CHAPTER TWO


The next day, Ichy spotted some Flyers approaching in the distance.

"Hide!" yelled Amos, who spotted them as well.

"Why?" Ichy asked.

"Let's just say that they wouldn't react to you kindly." Amos replied.

"Why not? Do they not like my sense of humor? Do they think I'm ugly?" Ichy asked.

Amos shouted "Don't waste time, they'll be here in five seconds!" Ichy quickly hid.

The Flyers landed. One of them began munching on a fern plant on a fern tree. "What's up Amos?" another Flyer said. "We heard that you were keeping a Sharptooth around here."

Amos laughed. "Why would I do that?"

"I dunno."

"Who told you that?"

"Phygma."

"And just what type of Sharptooth does Phygma say I'm keeping?" Amos asked, raising his eyebrows.

"A flying one."

"And why would I do that?"

"I dunno. She says you have a grayish Sharp Beak with you. A yellow-eyed one."

"Yeah, I kept him as my pet." Amos says sarcastically. "Seriously, now, do you think if there was one around here, that he wouldn't have killed my now?" The group laughed at his remark.

"I guess you're right. Still, it's not like Phygma to lie." one of the Flyers said.

"Well, if there are no Sharpteeth around here, I guess we should continue on. Things to do you know." another Flyer said. The Flyers left. When they were gone, Ichy came out of hiding.

Why did you hide me?' he asked. "I wanted to talk to them." "And I'm hungry." he added. He, unfortunately, happened to be looking at Phygma when he said this.

"Don't look at me!" she snapped.

"I'm afraid I'm not the best at guessing what a Sharptooth likes to eat. As for the reason you had to hide, it's because I'm afraid the herd might kill you if they ever found you. And they wouldn't have come looking here if Phygma here hadn't gone telling them about you!" Amso said, rounding on his sister.

"I figured he could outfly them and get away and then go live somewhere else I fear he'll be a danger to us. He's already befriended a Belly Dragger and goes off to who knows where when we're not looking. Probably killing innocent creatures." Phgyma replied.

"I get that he's different from us, but he's staying and that's final!" Amos snapped at her.

Phygma and Amos flew off, still arguing. Ichy sighed. Why did he have to hide all of the time? Hiding was quite boring.

Five weeks later, Ichy again was off by himself. Once more, he encountered Dil. She was climbing out of a stream, chasing a turtle. The turtle moved into a crevice in a rock that was too big for her, at nearly four feet long, to fit through. The turtle stuck his tongue out her, tauting her from the safety of the crevice, before disappearing out of her sight. Dil sighed.

Bad luck. Ichy remarked. Dil turned and stared at him.

Don't sneak up on me like that! she snapped.

Sorry. he replied. Is your father around? I hope not, because not only is he hard to look at, he's not that friendly toward me. he asked her.

Dil impersonated her father's voice What do you want with my daughter fluff ball?"

Ichy laughed. I resent that. I'm a flying fluff ball! Ichy snapped back. The two giggled.

Seriously,there is no need to worry. He chased after five guys who stole dinner, hasn't been back since. the Belly Dragger said.

As Dil talked to him, Ichy's attention was diverted to something moving in the underbrush. Dil hadn't noticed, but he did, albeit barely. He moved forward slowly as Dil continued talking about the trouble with her family, unaware that he was no longer paying attention. Quick as lightning, he stuck his claws into the underbrush and pulled out the intruder. It was the Tickly Fuzzy that he'd met earlier. The creature looked up at him in alarm and fright. "You gave me a shock! I thought you didn't notice. Guess I should have thought better than to try and sneak up on a Sharptooth." he said.

"What is your name and why do you keep following me?" Ichy demanded.

"Name? What is a name?" he replied in confusion.

Ichy turned to Dil and whispered I have a feeling we are in for a real mind blower with this one. "A name is what you call yourself." He said to the Tickly Fuzzy.

"That clears a lot of confusion as to why the rest of you always say some word in your conversations, each one different for each person you meet. I been alone for a long long time, I don't recall having one of these, what do you call them, names." He took a fresh water clam out of the water, but it immediately closed up. He tried breaking the shell with a rock but the shell seemed as solid as tungsten. He set the clam down and combed the water, looking for something else.

Dil broke open the shell with her jaws. "Thank you." the Tickly Fuzzy said, before beginning to eat the meat inside.

"I didn't know you ate meat." Ichy remarked.

The Tickly Fuzzy replied "Mostly light meat, such as grubs, but also more fruit and grain then anything else. You know, I would very much like a name of my own. Anything is better then Tickly Fuzzy. If my life form type is called that for too long one day some band of psychopaths are going to start hunting us in jealousy that they don't have fur of their own."

"Well, you are hairy. I know, I'll call you Harry." Ichy declared.

"Works for me." Harry said.

So, what should we do now? Your dad isn't here. Where should we go? Ichy asked Di.

How about the beach? Dil suggested.

Ichy, Harry, and Dil went to the beach. Meanwhile, Dil's father, having come back from slaying a poor Rainbow Face, looked around for his daughter. Dil, where are you? I got us Rainbow Face. He came across his mate. Where's our daughter? he snapped.

Why do I have to watch them and lay them? she said stressfully.

Just help me find her! he snapped.

"Alright! Alright!" She went to the last spot Dil was known to have been and sniffed, then began to follow her scent.

Meanwhile, at the beach, Ichy spotted something in the water. What's that thing with a fin? he asked Dil. He pointed at it. "Do you know?" he asked the Tickly Fuzzy.

Harry replied "That is the reason most Belly Draggers don't live in the Big Water. Even those that are braver tend to go in only far enough that they can get back to the shore if all else fails. Those teeth aren't for show, stay away!"

Dil noticed fangs on the creature. Looks like a Sharptooth that swims. she said.

A big wave hit Ichy, Harry, and Dil. It washed the three of them out to sea. Ichy ws able to get up out of the water easily since he could fly and luckily Dil could swim. However, Harry couldn't do either and started to panic. "Help!" he cried.

Dil's parents, meanwhile, made their way to the beach.

Dil's mother said I'm afraid this is as far as I can track her; at this point, all I smell is salt and rotting water greens.

Harry grabbed onto Dil and climbed onto her back. The Swimming Sharptooth moved toward Dil, Ichy, and Harry. "Try to use his momentum to counter with a snap-roll-toss maneuver. Don't worry, I can still hold on during that." he told Ichy.

Dil tried to swim away from the Swimming Sharptooth. However, the Swimming Sharptooth was about to snap at Dil when he suddenly began to laugh. Behind him, Ichy was tickling him with some of his feathers.

Head for the beach! I'll keep him busy! Ichy told Dil.

At that moment, Dil's father spotted her. Can you make it to shore on your own or do I need to come and get you? he called to her.

Yes. Dil replied. She was able to make it to shore. Ichy followed her and grabbed Harry.

And for the last time Ground Scraper, these Tickly Fuzzies are mine! Ichy snapped at her.

Dil's father sighed. Let's, just go home; your mother got us Rainbow Face. Leave this feather duster behind. I'll deal with him if you bothers you again.

Ok. Dil said, leaving with them.

"Guess we go home now too." Ichy sighed. He carried Harry back home. "Well, it's getting late. Time for me to go to bed." he yawned.

"Good night. See you see." Harry replied before leaving.

"Where have you been?" Ichy looked around; eventually, he spotted Amos, who was not pleased.

"Oh, just out with two friends."

"Who exactly? You don't know anyone except us and that Tickly Fuzzy."

"Well, him and also that Belly Dragger, Dil."

"I don't think it's wise to be around Belly Draggers." Amos remarked.

"I think she's fine." Ichy replied.

"Well, goodnight." Amos said to him.

"Wait, Amos, I was wondering something." Ichy called to him.

"What?"

"Why does Phygma really have it in for me?"

"Well, if you must know, a Sharp Beak (Ludodactulus) killed her uncle. I'm afraid she'll never see you as anything but a fiend." Amos sighed.

"That's too bad." Ichy replied, shaking his head.