The waters of the rushing river swallowed the fading light and churned it into foam. Beside her a small pile of lifeless fish lay abandoned, their clouded eyes bulging. Shimmering scales of orange and red ran down her back. And bat-like membranes stretched across the bony ridges of her head, spine and tail. And as she stared at the slick, silver heaps, her mind drifted back to her mother's voice—a conversation from years ago escaped the deepest regions of her brain.

"Always remember, my little one: the world sharpens its claws for those who are different," her protective mother warned, pressing a massive snout lightly against her daughter's chest as Ember faced an uncertain future.

Kendrick, the visionary of fantasy epics, felt his heart flutter as he approached the dragon by the river, afraid to come any closer.

. Eagle-like talons clawed at the earth as Ember exhaled a low-simmering flame. With bright yellow eyes she recognized the director, a notorious fixture who refused to wrap up production until the last frame of the day.

"We need to talk, and it can't wait a minute longer," said Kendrick.

Ember ambled closer, her wings swooshed with every movement. "Speak," she hissed and a spark flew from her nostrils and dangerously close to the director's face.

Kendrick took a step backward and sniffed the air. He ignored the beads of sweat stinging his eyes, determined not to break his concentration. "Two of our film sets recently burned to the ground, and three of our stunt crew remain missing. To make matters worse, your handler has vanished, and our catering company refuses to supply any more meals if we keep incinerating their buffets."

"How does that concern me?"

"You don't know how to control the fire coming from your nostrils. So, our visual effects supervisor wants to use rideable puppet dragons in their live-action scenes, said Kendrick.

"Your last movie about purple space aliens shattered box office records and made enough money to fund a small country, so you now have the ample funds needed to build more sets," said Ember.

In the distance, hammers pinged against nails driven into wood.

"I appreciate the work you've done, but unfortunately, you are not the right fit. "So, I've decided to end your employment, effective at once."

Speechless and with the layoff notice clutched in her trembling claw, Ember took to the skies. Warm air currents rose from the ground below and kept her airborne. Deep within the narrow valley, framed by towering, vertical cliffs, frost forged glittering ice crystals across its scales, and its breath spewed vaporous clouds. While the heavy beating of her wings echoed off the silent cliffs with a thunderous roar as she approached a deep fissure in the wall, her lair. Ancient weapons and glittering minerals adorned the walls. While the ripples of heat fueled her thoughts, she searched the newspaper classifieds for job postings. The vertical slit of her cat-like pupil widened at the following post:

A pizza maker wanted to work our wood-fired brick oven. Salary negotiable. No experience needed.

Bolstered by a newfound confidence, Ember used her long-barbed tongue and brushed away the grime on her scales, polishing them to a brilliant shine and then flew down to the pizzeria.

The manager barely lifted an eyebrow when the dragon's massive talons landed on the outside patio of Pizzeria by the Water with a thump.

"You here about the oven position?" she asked, continuing to sweep driftwood and algae off the patio.

"I am," whispered Ember, wisps of blue smoke trailing from her nostrils. "I bring my own natural convection. So, I can save the restaurant hundreds on utility bills."

"You're hired, said the manager. You can start at once."

Ember strolled over to a wood-fired brick oven. With a gentle whoosh of her nostrils, she calibrated the heat to a precise 485℃. Her fiery breath blistered the dough leaving black charred spots like a spotted leopard. And whenever a customer asked about her special ingredient, Lady with the Flame purred, "it's a secret."

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