I was a great mage, living in a world where this was common. There was a sort of registry of mages, and everyone was supposed to take tests to show their power so that it could be recorded. This was never a problem for them, however. You see, it was quite hard to learn magic without studying at a registered school, and every registered school kept track of the power levels of all their pupils. I, however, had been trained by a rouge mage who had left the schools after teaching for many years. He taught me in secret for many years. And one day he died from old age. He had inspired me though, to continue my studies on my own; not only that, but to begin my specialization. Up until this point, I had been training in a very well rounded sort of way, but I could specialize: become far stronger faster in one area of magic be neglecting others. My area of specialization? Telekinesis.

My teacher believed it had the potential of being the strongest school of magic in existence. He had devoted years to it when he was a teacher at the academy, but he knew that he had specialized far to late. He also saw in me a certain potential for magical power that far surpassed his own. I suppose he was trying to live his dream through me, but it had become my dream as well. Telekinesis, as it was taught in the schools, ended up being a sort of advanced melee fighting. The mage would fight using a weapon (most often a specially designed staff, made mostly of a light metal) and wield it as a fighter would, but often with more speed and accuracy. From time to time someone would take the time to learn to use a range weapon, flinging arrows at high speeds. They would normally not be as accurate as a standard bowman, but they did ok because they could alter the course slightly after the arrow was in the air.

I’m sure one might be curious, why would they not do more? Well you see, this world has a very strong legal system. Murder was clearly illegal, and capital punishment their means of dealing with it. This is also why they demand registration of all mages. Law enforcement becomes easier when you know what everyone is capable of. What is has to do with telekinesis is this: moving something with your mind disturbs the molecules in it slightly. Mages use special saves with an extremely stable property, and never reuse the arrows the project. But to move a person will kill them, even just a part of them. It causes a sort of cancer that spreads threw the whole body, and has no cure. Weight is also a factor, even the stronger mages (though especially strong mages never wasted their time with telekinesis) can only move up to 200 pounds. It has also been theorized that one might move the air. This, however, was also out of grasp. The air could not be seen, and thus was very difficult to concentrate on, the best that was generally possible was a sort of wind, not nearly as strong as basic elemental magic. Thus, this school of magic was rare, and those who did pursue it were never very good, due both to lack of magic potential (for the ones with high potential always chose strong schools) and lack of training (for the ones who did pursue it rarely has teachers, because of the rarity of the art).

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The day had come. I had spent my whole life up to this point both training under my master, and training by his writing. I had come to certify my magic. I was warring a muted yellow cloak, wrapped tight around the front so that my arms weren’t easily mobile. I had an 8 foot bladed pike on my back, held there by nothing visible. It was dusk as a approached the front door of the dauntingly large school. Guards rushed out: the high level mages on watch must have sensed me coming. When I got close, I bowed and states my purpose, “I am here to certify: Omega level telekinesis.”

“Are you kidding me? Whatever man, you’re certainly strong, so we’ll have to keep you company.”

I was lead through a large hallway, and into a secured waiting room. I laughed, but I guess the guards couldn’t see the humour in it. I asked for an Omega level certification, the highest possible level. Anyone even remotely close to this level, in any school of magic, couldn’t be held by this room. They had me wait there non the less.

It didn’t take very long before a man in a large white robe entered the room, I could tell he was powerful. “How is it possible that you are ready to challenge for Omega without being certified before today?”

“I was trained privately, far from any city. Today is the first contact with people I have had in the last 10 years: since my master died.” I replied, “I have had no need for certification, and it is a long journey to get here.”

“Very well. Is it correct that you wish to attain Omega level with a telekinesis specialization? No man has even gotten half that.”

“It is true. My master chose me for this because my potential was so great. I have been specialized since I first could.”

“Well then, I suppose we shall see if you have indeed lived up to this masters wish. I do have one personal question though, and forgive me if I’m intruding, but that pike on your back: it looks like steel.”

I swing it around so it hovers horizontal in between us. “It is.”

I look of astonishment comes over his face, “Well then, this is going to be interesting. Come with me.”

He led me further down that same hall and out a door, into some sort of vast open space in the middle of the building. It must have been at least 200 meters across.

“This is where we fight, we don’t want to damage the facility, you understand. Try and be careful. Just go over there, and wait.” He was pointing to the centre of the large square.

I waited there, spreading my mind over all the matter in the battle field. Feeling every piece of air, learning every blade of grass. Nothing could go on here that I would not know about. And then I felt something… it was faint, and moved with great ease, but there was something disturbing the air. It was getting closer, but I couldn’t be sure how close. Before I could figure it out it was behind me, and wham! I was sent flying across the field.

Movement again. This time I wasn’t going to be take so easily. I threw up a shield of hard air around my body. Now all I needed was to figure out where it was. Behind me, now in front, I couldn’t get a solid feeling for it. Thwack! The air was hit hard around me, and I even felt the blow; it wasn’t enough to knock me this time though. Instantly I swung my pike as if it were but a small blade and connected. For a second I saw it, or her as it now seemed. She flew away at lightning speed. An air elemental, of course; it’s why she never touches the ground. I detached the blade from the end of my pike for near instant speed, and waited. Feeling the sir for even the slightest movement; I knew what I was looking for now. One more time she went in for a strike, but this time with less luck. I felt her coming and sent my blade right threw her stomach.

She hit the ground, visible now. “…I … concede…”

Mages dressed a white cloaks ran out from all sides of the square. The first one to arrive laid his hands on the wound and healed it. He also healed the large bruise covering most of my back from that first strike. Once the white mages and the air elemental woman left, and the man I spoke with originally came out again.

“Well done,” he said, “for most telekinetics we also have a range weapon test. And though I’m starting to think it may not be necessary in this case, we’re going to proceed with it regardless. There will be one hundred archers firing at you, and you will have one hundred arrows.” He tells me this as he drops a bag to the ground. “You must strike every archer without getting hit yourself.”

I nod in affirmation, and raise one arrow out of the bunch. “You can take the rest back.”

“I’ll leave them here, if it’s all the same. We’re watching you though.”

As he walks away I see lines of people form around the outside of the square. They take aim, and lose their arrows. None of the arrows reach me though, because of course I’ve shielded myself. I set my arrow lose, doing rounds. Running it through one man, and then the next, and the next. The same arrow bleeding man after man, moving to fast for anyone to escape. It seemed too easy. When the last man fell, the white mages came out again, repairing what I had inflicted.

“Come on in, then. We’re feeling anxious to speak with you,” came the voice of the white robed man. We started walking back, “My name is Raigon, by the way: Omega level summoner.”

Unfortunately, this is as far as the story goes. I was walking up to Tim’s door by this point. Maybe I’ll continue it some other time.