7. Confused marine iguanas surround you, mistaking your egg for one of theirs.
15. Somehow, you set up in a spider nest, and at night they emerge: cobwebs and hatchlings as far as the eye can see.
6. A crane with its sharp beak considers you its sworn enemy. Fend it off!
10. A sudden downpour causes you lose your grip on the leaf bundle the egg is in; it starts to roll away down the hill.
15. Somehow, you set up in a spider nest, and at night they emerge: cobwebs and hatchlings as far as the eye can see.
The iguanas came late in the afternoon, when Fantastic had curled himself around the egg and was ready to fall asleep for a midday nap. They scuttled towards him, tiny feet scratching in the dirt, and Fantastic made a noise of distress in the back of his throat that went unheard. He supposed he should have expected this in some way or another, but still - he would have rather not had to deal with the iguanas if he didn't have to.
It took a bit of time to convince them to leave; Fantastic dug his hooves protectively into the ground around the egg, pushing back the onslaught of iguanas with his nose (and several times with his feet), until they finally got the message and skittered off back towards the swampy beach somewhere to the east. Fantastic, with his nose covered in dirt now, and his hair a bit messy in its curls, gave his head a shake to try and get some of the mud off before laying down again.
The egg, oblivious to all, was warm and safe beside him.
The spiders were less appealing. Fantastic was not afraid of them, because he understood them to be curious and intense creatures, but he did really wish that they wouldn't bother them. The webbing that stretched across the little area that he had mistakenly chosen was a rather obvious indicator that he had chosen a particularly terrible spot to lay down for the night. Spindle legged creatures were making their way down the tree trunks, many eyes watching as though they were waiting for some sort of indication that he was going to let his guard down.
"Shoo," said Fantastic. "Come on now, please don't come near us. Go back to your webs, we won't disturb you."
The spiders, disgruntled though they were, did not come any closer, but Fantastic could feel the eyes on him even as he curled a protective leg around the egg at his side.
It was early morning when the crane came, when Fantastic had gotten up to find something to eat. He hadn't wandered far from the egg, because he wasn't about to leave it by itself, but he had gone several steps when he heard the cry. Skidding around in the mud, he raced back and came to a stuttering halt in front of the bird, planting a protective foot in front of the egg. It looked very small in comparison to the world around it.
"Get on with you now," said Fantastic sternly, nudging at the bird, who gave an irritated call, wings flapping. It made an attempt to dive again, beak opening, but Fantastic twisted, shifting his body so that the crane's beak merely grazed his flank instead of hitting its target (though he wasn't sure if it was himself or the egg at this point).
"You're not getting it," he said, casting a glance over to the crane. It hurt a little, just a little, to watch it; that same innate desire to protect was pushing at his chest, warning him not to anger the crane even further, but still. He didn't want to hurt it.
"Go on, now," he said again, after a breath. "Go back to your own nest. Leave us be."
The bird made another angry sound. Then, wings extending, it took off.
Fantastic didn't doze well during yet another nap. He kept thinking about the crane.
The rain was freezing.
In an effort to keep the egg warm and dry, Fantastic had planted himself over it, taking a protective stance - but the egg, in all of its slippery unknowing, had taken a different attempt. It fumbled away from Fantastic, even as he tried to keep himself from losing his hold on it, and began to roll away down a muddy slope of hill that led to one of the nearby streams.
Fantastic made a leap for it, skidded on the uneven ground and nearly lost his footing, then gathered himself together again and made a second attempt at catching the egg. This was done in the form of taking a bodily jump forward, splashing wetly in the mud and rain, right in front of the rolling egg, which made a gentle bump at his side as it came to a stop.
Fantastic sighed.
"Please," said Fantastic, for what felt like the fourth time in as many minutes, "please. We don't want any trouble. Just leave us be, and we'll leave you be."
The spiders, which had crawled out from their hiding places once more, made soft clicking noises. Fantastic's eyes traced the glistening strands of webbing, wet from the rain, like little crystals that were clinging on for dear life. It really was beautiful, in a way he couldn't explain to anyone but himself, because no one else would understand, he was pretty sure. No one ever had.
"Please," he said again, quieter this time. The egg was warm at his side.
The spiders watched.
