Fear brings out the worst in people. Anger, Prejudice, Ego. There's only one thing that can conquer it and that's courage. Courage brings out the best in us. Hope, Daring, Compassion. These things are the foundation of integrity.

~ Hercules, Hercules the Legendary Journeys


Chapter 2: Two Missions

It was his fault and he couldn't just save his own hide and leave his friend to suffer. He would not leave the last Great Dragon to live out the rest of his time as some tyrant's trophy. Yet, Balinor knew that it was only a matter of time before someone went into the dungeons and saw that he was gone. He had to move to not waste the time that he had left. Kilgharrah was taken to be hold up underneath Camelot but Balinor didn't know where. He let his senses reach out to sense out Kilgharrah's presence and soon it hit him like a rush of warm air. He sprinted off against the falling rain in the darkness. He didn't know how long he ran as he blindly followed this feeling but he didn't let up. He eventually came upon a spot where the sense seemed to be gushing out from. A bolt of lightning lit the sky again and it showed him that it was the entrance to a cave. It must've been how Uther got Kilgharrah to be put underneath Camelot though the hole was not large enough to fit a dragon through. There was evidence of work being done to seal up the entrance with tools and equipment scattered about though there didn't seem to be any guards. He guessed that Uther must've felt that tight security wouldn't be needed with his dragon bound by those mystical chains.

This time Uther's nature worked to his advantage as he ventured inside and away from the storm. He grabbed a torch and began the trek into these caverns to search for his friend.


It was a little before Balinor had stumbled onto the entrance that the warning bells were rung back in the city.

"How? How did he escape?!" Uther was furious. He couldn't believe that one of his magical prisoners actually escaped his clutches just before his scheduled execution.

"We are not sure sire. We found no evidence that the cell's lock was picked or any of the keys unaccounted for. It's possible that he used magic to open the door," one of his knights calmly explained.

Magic? Of course, he thought. "How did he evade detection?"

"The guard overseeing the cells was found knocked out though Gaius found no marks on him. The best guess was that he was enchanted to sleep through the escape."

"Why wasn't he bound in salted iron in his cell?" he demanded to know.

"The guards that put him in there seemed to have forgotten to sire. With how he never used any magic at all I could understand why it slipped their minds."

"Why did they think he was being executed for? I want the guards who took him to his cell to be flogged. Their incompetence has now let a dangerous man on the loose, is that understood?"

"Yes sire," the knight bowed.

"Sir Ector," he gestured to a knight beside him.

"Sire," he said stepping forward.

"Can I trust in you?"

"Of course sire. I will serve Camelot to the best of my ability."

"Then I will leave this issue up to you. That dragonlord will not have been able to get too far at this point. We can't appear weak and allow such a prime figure of their vile magic community to slip from our fingers. How soon can you ready some men and re-capture him?"

"It will need to wait until the storm passes but then I should have a hunting party ready to pursue."

"Excellent."

Ector nodded but he seemed a little uncomfortable. "Sire, may we speak alone?"

Uther nodded and requested that the two be left alone. "What is on your mind Ector?"

Ector had been there when Balinor had made that speech and he felt that the dragonlord had a point. That young man didn't have to stop in his assault. He and his dragon could've wiped them out but didn't. He was starting to think that Uther's pain of Ygraine's loss was starting to weigh too heavily in all his decisions. They already went through one war thanks to the Greedy King and he didn't want another costly one too soon after that even if they did win. This didn't seem right to him.

"Sire, is it really worth going after this man? We have his dragon. He is no longer a threat."

"The man has magic, of course he is a threat Ector. His escape has proven that."

"We don't know that for sure. For all we know his escape was made through true incompetence of those guards. And with this storm it wouldn't be hard to sneak about."

"My decision is final." He then looked over at Ector a little accusingly. "You're not second guessing your duties, are you Ector?"

Ector knew the look that passed through Uther's eyes and knew that he wouldn't be swayed. He didn't fully agree with any of this but Uther was his king and he swore an oath and was bound by it as was his fellow knights. He just swallowed the discomfort and nodded. "No…I know what I have to do sire."

"Good and don't question me again Ector or you'll share the same fate as those guards."


'It is a maze down here in the caverns,' Balinor thought as he turned about in the dark. It was hours of wandering around in these caves and he still hadn't found Kilgharrah.

He was sure that he was now starting to go in circles. He tried to feel out for Kilgharrah but these caverns were full of his presence and he couldn't hone in on exactly where he was. As he walked down the paths he was actually surprised to see that these caverns seemed to have paved paths. He guessed that these caves must've been some sort of means to evacuate the city in cases of emergency. It looks like Uther sacrificed a means of securing innocent people for his 'example' to magic kind. Balinor was starting to get a little winded from all this wandering. He leaned against the cave wall to work through his exhaustion and his frustration.

"KILGHARRAH!" he screamed out in despair. The name echoed through the system like twenty Balinors were shouting out at random.

Balinor just sat there huffing in anger as he kicked at some dirt. This was hopeless and he didn't know how he would find his way out of here either. Suddenly there was a rumbling sound and Balinor saw a flickering light shining on ahead. Light from a fire, a dragon's fire. Balinor sprinted off and headed for the source. He came upon Kilgharrah on some rock spouting fire steadily. He gave a yelp when he descended upon him.

"Balinor," Kilgharrah said looking down at his friend. "You're looking well I see."

Balinor raised his eyebrows at his reptilian friend. "Really? That's what you say?"

His draconian features went into a smile. One that Kilgharrah himself didn't believe he would do stuck in here. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? I refuse to believe that Uther and his men could've just brought you in here so easily."

"They threatened that if I was uncooperative then they would kill you though they spoke to me like I was some dumb animal to train."

He knew that having to put up with that disgraceful treatment couldn't have been easy and he had done it for his sake. Balinor was touched and even more heartbroken for what he had let his friend be put through. "Well it seems like it was for nothing. Uther called for me to be executed in a few hours from now if I hadn't escaped."

"You escaped and yet you are here…why?"

Balinor now was glaring at the dragon. "Why wouldn't I be here?"

"You had the chance to be free from Uther. I can bear being down here but I can't bear you being lost."

"And what makes you think I can bear that?! As I ran there was something, a moment of fate or whatever it was, that caused me to look back and remember my friend. The one who tried to warn me against this foolish choice and I didn't want to listen to him. I will not escape the consequences and leave you here to bear them instead Kilgharrah." Tears started to run down his eyelids and they shone in the glow of his torch's light. "I won't."

Kilgharrah closed his eyes. He hadn't shed tears due to a man's words in decades and he feared that he just might now. It wasn't something that he enjoyed doing any more than humans did. He tried to shake it away and keep his mind set and at ease. "I see. Very well then."

Balinor wiped his cheeks. "Alright," he coughed. "Now, how do we go about freeing you? That chain will take more than brute strength or a simple spell to shatter."

"You're right," the dragon mumbled. "But…perhaps a combination of the two would work."

"What do you mean?"

"We need a weapon. A special immortal weapon."

"An immortal weapon. Kilgharrah, where are we supposed to get that? I've always heard that those type of things are rare and typically under seal."

"You're right. We can find one nowhere, but we don't have to look. I can make one here and now but I will need your help."

"What do you need from me exactly?"

Kilgharrah was silent for a moment building suspense. "A sword," he finally answered.


The sun rose and Uther was in the courtyard overseeing Ector readying the party to track and pursue the Dragonlord. Before they were finished, a messenger came up to Uther a little frantically.

"Sire," he breathed out.

"What is it?" he asked impatiently.

"Riders are approaching the city. A noble party."

Uther was taken aback. "Whose banners do they wield?"

"Lord Tristan Du Bois."

Ygraine's older brother? Why was he here? Was it to visit his sister's tomb? He could understand that but why did it have to be now? He called for Ector to halt in the search. It wasn't out about the Dragonlord's escape and he needed to keep it that way. The capture of the dragon and the dragonlord had already started to spread and add backing into his name and to his Great Purge. The last thing he needed was doubt to emerge in his subjects and his enemies about his capability.

Uther quickly had the hunting party organized into a welcome party that waited in the throne room. He stood from his throne as they walked in to welcome his brother in law who he saw seemed a bit determined in full armor as he got off his horse. "Lord Tristan," he said as he approached. "Camelot welcomes you."

"Uther," he said as he came to a halt in front of him. He looked around at the state of the Camelot's men. "Were you and your men going somewhere?"

"My men were just about to set off on their duties. Are you here to visit Ygraine's tomb?"

His jaw stiffened. "Ygraine is the reason I am here but not to visit her tomb." He then made a tight fist in his right hand. "I've come to avenge her death!"

Uther was a little taken back by Tristan's rage but he smiled nevertheless. "I'm happy to have you with us then. My men were about to hunt down one of them now."

"Really? Then why aren't they pointing their weapons and subduing you now?"

Uther's heart dropped. "I want everyone out now! Leave us!" he ordered. Once everyone left them alone he looked at his brother in law. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"I'm here to confront my little sister's killer. You."

"I don't know what lies you were fed but I didn't kill Ygraine. It was one of magic's evil sorcerers that killed her."

"Don't speak like I'm one of your boot licking men! I'm not stupid Uther! You were the one responsible. Tell me, how is your son?"

"What?"

"I know…about Ygraine not being able to have children. She wrote to me; heartbroken about becoming barren. There was no hope for her to bear children and miraculously she falls pregnant not too long after."

"A miracle." Uther tried to explain.

"One that the priestess Nimueh helped you achieve." He stopped for a second to take in Uther's shocked face. "I'm not a reckless fool, I check everything before I accuse anyone. I know about the magic needed to do something like this. You sacrificed my sister so you could have an heir and you are using the magical community to shift blame from where it belongs."

"It was their magic that killed her. Nimueh killed her Tristan. I did everything right and she deceived me for her own selfish ends."

"Enough!" Tristan put his left hand to his right arm and ripped off his gauntlet. He then threw it at Uther's foot.

Uther looked at it horrified. "You are not serious!"

"I am. I will not stand by and allow you to use my sister's name to justify killing so many people. I won't let Ygraine's legacy to be linked to genocide! She deserves more than that! Now pick it up!"

Uther tightened his jaw and stood defiantly at his brother in law. "No."

"Pick it up," he said again. "Or I will dictate what I know to everyone in the city and we'll see how much support they will give to a murderer and a hypocrite."

Uther closed his hands into tight fists and looked from Tristan to the gauntlet. He then picked up the gauntlet with a proud glare. Tristan declared that they would have their fight this afternoon and it would be to the death. Little did either know that at the balcony behind the throne room there was a certain physician that had witnessed the whole exchange with a heavy heart.


The only weapon available that they could use to smash these chains strong enough to bind a being like a dragon would be a sword forged in the dragon's breath. Balinor had been led by Kilgharrah to a path that led straight to the lower levels of Uther's castle. It was the best way to sneak back to the city and find the sword that they needed. Camelot might just be the last place that Uther would be looking for him so he should have some time. From Uther's character he wouldn't think that anyone would dare try and operate directly under his nose. Whatever case, Balinor needed to get a sword for Kilgharrah to bless. It had to be one that hadn't seen a drop of blood so the ones in the castle's armory wouldn't do so he would have to try looking at one of the smiths in the city. Balinor sneaked into the castle's laundry and took a fresh set of clothes to help disguise himself. His name might be known but not his face. Only some knights and select guards had seen him up close so as long as he didn't draw attention to himself then he should be fine. He took a satchel and some parchment to make him seem like a servant running some errands. The security in the castle was surprisingly light considering that a major prisoner just escaped last night. The guards at the front gate didn't even look twice at him. Well, he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. He checked the two best smiths in the city but none of the freshly made swords seemed to strike him in what he would need. None of the swords in them seemed to carry the…magic (lack of a better term) for him to bless in dragon fire. Most were made too flashy with bits of silver and gold, embroidered hilts or designs in the center of the blades like they were trying too hard to be unique. They wouldn't do.

Balinor came upon the last smith shop and didn't see anything that appealed to him and he was resigned just to take a random one when a young man bumped into him.

"Sorry," the man said. He was carrying something wrapped up.

"Tom," the smith said scolding. "Be more careful around the customers."

"Forgive me but I wanted to show this to you right away." Balinor went around the corner and made it look like he was leaving as the boy put the bundle on a nearby table and started unwrapping it. "I just finished it. My very first sword. I worked for two weeks straight until I felt I got it just right." He finished unwrapping a broadsword and handed it to his master.

The smith took it and twisted his apprentice's creation around as he looked it over. "Nice balance…good shaping of the blade…this is great work Tom"

"So it could be put on the sales rack?" the apprentice said hopefully.

"A fine sword," the man said finally setting it down. "But I'm afraid it won't be a high sell."

The young man named Tom looked downhearted. "Why? You just said it was a fine sword."

"It doesn't draw in the eye of seasoned warriors. It's look is too basic. Put it on the rack with a few of these other blades and knights and other travelers would skip right over it. Don't get me wrong Tom, it is a marvelous sword when taken in hand but it doesn't look attractive. The key to be a good smith and a good salesman is too have both good quality and an attractive sight to match. You're good with horseshoes, shields and armor. Maybe you're not quite ready for weapons yet." Then there was a gong like sound coming from near the castle. "We'll talk more on this later. The challenge is about to start. While we're there I want you to really look at the swords that are used for you to see what I mean."

Tom nodded and followed him out of the shop as they joined with a few others who seemed to be heading for the fighting grounds. Balinor came out of his spot and looked closer at the blade. He grasped it himself and felt that it was truly a great sword and from that apprentice's testimony it had a lot of good work and love put into making it. It didn't have the look that it was trying to be extravagant but it didn't need it. It didn't need to look great to mean that it wasn't meant to be great. Balinor felt that this was the perfect sword for Kilgharrah's flame. And if what he heard about a challenge was true then it would be easy to sneak back into the castle with the most attentive knights and guards at the event.


End of Chapter 2

A/N: I hope you liked how I put in one of the canon events that we only heard about in passing. It seemed to fit in perfectly with what was going on and helped out with the story as well. I hope you also like Tom's cameo appearance as well. I must say that as I write this it is starting to shape up better than I imagined it would. Please review, I would love to hear what you all think.