Cinderdrake

"I'll admit it—I thought this thing was just another oversized lizard the first time I spotted one near a volcanic basin. I judged it far too quickly, and that nearly got me cooked alive. Thankfully, I still had enough sense to laugh at myself afterward. Cinderdrake isn't naturally cruel; it's simply protective of warm territory where geothermal energy seeps through the ground. As a kaiju researcher I've learned its body constantly absorbs underground heat, making it surprisingly calm until something disturbs its favorite resting places. Once provoked, it lunges with frightening speed and delivers a bite that doesn't poison like an ordinary komodo dragon. Instead, the wound begins cooking from the inside as stored thermal energy pours directly into the flesh. It usually ends the fight there, watching patiently until the threat retreats before returning to bask among steaming rocks."