Chapter 5 - Astra Spellcraft Commander
Once Maxmillan got home, Lenna and her two daughters were surprised that Maxmillan had quickly returned.
"Maxie, you didn't find your friends? Or why is it that you quickly returned?" Nailah, Maxmillan's older sister asked.
"Not really, big sister. It's just that I saw something. Then I returned home to inquire about it from you, instead of my friends." Maxmillan replied.
"Oh. Okay. So, what's it that you want to inquire about, dear son?" Lenna gently asked with a beautiful smile in her face.
"Mom, there is this old man I saw at the beginning of our street. He was performing magic. Who is he?" Maxmillan asked, while Lenna and her two daughters looked at one another with a bewildered expression in their faces before looking back at Maxmillan who fixated his gaze on them with an innocent look appearing in his face.
"Maxie, that old man is your favorite performer. You are always there to watch him perform. Have you forgotten?" Lenna asked with a smile in her face. She was however thinking how her son could forget something like that so soon.
"Oh! I actually can't remember that mom. There are certain things that I can't really remember again. Maybe you can help juggle my brain, mom. I promise not to forget next time." Maxmillan said with an adorably cute smile in his face which warmed his mom's heart.
"Alright son." Lenna said smilingly, after arriving at a conclusion that Maxmillan's memory loss was as a result of his death which he miraculously awakened from.
She then started, "Son, that old man is old man Garrett. He is a powerful Astra Spellcraft Commander. He was well famed for leading a small army of Astra Mystralis casters in battle against a group of baleful murderous pillagers who were also powerful users of Astra Mystralis and had the intention of wiping out an entire town to avenge an important member of theirs that was killed by a powerful Astra Spellcraft Commander from that town."
"Okay mom. But you said he was well famed. What about now? Is he no longer well famed? Or has he fallen from his glorious position to a position where he would be mocked everywhere he goes?" Maxmillan asked with a bright glow of curiosity emitting from his eyes.
"Yes, son. He has. We don't know details of what really happened. All I know is that he became a nobody that moved away from the city to this town to entertain kids with his powerful magic casting abilities."
"One time he was asked why he did such without being paid for it, he said that not only did he not do it for money, he did it to forget about the heavy sorrowful atmosphere that accompanied him wherever he went, filled him with loneliness and pressed down viciously upon him."
"So, seeing the kids laugh euphorically around him and being joyously happy, always warded off that particular atmosphere that encompassed him and replaced it with a light atmosphere that filled his heart with both delight and gladness."
"You know, a person that has been scornfully and derisively written off as valueless by his or her peers, will feel glad and important if they find themselves in a place where they are fully appreciated for their work and aren't chastised for anything." Lenna said while Maxmillan who perfectly understood all that his mom said, nodded his head in total comprehension to all that she mentioned.
"That's really sad for old man Garrett. I hope he returns back to his previous position of being a well-famed Astra Spellcraft Commander." Maxmillan said with both sympathy and empathy in his tone. While his mom looked at him amazingly and hopefully nodded her head.
"Yea, I recall mom. What is an Astral Spellcraft Commander? What do they do? Do they only lead an army of Astra Mystralis casters into battle with a foreign group comprising entirely of brutal barbaric brutes and invaders, or there are other things that they do within the society?" Maxmillan asked with his eyes which radiated intelligence gleaming in the light rays from the sun.
Lenna couldn't help but be amazed by the question that Maxmillan asked, since a five year old shouldn't be thinking such. The only things children at his age should be thinking was play, eat and sleep.
However, she was still going to give a response to his question and explain it in a way that he would understand and wouldn't need any more explanation from any other person.
"Dear son, you shouldn't be thinking too hard about these things. You are still growing. You haven't reached that stage yet for you to possess knowledge about these kind of things. However, to satisfy your curiosity, people that successfully graduate from institutes where Astra spellcasting is taught, become Astra Spellcraft commanders."
"Although it might sound easy to become that, it's however exceedingly difficult. Only a few hundred out of many thousands can possibly obtain this reverenced dignified position. While the remaining thousands that don't pass, are made to repeat classes over and over again till they are able to satisfy all requirements and obtain that title."
"But still, the conditions to be met, and criterias to be fulfilled, become much more harsher since one is repeating classes over and over again. So, because of these progressively harsh conditions and near-unfulfillable criterias, many drop out to leave a few stubborn-willed ones who will stop at nothing till they get what they want, or they die trying. What a tough world it is out there. But I believe my child will make us proud."
"So son, as you can see, this is way above your level. I don't want you to ask me any more question related to this again. The only time I will enlighten you further, is when you have reached the age requirement to learn about such things, okay?" Lenna asked and lovingly stroked Maxmillan soft silky hair, while Maxmillan quickly replied with the obedient nod of his head.
But with glittering eyes that his mother perceived as wanting to ask more questions, she sighed and gently asked when she knelt on one knee in front of him, "Maxie, do you still have any more question for me?"
"Yes, mom." Maxmillan said and naturally broke a smile in his dashing face.
He then quickly said further, "Sorry for disturbing you, mum. I just want to know about these things, or they will continue to disturb my mind. And I don't know anyone else that will answer me properly other than you. I am sure my two older sisters won't give me the time and attention you are giving me and will only brush me to a side to do their own thing. Two mean people. I will teach them a lesson when I am fully grown."
Maxmillan said, pouting his lips and trying his best to act like an innocent five year old child. While his mum, Lenna unexpectedly burst into a loud raucous laughter.
"Don't worry child, you can always come to me for whatsoever question you have bugging your mind." Lenna answered and kissed Maxmillan's forehead.
"Alright mom." Maxmillan said gladly, as he was close to understanding what kind of world his soul had transmigrated into, possibly under the influence of an invisible cosmic force.
Then he questioned, "Mom, can you also produce magical effects just like that old man, because you sounded so versed when explaining things to me earlier? And what really is Astra Mystralis?"