Reproduction
Relationships
The most active period of interaction was (of course) the mating season. Around that time, I would start to allow males to enter my territory and let them stay around, trying to win me over by courting or fighting each other. My species looked very alike but had 2 smalls differences between male and female dragons. Firstly the males were slightly smaller than the females of the species. And they each had their own sex. There was no mention of there being sequential hermaphrodites, so the size difference was the biggest give-away between male and female. Despite having similar designs, the horns were the most prominently used for courting and a male or female could definitely see the difference between another of their own sex. The length and design of the horns were used to impress the other. Most would look like the design of male Nyalas here on Earth, but there could be variations such as more curves/twists. Colors would differentiate between a gradient of black to ivory to darker browns and during the mating season some would even find substances that could color the ivory. Think of something simple as dragging it through blood after a difficult kill, to more elegant solutions as rubbing it against grass or flowers that would give off their color. The length, curves, color and how pristine they were would be used to impress a female, or to steal a male away from another. If a dragon or dragoness lost their horn(s), it would basically be impossible to find a mate. When any interaction would turn into a fight, one would often go for the horns. Damaged, partly broken off or just completely ripped clean from the skull would end a fight sooner than it would if the fight had to go on until one of them was dead. When together with a mate, touching each other’s horns was one of the most vulnerable things one could do. A loving nib of the horn meant more than a nuzzle along the throat, even if that was just as much of a weak spot as the horns. Aside from the horns I can’t remember if there was a special dance or ritual or the like to add to the courting. It could just be showing off the horns combined with a certain mating call, although I have a faint feeling there was more to it. My species was monogamous, though bisexuality did exist in some way. When in heat outside of the mating season and without a partner, one would try to get their needs by any means necessary. From what I can remember from my species is that the area between the wings/shoulders was a very private space to allow teeth and as such would only be touched by a mate. Not sure if the actual skin there was more erogenous, or that the emotional connection to a mate was the main reason, but yeah. Same idea (without the obvious sexy bits between the legs) with the throat/underside of the maw, the ends of the wings and a big portion of the tail.
Nesting & eggs
Eggs were made through fertilization. A female was not capable of laying eggs without a male. A nonfertilized egg could be laid, although that was not that common. When it happened though either the mother or the hatchlings that did come out would eat the egg so nothing would go to waste. When making a nest, one would gather enormous amounts of plants, rocks and branches to construct a circle in which to lay the eggs. The eggs were a gray with darker gray spots or streaks, unlike our complete black scales. I suspect the color of the eggs has something to do with taking in extra calcium during pregnancy and the mountains around us being quite dark of color. It would be possible that the calcium in the rocks or other things we ate helped with the coloring. The color of the eggs also helped blending in with the room they were laid, offering some kind of protection, although the first line of defense would always be the parents. Being warm-blooded we kept the eggs warm with our body, although the rotting of the plants in the smaller room would help in creating a greenhouse effect. During incubation, the parents would switch with daily tasks or taking care of the eggs.
Hatchlings
The tribe had no distinct gendered roles or tasks. Parents would do everything together and often stay together until the hatchlings could fend for themselves. Even when raising hatchlings, we hunted alone (and the other watched after the young ones), because we’d still end up being aggressive to one another. Come between me and my prey, and you become the prey.
I think my species regurgitated food when raising really young dragons, and later on either catch something small, wound it enough so it can’t escape and bring it with us so they learn how to hunt, or eat a bigger prey right after the kill and then bring the carcass with us. The claws and teeth are there for hatchlings, but brains often lag behind. It’s better to let them learn in a safe environment than dropping them in the middle of the forest with animals around them that are bigger and me not being able to get there in time because of the dense canopy.
As soon as I could fly, hunt and had the general knowledge that was expected of a juvenile dragon, I was send off to take care of myself. Without having a territory of my own, and still being too young to challenge any that do hold a territory, newly cast out fledglings are tolerated within the territory of others.
I have one very foggy memory of my parents, but can’t remember having a real connection with them because of said way of life. After the last fledgling left the nest the parents could decide to spend their lives together, or leave each other and find a new mate in the next mating season.