If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law

~ Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience and Other Essays

Chapter 4: A Knight's Execution

Balinor and Kilgharrah found a creek as they flew overhead and Kilgharrah sensed that the area was free of any people. They decided that it would be a great place to rest for the night. Balinor collected some wood and Kilgharrah snorted a small flame and lit it instantly for them. Balinor was lucky enough to come across a rabbit that was cooking on a stick over the fire as we speak. Both of them watched the fire's flames flicker in silence. They just marveled in the fact that they were together and free.

It was Kilgharrah who decided to break the silence as Balinor started to eat his cooked meal. "Where exactly are we heading from here Balinor?"

He wiped his mouth before answering. "I was told of a place that I would be able to get some help and be safe for a while. It's a village a man named Gaius told me of."

"Really? And what makes you think that this village is really going to be that safe to stay in?'

"It's beyond the western borders of Camelot. If I'm not mistaken isn't that land part of the Kingdom of Essitir?"

"Yes," Kilgharrah answered. "That would be King Cenred's domain."

"Cenred? Oh right, he and Uther aren't exactly friends are they?"

"No they are not and the Purge hasn't leaked into those lands." Uther's activities and propaganda was starting to infect other places outside Camelot but there remained completely untouched by it. "That should be an adequate place for us to safely recover and rest." Now that Kilgharrah was down on the ground he had to admit that the draining power of those chains had left more of a strain than he previously thought. It didn't help that he had been putting so much energy before their capture in their attacks against Uther. He would need some time to be back at full strength.

Balinor looked at the space above Kilgharrah's paw where that shackle had been on and lightly rubbed it for him. "Yes, but we'll have to be subtle old friend. The last thing we need is for word to get around about a dragon sighted in that area. I wouldn't count a slimy bastard like Uther to try and sneak his doings into another kingdom without consent. And despite not being an ally of Uther, Cenred I hear is an opportunist. He would seek to obtain you for his own ends if I couldn't help it."

"That's true. Although he wouldn't fair better than Uther to control me without you," he said with a smile breaking into his draconian features. "Though let's refrain from having me carry you around. I'm a dragon, not a horse you know."

Balinor started to chuckle. "You're as humble as ever Kilgharrah."

Kilgharrah looked his friend over to see some bags in his eyes. "You should get some rest. You've more than earned some. I'll keep watch over you."

Balinor wanted to protest but a yawn came out instead. "Perhaps you're right."

"As always."

"Again with the humility," he grunted out as he settled himself to take a nap.

Uther stood drinking his pain relieving tonic as Gaius helped change his old bandages. As soon as he regained consciousness he had tried getting up and the pain forced him back into the cot that he had in Gaius' quarters. He had to move slowly, carefully and with Gaius' aid to stand while he had this bandage change. Now that Uther could stand Gaius could tighten them so that it could heal faster.

"How long will it take for this medicine to take effect Gaius?" he asked as he felt a sharp pain when a new roll of gauze pressed into his wound.

"It should only take a few minutes and it should last you for the whole day. I'm afraid you'll have to take it every day though. I advise that for the next week to not do anything too strenuous to stress your injuries and let them heal completely."

"And you say that even after that I will still need to take this tonic?"

Gaius nodded grimly at Uther's question. "There was quite a bit of internal damage. I imagine that even with the tonic you'll be prone to feel a sharp jab or itchiness at some random moments of your days."

"And there is nothing that could be done about that?"

"I'm sorry sire but I've done everything I could. It's really good fortune that you've gotten away with just that. Had I not treated you when I did then there is a chance that you would've suffered some long term limping or even been paralyzed."

The thought of being so crippled at his age and in his position made Uther's blood run cold. The image of his strength and power that he made for Camelot to have could've been ruined forever. All thanks to the combined actions of Tristan and that Dragonlord Balinor.

"Then you have my utmost gratitude Gaius for pulling me away from that outcome. It would've damaged the state of Camelot's strength to have a king that might not even be able to walk under his own stamina." Gaius bowed his head in acknowledgement as he finished putting on Uther's wrapping. When he was done Uther tested walking a little and did feel some stinging at his side with every step he took but he would have to grin and bear it for the next week or so until the pain dulled. "How long have I been out?"

"Almost three whole days sire," Gaius answered.

His eyes widened at that bit of news. "Do you know the status of the situation?"

"Well there was some damage done to the city by the dragon's escape. About five of the soldiers along the walls are dead. The lower town had some fires that enveloped a few houses. Some structures were weakened and there were a few injuries done in the panic that ensued in the streets. Thankfully nothing too severe and luckily no losses amongst the city's citizens."

"Any news on the pursuit of the dragon and dragonlord," he asked putting his clothes on. That was the main concern.

"There has been nothing on them sire."

"Nothing? Ector wasn't able to find them yet."

Gaius braced himself for what he knew would be coming. "The search hasn't commenced yet."

"WHAT?!"

It didn't help.

"I am waiting for your explanation Ector."

The throne room had a few of Uther's advisors and knights to watch as he summoned for them and Ector as soon as he could walk out of Gaius' chambers. Ector was standing completely at ease before the king with his hands behind his back and looked not the least bit nervous.

"Explanation for what sire?" he said with no blips or spikes in his voice at all.

"You disobeyed a direct order Ector!" he spat out in the throne room as he looked down at Ector from his spot on the throne. "You were ordered to take the men and pursue the dragonlord!"

"The lower town was in danger. We were right there and we could spare the city from having an out of control wildfire and save people from its blaze or pursue one man. I chose the city."

"Well that wasn't your job. Camelot needs its knights to do their duties and your duty was to bring us our enemy."

"Our duty also is to protect its people. We could have lost a hundred people if we didn't move in."

"Then tell me why, after you wasted time with the fires did you not pursue as you were instructed?"

Ector's face broke from being indifferent and he full on glared at Uther. "There were injuries sustained in our efforts and some of the men had family in the city that were hurt that they had to tend to. Besides, we can't track something that could fly; and I wouldn't call saving the lives of our citizens a waste."

Uther couldn't believe that Ector just talked back to him like that and in his own throne room in public like this. He was livid at this sign of disrespect. "You may have saved a hundred and now thousands are in danger thanks to your actions," he scolded. "Thanks to you a dangerous enemy is lost to us."

"Do you not care about how close you could've come to having a great deal of the city burn?"

"I care but in every war sacrifices must be made. If the lower town had to burn to keep such a dangerous enemy to the whole kingdom from running free than it is a cost that we'll have to pay. I was to declare that the dragonlords are defeated and the last dragon was confined to be an example for all of Camelot's might. Now I can't because your actions let them get away to continue to threaten Camelot after we worked so hard to defeat them. How long before other sorcerers follow in the dragonlord's footsteps."

Ector can't believe that Uther, a man who once fought against the 'Greedy King' and spoke against using people for his own profit just said all that. He was willing to let his people die so he could have back one man and a trophy. A man and a trophy that he deceived with talks of truce and peace and who agreed to them only for Uther to double-cross them. This incident was a direct result of that. If they had truly done a truce then perhaps there would've been no danger at all for Camelot. Also, it was only a few days after he had killed his brother in law and he hadn't even given him the proper honors. Balinor was right, where were their consciences?

"I'm sorry sire. I'm sorry that Camelot's people take a lower concern to your pride. How foolish of me. Next time I will order the men to let the people die so you could feel extra smug about yourself when you go to bed at night," he huffed in frustration.

The entire court gasped at that. Even Ector was surprised that he just said that.

"Seize him! Right now!" Uther ordered.

"On what charge?!" Ector asked two guards grabbed onto him.

Uther looked at one of his oldest loyal knights and coldly responded one simple word. "Treason."

As Ector was being led out he made sure his final words would be heard by Uther. "Seems we traded a greedy king for a heartless one."

Uther had to dispel many of his advisors and a few of his knights asking him to reconsider his final decision regarding Sir Ector. Uther had announced that Ector was to be sentenced to a public flogging before he was to be beheaded for crimes of endangering Camelot, defying the king, speaking treason and attempting spread treachery. Ector was a well-liked member of the knights and had fought in quite a few battles during the war against the 'Greedy King.' It was argued that it was too quick and drastic a sentence but Uther wasn't to be moved. Their pleas were shot down almost immediately. Uther couldn't let one of his knights openly disrupt the order of things and openly defy him like he did in the throne room. If he allowed Ector to get away with it then more of his knights will follow his example. That's the last thing he needs especially with current events in his War on Magic.

The square was filled with people. There was look of shock and anger upon a good many of them. Uther hadn't realized that many of the people there had spent many days beforehand toasting and praying to Ector's name for his efforts in sparing the city. They were acknowledging that he helped to save their homes and their loved ones burning to ashes. He was their hero and he was being led out before them all in manacles for the executioner's block. To see him go through this so soon after what he did for them, it wasn't fair. Those looks of sadness were for Ector and the glares on the others were at Uther.

Uther couldn't sense the tension building up as he approached the high balcony and looked down at the square. He gave the signal to begin the punishment flogging to the man who had the whip ready in his hand. Ector was shackled to a post made ready and the man brought the whip down that made a great cracking sound echo through the silence of the square. The actual contact had left a bloody gash on his back. He hardly felt it though. To spare him pain in his final moments, Gaius had visited Ector an hour prior and gave him a powerful concoction to numb his whole body. All he felt as the whips smacked his skin were pressing contacts and some slight itching right after. He just kept looking straight ahead at all the people witnessing his final moments. Many of them were even there because of him and he didn't regret his decision at all.

After a few moments of whip lashing Uther called for it to stop and deliver the mercy of a quick and final end. The executioner came forward with the axe ready as Ector was unhooked from the post and settled onto the block. Some in the crowd started to shout and cry against this but the guards held them all back. Uther feared a full scale riot may be imminent so he gave the executioner the signal. The thud that quickly followed silenced and stilled the whole crowd as the horror that Sir Ector was dead set in.

The caves beneath Camelot were filled with workers as they moved to work on the weakened foundations so that there would be no danger to the castle above. There was no telling what the damage the dragon's escape did and Uther wanted no unsuspecting damage to occur to the castle to arrive when they weren't suspecting it. Gaius was there too with a handful of knights as they looked at the chain to determine how Balinor could've freed the dragon. They studied it and determined that Balinor must've somehow sawed the chain off the dragon with a blade though none of them could see how as these chains were supposed to be made unbreakable. Taking their findings to Uther he surmised that the sorcerers he had make it must've lied and conned him which he said shouldn't have surprised him at all. He wished that they weren't already dead so he could punish them for endangering the kingdom. Gaius was of a different mind on the subject. He knew that the chain was a genuine instrument and for all intended circumstances made unbreakable. With his studies from the old days he recalled a legend of a weapon forged in a dragon's breath that could do nearly anything. He guessed that Balinor must've used one to free the dragon from his prison. Though he decided to not share this with Uther. If news reached him that Balinor had some kind of great weapon then he would be even more obsessed with his capture and things were crazy enough.

News reached him that Balinor had entered the treasury and had plundered it and that nearly had Uther go as red as his colors. To think that Balinor had not only escaped and freed the dragon but also had stolen from him as well, Uther was beyond insulted. His determination to retrieve Balinor back soared. Uther offered a bounty of 100 gold coins for the capture of the Dragonlord Balinor. He had his knights begin a search of the whole kingdom for him and his dragon but there was no word yet. He often wondered how could a dragonlord and his dragon possibly move about without any trace.

Balinor stopped by a village and bought himself a horse and some supplies with some of the gold he had "borrowed" from Uther's keep. He also got himself a change of clothes and gave himself a haircut to alter his appearance somewhat to help throw off chances of his sighting in the area. Kilgharrah kept himself in the thick brush of trees during the day and only flew about at night when there was no chance that he could be spotted. He was able to see if there were any knights following them and if there were they easily moved out of their path. Balinor wanted to get out of Camelot as soon as possible but with Kilgharrah he knew they would have to be steady and careful. Studying a map of the land he saw that they would have to take the long way around through thick and tough terrain so that no one could easily spot a great gold dragon on the ground and alert the knights. It was a slow journey but one made in success as they passed Camelot's borders into Essitir after one month.

Balinor was sitting by a campfire with Kilgharrah that night feeling the most relaxed that he had felt in a long time. "We're finally out of Uther's land."

"Yes, we are," said Kilgharrah. "Yet we're not out of danger yet. Truth be told we won't be out of danger so long as Uther reigns as king."

Balinor's face fell. "Yes, you're right about that."

"What do you plan to do?"

Balinor settled back a little. "I'm not sure yet but you are right in saying that there will never be peace with Uther on the throne. He is taking his vendetta against magic too far now. He broke a formal peace offering just to satisfy his personal vices and pride. When I was in that village for some more food three days ago I heard that Uther had executed one of his own knights and the people nearly broke into a riot over it. It seems like the magical community aren't the only ones suffering under him now."

"Uther is trying to tighten his hold over his people now that his pride has taken a hit by our escape. That man is starting to see enemies everywhere."

"He keeps this up and soon he will have enemies everywhere."

"Yes, I've seen that bring down many a tyrant in the past."

Balinor yawned. "But for now, our main concern should be to find a safe place for us to rest and recuperate. Uther is out of sight and out of mind for the moment now that we're out of his land."

"I suppose you're right. This village that the physician Gaius told you about. How much further is it?"

End of Chapter 4

A/N: Things seem to be shaping differently now, don't they? Most likely, Uther would've had time to properly follow traditions in regards to Tristan Du Bois and let himself recover but the escape of Kilgharrah has caused great ripples in time. Now there are doubts in loyalty of Uther's men like Ector starting to emerge. He is starting to break and lash out to try to maintain the idea of control he feels he ought to be having at this point. I'm going to be making a few changes to Kilgharrah's personality as opposed to the Kilgharrah that spent over twenty years in chains rather than two weeks. After spending decades underground with no company at all I guess that his social skills would be out of touch especially when he left them with only Merlin available for conversation. His anger is still great against Uther as well but it hasn't had the time to build on itself and grow into an obsession like it did before. The next chapter will have Balinor reaching a certain village we all know too well.