Erasmus had undoubtedly stopped growing by now, standing a formidable height for such a lithe-looking being. Or maybe Alek was just very bulky and thought of Erasmus as lithe because of that.

But that meant it was time. He couldn't put it off anymore, he'd already managed to put it off for longer than he had expected. He needed to follow through with giving Erasmus a reason to live as well as a connection to his family. Not that they knew about the second intended purpose of this having of children.

Alek nudged Erasmus awake gently. "It's time."

Before Erasmus could question what Alek meant, Alek had already began. He cleaved a piece of Amethyst from the stone in his eye using magic. It was a tool that Alek rarely used, but it was different feeling, using magic for this.

@Erasmus

Erasmus woke up quickly, even to such a gentle nudge. They startled at seeing the stone shard from Alek's eye, and then a certain determination took hold.

It seemed they'd be giving magic to the siblings first. Then a second chance for the stone in their arms.

They searched for the feeling of magic, casting it into the purple amethyst that had been a part of Alek until now.

"Alek is not hurt?" They checked in after putting magic into the stone.

"It doesn't hurt," Alek warmly reassured the other gembound. Even if it had, though, it would have been worth it. As it was, it felt like shedding a scale, a bit. Except magically.

Magic was weird.

He searched for the feeling of cleaving a piece of his stone once again, moving some so that the chrysalises would be spaced decently enough.

It was astounding watching the chrysalis take root and knowing they had given life to it. To a part of a stone that had once been Alek's.

They eagerly searched within to cast magic into the next cleaved piece of stone from Alek. Once again, a chrysalis began to form.

After that, they paused, gazing worriedly at the stone in their arms. They were reluctant to put it down, so used to holding the Raspite.

If magic could do this, maybe it wasn't all bad. Now his part was done, or should be.

Erasmus was nervous but determined, he could tell.

So Alek encouraged the other. "Go on," He spoke, musical voice gentle.

But inside, Alek was worried. He knew stones could break. If this stone broke... But he couldn't think that way.

He just had to hope this was enough to tie Erasmus to life.

Erasmus put the Raspite down spaced away from the others like Alek had done, an unintentional imitation.

They gave a nod, resolute, and tried to cast their magic into the stone. Tried to turn it from death to life.

At first, they could not tell if it worked. But slowly, the magic took hold.

Erasmus collapsed in the center space of the evenly spaced chrysalises now growing. They had done it.

"Good job,"Alek crooned.

He curled around the chrysalises and Erasmus, wing hiding them protectively.

"You can rest now. It's safe. I will protect you all."

[Exit Alek and Erasmus]