It is a shame that I have to remain so secretive. The wizard/fighter Islan stares at me every time I cast a spell. He is beginning to wonder what it is that I am doing; rightfully so. Unfortunately, I’ve had too many of his kind look upon me in utter fear and terror when they begin to understand how foreign my abilities truly are. In fact, I don’t blame them one bit for it.
If I were to suddenly find out that my whole world was wrong and that everything I had ever studied was only a small fraction of the truth, I’d be a little scared too. Most wizards spend their whole lives reading books, studying how to manipulate the forces of the world around them. Their magic is discovered. Something else defined it for them. All of their rituals and scribings are but formalities and never truly scratch the surface of the true potential that they have.
Someone told me, long ago, that for every ten thousand people born there is only one with the potential to unleash the powers of their mind without training. However, one out of a thousand can be taught to do what I do. It has always been a personal curiosity of mine to figure out what makes us special. It doesn’t seem to follow any direct heritage; that I’ve ever seen. In fact, I spent over 100 years watching my own family. Watching for the spark. I never found it. That’s the problem with psionic energies; they don’t seem to follow any of the known laws of the universe. This is why wizards fear us. Why they fear me.
Magic as they know it follows a direct system. If you perform this ritual, say these words and add this mixture of components, this happens. Very direct. Very traceable. However, with those like myself, it is different.
Someone with the flair for psionics generally has the ability to mold their powers to their wishes. Sure, some of our powers we mold after some of the more mundane magics of the world, but that is more for convenience than anything else. We also can touch minds with one another and teach each other to do things as someone else has done. However, there are no books outlining how to do what we do. It is something that is either given freely between the melding of minds or our powers are created from our imaginations. Wizards hate us for that. This is why we hide.
I just hope that when the time comes to explain myself, if that time comes, that Islan and the rest of this group of people will at least keep an open mind about what it is that I do. And more importantly, what it is that I am.
Sometimes I hate being an Elan. |
