Albino Dragons are so named because their translucent, scale-less skin lacks all pigment. Instead, to help protect their bodies from the sun, they are coated in an oily secretion that blocks the sun’s harmful rays. The call of an albino dragon is similar to a barn owl--a shriek instead of a roar.

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.

Elina waits in vain for the day when her scrawny, bony frame, albino skin, and crimson eyes disappear. She hates her appearance, and hates the sound her kind makes-barn owl screeches instead of the infamous dragon roar. Cruel hatred of her body has led Elina to mistreat it by constantly not eating or drinking for days and overexerting herself as much as possible. She has been known to sit awake all night long for weeks, staring off into the dark night sky.

And yet, Elina lives on. Her antisocial personality prevents herself from making any friends, except for one exception—Becka the balloon dragon, who had been her friend ever since they were hatchlings.