Swallowtail Dragons are graceful and quick flyers, much like their namesake bird. They are capable of precise aerial acrobatics, and can reach very high altitudes. Because of this, humans observing these dragons are often astonished at how large they are when confronted up close. A Swallowtail’s diet consists of insects and small mammals plentiful in temperate forests. These dragons are also made remarkable by their paper-thin wing membranes, which allow light to pass through, creating an astonishing effect on starry nights.

Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling’s wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.

Silent is a quiet and small Swallowtail who hangs around the cave that holds a large group of male and female Swallowtails. Because of the fact that the group has very few females, Silent is barred from joining and gaining a mate. The guard of the group, a towering Swallowtail, insults his lineage whenever Silent is around.

Silent hangs around two other male Swallowtails who stay around the group; all of them want to join and are kept from doing so by the guard. Because all three of them are not that strong, they try to stay together to prevent predators from trying to attack them.

While Silent aims to get a female to start a family with him, the Swallowtail is not blind to the happenings in his small group. He knows that he somehow caught the interest of both male Swallowtails and fears that he will have to reject his friends if they try anything. When it does happen, Silent knows that he will just swallow down his guilt and continue to try and gain a female mate in the large group.