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.

Ba's mother was in the middle of a flight to a conference when she felt the first birth-pains; but not to be bothered by stopping for something as silly as laying an egg, she merely dropped it over a pasture filled with fluffy sheep and continued her flight, scolding her frantic husband when he would have swooped down and saying they'd go find their new child AFTER the meeting. By the time they came back, Ba had hatched and imprinted upon the sheep, even believing herself to be one. Apparently, she assumed their cries were her name, and comes whenever one makes sheep noises. Although her sheepish friends have given her a more docile, quiet nature than even most guardians, she will fight savagely to defend her flock. Her father was able to convince her to come home, while her mother let out a bored yawn and had her mint-servants fan her, complaining that her loving fans were waiting; however, Ba returned only on the condition that she could bring her sheep nannies too.