Art by !

I don't have a real species name for these folks, so they're just called runner dragons. They're used like super intimidating horses who'll eat anything. The guy here would be one of the common color palettes of a domesticated adult. They're fully sentient with the intelligence of an adult human and can "mind-speak" in many ways, using words, imagery, and abstract thought to communicate. A small percentage of runners can't mind-speak (.01-2%), but can be taught to read and write.

Their horns come in off-whites, their feathered tail fans in vibrant colors or matching their spine-length mane. The nails are always black. Their main body color comes in light blue, gray, black, pastel red, and white, and other less common colors except purples, pinks, greens, and browns. In a wild-type runner dragon, those colors are exclusive to the striped, thylacine (Tasmanian tiger)-like patterns along the spine. Spotted patterns only exist in domestic lineages and are extremely rare, while striped patterns are found most often in the domestic breeds with wild-type colors and patterns; wild-type patterns are considered unattractive among breeders and the general public, who prefer dragons with solid-colored bodies.

Runners are sexually dimorphic, but only to a small extent. Females are slightly smaller than males and have much shorter horns; female horns stop growing at a specific length while the male's horn grow for life. These horns are not used for fighting, but as display to mates, with longer horns being more attractive to most females. Runners are by nature complete pacifists, usually choosing to run from threats rather than engage. A cornered and fearful runner may attack, but only as a distraction so they may flee.

Their sharp claws are used for digging. They will consume anything unearthed that is edible, from roots, to tubers, to small burrowing mammals, to insects. They are as skilled at fishing as a bear and can consume a large variety of plant life that is typically poisonous to most animals. When they eat larger animals, the animal is foraged and not killed by the runner themself.

Breeding consists of a period of courtship lasting several hours to several days where the male displays his athleticism for the female. He will perform tight turns, high leaps, and display other athletic performances until the female either rejects or accepts his proposal. Once a proposal is accepted, the couple sits back on their haunches with their forelimbs rested on each other's shoulders, tilt their heads back, and sing together; they don't make this vocalization any other time. Once a mate is accepted, the pair remains together for life. If one partner dies, the other partner is capable of dying of heartache; their body simply shuts down and they pass shortly after their mate. There is no effective medical intervention.

Females lay multiple eggs per clutch, usually ranging from 5 to 20, with 12 being the most common number of eggs. Eggs are incubated by the mother and father in turns until they hatch approximately 35 days after being lain. Offspring are extremely small, about the size of an average reptile, but grow rapidly and reach 3/4 the size of the adults in less than a year. Dragons remain young adults for an extended period of time lasting anywhere from 2-5 years; time to maturity varies greatly among individuals in domestic types. Young adult domestics may choose mates and display mating behaviors before reaching full maturity, but wild-type breeds only display mating behaviors once they mature completely around 5 years of age, and both domestic and wild types cannot reproduce until that age.

Homosexual courtship and acceptance aren't uncommon amongst dragons. Like the breeding pairs, homosexual pairs partner intensely for life.

I could give you approximately 5 more essays about them, but I'll spare both of us.