Story by: Alejandro Yepez, Alyssa Hernandez, Amairany Andrade, Anderson Villalona, Andrea Calle, Andy Gonzalez, Anyole Pineda, Bryan Patino, Dayanna Avendano, Dylan Padilla, Emily Duchi, Francheska Grullon Rodriguez, Jaqueline Zambrano, Jordan Hernandez, Joseph Centeno, Humberto Yepez, Kenneth Villaman, Kiara Cordero, Kristen Taylor, Maria Buitrago, Martin Bravo, Melany Hualpa, Randy Tobon, Samuel Moreno, Saulo Sanchez, Timothy Quiroga, Vincent Villaman
Written by
Jessica Marano
Illustrated by Tran Dac Trung
Written by Jessica Marano
Illustrated by Tran Dac Trung
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Text Copyright © 2024 Jessica Marano
Illustration Copyright © 2024 Tran Dac Trung
A Dragon’s Tail
Published by Jesse Byrd Creative Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Jesse Byrd Creative Inc.
ISBN: 979-8-9854099-8-7
The legend lives on. Which legend, you ask? Only the greatest victory ever to be won, the Dragonfire Cup.
Join me on an adventure as we travel back in time to Old Mexico City to the El Inferno Stadium, where two firebreathing, sky-flying dragons became legendary heroes.
Many moons ago, in Old Mexico City, lived a young dragon named Amaya Messi. She was filled with fire and beauty. Amaya developed her strong passion for soccer by watching the matches with her grandfather. Like all the others, she dreamed of one day being in the Dragonfire Cup.
“The world will see the beautiful flame that lives in your heart,” her grandfather said. “El fuego está dentro de ti.”
Pointing to her heart, Amaya’s eyes widened.
“Yes, my dear,” he nodded. “The fire is within you.”
Grandfather’s encouraging words caused Amaya’s imagination to erupt. She imagined herself breathing massive flames as she spun around in the air. She believed that absolutely nothing was impossible on the field or anywhere . . . except—
The way she sometimes saw herself. Amaya had a unique mark on her scales that set her apart from everyone else. She really liked her mark, but the other dragons had a hard time associating with her, including her cousin Ronaldi.
Amaya admired Ronaldi, and when she was younger, she wanted to be like him. His scales were smooth, and he was taller and more powerful. Her greatest wish in life was to join his team and to become a skilled player, just like him. Sadly, Ronaldi cared more about what others might say than her feelings.
This hurt Amaya very much.
Sensing her sadness, Amaya’s mother sat her down and said, “There’s only one you and being different makes you special.” Mother gently brushed a claw over Amaya’s brow, then said, “Close your eyes and repeat after me. ‘If I can see it, and believe it, I will achieve it.’”
Amaya repeated the words, slowly opened her eyes, and boldly declared, “¡El fuego está dentro de mí!” Meaning, “The fire is within me!” She envisioned herself running at great speeds down the field with the ball between her paws.
Amaya felt the heat from the lights and heard the roar of the crowd. She sensed the flame growing within her.
Amaya’s confidence grew with each day of practice, and she also noticed something else. Her flame became more powerful. It wasn’t long before her teammates and friends noticed too, and they cheered for her.
“Team,” their coach proudly announced. “We’re just one point away from First Place.”
“El Inferno Stadium, here we come!” the team shouted. “The Dragonfire Cup will soon be ours!”
As her teammates cheered and rejoiced, Amaya’s stomach tossed and turned.
A gentle breeze softly fluttered the flags as energetic friends, family, and fans roared. Amaya stood with her team, and across the field proudly stood Ronaldi with the opposing team.
Amaya
closed her eyes and whispered,
“I see it, I believe it, I will achieve it, my fire is in me.”
A loud shrill filled the air as the referee blew her whistle.
Wings soared through the air as flames filled the sky.
Tails and claws whipped and twisted and turned.
Swooop!
Amaya received the ball, and the crowd erupted in cheers for her. The stadium lights caused a rainbow to appear when they reflected off her scales. With a sudden burst of speed, she evaded three defenders.
“I can do this,” she said, as she maneuvered the ball between her paws. “The fire is within me!” She drew her paw back . . . and . . . the ball soared into the top corner. Her famous Swirl-Fire Strike was a perfect strike.
GOAL!
Pandemonium erupted as the crowd shouted, “A-Messi, A-Messi!”
With only two minutes remaining on the clock and the score at 2 to 1, both teams quickly repositioned.
Like lightning, the ball traveled down the field, then floated above Ronaldi’s head. He took one touch forward and then one great swing. A deafening hush filled the entire stadium as the ball rocketed past the red goalkeeper—
TWEEET!
The referee blew his whistle, and the fans shouted their displeasure as he announced, “The goal was offside!”
Breathtaking displays of speed, teamwork, and passionfilled flames lit up the night sky. “10, 9, 8,7, 6, 5, 4,” the crowd began to countdown the final ten seconds. “3, 2 . . .”
The final whistle was blown.
Fans cheered as a golden glow covered the field. With an extended claw, Ronaldi approached Amaya. “Great game, cousin.” He then embraced her.
And that is how Amaya, the legendary dragon, embraced her differences and found her light.
Embark on a thrilling journey with dragon cousins Amaya Messi and Ronaldi at Old Mexico City’s El Inferno Stadium, where the legend of the Dragonfire Cup, the greatest victory ever, unfolds. As these fire-breathing cousins compete on opposing teams, discover the magic of teamwork and the true essence of triumph. Can family bonds withstand the heat of competition, turning their story into an enduring legend? Brace yourself for a fiery tale of rivalry turned victory in this captivating picture book adventure.