Dragons go about breeding in three different ways. First there is the elegant, thrilling and death defying mating ritual, the oldest of the three and the more commonly used one. The second choice is the water depth breeding, commonly used among the dragons that are more attuned to the element of water. Then the last one is an old fashion mounting upon land. The least used as dragons seem to find this one a bit more barbaric in a way. Dragons seem to have an odd taste in how to mate with there partners, and care for there clutch and hatchlings afterward.

First the more elegant and most commonly used of all. The sky bound ritual, the dragons, courtship each other in intricate and delicate patterns in the sky, swirling, swooping, diving and flipping, using aerial acrobatics as a show to their mate, or partner of the courtship. Both previously preening themselves to look most presentable and as well giving a shine to there bodies as they value the shining of the scales as a healthy sign for dragon. The aerial acrobatics of the first part of the courtship usually takes to 10 to 30 minutes, before the real mating takes place if the female is satisfied with the male’s performance. The courtship is to show the pair if they are an acceptable matting partner or and admirable mate. The females, usually the ones having the final decision in if they should proceed with the mating process as the option of breaking the courtship dance and fly away, or if she wished to proceed she would make a sign to her partner by locking her wings straight as she gave a turn towards any source of light, usually upturning her underbelly to reflect the light. Usually the males are quick enough as the female turns enough that she begins to dive down, the male meets up with her as the diving point as they suddenly lock there talons, maws and tails together and tuck in there wings. Free falling from thousands of feet up down to the ground. The whole mating process takes place as they fall, no body movements but locked in a death grip as they fall, when they are getting close enough to the ground they split into two opposite directions, gliding out of the free fall from certain death. This process is usually repeated 2 to 3 times to ensure fertility of the male and his seeding. Sometimes the dragon, usually the male, fails to succeed in loosening there hold on the female and ends up bringing both of the dragons to a death, usually crashing into the ground. The reason they do not do this over water is that there is a tradition within the draconic culture that frowns upon it. Though dragons have done it in the past, there is also the probability of a dragon doing it in the future, using the water, if they do not break away, as diving point, breaking there fall, ensuring the safety of there lives, yet using the water as a free fall breaking surface tends to have the dangers of snapping the wings of the dragons or breaking bones within there bodies if they do not enter the waters correctly.

Secondly is the water mating ritual, usually used among the water a tuned dragons. The dragons begin there form of the courtship with a swim. Both dragons fly out to the sea, using a combination of aerial acrobatics, then diving into the waters and doing flips and turns under the water. A dragon having a second eyelid that is so thin is it sees through, serving as a device to keep water from there eyes when under water. This second eyelid gives them the ability of watching what is happening under water. The perform most of there sequences in the water, as they are slowed down by the water, making the ritual seem more serene along with the clear blue tint and the sun refracted light scattering across there bodies. Usually they do not need to go up for a second breath of air as they finish and combine, locking jaws and talons as well as their tails to keep them together then drifting apart in the water. This part of the mating actually requires motion from either of the two dragons to rouse and bring each other to the point where the male ejaculates and gives her the seed. Going to the surface for air, then they break for a moment before diving under and repeating the mating about 2 or 3 more times to ensure the fertility, just as the first way the dragons mate of the sky bound ritual.

The last and least favorable condition to mate would be just like any feral animal. No use of elegant rituals or courtships, the male just simply mounts the willing female partner as any other beast and thrusts until they both are satisfied with there mating and the male succeeding in releasing his seed into the female. This is only preformed ones, twice if the dragons wish. Though this is the least elegant and used, it is the most successful seeding and really only needs to be done once to ensure the males seed has settled and planted. This is the least used as it is also the most vulnerable a dragon can be at, as they are locked in the mating process. The male, often times are unable to release of the female until he had released his seeds. As well as it is deprived of courtship rituals, most dragons seem it far out of reach and barbaric. Dragons holding the previous two in more regard then this form of mating.

When the mating is done and over with, and time is allotted for the eggs to be produced, usually within the first half to a week the eggs take to develop within the female dragon. Dragons, since giving eggs then the hatchlings coming from the eggs, are devoid of the large belly and crippling effects of birthing live children. You cannot tell if a female dragon is pregnant or is fertile until she has released the clutch of eggs, but one certain give away is her change of behavior of being a very protective dragoness on a certain area or a nesting ground she has chosen, usually snapping at any that dare to come close to her and the nest, even when the eggs are not given yet. When they eggs are given though, usually to about 7 to 12 fertile eggs. Usually in the wild only half of them are able to make it to adult hood, but in a clan setting usually all of the hatchlings survive to make it to adulthood. The mother, becomes very possessive and protective of her clutch, even at times, not letting the farther come close. A dragoness never is able to kill her own young, from there fierce protection, usually if a trouble would arise, the hatchlings most common way of dieing if the mother is slain in a battle of protecting her clutch, usually the embryos dieing from the lack of the warmth or crushed by a predator. In order for a successful clutch to hatch, the mother, is usually keeping the eggs warm with her body at most hours at the day, usually using the male to go and retrieve the food to keep the female fed. If there is no father of the clutch, they can be left unattended for about 2 hours before they begin to die off. But within that time the mother is usually back with a full meal and ready to sit and incubate her clutch of eggs. It normally takes about another 2 to 4 weeks for the embryos to develop into fledglings.

When the embryos hatch into what is called a hatchling, the dragons clutch is usually originally half male and half female, as the heat or warmth giving to them determines the clutch gender, but most of the time since the eggs closest to the mother are usually the females and the eggs farthest from her are the males. Usually, the dragoness breaths on them with her heavy and hot breath to keep the outer ones warm enough to survive. But when the eggs hatch, into the fledglings or hatchlings, either term is used. They are developed enough to eat on there own, but they do need to be brought food for times, they can eat raw meat as the adults do right when they emerge from there shells. The fledglings/hatchlings are usually token out after there first few months of birth, giving them time to grow, to be taken out on there first hunt. Usually the fledglings are quick to learn and can hunt on their own when they grow near the year age mark. Only taking from 3 seasons to a full year for a clutch to grow adequately, to defend themselves as well. Dragons tend to grow quickly in size, not taking long to reach there prime size within there first few years.

When the fledgling/hatchlings are big enough and old enough to defend and hunt for themselves, they are kicked from the nest, usually having the option of staying as a family, or going off to seek there own future and adventures. Usually though, in clan life, the fledglings grow and stay within the clan, not leaving it as it would be mainly a stupid reason to go and run off to seek there own clan, unless there views and personalities differ and conflicts with the clans. Usually this giving the only reason why they would go off on there own.