Ehm, another explanation is needed. An explanation of this world and its races.

The planet known as Eirlok was formed some twelve thousand years ago, meaning it was a young planet.

Since it was so young, the world was still in disarray. There were seas of magma, chunks of the earth would collide with each other and create mountains that would turn into volcanoes when the lava came gushing out. The air was heavily polluted and the sky remained red.

The first race to be created was the dragons. Beast born during the chaotic time that boasted the strongest abilities out of all the races.

The second and third races were the angels and demons were born around the same time. It’s a disputed fact about who came first. The angels were born from the light and the demons of the darkness. They were enemies since their very creation.

The fourth race to be created was the elven race, they born to be the natural protectors of the new forests that were coming to be. The fifth race, also born to be the protectors of the forest, was the beastman race.

The sixth race, the seafolk. As their name implied, they were born of the seas.

The final race was the dwarven race, they were born in the mountains.

The races all lived in harmony, kind of. The angelic and demonic races continued to fight with each other. But other than that, they mostly kept to themselves.

Our focus is the first race, the dragons. Winged beasts that once ruled over the world.

The first dragon ever created was the magma dragon, Rolut.

Then came Frize, the dragon of air.

Lisset, the dragon of earth.

Ayirn, the dragon of life.

Erebus, the dragon of void.

Greur, the dragon of fire.

Massath, the dragon of electricity.

Azure, the dragon of oceans.

Midrn, the dragon of poison.

Dissolve, the dragon of acid.

The ranking of the Council chairs was not only in terms of strength but in their order of creation. The difference between their strength wasn’t a very large gap, but it was enough. If a dragon wanted to defeat the chair higher than them, they would end up dying during the fight along with the other if they managed to succeed.

The ten original dragons lived by themselves for a thousand years. Their bodies were conditioned to deal with the chaotic world. The dragons lived in a time where mana did not even exist for five hundred years until it finally came into existence.

The other races, along with thousands of dragons were born five hundred years after the creation of mana. The new races were significantly weaker than the original ten. This was due to the fact the world they were born into was far more peaceful than the one the ten had lived in.

Mind-blowing amounts of mana were sucked into the beast. It strengthened them even more, and it continues to strengthen them. The original dragons were born without ‘limits’ like the other races and younger dragons would be. There was no end to the amount of mana they could take in. It was because they were born when mana didn’t exist, so when it did come, they had a bottomless cup, so to speak. It would never be filled.

The dragons started the practice of magic. The manipulation of mana. The natural affinities they had with the world became their specialized magic.

The magic now called [Lost Magic].

Everything was fine until a war broke out two thousand years after the other races existing. There had been minor skirmishes here and there but nothing on this large of a scale.

A few hot-headed younger dragons attacked a city of elves. This attack lead to the demons and angels starting to fight without reservation, seeing as the dragons had done so.

It was like a domino effect until the races were now involved in the war rightfully named: The First War.

The ten original dragons then formed the Council. They needed to deal with this, they didn’t want the world they loved so much to be destroyed.

It was a very different time on that day eight thousand years ago...

A very angry Rolut was seated on top of a mountain. He was in his true form, as the dragons had not started their practice of shapeshifting at this time.

Erebus along with Frize, Ayirn, and Lisseth came over to the fuming beast. The four all flapped their mighty wings and surrounded him. Each wearing expressions of worry.

“Those damned children!” Rolut yelled in the draconic language. It was a brutal language. The words sounded harsh and angry. “To think that their stupidity would cause such a thing.”

“Calm down,” Ayirn said in a motherly tone (it still sounded very mean). “They did not know what their actions would cause.”

“It doesn’t pardon their behavior,” Frize snapped back.

“They should be punished,” Erebus suggested. He managed to scratch his head with a taloned ‘hand’. “If we do that the---

“Punishment isn’t enough!” Lisseth shouted, cutting him off. “The entire world is fighting, us punishing them would do nothing.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Erebus countered.

“I don’t know! Something!” Lisseth glared at Erebus.

“Quit your bickering,” Rolut snarled. “We will end this pointless fighting.” He lifted his head up high. “We will not allow this continue.”

“Are you suggesting we fight their battle for them? It doesn’t concern us. They will just kill themselves off, that’ll be fine,” Erebus said.

“What do you mean it doesn’t concern us? We’re also in jeopardy,” Frize growled at Erebus, his eyes narrowing in contempt.

Ever since he was created, Erebus had a careless attitude. He would dismiss anything if it proved too much of a hassle to deal with.

Erebus let out a heavy sigh.

“We can try to negotiate peace,” Ayirn said. She never did like violence. “That could work, couldn’t it? We gather the leaders of each of the races and attempt to talk it out.”

Lisseth snorted. “Like that’ll work.”

“It’s better than not trying at all,” Ayirn responded.

An emerald green dragon stared down a topaz colored one. The two didn’t get along. Not in the slightest. Ayirn was a gentle soul and Lisseth was the opposite. They were similar to Erebus and Midrn. Except, Erebus didn’t really care about Midrn.

“We will try it. It is better than taking the lives of thousands,” Rolut sighed the words. “Frize, go contact the leader’s of the races.”

Frize was chosen because he was the only dragon capable of speaking the language the other races used.

“Yes,” Frize answered bitterly. He didn’t think it was a very good plan either, nonetheless, the white dragon flapped his wings and flew off.

“Erebus, take Azure and Massath to deal with the war if the attempt at peace doesn’t work. Show them the true strength of the dragons. Let them learn their place.”

“I will go tell them.” Erebus left, something that resembled a smile on his scaly face. This would prove to be more entertaining than he thought.

Lisset turned to Rolut. “I would have been a better choice to send, Erebus does not care nearly enough to handle this properly.”

Rolut shook his head. “You doubt Erebus too much Lisset. Even though he acts like a fool, Erebus frightens even me when he grows serious.”

------------------

The negotiations failed.

That much was obvious, the races were all to angry to end the war like that. They wanted blood, and lots of it.

A fun fact, because of his size, Frize became the first dragon to shape-shift into something that resembled humans, a race too small in number to be included in the war. They were the High Humans, though, not enough time had passed.

He couldn’t fit into the neutral territory they were meeting on.

When Frize returned to his continent, not only did he bring news of the failed negotiations but he also showed the new form. The only downside to the form is that they could only maximize around 60% of the strength they had in their original form. He assumed this was because it did not have the same muscle mass and wouldn’t be able to handle the strain.

Thus, the ten original dragons all stood in the area that would become the Council room while in their new form.

It was more convenient for them to be this size, though, they didn’t have chairs or a table to sit at.

“We should have expected this outcome,” Rolut said.

“I didn’t know that they were so angry,” Ayrin whispered softly.

Frize shook his head. “I was barely able to keep them from killing each other. It seems that their anger will not be soothed by pretty words.”

“I will deal with it,” Erebus said. A surprisingly serious expression on his face. Now that they were in these forms, they were able to emote much more. Erebus’ face was one of determination. “Massath, Azure, as I told you before, you two are under my command. We will end this war. We will show them the superiority of the dragon race. They do not understand, they are ignorant.”

Massath and Azure kneeled and crossed their arms over their chest. “Understood.”

The three left the room, all morphing back into dragons before flying away.

Their destination was the Main Continent, where the majority of the war was being fought.

It was the dragon race that had started the war.

And it would be the dragon race that ended the war.

I had a tough time writing this chapter. I knew what I wanted to write, but I just couldn't write it in a way that I liked. I finally got it, though. Woohoo~ It's a flashback arc!