Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It has a large, shield-like object at the end of its tail that it uses for protection.

And look! It has grown wings! It must be close to maturing.

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.

Once the most promising hatchling of the clan, Mulad is now a shadow of his former self. Energetic and boisterous he would roam his clan's lands far and wide, escaping his parents' watchful eyes whenever he could. It would mark him for the rest of his life. As he was playing by a small loch, a Vampire swooped down upon him, sucking the blood out of his veins until there was hardly enough left to fill his heart. If his father hadn't heard his screams it would surely have been too late, but with the help of Colman, a White dragon and experienced healer, Mulad has managed to survive. But is this really life, he often wonders. His neck is scarred, his skin covered in black veins, his growth stunted by the Vampire's venom. Mulad barely has the strength to move himself around, let alone play with the other hatchlings. Even his owners parents shrink away from the sight of his horrid appearance.