...If he comes out deformed because he waited too long that would be bad.

They agree.

(He stews in indecision for a while, then falls asleep.)

They email the conference to ask if delayed hatching is risky.

...Delayed hatching will eventually lead to death in the shell, and can also mean the hatchling comes out very hungry and weak, which meant death in the ancestral environment but presumably would not in this case. It is not clear if there is a risk of it causing deformities but the Seeker's educated guess is anything short of death will heal in time.

Having your egg broken open for you will cause stigma. Traditional Draak will question whether the hatchling is worthy to live. Being raised by Amentans is likely to make them a bit of an outsider already; Not hatching himself would be much worse. If possible the hatchling should hatch themselves.

When Katmem wakes up the blues inform him of this.

That makes him angry. No. Of course he is worthy to live. Who do these other-Draak think they are? And he'll prove it!

Egg wobbles. And radiates irritation. And wobbles. And cracks slightly.

Oh good. (They film the hatching.)

It takes a while. No sudden bursting of the side of the egg. Bit by bit the top cracks apart, and eventually he levers himself out, covered in goo.

I did it. See? I'm not weak! I will live!

(The shell is largely intact, and the inside of Draak eggshell is pretty - speckled with white dots on a background sheen of dark pinks and purples, almost reminiscent of nebulae in space.)

Maybe they will save the shell for decorating with. "Hi, Katmem!"

Hello!

Everything is blurry. You're both very tall.

"Probably your vision'll get better over time."

"And you'll get taller!"

"Do you want some food? We got you some ground beef. And cooked a bit and left some raw so you can see which you like."

He looks around at the garden. He looks up at the tree that he's been under all this time, twisting his neck around without moving his body.

...I think it's the goo.

...Yes, I'm very hungry.

Dishes of ground beef! That one's cooked and that one's raw.

He likes them both. They're not better or worse, just... Different. He keeps looking around at the garden and the big house and everything else. He puts his head down by his wingtips and carefully inspects his claws.

I thought I would be sleepy but everything is so big and bright that I'm not! I'm glad I hatched! You two do not look how I imagined even though you thought about what you look like at me!

"Huh, how are we different?"

I can see your heat and your spirits! And the clothes are different.

"Well, we wear different clothes every day."

Okay. 

He's a little confused by that, he sends, but isn't going to let it bother him. 

He finishes the plates of meat and starts wandering the garden.

"The clothes get dirty and need to be washed, plus it's fun to change how we look."

They follow him at a distance of a few yards.

Changing how you look sounds fun!

He cranes his neck around to look at the clothes.

...They look hard to move in, though, he muses.

"It's not hard for us, but maybe it would be for you, even if clothes were made for your shape."

I can try it. Maybe necklaces?

He starts walking again.

"Necklaces are jewelry, not clothes, but you can try one if you like!"

He does that tail-flick that is the Draak equivalent of a nod. He wanders and thinks about trees and flowers.

...He would be happy to just wander in the garden for a while but do they want something since they're following him?