The shell had formed gradually at first, and then seemed to take hold of the tree's roots and hoist itself up from the mud and the murk overnight. It had been a while since the stone had been placed here. The magicka did its work within it, breaking down parts of the shard and reworking it; stone was made in to flesh, magic worked its way across that flesh and knitted it together, weaving parts in place, while the chrysalis sat. The stone barely moved as the days went by. Visits by curious cave mice or the doting attention of Ghanyarah went unseen. The stone grew heavy and large, sinking in to the mud and wedging itself up against the tree's roots, where it was cradled.

And then in one moment, things changed. The stone rocked forward, and then fell back against the root system, displacing soil but not going so far as to break. Whatever was inside really wanted out.

@Ghanyarah

Ghanyarah was perched upon his favored branch, front arms crossed over the limb and his head reclined comfortably upon them. His hind legs dangled lazily from either side of the branch, as did his long, whip tail. He looked almost feline in his posture, his eyes lazily closed as he drifted in and out of sleep. He had been seeing less of the Children of Rot and spending more time hovering around his tree in solitude. Occasionally others would stop by to visit, and he wouldn't mind their companionship, but for the most part he enjoyed the seclusion. Because he knew that he wasn't really alone.

The pink shard cleaved from his crest had been planted in the ground a long time ago, and since then it had only grown. Ghanyarah was no expert on young or chrysali or anything - only once had he found a fresh chrysalis and helped its inhabitant emerge, but even then she was independant enough to not need him. But he knew that inside this chrysalis was a living thing. It had come from him, so it was his. He had to nurture it.

Ghanyarah would talk to it every now and then, casting a comment down at the chrysalis and tapping on it in hopes of a response. Nothing had come of it, and sometimes he feared that whatever was inside was dead, or worse - dumb. But he was patient, and ultimately it had paid off. For lounging on the branch, he was met with the sudden sound of the chrysalis inexplicably rocking, and the sensation of the great pink crystal grating against the tree and falling back again. Movement. It was enough to startle him, not enough to make him fall out of the tree. So he clambered down, excitedly clamoring over the stone. "Hello? Is that you?" He just hoped that whatever came out of it, it wouldn't be that stupid owl.

The first strike did nothing but rock the boat, so to speak. And as the egg rocked back, it fell against the tree root and was held there. For a moment or two - while Ghanyarah scrambled, as he spoke - there was nothing. No movement behind the stone, no voice to respond (not that it would be possible this early in the creature's life), and not even a second attempt to break the shell. But the creature did eventually begin to move again; its body was cramped within the stone, pinched and squeezed, too big for the confines. And out of frustration, the beast's magic condensed upon the nearest surface.

This time, the energy managed to thrust the egg forward enough so that it would lose its moorings. While before it was standing upright (mimicking Ghanyarah's crest perhaps), now it slipped forward and hit the ground like a beached fish, belly side down. There was a small noise like that of rock upon rock, but the shell did not break open yet. Perhaps something had cracked - but the crack, if there was one, sat against the ground with the egg and the creature on top. The beast within was situated at an awkward angle now, as he was curled and wedged within the stone, and now forced to lay in a manner that crushed his face against the rock.

The creature scrambled to find comfort where there was none. Its limbs were tucked in close to its body prior to the egg shifting weight, and now they were pinched between the rock and its own body. Squirming within the stone egg, the container itself began to shift slightly - more tiny cracks began to form across the surface as the creature inside fought with it, but ultimately, the beast wasn't strong enough to break free yet.

guess who finally fuckin posted

The egg suddenly rocked forward, coming loose from its grounding. Ghanyarah jumped back, startled by its sudden movement as it leaned forward and crashed into the mud, now stranded. Panic filled him - was it okay? Did this mean it was going to die?! "H-hey!" He fumbled, but ultimately he didn't know what to do. Should he try to break it open? Should he give it a chance to hatch on its own? He had never seen movement from the chrysalis before, so this was new - it had enough time to develop though, so maybe it really was time. Was the creature unable to come free because it was too weak? Had the owl tainted his child with his vulnerability?

No, enough indecision. Ghanyarah wanted to see the child free now. With a huff, he focused on the chrysalis and closed his eyes, trying to draw moisture form the air towards it. Maybe if he could freeze the rock, it would become brittle enough to break open. Whether or not the creature inside was ready to emerge.

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@Netil