The Dragon Bond: Heirs of Lyra

Chapter 18

Ever since the day Ralf had talked with the Nieblan prisoner, he had felt a sense of unease. There was something off about their discussion, but he couldn't place it. Something felt wrong.

For now, Ralf pushed the unsettling thought away as he readied himself for the day ahead. This was the kind of day Ralf looked forward to every week. In just a few moments he would begin training with his mother and father.

When both of his parents trained with Ralf, he always felt invincible. He felt as if he could do anything with their guidance. They were both so caring and helpful. They truly wanted Ralf to succeed and be the best dragon bond he could be.

Together, Ralf and his parents learned new things about the dragon bond. That was the best part for Ralf. He loved discovering new abilities that had yet to be learned by previous dragon bonds. It made Ralf feel like he was making a difference in the world by uncovering such precious secrets.

For instance, a few months ago the royal family discovered something unique during their training in the rain. Ralf had been flying around with his parents, practicing shots with flaming arrows. One arrow had missed the target and began spreading fire around the area. Mirum flew down to the fire and Ralf tried his best to use his magic to put out the fire with water.

He tried to make the water as cold as he could. What Ralf would later hear from his parents was that as he was putting out the fire, the rain around them had turned to snow. It had been the middle of summer. King Alan theorized that Ralf must have been focusing so hard on making the water cold that he had also effected the rain.

To test this theory, Ralf isolated his focus on the rain. He used his magic in attempts to make the rain around him turn to snowflakes. After a few minutes he was able to put this method into practice.

Now, whenever it rained, Ralf would practice this newfound ability around the castle. Sometimes during the rain he would find a group of workers and baffle them with his ability from afar. Ralf took guilty pleasure in shocking the workers into believing it was an early winter.

Remembering such things brought a smile to Ralf's face as he approached both of his parents on the training grounds. Within five seconds all three of the royals' dragons were at their sides.

"Ready for some fun?" Queen Ariana asked the other two.

Ralf smiled and glanced at his father. Lately King Alan's thoughts were always so far away. Ralf yearned for the days when everything was so cheerful and there were no worries. Now King Alan's mind was constantly troubled with the impending war. Ralf hoped that perhaps today his father would let go of his worries and have some fun.

Queen Ariana's smile faltered as she waited for someone to say something. Ralf sent her an encouraging smile, but he knew she was wanting it from her husband.

Trying again, Ariana nudged her husband and asked, "What's the plan for today? A bit of target practice? Playing around with some magic?"

King Alan finally acknowledged his wife and looked over at her. His eyes were weary. Ralf could tell he wanted to be upbeat for his wife and have fun but he had so much on his mind.

"Actually I was thinking we could be practical today and learn something we'll need for this war."

"Oh," Ariana said with a sigh.

King Alan winced. "I just think it would be best if we focused on not only protecting ourselves in this battle but also learning to defend others. We can't ignore the war forever, Ariana."

"I thought we could do something fun today is all," the Queen huffed. Ralf sensed some tension between his parents and hoped it was only temporary. Lately it was hard for Ralf to remember the last time his father had a good time. The royal family used to set times aside during the week and make time for each other. Now everyone seemed to be distant from each other, each busy with their own duties. Unfortunately everyone seemed to wait upon King Alan to make a change. Ralf yearned for his father to make the first move and bring fun back into the family.