This hatchling appears to be... dead?

Perhaps not. It seems to be active during the night.

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.

Vampire Blooding is a surprisingly respected dragon in the Eternaldusk clan, despite permanently being a hatchling and not even being an Eternaldusk. The respect stems from his small size and fast movement on the ground, and in air. He is deployed as a recon agent by the clan, scouting forests and highlands for food or eggs to turn. It is his important work that makes him so valuable, and it is his naivety that makes him so easy to exploit. He will believe any lie if it is told by an authority figure, ranging from the tiny to keep him in check, to the monstrous to keep him distrustful of any non-Vampire.