◜ . the circle of life ┊ hatching . ◞

Tap. Taptap. Tap. The sounds became more aggressive as the little one contained within the egg worked to break itself out. The head of the egg split under pressure, revealing icy blue hues and a wriggling, curious nose. The first glimpse.

A drawn-out, high-pitched groooaaaannnn emerged from the creature's maw, and was quickly followed by a quick grunt as the egg rolled onto the other side and hit the floor. The baby grunted and pressed as hard as he could, eventually shoving his stubby leg through the shell itself and proceeding to crack open the rest of it. He was revealed to have ebony scales with white markings splotched all over his body, including the tips of his wings and his tail fins.

A dragon hatchling.

Little was he aware of the mystical, regal, and even feared reptilian he would grow up to be. For now, just like any other newborn, he was exhausted from literally breaking out of his shell. After surveying a glance over the crowd watching him, he stretched a deep yawn and plopping down onto the broken egg shells, making a noticeable crunch. He proceeded to close his big, blue eyes and huff as if nothing else in the world mattered.