History is rather complicated. Man is so warlike and hate mongering that it almost appears unnatural when progress is made. A common language and currency across the continent are already considered revolutionary achievements in the present day. Those structures don't stop robbing, pillaging or violence, but it could be argued that crime only exists because of structure.

People probably aren’t evil right out of the womb, but even that statement strings from wishful thinking rather than evidence. Who has a say in what is or isn't evil anyways? There isn’t a tangible universal law in place.

Still, there was a period of time where everything shifted. Not because man suddenly became logical or kind, but because a new common enemy had risen.

The Ophidians, a group of people related to serpents, had slithered out of the underworld in order to cleanse the surface of its “impure” intelligent species. In the name of their god, they wiped out most of the dragons, and started to make their way to the humans as well.

With little hope left for both of their species, the primitive humans and the ethereal dragons formed a celestial marriage.

Exercising an ancient ritual, the last dragons soul-bonded with a select group of humans whom they deemed worthy of inheriting their magical abilities.

The events that took place afterwards were not recorded very well.

What is known is that by unspecified means, the Ophidians had been defeated.

Scientists and Historians took note that the earth had grown much colder in temperature after said defeat, and that the inheritor of the frost dragon’s soul had disappeared without a trace.

Not long after, the rest of the dragon soul inheritors hid away, opting for self preservation over acclamation.

None of them took credit for the defeat of the Ophidians, but it is believed to have been a combined effort.

Over the past millennium, they’ve kept their interactions with the public to a minimum, only appearing to help during times of natural disaster or great injustice.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

And during those years, a rumor popped up.

It started out silent and dull, as some local urban legend told by children to satiate boredom.

But after years of going around, the rumor had snowballed into a sort of prophecy. A prophecy which predicted that the Opidians would return once more. This time, their goal wouldn't be to attack humans on their own. Instead they’ll attempt to summon their god to conduct the genocide for them.

Along with this chilling prophecy came another, much more hopeful one. A prediction that the otherworldly apocalypse can be prevented with the birth of a dragon, the first in over a thousand years.

Of course, that was an overly optimistic outlook. The idea that a dragon could appear out of nowhere with no evidence to back it up was nothing more than fantasy. It was a thought experiment for the ordinary to ponder on the unordinary.

Like most stories, these “prophecies” were just hearsay. They were wives tales, and existed to pass the time and entertain others at campfires.

But like most stories, they had to come from somewhere. The dragon soul inheritors understood this and decided to keep tabs on any other pieces of information that came up.

To their surprise, something of significance did occur. They didn’t have to be told what it was, but they felt it in their hearts.

During a particularly disastrous year in a long time, the earth quaked and flooded. Wildfires had spread across the continent, and animals started stampeding in highly populated areas. A plague had spread in the midst of things, fueling the stress of the masses.

Fights broke out over resources, and borders became much stricter when people got displaced from their homes.

One morning, at the peak of that dark year, a burst of light appeared in the sky. It only lasted a second, but nearly everyone on earth bore witness to the bright and beautiful explosion of color.

Ordinary people didn’t know what it was about, but the dragon soul inheritors knew exactly what it was.

For that light exuded an energy that was nearly identical to the kind that coursed through their bodies when they performed miraculous displays of power.

A baby dragon had been born, just as the rumors had predicted!

It should’ve been cause for celebration. The dragons were no longer extinct, and a new life had been brought to the world.

When most would rejoice, the dragon soul inheritors felt a heavy weight form on their shoulders.

If this prophecy came true, who was to say that the other one wouldn’t as well?

Deep down, they knew their fears were correct.

And they had no idea what could be done about it.