Pirate captain Thomas McNally stood on the quarterdeck of his 44-gun frigate, the Forsaken. The sun was rising off in the east, the wind blew in steadily from the northwest, and the swells bristled with whitecaps as the breeze drove them onwards. Over the stern flew the Forsaken's black battle standard: a skeletal pirate crushing a crown. Weeks ago, the pirate ship had set off from the tropical Caribbean, bound for arctic waters. The men who worked the deck now wore heavy wool jackets over their clothing. To Thomas, it seemed as though the crew's morale dropped along with the temperature. Perhaps some time ashore would lighten their mood. Warm ale and a woman's touch could boost any man's spirit.

Anthony, a wizard of great skill and renown, emerged from below and joined Thomas on the quarterdeck. The wizard wore leather shoes, dark breeches with many pockets, a flowing blue cloak, and glasses. His rather drab attire stood in stark contrast to Thomas' blue, neatly prepared uniform. Also unlike his fellow, Thomas wore a sword belt, onto which a dagger and golden longsword were fastened. A pair of pistols were holstered across his chest.

"Good morning, Thomas," Anthony greeted the captain. "A fine day, isn't it?"

"Indeed, Tony," Thomas agreed. "How is our guest faring?"

"Sir Lenard is well. He's eager to see his home again."

"Good to know."

Sir Lenard was a knight from the northern kingdom of Arendelle. He came aboard the Forsaken weeks ago, looking to enlist the services of Anthony, Thomas, and the Forsaken's crew. The knight claimed that his homeland was under some extreme threat. An army, he informed them, was marching across the kingdom, led by a colossal flying creature, possibly a dragon. Where this army was from, what their motivations were, and who commanded them were not made clear. Thomas could only hope that arriving in Arendelle would change that.

As the two men conversed, Sir Lenard climbed up on deck, clad in his suit of chainmail and wearing his longsword. Anthony motioned the knight up to the quarterdeck, where he joined the Captain and the wizard.

"Good morning Sir Lenard," said Thomas in greeting. "Did you sleep well?"

"About as well as one can on this craft," Lenard said in a gruff voice. He clearly wasn't accustomed to ocean travel.

"That's a shame," Anthony commented.

"Are we near Arendelle?"

"A few hours away," Thomas confirmed. "The coast is already coming over the southern horizon. You'll be home soon."

"Very good. Once we're ashore, I'll make sure that you get an audience with Queen Elsa. She ordered me to seek you out, after all."

A tremendous roar sounded off in the distance, loud and threatening. Sir Lenard put a hand on his longsword's hilt.

"I... know that call," he whispered with a hint of fear.

The roar sounded again. A great beast emerged over the southern horizon. Despite the distance, Thomas clearly made out the creature's horse-like head, bat-like wings, four legs, and long, sweeping tail. Violet fire shot from the monster''s mouth.

"What... is that?" Anthony asked.

Sir Lenard cleared his throat. "That, my friend, is the dragon I told you of."

The dragon circled and began flying north, straight towards the pirate ship. Sir Lenard drew his longsword.

"Beat to quarters!" Thomas shouted. "All hands prepare for battle!"

The pirates scrambled to their respective stations. Arms were distributed, gunports opened, cannons loaded and run out, and the decks were sanded. Within a minute, the Forsaken and her crew were ready for combat.

Thomas drew his spyglass and watched as the dragon neared his ship. In doing so he got his first good look at this deadly new adversary. The beast was covered in violet, sharp, pointed scales, giving it a menacing appearance. Its eyes were ghostly white, and without pupils. A series of horns jutted back from the dragon's head. Again the monster roared and breathed its violet, unnatural fire. Thomas stowed his spyglass and ordered a hard turn to port.

"Aim high!" Thomas yelled to the gunners.

Anthony raised his hands and launched bolts of lightening at the dragon as the beast hurtled at ship. While some bolts missed, those that struck the dragon didn't phase the beast at all. The ship's starboard broadside now faced the incoming dragon.

"Fire!" Thomas yelled.

Twenty-two guns boomed to life and let fly, belching smoke and spitting iron. The ship shuddered and rolled to port as the cannons discharged. Splashes sprang up when cannonballs struck the water's surface. The dragon, much to Thomas' disappointment, appeared unscathed, despite being hit by at least three cannonballs. Had the dragon healed itself, or did the shots miss? Before the crew could take any further action, the flying monster was upon the ship.

"Down!" Thomas shouted. "All hands down!"

Every man aboard hit the deck. The dragon, skimming the waves, unleashed a breath of fire on the pirate ship. Thomas felt the fire's heat scalding against his skin. Men screamed in pain and terror as a wave of heat swept across the main deck, setting fire to rigging, sails, and clothing. Anthony jumped to his feet and conjured water from his fingertips, extinguishing the flames and wetting the deck. Off to port, the triumphant dragon climbed high in the air, turned south, and vanished over the horizon.

Thomas stood back up, along with Sir Lenard. Anthony had left the quarterdeck and was now tending to the wounded, leaving the knight and the Captain alone.

"That monster threatens your entire kingdom?" Thomas asked the knight. "It's pretty clear why you claimed as such."

"Yes. But it isn't alone. As I mentioned, there is an army that follows it."

"An army of dragons?"

"No. The soldiers in this army resemble men, but are not men. They're best described as a cruel mockery of mankind."

Anthony returned to the quarterdeck after an hour. "Thomas, I believe I know what attacked our ship."

"I know, Tony. A dragon."

"Yes, but no ordinary dragon. According to my sources, that beast was an 'archdemon.'"

"It's a whatdemon?"

"An archdemon. It's a dragon that's been... corrupted, turned into an instrument of destruction. The army that Sir Lenard mentioned are called 'darkspawn.'"

"That's correct," said Sir Lenard. "This 'archdemon' and its army have been devastating the nation's countryside for months. It's only a matter of time before they march on Arendelle's capital city."

"We won't allow that to happen, Sir," Thomas reassured him. "If Queen Elsa wishes these darkspawn stopped, that's exactly what she'll get."

"She wouldn't ask for anything less."

The damaged Forsaken limped onwards until the city of Arendelle came into view. Hours later, the ship dropped anchor in the harbor. The pirate crew, their Captain, the wizard, and the knight were all safe once again. At least for the time being.