"Tai." Xtabay called as she traversed the damp musty halls of the palace dungeon. "Tai, are you down here?" Her tone growing ever more impatient prompted Tai to respond. "Yeah ma I'm here in the back to the left." She frowned as she stomped the rest of the T shaped hallway. "What are you doing down here? This is no place for a prince." "I was working out and please don't call me that." Tai sat upright as he was mid sit up when his mother interrupted him. "Why not? That's what you are. And why are you doing that down here?" She brushed some dirt from her otherwise pristine red Corte . It was her favorite skirt so she always wore it .Tai noticed how the black and gold snake that was stitched into it always seemed to be in a slightly different position. Being who his mother was he never questioned it. "Well I figured I could work out to my hearts content and not bother anyone. There's only one guy down here." Xtabay glared over her shoulder at the cell at the other end of the hallway, her eyes now their serpentine version shimmered like candle flames in the dim light of the dungeon. "Who is that anyway?" Tai asked. Xtabay turned back to her son and quickly changed the subject, her eyes brown again. "There's a message for you from King Bonrue. Come upstairs at once." She almost growled the words. Tai could feel the animosity radiating off his mother start to boil the already damp air in the cell. Xtabay turned and stormed out of the dungeon. "A message?" Tai muttered to himself as he tried to stand up. As he struggled to do so. He remembered he had the gravity in the cell at a near 50 times that of normal. He adjusted and stood up to make his way back upstairs. On the way it occurred to him that the gravity had been like that the whole time and his mother didn't even seem to notice. Upon emerging from the dungeon, His mother’s personal attendant Kai was standing near the door waiting for him with a letter in hand. “Greetings Master Taivero, this is for you.” She said while handing him the letter. Tai smiled and took it from her. “Come on Kai, just call me Tai, you don't have to do all that formal stuff.” Kai returned the smile. “That is how your mother asked me to address you so that is how I will address you.” she replied before turning to walk away. Tai just shook his head and looked down at the letter in his hand.

Dear Taivero,

I, Bonrue Ortega, King of Uraeus, World King of Technology, formally request your presence here in Uraeus. Allow me to explain. I've been informed that you, Taivero, can manipulate the pull physical masses have on each other. That is unprecedented and quite amazing even amongst the ranks of the Kings. I'm in the midst of a new project that could greatly benefit from your unique talents. Normally I would send a chauffeur to shuttle you here. But King Sahn revealed to me that your training is not yet complete. He has requested that you make the journey here, on foot. Upon your arrival you shall be compensated in any way you see fit. If you choose to agree I eagerly await your arrival. If, on the other hand, you decline, I would understand. The terrain between Lucach and Uraeus is treacherous and would not hold you to fault if you were unable to make the trip.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Best Wishes, Bonrue

“On foot! Why?” His voice echoed through the now empty hallway. He quickly skimmed over the letter once more and sighed deeply. “Fine.” he said quietly to himself as he made his way to his room to pack.

“I still can't believe you’re allowing this.” Tai remarked to his mother as the two of them stood outside the palace gates. “ Even so there's no reason for you to leave immediately, at least wait for Nannette to return so you can say goodbye.” Tai adjusted the pack on his back, “Nah, she's worse than you. By the time she's done crying she'll be insisting that she go with me, just give her my love and I'll see you guys later.” Xtabay grabbed and hugged him tight enough to kill a normal person. “Okay ma I love you too.” Tai struggled to say while he strained to push her off of him. He kissed her on the cheek and turned to leave. "It is in light, that light exists." Her mother's words stirred in her mind as she watched her son disappear over the horizon. Her light. Her children. Her heart. That is what she exists for. Their prosperity, their happiness, their safety. That's what mattered to her most. Not her title or her territory. But if that is what ensures those things for her children then so be it. Xtabay turned to walk back inside her palace. She admired the pink petals from the blossoms of the trees that stood around the palace pavilion. They danced in the air around her, reminding her of the dying embers of burning villages and towns. She missed the war. The destruction, the fighting. She was young but she remembers it fondly. The part of her that enjoyed the devastation was drowned out by the birth of her daughter. Nanette would never approve of the things her mother had done. So she hides that side of her by being as kind and benevolent a ruler as possible. But Taivero. Poor Taivero, oblivious to what power he truly holds. Oblivious to the devastation and despair a power like that will inevitably bring. She relishes the thought. She can sate her own destructive urges through her son. She smiled at the idea. A passing mother and child quickly snapped her back to a more tender demeanor. As they passed they bowed their heads to her and she smiled at them. A slight breeze blew, some more petals danced past Xtabay as she made her way up the palace steps. She gracefully plucked one out of the air and admired it for a moment. She chuckled to herself and incinerated it between her thumb and index finger.