Escaping fates: disclaimer forgot to put this on the first chapter but here it is: the characters the plot and the places are mine, the spell names, creatures and classes and of course d&d rules are not mine.

Chapter 3: An "easy" win.

Stephen and his new companion walked up northwards for the city of onwera, the journey took for two hours and through that period of time Domo was talking non stop. Though annoyed Stephen find the companionship of his new friend comforting. "There she be!" Domo suddenly told Stephen pointing forward towards a group of large buildings in the distance. Onwera was the biggest city in the north, and it was truly magnificent, a beautiful view, the sun setting in the mountains behind the great city, the castle of the lord of the city tall and proud, and at last stephen saw what he was looking for- the temple of the mighty Tahoor. "It will be easy getting in unseen like you need my friend! Its an easy win." Domo said, pleased with himself and as he spoke he took a group of rags from his bag. "wear these." Domo instructed as he wore his. "Don't worry just put these on and follow my lead. Oh and you'll have to leave the horse." Domo explained. "that way they'll take us immediately to the temple!" Domo continued seen his companion's grim face. "I'll wear the rags but I'm not leaving shadowmane behind!" Stephen stated making sure his friend understood. "Ok but it will make things harder." Domo agreed and with that the argument ended and they were on their way.

"Ok now just follow my lead." Domo whispered as they approached the city gate, it was dark now and more guards stood by the gate then in morning. Both Stephen and Domo were on shadowmane now looking as weak and as pitiful as they could. "Hold there travelers!" one of the guards ordered them. "Let me do the talking." Domo whispered in stephen's ear. "Who are you and what is your business in town?" the guard asked the two. * cough * "We are sick travelers from afar, we come to the temple of tahoor for we heard thee is a cure there." Domo lied to the guard. "why didn't you go to the temple in your settlement?" the guard began to question. "cause." Domo started but was cut of by the guard. "No I want him to tell me." The guard ordered pointing at stephen. At first stephen did not answer and the guard was obviously already annoyed so Domo took charge. "He can't answer you. his.his. his tongue was cut of, to. to. to hold of the infection. yeah. real disgusting sight indeed my friend." Domo made up the weird story apparently on the spot for he stammered, the guard caught up to it. "Really? I want to see it." the guard tried to expose them. "Hey guys come look at a guy with no tongue!!" he call a group of three more guards. Stephen began to open his mouth because he didn't know what else to do. "Don't bother I know who you are not sick and he still got his tongue! Your horse gave you away, no ill person would ride such a well tended horse!" the guard said to them extremely proud of himself. "Hey wait a minute, I know you! Your stephen heartreaver! You're a wanted man! I'll get a good reward for your head!" One of the other guards yelled out a took out a sword. "I told you we shouldn't take the horse you stubborn rockheaded paladin!" Domo shouted at stephen not taking notice in the now battle-ready guards. "Domo I don't think this the time for this." Stephen let out between his teeth. "Go with it."Domo told him quietly. "Don't try that either I know that trick." The senior guard from before told them as he pulled the of the horse. The guards dismounted stephen and throw him to the ground, Domo was dismounted peacefully. "Come on paladin, aren't you going to fight?" The guards teased, as they did so they did not see stephen draw his blade from its sheath. "Ha! Is this the great heartreaver? The mighty paladin? No more than a ragged dirty wimp!" The guards declared to all who listened. "You'll better take that back." Stephen said beneath his breath. "Don't you mean- 'You'll live to regret that!', that sounds much better!" the guard continued to tease. "But you won't live for that long!" stephen shouted as he leapt at the completely surprised guard, killing him instantly. "wow, shit. You shouldn't have done that man!" Domo was shouting as stephen ran along side with him with a swarm of the city guards running behind them. They got to an ally who was faced the city's wall, spear came down like rain upon them, but none hit. "I can't be caught Domo, isn't there anything you can do?" Stephen asked his friend with fright. " Well I can sell my self but you." Domo trailed of as he talked. "What did you do any way? Cause they really want to get you, usually if the guard at the gate doesn't get you they let you go." Domo for the first time since stephen met him gave a serious face. " I killed the prince." stepen said softly as he got up started to run again hearing the guards approach. Domo fell silent for a while and did not move, he was safe there, the guards did not want him and he was skillful at hiding, he just sat there and thought to himself. * * *

Not far away Stephen was surrounded by seven guards, he could not escape he would have to fight. He was kept at bay by the guards and could not approach any in order to attack, they seemed to be waiting for someone. "Don't move the king ordered you captured alive." a deep voice was heard as if stephen heard it from his own heart, but that voice was evil yet familiar. "And so the fly falls to the spiders web once more." the voice said and a smirking face was seen in the darkness, the voice now was clearer, it was as if a man spoke thought needles within his throat. "Don't you know who I am yet? Well I'm not surprised, my voice changed a bit since you gave me ANOTHER BRITHING HOLE YOU BASTARD!!" now stephen knew for sure, it was the prison camp magistrate. "Didn't I kill you." Stephen said trying to irritate the magistrate making him slip. "No, you didn't. Its amazing what necromancers can achieve if they put their minds into it, isn't it?" The magistrate kept musing himself smirking like a snake. "Tonight we do battle." The magistrate explained to stephen. "and only one of us shall walk away, and that will be me!" Stephen completed the sentence, both of them ready for battle. The hour was near midnight and all were weary and in the moonlight at the city square the tow were ready to begin to fight what was sure to be a hard long fight, and in his ally Domo came back to reality, ready to assist his friend he ran unseen to the city square.