Magical Abilities
Magical abilities are not just limited to uttering words of the ancient
language. Other talents accompany the possession of magic.
Scrying
Scrying is the ability to create an image of a scene or item in its current
state that you cannot be seen using normal vision from the position of the
scryer. However, a magician must have previously seen the item intended to be
scryed upon — it is impossible to view an area of the continent that has not been
previously viewed. This also means that if a person is scryed who one has
previously seen in a different setting than the person is currently in, one
would see that person surrounded by a never — ending field of white. It is said
that some Riders would travel over Alagaësia to see all of the land. Then, in
the case of major trouble, they could view what is happening at any given area.
Another shortcoming of scrying is that, if, for example, you wanted to scry a
certain book page that you had seen before, that book would have to beto
the page you wish to see. If the situation were any different, one would merely
see a blank page.
When scrying something or someone, one would usually project it onto a
reflective surface such as a pool or mirror. Projecting it into thin air is much
more draining and requires a greater ability. The words uttered to scry are
draumr kópa, or dream stare.
There is still some more yet to learn of scrying. Eragon possesses the ability
to scry in his sleep or some similar power because he was able to see Arya while
she was imprisoned and he was not awake. However, the exact nature of this
ability of his is yet unknown and will hopefully be revealed in future novels.
Entering Minds
When dragon riders enter the mind of another being, the rider explores its
contents or telepathically communicates with that person or animal. This is how
Eragon was able to communicate with Cadoc and, on a deeper level, Saphira.
Entering the mind of a human is just as easy as entering that of a horse, but
there are ethical decisions involved. This ability can prove very useful to
judge the hostility of a stranger, but the mind is a person's last sanctuary. It
should not be entered unless it is a do-or-die situation. The Riders lived by
this belief, and those that violated it were punished severely. However, there
are some who have the ability to block others from entering their
mind — Murtagh, for one, and it is hinted that Eragon may quickly acquire such
skills with minimal guidance.
In truth, the ability to enter minds is not entirely a magical talent — those
unable to use magic can still be taught to do it, although with varying rates of
success. Adeptness with magic or being linked with a dragon will trigger the
ability, so the majority of those who can enter minds possess some other magical
skill.
When entering the mind of another living creature, the enterer must be very
careful for it is quite possible that a plethora of thing might go wrong. When
Eragon attempted to enter Arya's mind, he found himself caught in a painful and
strong grasp, unable to pull out of her mind while she slowly began to kill him.
While he was able to convey his good intentions to Arya, it serves as a lesson
that when within another's mind, that person is not completely at your mercy.
