🐉🔥 Dragon Claw’s First Big Flame 🔥🐉
For several days, the RV Guardians had been excited.
Dragon Claw had flown home to visit the other dragons.
Every evening the cats would look toward the horizon.
“I wonder what he’s doing,” said Chad.
“I bet he’s learning huge fire attacks,” said Agaricus.
“I bet he’s eating dragon-sized snacks,” said Echo.
“I hope he’s okay,” said Che-Ni-Mon.
“I hope he brings the quiet back,” mumbled Lily.
Even Lily smiled a little.
She had missed their giant friend.
Finally…
On the fourth evening…
The cats heard something familiar.
FWOOSH… FWOOSH…
Massive wings beat through the sky.
The whole RV gently shook.
Pictures rattled.
Curtains swayed.
The little bell hanging by the door jingled.
“Dragon Claw!” shouted Chad.
All five cats rushed outside.
Dragon Claw landed beside the RV.
He was far too big to fit inside anymore.
His wings stretched wider than the RV itself.
His smile usually arrived before he did.
But not today.
Today his wings drooped.
His head hung low.
Even the tiny flame at the end of his nose barely glowed.
The cats immediately noticed.
“…Dragon Claw?” asked Agaricus softly.
“How was your trip?”
Dragon Claw sat beside the RV with a heavy sigh.
A dragon-sized sigh.
“It wasn’t what I thought it would be.”
Everyone quietly gathered around one of his enormous paws.
“The other dragons were all breathing giant flames,” he whispered.
“I tried too…”
He looked down.
“But my fire was so little.”
“They laughed.”
“They said I wasn’t much of a dragon.”
The cats looked at one another.
Their excitement turned into concern.
“I thought going home would make me feel like I belonged,” Dragon Claw said quietly.
“…instead I just felt out of place.”
The cats gathered around their friend.
Echo stepped forward first.
“I know what helps me.”
Dragon Claw looked up.
“When I feel bad…”
Echo smiled.
“…I go for a run.”
Dragon Claw blinked.
“A really…”
Echo stretched.
“…really…”
“…really long run.”
“I don’t think that’s going to help me breathe fire.”
“Probably not,” said Echo.
“But you’ll feel fast.”
Dragon Claw smiled a tiny bit.
Next came Che-Ni-Mon.
“When I get scared…”
she said,
“…I hide under a blanket.”
Dragon Claw tilted his head.
“Do dragons fit under blankets?”
“I don’t know.”
“We could try.”
Everyone imagined Dragon Claw wearing a giant blanket.
Even Dragon Claw laughed.
Just a little.
Lily finally opened one eye.
“My advice…”
Everyone turned.
“Take a nap.”
Dragon Claw blinked.
“Really?”
“Everything seems less impossible after a nap.”
Nobody could argue with Lily.
Finally Agaricus stepped closer.
She looked Dragon Claw right in the eyes.
“Can I ask you something?”
Dragon Claw nodded.
“When you try to breathe fire…”
“…do you believe it’s going to happen?”
Dragon Claw thought.
“…not really.”
“I keep thinking it won’t work.”
Chad’s ears perked up.
“I KNOW THE PROBLEM!”
Everyone looked at him.
Chad marched right in front of Dragon Claw.
“You’ve been listening to the wrong dragons.”
Dragon Claw blinked.
“You’ve been listening to dragons who don’t know you.”
Agaricus smiled.
“We know you.”
Chad nodded.
“We’ve seen you be brave.”
“We’ve seen you protect us,” said Agaricus.
“We’ve seen you carry us,” said Echo.
“We’ve seen you make us laugh,” said Che-Ni-Mon.
“And you’ve never once given up,” added Lily quietly.
Dragon Claw looked around.
Every cat was smiling at him.
“We already know you’re a dragon,” said Agaricus.
“Now you just need to believe it.”
Chad pointed dramatically toward the open field outside.
“Come on!”
Everyone hurried outside.
The evening sky glowed orange.
Dragon Claw stood in the middle of the field.
His friends stood behind him.
Chad cupped his paws around his mouth.
“Take the biggest breath you’ve ever taken!”
Agaricus nodded.
“Fill your lungs.”
“Believe with all your heart.”
“Believe with all your lungs!” shouted Chad.
Dragon Claw couldn’t help but laugh.
He closed his eyes.
He took the deepest breath he had ever taken.
He remembered every kind word.
Every smile.
Every adventure.
Every friend standing behind him.
Then…
He blew.
At first…
Only a tiny spark appeared.
Then another.
Then suddenly—
FWOOOOOOOOOOSH!
A huge stream of brilliant orange fire burst into the evening sky.
Higher than any flame he had ever breathed before.
The warm glow lit the clouds.
It danced across the stars.
The cats stared in amazement.
Dragon Claw stared too.
“I…”
“…I did it.”
“You did!” shouted Chad.
“I REALLY DID IT!”
Dragon Claw laughed louder than anyone had ever heard.
Little flames danced happily from his nose as he spun around the field.
Then he stopped.
He looked down at his five little friends.
“You know…”
he said softly,
“I thought I needed dragons to believe in me.”
He gently wrapped one enormous wing around the RV.
The whole RV creaked softly beneath the warmth of his wing.
“But I already had a family.”
“You believed in me before I believed in myself.”
The cats leaned against his giant wing.
Even Lily.
Though she’d never admit it.
Dragon Claw smiled.
“I think…”
“…you five are my best friends.”
“And if I’m being honest…”
“…I’d rather come home to the RV than anywhere else.”
The cats rushed forward into the biggest group hug the RV had ever seen.
It wasn’t much of a hug for Dragon Claw…
More like five tiny cats hugging one enormous paw.
But he felt every bit of it.
From that day forward…
Dragon Claw’s fire only grew stronger.
Not because the other dragons had taught him.
But because five little cats had reminded him who he really was.
And whenever another young dragon doubted themselves…
Dragon Claw would smile warmly and say,
“Take the biggest breath you can…”
“…believe with all your lungs…”
“…and if that still isn’t enough…”
He looked toward the little RV where five cats were waving at him.
“…find friends who believe for you until you can believe in yourself.”
🐉 Dragon Claw
🐱 Chad
🐱 Agaricus Bisporus
🐱 Echo
🐱 Che-Ni-Mon
🐱 Lily
The End
🔥✨🐾
“Sometimes home isn’t where you were born. Sometimes it’s the place where someone is excited to see you come back.” 💙🐉🌙
