Lancaster swings himself closer to the hole, then puts a hand in it. He feels moss covering over the inner portion of the rock he grabs. As he pulls himself in, he feels more moss, and once he has lifted himself into it, he sees why. A comfortable nest is laid out, and four large eggs lay snuggled up together in the center. Lancaster looks around, fascinated by it. It is a large hole where evidently several birds live and care for their young.
He knows he can't stay, so he turns and readies himself to go out the hole, but he's stopped by a large bird with a beak as large as him, tiny hairs across its whole body, and a wide wingspan that covers the hole and then some. It appears out of the fog already swooping at him, as if it knew he was there. It knocks him backward with one nudge of its beak at its high velocity. He lands on the moss with such ferocity that even its softness does not help him. His breath is knocked out, and he has to struggle to his feet.
He only gets half way up when the bird attacks him again, knocking him back with its beak. He tries to put up his hands, give some sign that he is not a threat, but the bird cannot be reasoned with. It is a mother in the animal kingdom, and he is an intruder. She bats her wings and jumps on him. Her giant beak whacks him on his back, then pokes down and impales him. The first hit stops him. He can't move after that. It takes several more before the pain overwhelms him and he is knocked unconscious. Who knows how many more it takes before he is dead.
Perhaps the babies will have a meal when they come out of their shells.
THE END
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