Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It’s very light and enjoys bouncing all around.

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.

Noctambulant was lost as an egg, probably because it floated too far away from the cave of his parents, and the cold air must have done the egg some harm and made it sick. Even though he managed to hatch eventually, it took him much longer than usual to grow wings, and it is clear to everyone but him that he will never grow up, his body just isn't strong enough. He couldn't use his wings to fly if he had to, but as he is a Balloon Dragon he can just float in the air, and his small size means that he is light enough to be carried away by the slightest breeze. It is quite a funny sight to see him float around in his sleep, as if he was sleepwalking. At first the other dragons were concerned about him, but his scales are thick enough to protect him if he bumps into any trees, and he always finds his way back to the cave after he wakes up.