"Draneil… It's been a while since you had a meal with the family, don't you think?" A deep but soothing voice boomed across the wide expanse of a room.

"Uncle Mord. It indeed has been and I apologize for that. There's just something about this last book that seems to draw me deep into it. It's been keeping me here for a while now." Another voice replied from another area of the room.

With long black hair tied in a bun, his black eyes, and pink lips that put many women to shame, and a height above two meters, he flipped through the thick book in his hand. He looked to be in his early twenties but those who watched him grow up knew that he was over two hundred years old.

Draneil was a dragon. Not just any dragon, but the third son of the Dragon Emperor, making him a prince of some sort.

Although he was a dragon, he looked more human than many humans themselves.

Beside Draneil, the one called Uncle Mord appeared with black hair also made into a bun with two scaly black horns jutting out of the sides of his head, red eyes with black vertical pupils, and two small fangs with the tips being obvious on his lips.

Draneil had a body that many men wished for but yet, it paled in comparison to his uncle. Toned muscles that couldn't get any more perfect, well-hidden packs that could put other males to shame, and a height that supported it all.

All dragons liked to remain in human form even though their dragon form was more domineering but Draneil took it to the extreme as he completely looked human. In the entirety of the dragon race, he was the closest to being human.

Well… There was a reason for that. He only studied and studied eventually stumbling upon a book about transformation.

"I see. That aside, my brother, your father, the emperor has brought down his decree. He would be going to war with the demons by the next bloom of the Black Lily flower." Mord spoke to Draneil, his voice lower this time.

"That's not too long from now. Will that be enough for proper preparation?" Draneil asked.

"It's been a while since he gave out his decree but it seems you've been stuck for a while and no one bothered to tell you. Not even your siblings." Mord said with a wry smile.

"Well… you know how it is. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't know even when the war began." Draneil chuckled, replying to his uncle's words.

Mord nodded his head before he continued to speak. "The decree this time is different though. Everyone will be leaving for the war. All dragons are to join this battle. Everyone except…"

"Me." Draneil completed his words.

"Yes, you." Mord smiled but his smile had a bit of sadness.

"Because everyone believes I'm the worst when it comes to real combat right?" Draneil asked, his voice laced with sorrow but he tried not to make it obvious.

It would've worked if it was a different family member but Uncle Mord was the closest member of the family to him. "Take it easy there kid. Although you won't be leaving with us, you'll be guarding the gates to the other worlds."

"I see." Draneil smiled.

"You should be ready. The emperor might call for you soon if you don't see him soon. Well… I don't think it's wise to go see him until he calls for you."

"Yes, uncle. Once I'm done with the book, I'll be visiting you." Draneil replied with a smile. The only one who warmed up to him was this uncle of his.

Mord turned to leave. "I'll be waiting." Mord disappeared just as swiftly as he had when he approached Draneil.

...

"I guess Mord already told you of the role you'd be playing once we begin the war." Another voice spoke this time. One filled with dominance, power, and confidence.

"Yes, Father," Draneil replied, on one knee in front of the dragon emperor, his father. A dragon with a striking resemblance to Draneil but a body like Mord's. Unlike other dragons, he had four obsidian horns—two pointing forward and slightly upward while the two others coiled backward.

"That's 'Your Highness' to you." Danthuv, the dragon emperor and Draneil's father gave his son a cold glare.

"Yes, your highness," Draneil replied, his head slightly bent forward.

"Good. You should get prepared as we set out to leave in two sundowns." Danthuv's cold gaze was retracted.

He could barely stand to gaze at this son of his who would've become a great dragon if only he wasn't trying to become a scholar.

"Yes, your highness." Draneil bowed lower once more before rising to leave.

...

"I guess we'll be celebrating my becoming the heir after our return." Another voice sounded. It belonged to none other than Raykov, Draneil's eldest brother and the first son of the dragon emperor.

His reign was bound to begin soon and he just couldn't wait to flaunt it. I'm the face of this younger and weaker brother of his Draneil.

"I can't wait for it. Brother Raykov." Draneil said with a genuine smile but he was only met with a sneer.

"You better perform well in the fight to come or I'll have to look down on you even more." Raykov grunted and walked away.

"I'll do my best," Draneil replied, continuing to move forward. For the first time in forever, his destination wasn't the library but the weaponsmith.

...

Draneil recalled the last conversation he had with different members of his family as he alone currently faced a demon army of over a hundred thousand.

'Although I'm the weakest, I won't lose to mere foot soldiers or their generals.'

With each swing of his red serrated sword infused with mana, hundreds of his enemies fell.

One hand swung his red blade and the other hand placed runes on the body of unfortunate enemies that acted as a catalyst for the doom that soon followed.

After inscribing runes on such unfortunate beings, he would toss them into the midst of others, inviting death into their midst.

The war had begun and he was doing his best to secure the position left to him by his father.

He would defend the gates and eliminate every intruder from any gate that arrived with malicious goals and he was currently doing that as he faced these demons.

Although he was weaving through the enemies, he was slowly getting weaker which was becoming more obvious as the cuts of the demon general were slowly but surely getting through him, leaving fright cuts.

This was the seventh army that he had faced with intervals of even less than ten minutes for rest. Eliminating the previous six groups, and currently decimating these.

*****

Author's Note:

As promised, today's chapters will be the prologue. it's two chapters long and the other will be published a few hours from now.

Please support the book as we go premium this month. Thank you guys.