When Water Dragons mature, they lose the ability to survive on land, entering the water permanently. They are adept swimmers and eat whatever fish are in the lake they live in. They tend to inhabit the same lake for their entire lives, although a few live in the ocean and swim all over the world.

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.

Zmei is smaller and weaker than an average water dragon. He is grumpy, sour and antisocial. The first human he knew abandoned him in a shallow pool with no food and not even space enough to move. All he could do was lay there and slowly expire. Strange birds, called chickens, pecked his body, thinking him already dead. However, before that could happen, Zmei was rescued by Lazuri and Celesten of the Clan. He still mistrusts dragons because the dragons in the Cave did nothing for him when he was dying, and most Clan dragons intimidate him with their size. The only two he lets near him are Celesten the healer, and Mindy, a mint who is even smaller than he is. Zmei spends most of his day swimming deep in the lake, rising to the surface only when he needs to breathe. He gets paranoid when he is out of the water. If challenged, he will sink to the bottom and hide. He will only fight if cornered, but he will fight viciously and to the death.