I can only imagine Mr. and Mrs. Gautier's surprise when they had a 75-lbs. bouncing baby boy made of a blue crystalline substance. You would think that he had one of those awful childhoods where people shunned him, treated him like a monster. Turns out he had a natural gift for protecting others, and became something of a neighborhood celebrity. No bullies or criminals got away with much in his home town. He had a brief but distinguished military career, then met up with Rex during the big battles seven years ago. Since then he's worked with Rex to prevent the Sword User's plans from ever coming to fruition. Apparently he's been watching over me virtually my whole life. You'd think I'd have noticed him before he literally leaped out in front of me. My only answer to that is what happened in Part Three. Yeah, you'd think I'd notice a lot of things...

PROFILE:

Knox thinks Opal's a square, even a bit of a "Yes Man" to Rex. I think that's putting a bad spin on his personality. Sure, Opal seems to be a career soldier, not the type to lead. But he definitely has his own convictions and standards; they just happen to be the same as Rex's. I would say Rex treats Opal like a trusted lieutenant. I guess this has something to do with the fact that Opal was there for the old battles and fully understands what they're fighting for. You can tell he and Rex have shared some pretty rotten times.

He's good natured, but a bit stiff - he's certainly the most "adult" of my bodyguards. A lot of the time jokes just fly over his head. But I like this quality in him. I hold Opal and Max in the same category -- heroes from a forgotten time. There's no cynicism in Opal, just a grim determination to do what's right. This inflexibility in his character probably could land him in some tight spots where creative rule-bending may be called for, but I think his perseverance (second only to his strength) could pull him out of any bad situation.

He doesn't have a lot of patience for people who openly gainsay Rex's authority. I think this is the closest thing to an Achilles' Heel Opal has -- this attitude doesn't command a lot of respect from "individualists" like Gaelin. It's just a good thing that Rex is there to keep everyone in line.