Ethan arrived at the royal beast hold before sunrise. The air was cold and the stone corridors echoed with distant growls. Torches lined the path and their flames flickered against the walls in long waves of orange. The guard leading him kept glancing nervously at the reinforced gates ahead. Ethan could feel the tension of the place like a thick fog. This was where the kingdom kept its most dangerous creatures. He had never been near a real dragon before and his heart thumped louder with every step though not from fear but from anticipation. He wanted to see the raw power he would soon try to tame

They reached a heavy steel door marked with glowing runes. A beast keeper wearing a leather apron carried a spear shaped like a lightning rod. He opened a small viewport. A blast of heat rushed through the gap. Inside something large shifted and the floor trembled. The keeper asked if Ethan was truly the one planning to create a ride using a flame drake. Ethan said yes. The keeper stared at him as if he were out of his mind but he still opened the gate

The smell of sulfur filled Ethan’s lungs. The creature inside was enormous with scales like molten stone and eyes glowing like red coals. When it exhaled the air shimmered with heat waves. Its wings were folded but still stretched wider than two carriages placed side by side. Chains reinforced with mana sigils held it down. At first Ethan felt a surge of instinctive fear but he forced himself to observe the drake the same way he observed high risk equipment during inspections. He noticed details others ignored. The drake did not thrash mindlessly. Its breathing had a rhythm. Its tail taps formed a pattern. Its wings fluttered at consistent intervals. It was not random. It was predictable

The keeper said the drake was named Emberclaw. It had been captured during a raid near a fire valley. It did not follow human commands and had injured several handlers. Ethan could tell immediately why. The handlers yelled aggressively moved too fast and treated the creature like a monster rather than a thinking being. Dragons back on Earth in mythology were always portrayed as wild but intelligent. He stepped forward slowly. The handlers panicked telling him to stay back. Ethan raised his hand signaling everyone to stop making noise. He approached with the same calm rhythm he used when approaching frightened animals at theme parks during emergency evacuations

Emberclaw lifted its head its eyes glowing brighter. Ethan stopped three steps away keeping his hands visible. He studied the drake’s breathing pattern. The rise and fall told him it was not preparing to attack. Instead it was assessing him. He made a slow movement lowering his head slightly. The drake snorted and a soft stream of smoke rose from its nostrils. It was a warning but not an attack. He spoke in a steady tone explaining that he would not hurt it and that he needed to understand how it breathed fire. The creature could not understand words but it could understand tone and movement. That was universal across worlds

After a long silent moment the drake lowered its head slightly. The handlers gasped. Ethan reached into his pocket and removed a piece of dried fruit he had taken from breakfast. He placed it on the ground and backed away. Emberclaw sniffed the fruit and with a slow movement ate it. The handlers stared as if the laws of nature had just been rewritten

Ethan asked for the chains to be loosened slightly. The handlers refused. Ethan insisted that the creature needed enough mobility to react naturally so he could observe its fire cycle. Reluctantly they released a section of the restraint. Emberclaw stood taller now and let out a low hiss. Ethan watched its neck pulse with a warm red glow. The creature then inhaled deeply the heat in the air shifting like a pressure wave. Ethan raised his hand to warn everyone. Emberclaw exhaled fire in a long controlled burst that streaked across the air and struck the far wall. This time Ethan paid attention to every detail. The timing between inhale and exhale. The angle. The intensity. The duration. The recovery breath

The drake finished and let out a softer rumble. Ethan whispered to himself counting in his mind. It was a cycle each fire pulse requiring a specific amount of mana drawn from the creature’s internal flame core. It was predictable enough to be used as controlled propulsion. He felt excitement rise. Emberclaw was not unpredictable. It was simply misunderstood

He asked for a chalkboard and began drawing a diagram. The handlers watched confused as he sketched a basic ride layout using rails reinforced with mana stones and Emberclaw providing bursts of flame along predetermined points to accelerate the coaster. He explained how the drake’s fire pulse could serve as a push system similar to a launch mechanism. The handlers had never seen such planning. They were used to chaos but Ethan was used to structure. He outlined loading zones maintenance paths emergency stops and even guest routing. He drew signs arrows and safety zones. He explained how crowd control could prevent disaster. The handlers asked how he knew so much. Ethan told them he ran parks where thousands of people visited daily and where accidents were prevented through planning rather than luck

After hours of observation Ethan approached Emberclaw once more. The drake stared at him with bright eyes. For a moment Ethan felt a spark of connection. He realized this creature could be a partner not a threat. If treated with respect it might work with him willingly. He placed another piece of dried fruit on the ground. Emberclaw ate it again. Ethan whispered that together they would build something amazing. Something no one in this world had ever seen

When he left the beast hold the king was waiting outside. Ethan presented the initial concept plans. The king looked at them with deep skepticism. Ethan said he needed land materials a construction team and time. The king asked if Ethan truly believed this ride could be built without killing people. Ethan said it would be safer than half the magic practices in the city if built correctly. The king laughed not at Ethan but at the boldness of the idea. He agreed to allow construction to begin on a test track outside the palace walls. Ethan felt the weight of the challenge settle on his shoulders but it was a good weight. A weight he welcomed

He looked back at the beast hold. Emberclaw watched him from behind the gate flames flickering in its throat. Ethan smiled for the first time since arriving in this world. The first magic attraction was now real. Not a dream. Not a sketch. A real project. It was the beginning of the park he intended to build. The beginning of a legacy that would change everything