Ember, a young dragon with scales like burnished copper, blinks sleepily as sunlight filters into the cave. Around her, shards of crystal catch the light, scattering rainbows across the stone. Despite the gentle warmth, a shiver runs through her as she peers out at the pale tendrils of smoke rising from the valley floor.
Ember pads softly to the lake, careful to avoid stepping on any dry twigs. She leans down to drink, but her reflection catches her eye—her nostrils flare, and for a split second, a spark flickers. She recoils, heart pounding, her tail lashing nervously behind her. "Why must I be a dragon who fears fire?" she whispers to herself, the words barely disturbing the morning air.
Lina, a kind-hearted villager with a mane of unruly hair, glances up as Ember approaches. She senses the dragon’s hesitation, her eyes wide with curiosity rather than fear. "Hello there! You look lost… or maybe just lonely?" Ember hesitates at the edge of the glade, eyes fixed on the fire. "I… I do not like flames," she admits, her voice trembling.
Lina sets aside her cooking and sits cross-legged, inviting Ember to join her. "My grandmother used to say that fear makes us wise, not weak. But I’ve never met a dragon who fears fire before. Is it… very terrible?" Ember curls her tail protectively around herself and sighs. "It is as if the fire inside me burns too bright, and I am afraid it will consume everything I love," she confesses, her eyes glistening.
Ember[/@ch_1]’s scales.]
Lina reaches out, offering a hand. "Would you like to sit with me? We can watch the fire together, just for a little while. Sometimes, facing what we fear is easier with a friend." After a long pause, Ember inches closer, feeling the heat prickle over her scales. The flames seem less menacing now, more like an old song remembered.
Ember sits beside Lina, her fear replaced by a tentative curiosity. "Thank you for not laughing," she murmurs. "Everyone is afraid of something," replies Lina, smiling. Side by side, under the silver light of the moon, dragon and girl share the quiet, gentle glow—proof that even the fiercest fears can be soothed by understanding and friendship.
