Anyone who has played any Monster Hunter game will have probably noticed at some point that the ways these so called "monsters" act are strangely familiar, with their behavior being more animalistic than monstrous. This is without a doubt the thing...
Looking at the lava below him, Flame hops off the ledge his cave sits on, and expertly makes his way down the rock wall, his claws tearing into stone as he does, adding to the already numerous gouges found on the hard surface from the years of him traversing the same path. Even though he's more than capable of flying, his species' flight capabilities aren't as impressive or efficient as those of other elder dragons, making ground movement the more viable option, despite taking a longer time. With each leap, he flaps his wings, allowing him to keep his balance on the unstable and uneven terrain. Finally, the Teostra reaches the bottom of the stone wall, and faces one final obstacle: a river of lava that cascades down the volcano's crater.
To most animals, this stream of molten rock would be an impassable obstacle, but to Flame, it's little more than a minor inconvenience. Thanks to his body's fire-resistant properties, the elder dragon is capable of simply walking across the burning river, effortlessly making it to the other side without even sustaining a single burn mark.
Continuing on his way down the volcano in search of a meal, Flame confidently walks across the land, knowing that almost nothing would attempt to fight him, with even fewer possessing the abilities necessary to be considered an actual threat. With such high temperatures radiating off him, it almost acts as an early warning sign for any nearby creature, announcing the elder dragon's approach. The further down he goes, the more apparent this becomes as his heat sends a swarm of Bnahabras scattering, despite their tolerance for extreme temperature variations.
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Luckily for the neopterons, the Teostra isn't interested in them as a source of food. Despite his predatory tools, Flame is primarily a lithovore, feeding predominantly on ores. Those containing sulfur, carbon, and potassium nitrate are especially important to him, as they are essential to maintain his incredible abilities.
As he continues moving, it's not long before he uncovers a rich mineral deposit and begins eating, his elongated lower canines busting through stone and scooping up as his large molars crush the materials into manageable pieces, making it easier for him to swallow them. Deploying his claws and huge paws, Flame digs out some of the loose rubble from the bite he took out of the ground, then proceeds to snap them up, flipping his head back as the ores and rocks are gulped down, his padded esophagus protecting him from the sharp, protruding shards as they make their way to his unique digestive system.
Not only is his intestinal tract capable of digesting the minerals, but through very special means, it can convert them into energy, heat, and highly flammable powder. These may not be the most nutritious things to eat, but the ores Flame depends on are very common in volcanic regions, as tectonic activity continually forces them to the surface, making these low-energy resources a viable option for the elder dragon.
With the last few pieces of crushed rock and ores dropping from his jaws, Flame starts walking away from this patch, having drained it of all viable resources. Although his unusual diet does come with a lot of advantages, its low nutritional value does force him to spend a large portion of his day just locating and eating food. And so, with his hunger yet to be satisfied, the Teostra continues descending the flaming mountain he rules.
