During the following months, Astrael's routine was set strictly.
During the day, he tries to learn the language by observing his mother, father, and servants, and at night, he practices breathing techniques or meditation that he learns from reading.
He can't speak either, as his vocal cords are not fully developed.
And doing nothing all day except suck, sleep, and poop made him insane, so he tries to practice magic relentlessly.
Except for his baby commandment, he would do the only three things to remain sane: "practice, practice, and practice." He told himself, though practiced what, he was not entirely sure.
'AHHHHH GIVE ME POWER!'
*fart*
He roared in his silent throat, his frustration sometimes punctuated by a comical, embarrassing fart that reminded him of his helplessness.
"Ah, little lord! Time for a change!" Nanny Elara's cheerful voice was a lash. Her thick fingers dug into his soft thighs as she lifted him.
'Cough, it's embarrassing!' Agony not physical, but the soul deep scrape of dignity stripped bare burned his cheeks crimson like a tomato. 'Focus, you fool!
'Maybe I should try to keep my mind still as water, as it was depicted in Buddhism.'
He staarted to visualization exercise and breathing control through his imagination, from his previous life.
Days went by, one night, Astrael, getting bored in his cradle,A baby's life should be simple, but Astrael's mind was anything but.
So he decided to get out of this cage.
He saw his parents conversing in low tones.
'Where to go, yup, library, maybe I could learn something about what was wrong I was doing wrong,' Astrael thought.
By now, he can understand most of the words.
'Yosh, everyone is sleeping, this is my chance'
He got up with the support of a cradle bar and tried to climb slowly without making any noise.
One leg hooked over the edge. A muffled thump. He froze, breath trapped in his throat. Only the distant rumble of a mother's snore came. He slid down, bare feet.
Slowly, slowly, he got down through the support of the cradle bar and silently crawled to the door, which was not closed properly.
'Uhm, library is in which way, may be that side?'
He took a turn and went straight. ' Library..library.. ah, here it is,' Astrael thought joyfully.
Astrael was standing in front of a big door. Through the window, he was able to see many books.
'OPEN!' He threw his meagre weight against the unyielding wood. 'Gnnngh!' It groaned, shifting a hair's breadth. He snarled soundlessly, legs trembling with strain. ' *inhale* exhale* it's heavy but no one can STOP ME FROM LEARNING MAGIC AHHH!'
SCREEEEE—
The door makes a creaking sound as it opens a little bit, enough for him to enter.
He enters the room and sees so many books.
'Where is the book on magic, uhm, maybe there?'
Astrael sees some books on the shelves, but the biggest problem is how to reach them.
'How to reach there, sometimes I forget that I am a baby'
After thinking, he climbs a chair by keeping the books lying on the lower side of the shelves like a step.
His tiny limbs quivered as he ascended.
'Only a little bit.. ahh'
Just as he reached for a particular volume a heavy, thick tome with a faded symbol etched in gold on its spine suddenly his foot slipped, clutching the book to his chest, a cascade of three or four volumes tumbling with him.
CRASH! THUD! WHUMPH!
Astrael lay amid scattered books, pain blossoming in his knee, tears welling in his eyes
'It hurts,' Astrael said with moist eyes
'But I got'
'Magic book..which is magic book?, I am such an idiot, I don't know how to read, so how can I understand?'
'Ok, then at least I see what is there'
Astrael opens the book and sees some figures, some meditating, some saying some incomprehensible words, and such drawings.
'Emptiness? Stillness? Not force… flow?' It mirrored his failed meditations. Perhaps demanding the power was the cage? 'Yield… to feel?'
'So, at the end I have to make my mind empty, calm my thoughts and feel it naturally, not force, just like one great person said ""Be like water, my friend," ' Astrael, after seeing the drawing, was only able to understand this much.
STEP
'Uhm.. someone coming, I have to hide, where to hide?' Astrael said panically.
STEP
The door! He pressed himself into the narrow space behind it, shrinking, just as it swung inward.
CLACK.
A man in a servant's clothes enters the room with a candle flame burning in his grip. "Noise came from here… ah! Damned wind!"
He spotted the fallen books near the open window. He sighed, setting the candle down with a clink. Rough hands scooped up Astrael's prizes, shoving them carelessly back onto the shelf.
He stomped to the window, muttering curses, and slammed the latch shut with a final CLANG. "Done." He retrieved his light and left, the door sighing almost shut.
Astrael, hiding behind the door, slowly and steadily crawls out of the room and quickly goes to his room with relief.
'It was dangerous,' Astrael said with relief.
He went back to his cradle and fell into a deep sleep with a dream where he became the most powerful person in the world.
During the following weeks, he practiced sensing any form of energy.
As they say, Heaven rewards the Diligence; his hard work pays off.
One night, he started to feel something magical. he saw some blue particles hovering in the air. Like motes of blue heat. Dancing in the blackness behind his eyes.
Not hostile. Not kind. Simply… present. 'Mana?' A spark of something akin to hope flickered in his tiny eyes.
It was difficult to describe, but it feels warm.
He tries to touch those sparkly particles.
ZZZAAAPPP!
The moment he touches them, like a bolt of lightning, he is paralysed and falls into deep sleep.
The next day, Astrael woke up and tried to concentrate on the peculiar energy he felt yesterday night.
Then, that peculiar energy started forming on his little hand, no larger than a grain of sand, and coalesced above his palm. And then it vanished.
'Haaah... It's difficult to maintain this much focus. Astrael, after getting a little bit exhausted.
His mother, Laira, wakes up and sees him.
His mother's face appeared, silver eyes soft pools in the morning light. "Awake, my little shadow?" Her voice was honey, but he saw the flicker of concern in her gaze.
He forced a gurgle, a mockery of infant joy. Milk was a tactical necessity.
After relentlessly practicing, in the coming days, his control over mana, which he terms as, gets more polished and stronger.
Whenever he gets time, he tries to concentrate and collect those blue motes of light. When it enters his body, he feels all the fatigue, exhaustion clear up, in addition to his mind, which becomes sharper.
After seeing the other servant performing the magic and saying some kind of spell, he memorizes that word, which is Splishfizzle, Emberglimmer, etc.
One afternoon, when no one was present, Astrael seized the chance to test the magic that he was constantly refining and practicing. He sat propped in a nest of blankets.
And started chanting.
. . .
"Emberglimmer"
. . .
Splishfizzle
. . .
" Focus Astrael"
Eyes closed. Breathe shallow.
The blue motes of light swirled in vision, he started emitting the mana and mixing with the worldly energy. He pictured a sprinkle of water.
"Splishfizzle"
The mana started to compress, and a small, sparkling fountain of water started forming up.
"YEAH I did, it" Astrael said joyfully.
Suddenly, his nanny, Elara and sees this mess.
" Young Master, you wet your pants? I am going to change them for you," Said Elara while changing his diaper.