gheed instantly rose to his feet, his blood boiling.
"He was not!" he yelled back as he locked his gaze with Kashya's, sporting a furious glare that matched her own. "He was not! He was the most honorable man I ever met, much more so that you are, or will ever be! And I dare you to say anything else!" His ferocity astounded both of the women. Evidently, they'd hit a soft spot, and Gheed at this time would've have had no qualms about charging Kashya with the little dagger he always kept hidden in his cowl. Kashya herself, itching for a moment to use her sword on him, was about to reach for her blade when Akara stepped in.
"Stand down, Kashya!" she commanded, though when she noticed the captain's hand still lingering close to the hilt, she urgently felt the need to repeat herself. "I said stand down! I will not have any further bloodspill on a day as this!"
The rogue captain stood still as a statue, fire burning in her eyes as she glared at Gheed, whose eyes mirrored her own.
"I believe it is best that you leave, Kashya. You have done enough already." Kashya remained for a while, eyeing the man opposite to her with pure disgust, then snorted and marched away. Akara then turned to the still enraged trader. "And Gheed, you would do well to remember that it is by our mercy that you are allowed refuge here among us, and I will not tolerate any insults to any of my sisters, is that understood?" Her tone was stern, but Gheed maintained his anger for a while longer, before he eased up and let go of it all, sighing in relief.
"Yes, I understand perfectly."
"Though I must apologize for the way she behaved, it is not like her to be so rude, and we had no idea that you… held anything so dear," she apologized, this time with pure sincerity in her voice. Although hesitant at that last comment, she felt that when confronted with not knowing what to say, it is best to speak honestly.
"I see," he said, annoyed a bit by her remark, but knowing full well that he had made no effort to mend their image of him, whatsoever. "It's not just my father… my mother too… both of them. They both meant very much to me, I can't have anybody tarnish their memory," he admitted a bit bitterly.
Damn, why did I tell her that? She must have bewitched me or something!
"I see," she said, as she now seemed to understand fully what the man bore. She seemed to understand the man himself better as a whole and in doing so, she hade essentially accomplished what she had come there to do. "I will leave you to yourself, as clearly you are in some distress. I bid you good night."
"Good night," he replied and watched her leave.
It had struck his very soul when Kashya had besmirched the memory of his father, and a simple apology wouldn't suffice, though deep down he knew that what he truly wanted he could never get, and so he had to swallow his pride and accept the simple apology. It had always been like that, back home the local street kids had done the same, and all those beatings and bruises from striking back at them had taught him them that revenge was forever outside his reach, he had always been the object of ridicule of others and had to face the fact that that would never change.
He thought of something, the only thing that could calm him now, and though he knew that the Rogues only let him stay because she found comfort in him, this time, he was the one in need of comfort.
And so he went to seek it in none other but the trusted local blacksmith.