It’s an undead baby dragon, produced by a failed magical spell. It probably would be cute if it weren’t partially decayed.

Young dragons are relatively defenseless. They are born with relatively soft scales, which are shed and replaced with harder ones as the hatchling matures. Once a hatchling’s wings grow in, it typically marks the beginning of maturation. At this point they are often capable of hunting on their own and are usually left alone by their mother.

Upon reentering the garden of the abandoned mansion that once was home to a mighty dragon spirit, there seemed nothing left to explore. The only movement that appeared to be present was the running of chickens in the nearby forest; nevertheless, curious probing of the garden's landscape continued. It remained malnourished as ever, with the decaying scenery only shifting in the evening's breeze.

The realization that there indeed was nothing further left to examine, the only solution left was to turn back and leave. However, something buried in the shallow earth caused a slip of the foot. It was a worn, old box that had been carelessly tossed into a shallow grave. Once the lid opened, a deceased hatchling laid motionless inside. Faint text was written on the box: "Best before October 28th, 2011".