Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It is so full of energy that you have a hard time keeping up with it.

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.

Slashpaw grew up along with three other hatchlings, and had a promising future. And then he gendered. Both Slashpaw and his best friend, another whiptail dragon, gendered male. In fact, all his friends gendered male. But only one boy whiptail could grow up, and since he gendered last, Slashpaw was the one. Yet he isn't that upset, for Slashpaw is a happy dragon, always helping, always there for his friends when they need him most. He spends his days training under Hiddenfire, his mentor, and never feels too upset.