The King's Armour

The Dragon's Flight

Balinor
Before

"A runaway?" Balinor asked. "You mean you're a sorcerer?"

Gaius sat down on the nearest rock, "Indeed." he answered. "I've been on the run for months. I come from a village in the North. Raspidor, it is called." he continued.

Balinor hesitated. "I can't stay here. I must go as soon as there's a chance." he said and stood up. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Gaius."

As he was leaving, the man managed to grab his arm. He had a tight grip, so Balinor was forced to stay. "I'm leaving now to a village called Ealdor." Gaius said. "Traveling alone is dangerous these days, please come with me, there's a woman called Trina Fertey who offered me help."

Balinor sighed. "I don't know, I --"

"Where else can you go?" Gaius interrupted.

He was right, Balinor had no clue where to go next. He was homeless. If this man spoke the truth, he might have help. There were a million opportunities if he only took the risk.

"I will go with you." Balinor said and gasped. "Thank you."
Gaius smiled and stood up. "Well," he gasped. "grab your stuff and let's go." he said and got out of the cave.
Balinor ran for his father's dagger quickly and followed him out.

+ + + +

Kilgharrah was flying over the Kingdom's hunting woods. He saw no more than trees and felt the cold, dead breeze against his body. He smelled all the corpses left on the forest grounds, all the innocent sorcerers killed during the war.
He saw a dark figure through the night's fog appearing: Camelot. It hurt his chest, but he had to follow his Lord's orders: to destroy Camelot to avenge the Old Religion.

He got closer and everything turned blurry, he burned everything standing on his way, he heard the alarm iron bells ringing from the citadel, women crying and looking for shelter for their families, guards ready to defend the castle and suddenly a net. The Royal Guard threw a gigantic net made out of chains and heavy boulders on the edges. Kilgharrah cried out in pain as his wings failed to support the massive weight.

From his chambers, King Uther Pendragon heard it all. He came out with only his night robes. He walked through the hard citadel's concrete floor barefoot and reached a crowd of guards surrounding the gigantic creature.

"Let me go through!" he ordered and the guards opened a path for him. That was when he saw the Great Dragon.

"What happened here?" he whispered seriously as he saw the creature and the fire over the castle's towers. "What the Hell happened here?!" he yelled furiously. The guards stood quietly. "Is this what you have been training for?! To let this atrocities happen without doing anything?!" he screamed and his face turned red in rage. "My son could have died!". It was enough for him to have lost his wife, he couldn't bare to lose the only living part that was left of her.

He walked around the creature and looked at his useless Guard. "Take it to the dungeons. It will never see the light of day as long as I'm alive." he said and walked back to the main tower.
As they took him to his prison, Kilgharrah saw a faint shadow of a baby through a window. He smiled and blacked out.

+ + + +

"Here we are." Gaius told Balinor. "I told you it wasn't far away."
Balinor was exhausted, they had been walking for two days, barely having any sleep and food. Past the sign that read "Ealdor" they started seeing women washing, hanging clothes, and smoke coming out from the kitchens. Balinor also noticed there were lots of small children helping them with the housework. There were no men, and Balinor knew it was because of the war.

"Finally!" a woman coming out from a house exclaimed when she saw the two men. She was a short white brunette with hazel eyes and was wearing a simple skirt and a white blouse. "Gaius dear, I've been waiting for you! Why are you so late?"

"My apologies." said Gaius. "I was delayed." he eyed Balinor. "I found this runaway at the forest and I thought it would be a good idea to bring him here."

A girl about Balinor's age came out with a basket full of dirty clothes. She was wearing a blue dress with an apron and a coif on her head. She was beautiful, Balinor thought. She had short wavy hair and bright green eyes. Although she looked astonishing to him, there was something bizarre about her he couldn't figure out.

"Hunith, dear!" exclaimed Trina. "Meet Gaius. This is the physician I told you about, he's great with herbs and can cure almost any disease." she said. "And this is...?"

"Balinor Borodor, Lady Trina." he said after a long pause.

Trina laughed. "Oh boy, I'm no Lady. But I'll gladly help you." Trina said and held her daughter's arm. Balinor couldn't stop staring at her innocent bright green eyes. It must have been his imagination, but Balinor swore he saw her smile at him.

"Follow me inside, boys!" Trina said and went inside, as well as Gaius, but Hunith and Balinor couldn't take their eyes off of each other.

"I think you should follow my mother." Hunith said with a trembling voice.

"Yes, we should." Balinor answered still looking at her beautiful green eyes.

She giggled, "No, I mean you should. I have to go wash these clothes." she said but got no answer and blushed. "So, I better get going. I will see you later." she gently touched his arm. "Make yourself at home."