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.

While the scroll keeper was experimenting with magic chemicals one day, this hatchling bolted across the table where all the vials and containers rested. A few bottles were knocked over or broken, and spilled onto the hatchling. The scroll keeper noticed that, while the rest of the hatchlings were reaching maturity, this guardian hatchling wasn't growing an inch. The hatchling was still the feistiest dragon in the cave, though, keeping the rest of the occupants up most of the night with its incessant squeaks, growls, and cries at the passing wildlife. The keeper (after crafting a muzzle) named the frozen hatchling Miniature Guard Dragon, or Mini, for short.