Tesaldia looked through the bars of the prison cell. Vyrdaes had taken away her freedom because he wanted a stupid egg. Tesaldia stared at the ceiling thinking. "Why did I have to end up here," she sobbed.

Tesaldia had spent her life in Falisey, the smallest town in the Kingdom of Pervadora. Her parents had bought the cabin and become farmers, but it hadn't worked out as well as they had hoped. Tesaldia had gone to school until she was fourteen then she had to drop out to help her parents with the farm.

Footsteps interrupted Tesaldia's thoughts. She looked up and saw the guard walk by and stare at her with a terrible grin.

Tesaldia just lay her head back against the wall to think some more. She had wanted to become a biologist when she got older, that's why she had studied animals in school. She had never had any friends, never needed any. She wasn't shy. She just never liked the way everyone else acted.

Tesaldia had always had a spirit like the waves. Pounding hard against the shore, always fighting. She was like that. Her parents however were very quiet and easy going. They had plenty of friends because they were very patient and understanding.

Tesaldia also noticed she didn't look like her parents. They both had brown hair and brown eyes. They were also both generally short, unlike Tesaldia who had always looked down at all the other kids in her school.

Tesaldia looked up. She saw Vyrdaes talking to the prison guard. Vyrdaes had been one of many people who could control the elements. Vyrdaes wasn't satisfied though and he killed all other people that could control an element because he wanted to be king of Pervadora. Ever since then he had been king and he had also learned how to control dragons and make them do whatever he wanted.

Shai, he was Tesaldia's only friend and he had confided to her whenever they were working together. Shai had grown up in an orphanage and when he was thirteen he had been sent here to work for Vyrdaes. Shai was a bit like Tesaldia only more quiet and to himself. He also didn't dare talk back to Vyrdaes like Tesaldia. He had hoped to become a trainer of animals in Falisey, but he knew that wouldn't happen unless he could stop working for Vyrdaes.

Suddenly Tesaldia heard a whisper. She looked up. Shai stood by the door with her bag. "Shai, what are you doing here?"

"I came to get you out, Tesaldia."

"That's crazy if you break me out then we'll both be caught and hung."

"He wouldn't hang you because he wants your power, remember."

"Maybe, but he'd kill you."

"No, he wouldn't, he needs me, I do everything for him, he can't figure things out if I'm not around to point things out."

Tesaldia thought about this and stood up. "How are you going to get the door to open?"

"I don't know that yet."

"Wow Shai, that's a great plan," Tesaldia said in a tone of utter sarcasm.

He glared at her and then pushed her bag through the bars of the cell door. "Here, take this. I'll be right back."

Tesaldia took the bag and sat back down. Where was Shai going? Tesaldia waited for about five minutes before Shai came running back with a screw driver. She looked at it. "What, are you doing?"

"I'll loosen the screws, and then take the door off."

"What if the guard sees you," Tesaldia pointed out.

"Who cares, he trusts me, and I'll just say I'm fixing the door."

Tesaldia sighed, she hoped Shai knew what he was doing. She sat down on the floor and waited while Shai worked. Tesaldia took out her egg and rubbed her hand across its smooth surface. It was hers by right, and she would never give it to Vyrdaes.

Tesaldia jumped as she heard the clang of Shai setting the door down on the hard cobblestone floor. He looked at her and then smiled. "I told you it would work," he grinned.

Tesaldia rolled her eyes and smiled. Then she got up, put the egg back into the bag and quickly followed Shai out of the cell. Shai propped the door back up into place and hoped no one would notice until it was too late.

The two crept through the castle and down the halls. Tesaldia stopped and hid behind the wall as a guard came walking toward her. Tesaldia held her breath and started to sweat but the guard walked past her.

It took forever before the two were outside of the castle. Tesaldia breathed a sigh of relief as she and Shai started walking down the road.

Tesaldia took Shai to the lake and sat down on the shore. She watched the water ripple and sway. It looked like it was dancing. "It's pretty," Shai said.

Tesaldia just nodded. She never wanted to leave this place. Tesaldia took out the egg and set it down in the grass next to her. It was a very large oblong shape, and it seemed there was not one flaw in it.

Tesaldia laid back on the grass and thought of what the horse would look like. Would it be white, like its mother? Tesaldia hoped not, she had never really liked white horses.

Tesaldia looked over at Shai, he was staring at her. She stared back and he quickly looked away. Tesaldia didn't say anything to Shai but she wondered.

Tesaldia and Shai stayed at the lake for a long time before Tesaldia asked the leading question. "Where will we go now that we're criminals?"

"We'll go to Balar, also known as the Town of Crime."

"Where's that?"

"I know the way, and besides, I have a map."

Tesaldia looked at the sun, which was now sinking below the horizon ready to let the night take over the sky.

Tesaldia nodded her approval and they both started to walk through the woods, into an unknown world.