Eli Winters, a border knight, hides a white-haired, golden-eyed man he insists is his cousin inside his house as an angry mob gathers outside. The villagers accuse Eli of sheltering an evil dragon responsible for attacks on livestock and a man with a broken leg. They threaten to burn the shack down to kill the creature themselves, dismissing Eli's claims and the knights' investigation. The mob brands Eli a traitor and prepares to set the house ablaze, trapping both men inside with the immediate threat of fire.