| “ | Please, I ask you to look with all your heart and strength for the other dragons. You must—far more is at stake than you can comprehend. | ” |
–Opal Eyes, his beseeching for Laeka'Draeon to search for the missing dragons | ||
Shortly following Fargo's cryptic request for Laeka'Draeon to search for something/ someone named 'Keiegn', another stranger makes contact with the young dragon. A small hemlan child, whose appearance and presence immediately amplifies the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the dragons.
Even more enigmatic and secretive than Fargo, the young boy speaks to Laeka'Draeon through Soul Talk (a type of telepathy) and asks him to look for the dragons.
Despite the urgency to his tone and demeanour, the boy evades further explanations, even so far as to avoid giving his name. And so, Laeka'Draeon ends up referring to him as Opal Eyes, due to the bizarre and alluring multi-hued colour of his irises.
For some reason, Laeka'Draeon feels drawn to trust the boy, and decides to act on his request, and begin the search for the dragons with focused purpose, despite not knowing (and not being told) which direction to best begin the search.
Opal Eyes is a supporting character in the Dragon Calling series, and also a reoccurring character. He features on the cover of the fifth, and final, book in the series, The Last Calling.
Warning: SPOILERS contained in the information below.
Appearance[]
| “ | Scruffy blanched hair covered the crown of the boy's head, and nothing but an oversized, long-sleeved chemise hung over his scrawny, pale-skinned body. | ” |
–-Kin Seeker, Chapter Two | ||
Although Opal Eyes' age is not specified, descriptions in the book, Kin Seeker, enable a reasonably accurate estimate of between 8 to 10 years old. At least physically. His eyes are unusual and exude a heightened, mature perceptiveness that is unnatural in hemlans (at least by Laeka'Draeon's initial assessment; despite his loss of memories and certain instinctual abilities, he retains his dragonic sixth sense of heightened aura perception).
For a hemlan his (approximate) age, Opal Eyes is noticeably underweight, and often has a pensive, melancholy demeanour, as though he carries some incredible internal burden he keeps to himself.
His eyes are the highlight of all his features, and draw immediate attention; both alluring and unsettling in the depth, ambiguity and quiet intensity they exude.
The only piece of clothing he wears is a pale-coloured chemise that is far too large for his small frame. An illustration from the author also depicts him as barefooted.
Personality[]
Ambiguous sums up Opal Eyes in one word. He is one of the most mysterious characters in the series, in every appearance often alluding that he knows a lot of what is going on in the kingdoms, but never offering explanations, and only vaguely hinting at certain things. He is soft-spoken and articulate, and--considering his vague and evasive methods--a particularly cautious individual.
He also seems to know about Laeka'Draeon, certainly more than Laeka'Draeon does, but again, is furtive in revealing answers for reasons he deliberately avoids divulging.
Opal Eyes, though clearly knowledgeable, is an unmistakably sad soul, often appearing wearied or quietly stricken. And yet, despite whatever secrets and limitations he is bound to, he is always seeking to assist Laeka'Draeon, which shows a nature that is benevolent.
Role (spoilers)[]
Opal Eyes is the initial catalyst for Laeka'Draeon's quest; he reveals to the young dragon that the others of his kind have vanished, and that Laeka'Draeon is the only one who can unravel the mystery. He places Laeka'Draeon under a Paralysis Seal before making his elusive departure; although later it is revealed the effect was not a paralysis spell, but a manna connection made in order for Opal Eyes to enter Laeka'Draeon's dreams in order to communicate with him.
And that is what he continues to do throughout the series; he appears in Laeka'Draeon's dreams, often relaying cryptic words of warning, and reminding Laeka'Draeon of the importance of his quest. When Laeka'Draeon is placed in dire peril by Sadukravon and the Tainted Shadows, Opal Eyes steps in directly, taking on physical form and acting as a shield to try and protect Laeka'Draeon against the influence of corruption. He fails is this effort and is swallowed up by an explosion of corrupted manna, and for a time his fate is unknown; Laeka'Draeon considers him possibly perished.
It is not until Laeka'Draeon and company reach the fortress of Nemblem in their race to the final Beacon Throne, that Opal Eyes makes contact with Laeka'Draeon again, revealing him to have survived the collision with Sadukravon and the Tainted Shadows. As usual, via dream-communication, he warns over the imminent danger imposed upon the final Beacon Throne, and shares with Laeka'Draeon a past vision of how the northern Beacon Throne was desecrated, and by whom (Volten Vagel is revealed to be the one who took the Channeling Stone).
Opal Eyes does not appear physically before Laeka'Draeon again until the young dragon and company pass through the Echo Rifts with Belzor and his company and travel up into the mountains of Laranen'Unok and break the corrupted barrier enshrouded over that realm. There Opal Eyes escorts the group to the dragon's reliquary to the Eye of Empyrean, where he reveals himself to be the channeler of its power--much like Belzor being the chosen keeper and channeler of the Imurainiiur. With his ability, he brings Laeka'Draeon with him into the Eye's power (which enables to user to peer through Time, both past and present, and occasionally future) and through it is finally able to reveal past events that provide answers to some of the young dragon's longest-standing questions.
Through the Eye of Empyrean, Laeka'Draeon learns significant revelations, great and terrible, as well as the truth that Opal Eyes is, in fact, a symbiotic being of a young hemlan boy and the spirit of the Valadilian dragon king, Velhonoandrious the Second; sire to Aurnraulath ... who is sire to Laeka'Draeon.
During the Second Gathering, Opal Eyes appears once more, this time during the final desperate moments when Laeka'Draeon, Shifra and their vanguard group descend into the Surge spell storm in an attempt to stop it. Against lightning traps, swarms of harpies, and Sadukravon himself, the group it whittled away until only Laeka'Draeon and Shifra are left to stop Sadukravon and the spell. It is here, that Opal Eyes steps in and aids Shifra in her efforts to subvert the spell, but when it becomes clear Laeka'Draeon's life is all but forfeit under the overwhelming power of Sadukravon, Opal Eyes gives her the choice on one of two ways to destroy the spell; one of which will save Laeka'Draeon's life, but at great personal cost.
The choice is made and the blood-curse on Laeka'Draeon is lifted (along with the Surge spell's destruction). No longer restrained, both Opal Eyes and Laeka'Draeon fuse their dragonic abilities (Velhonoadrius disembodies from the body of the hemlan boy) becoming one powerful, full-grown dragon, capable now of taking on Sadukravon. Combined, they are able to deal a fatal blow to the manticor and send him fleeing from the fight. At last free and knowing the spirits of the other dragons are freed also, Velhonoandrius separates from Laeka'Draeon and departs with the last dragons of Valadae.
Having had a dragon spirit reside within him, the hemlan boy--Fynwen--who was on his deathbed survives, eyes no longer the colour of opals, but hair still bleached white (a lasting effect of his union with Velhonoandrius). It is unknown how much, if anything, he recalls of his encounter with the dragon king and actions as Opal Eyes, though by interactions, it appears he retains some unspoken connection to those whom he intimately assisted in the quest to save Valadae (namely Laeka'Draeon and Shifra).
History[]
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Relationships[]
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Abilities[]
Though weak and sickly in appearance, Opal Eyes' magical aptitude is almost immediately apparent and is as mysterious in nature as the boy himself. He is a hemlan (an Et'denin creature-kind) and yet he is able to use magic seemingly without a great deal of effort and without invocation (eg. by simply touching Laeka'Draeon, he was able to lock the young dragon in a Paralysis Seal).
Soul Talk[]
Opal Eyes can also use Soul Talk (the renown telepathic ability), which is not a skill that is easy to master, and is exceedingly rare in youngsters, especially to the proficiency Opal Eyes holds.
Dream-walking[]
Not only can he wield magic through mere thought and touch, but Opal Eyes can appear, and interact, in the dreams of others (revealed numerous times throughout the series as his main form of communication with Laeka'Draeon). Those who possess the talent to reach into others' dreams are known as dream-walkers (the title originating from the sphinx of Rhin'Tset). It is an inborn skill, which cannot be taught or passed on to others (except through bloodlines) and is thus considered a high-tiered magic skill.
Tethering[]
What was at first considered a Paralasis Seal is later revealed to be a powerful tethering ability. Opal Eyes utilises this skill in order to tether his manna with Laeka'Draeon's, primarily to be able to reach him quickly and connect to him through dreams. When Laeka'Draeon is under threat of being consumed by the corruption of the Tainted Shadows, Opal Eyes appears suddenly (as though teleported) in an effort to help him. This ability to appear instantaneously beside Laeka'Draeon is likely a result of the tethering.
Channeling[]
Late into the series, it is revealed that Opal Eyes is the chosen keeper of the Eye of Empyrean; an artifact of immense power, capable of granting its user the ability to peer through Time by ways of echoes threaded through pure light. It is crafted from the same material as the Imurainiiur (the sword used by Belzor to have prophetic visions) but is significantly more powerful. It is implied Opal Eyes is the only one capable of channeling the Eye without getting swept away by its immense soul-rending forces. Opal Eyes uses his channeling abilities in tether with Laeka'Draeon, to reveal all that transpired with the dragons, manticors, and the curse that is the Sod'minokul.