Tesaldia felt her jaw drop. A large black dragon stood in front of her. A man sat astride the dragons back. He glared down at her with his stony eyes and Tesaldia backed away. Then the man spoke, "I am Vyrdaes, who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm," Tesaldia paused, "I'm Tesaldia."

Vyrdaes looked at her and then said again, "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," Tesaldia said sharply.

He glared at her and then said "You should be more careful or you might end up dead."

With that Vyrdaes flew and his dragon flew away. Tesaldia dropped to the ground, her knees would not support her. What did Vyrdaes mean by that, be careful or you may end up dead. The thought of the awful words sent shivers down her spine.

Tesaldia walked through the rows of markets. She stopped when she came to the egg shop. She stared for a moment before walking in. She quickly ran to the horse section and stopped. There it was. The egg she had seen the other day when she had been at the shop. She put her hand out but pulled it back when a young woman came over and slapped it. "Do not touch the eggs unless you're going to buy," the women said sternly.

Tesaldia looked at her as she walked away. When the woman was out of sight Tesaldia let her hands run over the egg's smooth surface. A man came over and said, "You fancy that egg?"

Tesaldia jumped and then nodded. "Are you planning to buy it?"

"I don't have any money," Tesaldia said this with a look of complete dismay, what if he wanted the egg for himself?

The man stood for a moment as if uncertain on what he should do, then he walked away and out of the shop. Tesaldia looked back at the egg. She wished dearly that she could buy the egg, the horse that would hatch from it would probably be as beautiful as the egg. Tesaldia daydreamed for a little while before she turned and left the shop. But as she was leaving something caught her eye. A young boy, about her age, was staring at her. He glanced away when he noticed she was looking. Tesaldia just shrugged it off and walked out into the town streets.

The sun had been shining when she had gone into the shop but now it was dark out. Tesaldia looked up and saw that it was not a cloud that blocked the sun, but a dragon! The dragon soared over everything so gracefully. His powerful wings pounding against the sky. Tesaldia looked for a moment trying to figure out if the dragon was wild, or if it belonged to Vyrdaes. Vyrdaes had been the king of the land for as long as Tesaldia could remember. The only reason he was king was because he could control fire and the ones born of fire, dragons. Tesaldia had been told by her parents that the world had once been filled with people who could control the elements but all of them eventually died, killed by Vyrdaes so he could rule the land. Vyrdaes was not often seen in the town where Tesaldia lived, Falisey. Even though no one ever saw him everyone knew about him, and everyone called him the Fire King.

Tesaldia kept walking down the road. She was thinking about the dragon. It was the same dragon that Vyrdaes had been riding. Why was Vyrdaes in Falisey? He had only come here one other time when he had wanted a dragon egg that someone had. Tesaldia stopped, what if he was following her? She started walking again, that thought was ridiculous there was no reason that he would follow her. Yet he had been there in time to save her from the Starfodae. Why, Tesaldia asked herself.

Tesaldia was about a mile from her house when Vyrdaes and his dragon swooped down and landed on the road. Tesaldia tried to walk around them but the dragon hit her backwards with a mighty claw. Tesaldia got up. "What did you do that for," Tesaldia asked as she gasped for air.

"You, are a problem."

Tesaldia stared at him, was he joking? He didn't even know her and he said she was a problem! "I don't know why you're here Vyrdaes but you can't do this, now let me pass!"

"My, aren't we demanding, well I won't let you pass until you tell me where it is."

"Where, what is? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your creature, it's somewhere and I intend to find it and destroy it, and if you get in the way, well."

Tesaldia gasped, he wouldn't dare kill her! Vyrdaes and his dragon flew upward and out of sight. Tesaldia screamed in frustration. She hated Vyrdaes. What did he mean by her creature? She didn't know. Tesaldia kept running and didn't stop until she got to the lake. She stared into it. A flash behind her made her jump. A deer stood behind her. Tesaldia took a step forward and it leapt into the woods.

Tesaldia had gone back home and was now in her room. Her parents were bankrupt! They had told her when she got back that the crops hadn't grown in and now they had no money. To make matters worst her father was very ill and wouldn't be able to work, and her mother, she would have to stay home and look after things. It was up to Tesaldia to go out and find work. She had hoped to get a job, but only so she could earn extra money but now all of her money would go toward the cabin, food, and clothing. Her dreams had been shattered.

Tesaldia was walking through the town square. She had come here as soon as she could so she would be able to look for a job. She had gone to three places already but they had turned her down. Tesaldia had found it strange that they would say no so hastily. Tesaldia was about to go into the bakery to see if she could have a job delivering the baked goods, when she heard Vyrdaes inside. "A young girl is looking for a job, her name is Tesaldia, if she comes in here turn her down. I want her to work in only one place and if you hire her, you will pay the price with your life."

Tesaldia quickly dropped to the ground. She heard Vyrdaes footsteps as he came toward the door and she quickly hid behind the side of the bakery. Tesaldia held her breath as Vyrdaes passed. How would she be able to get a job now? Tesaldia was so angry, her father was in bed dying and he was going around telling people they couldn't give her a job. Tesaldia slowly got up and walked out from behind the building. Tesaldia jumped when she saw Vyrdaes standing there. She tried to duck away into a store, but he saw her. "Tesaldia, come here."

How did Vyrdaes see her? She walked out of the store and over to him. He spoke words that made Tesaldia cringe. "I know that you are looking for a job, so I thought that you could come work for me, as a servant."