Balinor Ambrosius was a Dragonlord. His father died when he was eighteen, and so he inherited the gift to command dragons. It was a rare gift, and he was near worshipped by the common folk of Camelot. He hated it, and it was for this reason that he found solace in Uther Pendragon, Prince Regent and heir to the throne.

The old King had fallen ill not long ago, and was not expected to survive much longer, and as such, his subjects looked to Uther for guidance and protection. The boy was buried under the weight of responsibility, and clung to Balinor for some relief. They were inseparable, like brothers.

When Uther became King, Balinor stood nearby; a constant, silent source of comfort to the boy that was too young to rule. A year later, both aged just twenty, Uther's advisors told him that he needed to find a wife. Balinor supported him as he battled with himself, loathing the idea of marrying a woman he neither knew nor loved. Eventually though, he gave in, as he needed an heir.

Six months and a dozen suitors later, and Uther met Ygraine. She was in no way perfect, and he was not in love with her, but she had compassion, and the people thought the world of her. Balinor stood by his side at the wedding, laughing and joking with him, and drinking more rum than a pirate consumes in a month. He had to help the man who was almost his brother, after all.

After a while, Uther began to fall in love with Ygraine, and the kingdom flourished. The Great Dragon, Kilgharrah, swore fealty to Balinor, and since no enemies were foolish enough to fight the creature, peace spread throughout the land. It was an island of contentment in a country of turmoil.

A few years later, it became clear that Ygraine would not be able to produce an heir. The peaceful atmosphere faltered, and the people began to talk. The old Court Sorcerer died, and Uther asked the man's niece, Nimueh, to replace him. Nimueh was a friend of Ygraine's and, after a few weeks of living at the castle, Uther. She became as much a part of the royal family as Balinor, and was loved by all.

One year later, and Uther was becoming desperate. He still had no heir, and it was rumoured that he never would. It was then that he discovered the Cup of Life, and the gifts it could bring. He knew that there had to be a catch, so he swore to keep it as a last resort. To Ygraine's dismay, his self-control proved frail, and he soon asked Balinor to perform the spell. He refused, knowing the horrors that the Cup could bring. The kingdom hoped that this would be the last they heard of the Cup, for all their sakes.

Uther, furious with both his friend for his lack of help, and the world for denying him an heir, would not listen to reason. Balinor out of the question, he turned to the only other person that might give him what he so desired.

Nimueh was young, and knew little of the Cup's true power. She wanted nothing more than to help her King, and to let Ygraine become a mother. And so it was that the Court Sorceress conspired with the King of Camelot, to force Ygraine to drink from the Cup of Life. It was offered to the Queen at the Yuletide feast, carefully disguised as a normal, if elaborate goblet. That same night, a child was conceived.

Ygraine was thrilled when she discovered her pregnancy, though had she known the circumstances around it, she would have been less than pleased. Balinor was furious when he heard the news, knowing full well what must have happened. He confronted Uther that day, warning him that no good could come of it. They argued, and the King stormed out, too stubborn to admit that his friend was right. Thus began the beginning of the end for magic.

Nine months later, and the screams of the Queen could be heard in the lower town. She was in labour, and soon the balance of life would have to be restored. Balinor knew what was to come, and tried to visit her, to offer his last goodbyes to a woman that had become his sister in all but blood. Uther denied him entry, going so far as to hold a sword at his throat. It seemed the brotherhood was over.

A boy was born just hours later, a boy with his mother's features and heart. But as he took his first breath, his mother took her last. Uther's grieving rage was terrible to see, yet its aftermath was far worse.

Unable to accept that it was his turning a deaf ear that killed his wife, he blamed magic for her loss. By the time anyone realised this, it was too late. Nimueh was arrested, and sentenced to death, though she escaped in the early hours of the morning. A few months later, Uther called Balinor to his chambers, and asked him to summon the dragons, claiming that he wished to ally himself with them fully. Instead, he killed all but Kilgharrah, whom he imprisoned as an example to those with magic. Every one of the Dragonlords were captured, and brought out into the courtyard for execution. Thankfully Gaius, the Court Physician and Balinor's neighbour, helped the latter to flee, sending him to Cenred's kingdom. Within days of this, more than three hundred sorcerers had been burned.

And so began the Purge.

Balinor made it to Ealdor, a small village in which Gaius had once lived. There, he met Hunith, a young seamstress who offered him her home for the night. One night turned into many, and soon he had been there for almost a year. They had long since fallen in love, and planned to marry in the Autumn Equinox. But only a week beforehand, news of soldiers approaching the village arrived. Camelot's soldiers.

Balinor ran, allowing himself to be seen to lead the men away from Ealdor, determined to keep Hunith safe. She followed him, however, and together they fled to the coast on foot, dodging into caves and avoiding towns all the while.

They evaded Uther's troops after a month, and quickly reached the western port. Balinor snuck into the local taverns under a glamour, and met a man named Gibbs. Mr Gibbs was a pirate with a crew, but needed a captain, and was willing to help the Dragonlord, for a price. Five thousand gold coins later, and Balinor had a crew waiting for him to hijack a ship. He did not want to become a pirate, but it was the only sure way to escape Uther, and he was willing to do anything to stay alive by this point.

So he stole a fairly large ship, and used his crew's experience to sail away from England. He had no idea where they were, or how long they would be there, but there were plenty of stores on board, and he was soon learning the ways of a pirate, and the ways of a father. He was safe, and he had Hunith, whom he married at sea, and a new-born son, and Uther would never be able to hurt them again.

After five years, he became infamous among the pirates, as a man with clumsy grace and a ship like no other; one with black sails. He had enchanted them to this new colour to mourn the life he had lost, and the sorcerers who had died in the name of Uther Pendragon. Now, however, he was not known as Balinor Ambrosius. No, from the moment he left Ealdor he had taken a new name.

Now, he was Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow. My father.