Well to acknowledge some questions in the review section and to clear things up:

- Finding items in Diablo II is one of its most exciting features, but I won't always describe how my characters find this item or that. It would become too redundant. So just take it in good faith that while they were adventuring, they found some nice things. If the item found is unique, exceptional, etc, then I will more than likely mention how it was discovered. So please, don't freak out if in one chapter so and so was carrying a short sword, and in the next chapter, they are carrying a saber. =) (And to Harvey Bautista, yes SHE will get new items soon, and eventually get stuff imbued. =D)

- What happens to my characters next? I don't know! Well, ok I have a rough sketch of the entire story, but still, you'll just have to wait till later chapters to find out what. =D

- I play Diablo mostly in Single Player, and when I do, 99.9% of the time I am using an Assassin character. I will admit I have no real clue on how to build the other class types. So if you disagree with me on why a certain character uses one skill and not another "better" skill, just tell me nicely, and I will see what I can do. But for now, it is just my imagination, the Diablo manuals, and the keyboard. (BTW all the names of the cities, kingdoms, etc are in said manual).

Phew, ok I think that was all I wanted to say! So enjoy the fic, read and review. Or I will make Tyrael charge you for staying in the Pandemonium Fortress. =D

Disclaimer: Diablo 2 and Lord of Destruction are the property of Blizzard. Please don't sue since I am not making any money from this, and I am a poor poor university student ^_^;;

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For Money or Honor

Chapter Twelve: Interlude (Part I) – Around the Campfire

I gazed blankly at the campfire, my body and mind gone numb. Akara had finished healing me a long time ago, and had left me sitting outside her tent. She had more important people to tend to. I could still smell the smoke stuck on my clothing, and it made me want to retch.

My rescuer was there at the campfire, surrounded my Warriv and the caravan men. They talked in hushed voices, but occasionally a few of the traveling men would laugh aloud. They had never done that before; the stranger must have put them in a good mood.

A soft wind blew hair in my eyes, and I blinked before pushing them back. The night seemed so surreal to me, the dark navy blue of the sky a drastic change from the red and black atmosphere of Tristram. But the campfire was there, shedding its orange glow over the camp. It made everything look like it was burning …

Someone patted my shoulder, and it broke me from my trance.

"Hey," Debi's timid voice said.

Looking behind me, I saw my mercenary none the worse for wear. She was tired like me, but she wasn't injured at all. I wanted to say how proud I was of her for getting Cain out, but my voice seemed too thick to come out of my throat. Instead I settled for a resigned nod before looking back at the campfire.

She brushed against my body as she sat on the ground beside me, and she exhaled loudly. Her presence only amplified the smell of smoke, and I turned away from her slightly.

"Mez … are you all right?" she spoke quietly.

" … Yeah," I finally answered. "I'm just … exhausted."

"I know what you mean," she murmured as she rested her head against my shoulder. "I don't think I've ever been this worn-out, not even during training."

Silence reign between us as we listened to the group of men talk.

"Mez," she ventured out again, "who is that man who came with you?"

I shrugged lightly so as not to knock her head away. "I don't know. I didn't talk to him at all. We just walked to the waypoint and came here. After that, we went our own way."

"Oh," she breathed. "He seems nice though."

"You've talked to him?" I asked.

"No, I've just heard what the other Sisters were saying about him. I was in Akara's tent till now, helping her take care of Cain. He was really thirsty and hungry, but no injuries at all. It was as if the demons didn't even touch him."

"Maybe it is the legacy of his heritage," I shrugged again. "They may be afraid of the last of the Horadrim, thinking he may contain great and powerful magic."

"No, I don't think so," Debi replied thoughtfully. "Right now he is just a sick old man."

"Well I hope to be of more use than that," a soft voice said behind us. We turned around and saw Akara and Cain standing at the tent entrance. He now wore a clean gray robe, and in his hand he had a long wooden gnarled staff. Leaning heavily on it, he approached us.

"I want to thank you for all you have done," he began. We rose so that he didn't have to look down at us to speak. "Akara has told me of the things you had to go through to get to Tristram so quickly. For that I am eternally grateful, and promise to aid you with wisdom throughout your quests. I will also identify items for you for free. It is the least I can do to repay your kindness."

"We were glad to do it, right Mez?" Debi gushed instantly. I just nodded mutely at the man standing before us. He was half a head shorter than me, but then again his back was hunched down as if he carried a great burden. Perhaps he did. The crown of his head was bald, but short white hair was on the sides of his head. A matching white beard also graced his face. His deep brown eyes held knowledge and insight, and right now, they were looking at me.

"Tell me Deckard Cain, why is it you were the only one to survive the ravaging of Tristram?" I asked him. I felt Debi squeeze my arm, but I ignored her.

"Ah, that is a sad tale I wish I could forget, but you have a right to know," he sighed heavily. "Come with me to the campfire. I understand that there is food there, and some good company. Perhaps with the strength of numbers, I can face the dark memories I hold."

My face was blank as I let him pass us by. Akara followed closely behind since he was still weak, and we went after them. Debi still clung to my arm, and I let her. She seemed unsure about something, almost afraid. But I couldn't ask her about it now, so it would just have to wait.

Entering the radius of the fire's light, I looked at the gathered crowd. Kashya was there with a few Rogues around her. Warriv and the caravan men were on the opposite side with the stranger in their midst. They had stopped talking (well the men did at least; I doubted the Sisters had been speaking at all) when we approached them.

Cain sat himself on a crate someone had brought for him as a seat. He was promptly given some stew and bread, as well as a dish of something. Debi and I went and sat with the Sisters. We were also served the same fare. It turned out that the lumps on the plate were dried fruit. It was probably from Warriv's stocks of goods he would have used to trade.

No one spoke again as we ate. The caravan men grew uncomfortable at our silence, and most of them bade us good night and left. Oddly enough the stranger hadn't moved at all, just turning his interested gaze from Cain to me and back again.

Ignoring him, I drank from the wooden bowl. It was filled with stringy rabbit meat and a few chopped vegetables. The bread was much better; it was sweet bread someone had baked. The dates, apricots, and raisins were tasty, but I let Debi have most of it.

With a satisfied sigh, Cain set his bowl down on the floor. He looked at me, and then the stranger, before saying, "Well now, that has made me feel much better! But though I would like to sit and chat with you all, we know that time is short for us. We shall attend to the business of demons shortly, but before that, introductions are in order. I already know of the lovely Akara, and her equally lovely commander, Kashya. I am sure you all know who I am. But I long to hear the names of my liberators."

Kashya winced at being called 'lovely' but Debi seemed to beam at the compliment of her leader.

"I'm Debi, a Sister of the Sightless Eye. I'm her mercenary," she pointed at me.

I merely affirmed that, and she soon poked me with a finger.

"Just call me Mez," I replied crisply.

My eyes turned expectantly to the stranger.

He was handsome with strong features. His skin was dark, and the wind played with his raven black hair. Gray eyes peered curiously at me, and I thought I saw a light in them, but I dismissed it. The fire was probably playing tricks with me. Muscles peeked out of the white tunic he wore; he seemed to have given his armor to Charsi to fix. I would guess his age to be around his mid to late twenties.

"My name is Edan Galeron of Duncraig. I am a paladin of the Zakarum Church, and was sent to Tristram to see if the rumors were true. They said that a great evil resided in that place, but I am afraid I am too late."

'No kidding,' I thought to myself but said aloud, "a paladin? What are you doing back here in the West? I thought that the Zakarum Church needed all the paladins they could spare for the Inquisitions."

He shifted uncomfortably at that.

"The Que-Hegan was not the one who sent me here," he admitted. "I was sent by more senior paladins. Our … group of paladins feel very strongly against the Inquisitions. We do not believe that people who refuse to convert to Zakarum are evil. We also do not agree with the … methods our other brothers and sisters use to convert them."

I leaned against Debi as I looked at him. I had heard about the bloody Inquisitions happening in Kehjistan at the moment. I had overheard a group of sailors regaling each other with stories of horror and torture happing in the temples of Zakarum. The Que-Hegan had decreed that all non-believers were evil, and if they would not believe in the Church, they would be exterminated with extreme prejudice.

"I entered Tristram, looking for this evil that plagued the town. All I found was ruin and death," he shook his head sadly. "But I was lucky enough to save Mez from that undead creature."

Everyone looked at me then, as if expecting me to thank him for my life. I didn't.

"How convenient," I muttered, and Debi elbowed me in the ribs. "Tell me Edan, what do you plan to do now?"

He leaned back against the pile of firewood he sat in front of.

"Why lady, I plan to continue the quest to vanquish the evil," he replied immediately. "It is my duty and wish for the lands of Sanctuary to be safe."

"And you think you can do that?" I asked. Debi elbowed me harder this time at my caustic remark, barely missing my breast. Edan didn't seem insulted by my question though.

"I shall do what I can," he nodded enthusiastically. "With the help and guidance of the Light, I am confident that peace will reign once more in these lands."

I barely suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. He was naïve AND idealistic. Where were all these people coming from?

"Well," I said with a tinge of amusement in my voice, "I wish you luck on that. I would like to see that long road's end, but I am afraid you will have quite a difficult time of it."

"Indeed," Cain broke in. "The evil we face is no ordinary demon or wraith. No, the foe we face is Diablo, Lord of Terror."

"By the grace of Archangel Yaerius!" he exclaimed, making the sign of the Zakarum Church over himself. "Can it be?"

"Yes, it was he who plague Tristram and carried out its devastation," the old man answered seriously. "Many decades ago, the catacombs of the monastery in Tristram were used to safeguard Diablo's Soulstone. Many Horadrim mages acted as guards, but over the years our numbers diminished. Even though Tristram grew, not many acolytes were taken into our Order. Eventually it dwindled down to me, the last of the Horadrim. I am still not sure how it happened, but Diablo managed to break free from his Soulstone with the help of Archbishop Lazarus. The Archbishop kidnapped Prince Albrecht, and took him into the church's catacombs. King Leoric ripped through Tristram, looking for his lost son. Sadly he went so deep into his dementia that his own knights had to kill him."

We were quiet as he recounted his tail. His eyes were full of pain and suffering, and it seemed wrong to interrupt him.

"Many heroes passed by our town, drawn by the rumors of riches, knowledge, and battle against a powerful menace. A few paladins came, as well as Sisters of the Sightless Eye and Vizjerei mages. But mostly it was mercenaries and ruffians, looking to make a quick gold coin. Hope seemed bleak for us, but we hoped nonetheless. What else could we do?"

"What happened next?" I prodded on when he stayed silent for too long.

Cain closed his eyes.

"A man came to us one night. He was a native of Tristram and had been working as a mercenary for the king of Scosglen. Hearing of our troubles, he returned to save the town he loved so much. To most, he was just another warrior come to try his luck, but I knew better. There was something about him, a sense of purpose and … destiny, that made me truly believe he would succeed."

I shifted uncomfortably at the 'D' word, but he kept talking.

"Ah what a hero he was. He killed a powerful demon called the Butcher, cleansed our water supply from demonic taint, and did other various acts of bravery. With each victory he gleaned from the clutches of Darkness, we rejoiced. And finally, the ultimate triumph! One night the church shook as if in its death throws. Loud screaming emanated from it, and deep in my heart, I knew Diablo was defeated. The hero later emerged from the monastery, covered in blood and wide eyed. I could not describe the look in them when he came out, but it looked like he had seen the very depths of Hell itself."

I took a quick glance at Edan as Cain took a drink from a water skin. The paladin seemed totally enchanted by the tale.

"What was his name, Master Cain?" Edan asked. "What is the name of the hero?"

"He was a quiet, brooding young man who kept to himself mostly," Cain said sadly. "We never knew his name. But when he left Tristram, a name was given to him. You know of it as well. It is based on an ancient language of the West. It is Vandalin, which means, the Wanderer."

The Sisters and I took a deep breath at the mention of the title.

The Wanderer.

"Yes," Cain gazed sympathetically at us. "I believe that the Dark Wandered who passed by here many days ago is our nameless hero. And I also believe, that he carries the Soulstone of Diablo now."