This hatchling could hardly be considered cute.

And look! It has grown wings! At least it isn’t quite as naked-looking anymore.

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.

Mekor is frozen unnaturally in a permanent state of youth, a magical accident of his former playmate Scylla. Over time he has come to view Scylla as his dam, the memory of the event fading in his mind as though it were nothing more than a dream. He has no clear concept that his state is a strange one, and the other dragons around him take pains to make sure he stays that way, perpetually innocent, playful, and curious. As other hatchlings come into the cave, play with him, and eventually outgrow him, they are initiated into his secret and work to protect his psyche along with the rest.