By the end of Dracon’s 13th year he will have lost both his parents to two very different and harsh situations. Dracon was born in the spring. Shortly after his 13th birthday his mother became gravely ill. There wasn't anyone in their small village skilled enough in the healing arts so Dracon’s father had to travel to find a healer.
The sickness took her quickly and she had passed in Dracon’s arms days before his father returned with a healer. It was only a month after his 13th birthday. The sickness was unprecedented and the healer tried to investigate to deduce what had killed her. No one else in the village was showing symptoms of this illness. After doing as much as he could, he gathered the information, he had apologized for being too late and left. Dracon and his father were completely distraught. Fortunately the village rallied behind them and helped them try and move forward. The rest of the year both men were in a funk losing their most precious mother/wife.
In the fall, a large man, hooded and cloaked, came to commission a job. Dracon didn’t see the man’s face due to a large hood being pulled up over his head. Dracon’s father met the stranger on the front porch. Dracon watched through a window curious about the cloaked figure. Dracon’s father both looked pleased and concerned to see the stranger. The stranger left and Dracon’s father came back in to tell Dracon of the job. The commission was to craft two items enchanted with fire boosting properties as well as a defensive boost. Normally one would expect that each item would have one of the desired enchantments each. However Dracon wanted to make both items as strong as possible.
Dracon had decided to use stones that would boost both fire and earth properties in the crafting of both items. He was able to use the fire gems to boost fire aura strength and control while he used the earth gems to boost the defense of both the wearer and the items themselves giving he also gave the items the Unbreakable Enchantment also called Durandel. Dracon created a matching amulet and ring, using brilliantly polished garnets and smoky quarts on the two trinkets, as a bonus for the commission. These pieces of jewelry had impressive boosts now that Dracon had unlocked Advanced Enchanting, which gave +50% to enchantments and an additional 25% chance to boost the item up to another 25%, & the Durandel skill from his racial Crafter skill. He had also unlocked a skill called Metal-Bender that also gave a 25% boost to all crafted and items and enchantments on those items. This gave any item that he crafted from start to finish the chance to get up to a 100% bonus to whatever enchantments he was able to place on the items.
When the customer came back and examined the work he looked at Dracon’s father and could tell there was something different about his work. It was at this moment that Dracon’s father brought the man inside and introduced him to his son. The tall man removed his hood to reveal he was actually a lizardman. Large in stature Dracon could feel the strength emanating from the man. His eyes were yellow and piercing and he had a long scar running the length of his right jaw line.
Dracon’s father introduced him as a member of his mothers tribe. Dracon noticed the dark reddish hue to the man’s scales. Curiosity taking over, Dracon asked the man if he was a fire user too. The man introduced himself Maurton or Maury for short. He smiled and replied that he was in fact also a lizardman who could use fire like his mother and then also admitted that they were training partners and cousins. Dracon became ecstatic to meet someone who was close to his mother partially because he missed her but also because he had never met anyone from his mother’s village or his mother’s family. It is true that the fire affinity was rare among lizardmen, Maury and Dracon’s mother being the only 2 in the last several decades to come out of their tribe. Maury also earned his right to leave the village and travel.
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Maury thanked Dracon and his father, paid for the commission with a little extra, and left. Dracon was proud of his work but wished he could have talked with Maury longer. After the brief light distraction of Maury, Dracon and his father continued their lives in a dreary fashion still in mourning. They still had work but nothing they couldn’t handle.
A couple months passed before Maury came by again. Ultimately impressed with the results of his items he mentioned he had recommended them to some hopefully wealthy patrons. After receiving such news Dracons father pulled out an old bottle of fine liquor to share with his friend in a hopeful toast. Dracon made some food and the three men sat, drank (Dracon only getting a small glass of the liquor and drinking a carbonated beverage made from the natural soda spring near by), ate and talked for hours. During the discussions many things were broached including the death of Dracon’s mother and stories of her and Maury growing up. Dracon found out that Maury also had wind affinity and was a transmuter. He had left his village to find a wind monk tribe to study his wind affinity. It is said that among the strongest and most enlightened wind monks there are those who have unlocked the ability to float and even fly. When Maury had heard of this at a young age he had always dreamed of flight. Even before he knew he had an affinity for wind. Dracon of course asked if he knew how to fly and Maury simply replied with a smug grin "Not yet". As the night started to wind down Maury assumed to leave when both Dracon and his father stopped him and insisted he stay the night. Maury could not refuse the hospitality.
The next day Dracon asked his father if he could ask Maury to stay so he could learn more from him. Dracon’s father thought about it for a moment and mentioned that Maury was used to being on the move and may already have other responsibilities. Dracon understood the possibility of being refused but still wanted to ask. Dracon’s father gave his blessing for Dracon to ask Maury to stay. At breakfast Dracon broached the subject. Maury paused and thought. The room became still in anticipation. Dracon began to worry he may have offended Maury by simply asking for him to stay and possibly train him without offering anything in return. The silence was broken by a loud laugh as Maury’s voice and laughter bellowed throughout the house. Looking at the strapping talented young man in front of him so earnest for knowledge and kinship. How could he refuse? Graciously accepting their offer he said he would stay and as payment for food and lodging he would train the boy to master his hand to hand combat and his fire aura control. This new development lit a fire under the family knowing that their lost beloved wouldn’t want them wallowing in self pity.