The Dragon Bond: Heirs of Lyra

Chapter 3

The only sound Ralf could hear was the rhythmic beating of Mirum's large, silver-scaled wings as she flew high above the castle grounds, drifting toward the hills of the training grounds. Ralf's head rested blissfully on his dragon's neck as he absorbed this wonderful feeling of freedom, this feeling of speed, agility, and grace. A feeling that he knew would soon disappear once they landed and he was forced to maneuver on his own.

He absolutely hated being grounded. His left leg, deformed since birth, restricted his movements and made his walking clumsy and slow. Ralf loathed the looks he got around the castle and, though he did his best to appear happy and full of good humor, in reality he was constantly reminded that he was tragically abnormal and different from everyone else. Not only did he struggle to walk with his gimp leg, but he also bore the mark of the dragon bond on his right hand. 

Ralf knew that under normal circumstances he would be completely honored and privileged to bare such a rare and powerful mark however, combined with his crippled leg, he only felt like he was the embodiment of wasted potential. This feeling was confirmed by the stares of pity he often received as he struggled to walk around the castle grounds without the help of his dragon, Mirum. 

As a child, Ralf and Mirum had grown at an equal pace. This allowed Ralf to be able to walk around faster and with less pain since he could literally lean on his dragon for support. They went everywhere together, always followed by his younger twin sister, Elysia. Elysia and Ralf were just as close as Ralf was to Mirum. The three of them went everywhere together and got into their share of mischief, thanks to Elysia. 

Ralf felt as though he were divided into three beings, himself, Elysia, and Mirum. With those two he felt completely free of judgement and able to express himself openly and honestly. Elysia was no doubt Ralf's favorite sibling. 

Growing up with Henry as an older brother was the worst torture Ralf could imagine. Though he would never wish any ill harm upon his older brother, Ralf could not help but feel as though Henry was his worst enemy. Both Henry and his friend, Miles, would incessantly torment Ralf (though Miles stopped once he developed his crush on Elysia and knew that picking on Ralf angered her). 

Not a day went by that Ralf did not envy his older brother in some way, whether it be his ability to walk normally, his undeniable knack to attract practically any woman, his sword fighting skills, or the admiration and respect he received from everyone in the kingdom. Though admittedly, Ralf did not envy the pressure that came with being the next in line for the throne. Unlike Henry, Ralf did not have to worry about ruling the kingdom of Lyra or marrying a foreign princess or commanding an army of Lyran soldiers. 

Ralf only wished he could be normal. He did not wish away his dragon or his family (even Henry). He only wished for one simple thing: to be able to walk and to run as he pleased. 

All too soon Mirum began to make her descent back toward the castle grounds. When she landed, Ralf struggled as he always did to smoothly slide off from his dragon's saddle. He had to prop himself up using his right leg and then, using his left arm, slide his lifeless leg over the saddle for better positioning. 

With a grunt of effort, he quickly used his free arm to grab the cane that was slotted into a compartment of the saddle. Placing the cane in his right hand, he carefully slid off the saddle and landed rather painfully onto the ground. It took all of his abdominal strength to keep from falling over.

Once he regained his balance, he began to walk forward. As a child, it had taken him twice as long to learn to walk as it had Elysia. Ever since his first steps, he had always felt pain when he walked. Over the years, the pain had never gone away, rather he developed a tolerance for the constant cumbersome throbbing.