fire

The Fire Dragon

The rarest of the three species is Draco Flameus. It is extremely difficult to observe and study this dragon, since his habitat is inaccessible to human beings. This virtually unknown dragon lives inside active volcanoes, and his natural surroundings are the great rivers of lava and the fiery caverns in the belly of the earth.

In this world of fire and incandescent molten rock dwells the Dragon Father, and this is where courtship and mating take place, rituals which no human being has ever witnessed. The fire dragon spends his infancy in these suffocating surroundings, and only when he reaches maturity does he venture outside on brief hunting expeditions. A nocturnal creature, he usually sallies forth enveloped in flames, when darkness reigns, but only if the weather is very dry and the sky clear. Water and humidity are a great threat to these creatures since they can cause 'scale corrosion, a fatal disease for Draco Flameus.

On his excursions into the outside world, the fire dragon sets vast expanses of land aflame, scorching everything in his path, and then avidly devours the charred remains of the animals left in the ashes. He breathes fire from his mouth due a mixture of phosphorous and methane

which he produces and stores in a second stomach. The mixture ignites on contact with oxygen as it leaves the dragon's mouth. His favorite food is hydrocarbons, such as oil and bitumen, which he consumes in huge quantities. He also uses these substances to clean and shine his 'armor'- an occupation to which the fire dragon devotes many hours. He takes great care of every single scale and is always on the lookout for any suspicious-looking blemishes. This is not a question of vanity, even though the dragon is a very conceited creature, but because he needs to guard against his most deadly enemy, 'scale corrosion, as mentioned earlier. This terrible disease causes the scales to flake off from the body, leaving the dragon's sensitive skin exposed and vulnerable, not only to the dreadful burns produced by red-hot lava but also to total dehydration, as a result of the intense heat of his surroundings. The scales, which cover his entire body, are made up of a metal and asbestos alloy. They are many-colored, ranging from bright golden-yellows to red, copper and black, and these scales are the dragon's only protection against fire. Without this armor, he is as susceptible to heat as any other living creature.

Apparently this species used to be abundant in the volcanoes of Iceland, and he would fly as far as Ireland and the north of Britain. It is also said that a small colony of this species has survived in Sicily. On the other hand, there is no evidence of the existence of fire dragons in Vesuvius. This mysterious, but fascinating animal has a - large family of servants made up mainly of salamanders, will-o'the-wisps and other igneous creatures.

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