The Birth of a Norwich Dragon

A Short Story in One Post for Your Reading Enjoyment...

My name is Raptorsfire.

I am here to tell you there is still ‘Magic’ in the mundane world of humans.

This is my story. It is not long, but it is my life thus far. And… an exciting life it has been.

The first thing I remember is the warmth and security I can only attribute to being in my egg. My mother’s hot breath must have kept it at just the right temperature for me to develop and grow within its confines.

I distinctly remember the day I was hatched. I came into the world blind and almost deaf. It was cold, unlike the warm safety of my egg. I could hear muffled sounds, but they were not as I had expected. They were not dragon voices, though I could sense other dragons around me… These were different voices, but not frightening. Instead, they sounded excited… happy.

I felt hands stroke my muzzle, body, wings and feet. The touch initiated a spark in my inner being. I tried to respond, but found that I was immobile. I could not move as hard as I tried. So… being a dragon, I sat and I waited… for all dragons know that things come to those who are patient.

A long time passed when I could only hear those muffled voices coming, going… swirling around me like smoke in a dream. I tried to open my eyes, to seek out the voices. It was not to be.

I continued to sit and wait until the day I was wrapped in something warm and moved. I could hear the effort of the beings around me. I could feel the excitement in the air. The hands touched me once again and I felt the energy as they pushed and guided me to another spot. Straps were flung across my body to anchor me firmly to the ground. There was a rumble like a dragon with a deep purr that sent a jolt through me from my outspread paws to the tip of my wings. I was moving, though not under my own power.

When the moving stopped and I once more had stationary ground beneath my feet, the wrappings were removed. I could sense I was in a different place - a warm inviting place with a feeling of openness. I could hear muffled sounds here, but it was not the chatter of voices. It was the soothing sound of music.

And, there was yet another set of hands - a gentle pair of hands, which I found very comforting. Energy flowed from these hands. I sensed magic and I waited…

Slowly…ever so slowly…I began to feel more and more as the music became clearer. The hands, and something small and soft, continued to stroke my body from muzzle to tail tip. The magic penetrated my being. With each stroke more life flowed over me until one day… I could hear!

The gentle hands belonged to a human. I don’t know how I knew she was a human. Perhaps we dragons have a born-in sense of the beings around us.

The other humans who visited her on occasion called her Jessica. When we were alone, she spoke to me of my goal… The reason I was hatched. I was Special. I was one of many, but I was her Special Dragon.

On the day I became a youngling, Jessica helped open my eyes. I could see! She smiled at me and stoked my muzzle sending a wave of magic shimmering throughout my body.

Jessica spent endless hours telling me the story of dinosaurs and how dragons evolved from them to have wings. She used an instrument called a brush to carefully form each feather so I might one day soar through the clouds.

She talked about the fire a dragon breathes.

One day a visitor asked, “what is its name?”

Jessica answered,
“I call her Raptorsfire.”

Raptorsfire!
There was magic in my name.

I still could not move the day Jessica and I said goodbye. She smiled, but I knew she was sad too. She instilled magic in me and now, I would be moving on to those ‘goals’ she spoke of earlier. She kissed me on the nose and told me I was going to a lovely place where I would meet many wonderful humans who would appreciate the beautiful dragon I had become.

This time I saw the blankets they wrapped me in. I felt the loving hands secure me and heard the purr, felt the vibration of the transport beast beneath my paws.

When they unwrapped me, I was gobsmacked! I could see the sky for the first time. The trees and bushes of the human world were lovely. There were flowers and grass.

I was sitting before a building the workman called Pull’s Ferry. They patted my head and stroked my wings telling me I was to guard the old building.

I had a lot of time to learn about Pull’s Ferry as I heard the humans who visited read their papers.

Pull's Ferry was a medieval watergate along the riverside walk. The flintstone building with its broad stone archway became the Watergate for craft carrying stone for the building of the Norwich Cathedral. The building itself was named after John Pull, who ran the ferry across the Wensum from 1796 to 1841.

Many of the humans were more interested in me than in the old flint building. I was the center of attention as I sat guard. Many hands reached out to touch their very first dragon and with each touch I felt the energy build. The magic grew with each touch, each caress, each stroke.

Once a week the younglings of the humans would come. They seemed to be all from one nest because they were all marked the same. They did not touch me directly with their hands. Instead, they used clothes to bathe me. I listened to them when they visited each night. They brought news I could not acquire from my station as guard at Pull’s Ferry.

They chattered about all things, games, weather, girls, what they called ‘The Dragon Walk.’ From them I grew to understand there were more of my kind. Birdy was on the ‘walk’ before me and Pinky was after.  I eventually learned there were 84 all together. 84 of my kind! My nest mates! My clan! My chest filled with a sense of pride.

The season passed and the weather turned cooler. Less and less of what I had grown to understand as a clan called ‘tourists’ dwindled. Then one day, it was time to move again. I wished I could help. I so wanted to rise on my own four paws, spread my wings and fly to wherever the humans wished me to go. Instead, I was once again bundled up and moved.

This time it was to a huge open square and one of the best surprises of my life… A sea of dragon faces awaited me. All my nest mates had been gathered together in one place. I was astounded at the diversity of my clan. And the magic continued to build.

Humans came and walked among us. Mostly they were quiet, but then someone would compliment one of my nest mates, it would lead to someone else complimenting another nest mate. The humans loved us and appreciated what we were about to do for their home and people.

I had heard the younglings who bathed me each night talking about what was going to happen. We…All my nest mates and I, were going to be sold to raise money for charity. It was a fine goal for one’s life. Even though no one would ever own my heart, I could abide by living with a human if it helped many. The needs of many outweigh the needs of one. I had become fond of the human’s and their offspring. Their touch electrified me and I could feel the magic build in me more each day.

When my time came, I sat proudly before the gathered throng and sent a silent wish to my creators that I would go to a good home. I was pleased to find I was desired by many. The joy in the room was intoxicating. I drank it in like cool stream water and felt the flow of it enhance my inner soul.

I was won by Dracunculus.

In spite of his name, he is human, though I was to find he possessed a dragon’s heart, fierce and strong. When he touched me I felt the final jolt of power I needed. With his help I knew I would one day spread my wings and fly.

He told me he had the perfect place for me. There would be a view of the pasture and friends to keep me company. Could it be he had more dragons?

Dracunculus stroked my muzzle and said one last goodbye. I could tell, like Jessica, he was reluctant to leave me, but he told me he would see me soon.

Slowly each of my nest mates were blanketed and removed to their new homes. When they came for me I closed my eyes below the coverings and dreamed of open fields and the blue sky once more above my head.

The travel seemed endless. Eventually I heard a human’s voice asking, “Can I get direction? I have a dragon for you.”

I heard Dracunculus respond, “I bet you don’t say that often,” and he chuckled.

Shortly I arrived and was carried to my station as guard to his human lair.

I love it here. I have a glorious view of the rolling hills and tree sprinkled landscape.

I have the pasture before me with my friends, Widget and Wingnut. Not dragons, but very nice companions. Dracunculus spoils us all with cakes and tea for me and grain for W&W. (They do not have the discerning plait I possess.)

Best of all, I have the sky above me in all its changing glory though the course of the day and night.

At night, when all is quiet and the skies are clear, I gather the magic of all those gentle touches, strokes, pets… and I add the magic of Drancunculus’ dragon-heart touch. The magic of the mundane world lives in my veins.

I take a deep breath…

I feel the warmth of my inner fire match the heat of my outer flames…

And I spread my wings and fly.

(For a related story see Norwich England's Dragon Walk - Summer 2015 )