11 years ago…

A flash of lightning tore through the dark clouded sky as thunder seemed to be constantly rumbling overhead. Combined with the howling wind, it was nearly impossible for the crew of the Icebreaker to hear their captain barking out orders. At the wheel was a middle-aged woman in a dark blue poncho that was being tossed in every direction by the battering winds. She had long flowing auburn hair that reached past her waist and faded to an icy blue about halfway down, as if half of her hair was frozen, and tanned skin adorned with glowing blue markings that were occasionally visible through breaks between her gloves and along her neck. Bright almost glowing blue eyes pierced through the gloom as she struggled to keep her galleon steady in the battering winds. This woman is Azura Icewind, captain of the Glacial Dragons.

"Skuggi, how much farther?" she yelled over the storm at a figure glad in purple robes, shaggy black hair tousled and drenched as grey eyes glanced up at his captain.

"Should be dead ahead, captain!" he replied. Skuggi was Azura's first-mate and lorekeeper; her most trusted crewmate. He was the one who had led the crew out there into the storm in search of something that he deemed 'crucial to the future of the sea'.

"Land ho!" A crewmate cried from the crow's nest as the silhouette of an island appeared through the thick rainfall, a large peak piecing the thundering clouds.

"Prepare to dock!" Azura yelled before staring intently at the island. It wasn't marked on any of her navigator's maps. 'Dragon's Truth' Skuggi called it. Azura placed a hand over her chest where her heart would be as a faint blue glow shone through her poncho.

"I'll see this through…for both of us…"

Meanwhile…

The sky was clear and starry as the waves calmly lapped at sandy shores. All was silent aside from the slight crunching of sand accompanied by the sound of wood carefully being dragged across it. That and the sound of a 10-year-old quietly grunting as she dragged what seemed to be a make-shift dinghy with a sail attached to it and a rock tied with rope, serving as an anchor or sorts. She let out a sigh as she finally got the boat near the water's edge. Stella Icewind. A young girl with shoulder length, dark brown hair with frosted tips, ice blue eyes, and tanned, freckled skin. Clad in a raincoat, trousers and boots with a fake pirate hat on, she gazed out at the horizon with a determined expression. Just as she was about to push the boat into the water, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Stella let out a sigh of defeat as she turned around to face an elderly woman clad in a brown dress, that looked like it had been sewn and patched up over many years of use, who smiled sadly down at her.

"Abuela, I…you see…I gotta…" Stella tried to come up with an excuse but was shot down by the woman slowly shaking her head, "Stella, I know you want to follow your mother out into the Sea of Thieves but you're still too young."

"She needs me though…" Stella mumbled.

"I'm sure your mother is willing to wait a few more years for your grand arrival." Stella's grandmother reassured, "But for now, try to enjoy your time on land. After all, you may start to miss it when you spend the majority of it on the water. Now off to bed. Even pirates need their sleep."

"Ok…" Stella groaned as she glanced once more at the horizon before following her grandmother inside their cottage not far from the water's edge.

Present Day…

A now 21-year-old Stella hammered diligently at a now-more-sea-worthy dinghy. Her hair was now chin-length and messy, still retaining the frost-white tips. She wore a white and light blue shirt with splits at the shoulders which revealed the dark blue shirt underneath, along with blue flared-out pants tied with an ice-blue ribbon and blue sandals. A blue crystal necklace hung from her neck, glinting in the sunlight. She let out a content sigh as she placed her hammer down in the golden sands before stepping back to admire her handy work. The sky was a bright blue with the sun shining down; not a cloud in the sky. She took a quick swing from her waterskin before placing it into her rucksack and loading it onto the dinghy. As she did a quick once-over, she could hear footsteps approach from behind.

"You can't stop me this time, Abuela." Stella began without turning around, "Dead or not, I have to finish what she started."

The day before, Nana had revealed to Stella that her mother had gone missing 11 years ago and was presumed dead. This was the final straw for her and was ready to begin her journey to the Sea of Thieves.

"I know. And I'm not here to stop you." Stella's grandmother sighed, "I should've told you sooner. I know I can't hold you back any longer. I knew you'd eventually set out there whether I allowed it or not. All I ask is that you be careful. I lost a daughter. I don't want to lose a granddaughter too."

Stella gripped the edge of her boat tightly before spinning around and hugging her grandmother, "You won't. I promise."

Stella's grandmother gently hugged her back before stepping away, "Now go. Enjoy your adventure and don't look back."

Stella nodded, fighting back tears before giving the dinghy one last push into the water. She carefully stepped into the boat and, taking a deep calming breath, she unveiled the sails, immediately catching the wind. As the dinghy took to the waves, Stella gave one last wave to her grandmother before facing the horizon.


"…ugh…"

Stella groggily woke up on an island, lying on her side. In front of her was a lit campfire and just a few feet beyond it was the shoreline with a partially wrecked sloop calmly floating on the crystal blue waters. Tropical plants and trees covered the island. Stella sat up, racking her brain as she tried to remember how she got there. That's when she remembered. Her boat was attacked by a skeleton ship. The good news was that meant she was more than likely on the outskirts of the Sea of Thieves. The bad news was that her tiny dinghy didn't stand a chance against the huge ship. Her boat took a direct hit from a cannonball, completely wrecking it.

"Must've washed up here…great." Stella sighed as she got to her feet.

"Indeed. You were quite fortunate to survive."

Stella jumped, not expecting to hear another voice. Before she could question anything, a green glow emerged from the campfire and took on a humanoid shape. In front of her was the ghost of a portly man with a thick beard. He wore a standard pirates outfit – slightly torn – aside from a cloak on his back (along with three swords which Stella suspected was the reason for his ghostly form) and a wooden griffon claw as a pegleg. He also used a cane with a gaping skull on the top.

"You look a little worse for wear, my friend. You must be on quite the journey." He noted.

"You could say that. Who are-?"

Stella was cut off by the growling of a ferocious monster- oh wait, no, that was just her stomach. The ghost chuckled a bit, "I should eat something, if I were you. A full belly can do wonders for your spirits."

"Ah, y-yeah…" Stella looked around and noticed a banana lying a couple of feet away from her. She picked up the yellow fruit, scoffing it down quickly.

"There, you look better already. Maybe even strong enough to reach the Sea of Thieves." The ghost smiled, "These days they call me The Pirate Lord, but you may call me Ramsey. Back when I discovered this place, I was just a bold explorer like you. I dreamt of finding uncharted waters filled with treasures and rife with danger, where every sunrise brought a new adventure…"

"Wait…is this…am I in the Sea of Thieves?" Stella's eyes lit up with newfound hope.

"Nearly. You've one last crossing to make." Ramsey replied, "But it seems like you lost your gear upon washing up here." Sure enough, Stella's rucksack was nowhere to be seen.

"Not to worry though, there's some old weapons and equipment lying about here that you can use. If you're up for a bit of work that is." Stella gave a determined nod, "If it means I can get to the Sea of Thieves, I'll do it."

"Well now, I'd say you're as ready as you'll ever be for what's ahead." Ramsey said as Stella loaded the last of the equipment from the Pirate Lord's chest into a bag, "Allow me to show you the path…" Ramsey motioned to the fog-covered horizon before slamming his cane into the ground, causing the mist to part and lanterns to alight in the distance.

"The Shroud is beginning to part, but you have one more task before your journey continues." Ramsey continued, "You may be ready to sail, but your ship still needs repairs. Go, and tend to her wounds! After that, I must bid you farewell."

"Thanks for your help." Stella smiled, "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have made it."

"You're very welcome. Now go. Adventure awaits!"

Stella nodded before sprinting towards the old sloop. As Ramsey watched the young woman scuttle about the ship, fixing it up, he muttered to himself, "She's most certainly your daughter, Icewind. I wonder if she'll live up to your legacy…?" With that, he disappeared in a puff of green smoke.

Stella huffed and puffed as she raised the anchor. Once it was secured, she grabbed the ropes for the sails and unravelled them before hurrying over to the wheel, guiding the ship away from the island and through the lanterns. As she sailed, she could see the wrecks of many ships, ranging from sloops to full galleons. As unnerving as it was, she tried not to let it get to her as she pushed on. She jumped as she saw what seemed like a giant shark-like creature briefly surface before diving under her ship. She remembered stories her mother told her as a child of creatures that lurked in the Sea of Thieves, with one of them being a sea beast called the Megalodon. She wagered that was one of them. Her thoughts were interrupted by a large splash on her portside. A skeleton ship. Stella was about to steer away in a panic when she realised that her new ship was outfitted with cannons.

"Might as well get some practise with these things." She muttered and she scrambled down the steps and grabbed some cannonballs from a nearby barrel, loading them into the cannons. Her first few shots missed completely but she managed to land one, knocking a skeleton overboard. Just as she was about to aim the next shot, tentacles shot up from the water beneath the skeletons' ship and began to drag it down under the waves.

"Kraken too, huh? Better them than me…" Stella mumbled, somewhat relieved the monstrous squid targeted the skeletons instead of her. She pushed the ship forward until she began to spot islands off in the distance as the fog began to close behind her. There was no turning back now. But Stella didn't want to.

"I made it, mom." Stella breathed, a few stray tears escaping, "I made it…"

"I'm home."

Sea of Thieves: Legend of the Glacial Dragons

To Be Continued…