The Sea Dog and the Vampire

Hopefully there will be more than one Halloween Humanimal story this year but the YouTuber who this year is doing analysis of classic Halloween Monsters this year has one that gonna be for Patrons only and I can’t afford to be anyone’s patron the patron only video is on imps and goblins but the other monsters in his Twitter poll were Ghosts and Witches, what he said in the last video was he would do AT LEAST one other video which implies he might do more
Since last year’s Vampire story was essentially the Tale of Dracula with a Humanimal in it this story is an older one from Eastern Europe with a Male Humanimal Hero

It is often said that Shark Humanimals have no fear, this isn’t true they certainly do have the capacity for fear, that said Shark People do seem to have less fear than Species and Humanimals more recent on the Evolutionary Tree, Sharks are one of the most ancient of Species with hardly any change since the Devonian Period, as one Naturalist phrased it ‘They are the idea of Predation in pure form’ thus Shark People such an ancient species, whose Animal Brains are devoid of the more tender emotions found in species which care for their offspring such as Mammals, Birds and even certain Reptiles and Amphibians like Crocodilians and some Species of Frog, Sharks are on their own from the moment their born in fact in natural sharks the Siblings are often devoured IN UTERO! Humanimal Sharks of course don’t do this, but they are able to simply reach down into their Animal Brain and ‘turn off’ their more civilized responses to disturbing things to be able to keep calm in the face of the most severe enemies of life as we shall see in this tale.
It was three thousand years ago on the Planet H1N1, colonization was being hindered by aggressive marine extra-terrestrials not quite intelligent enough to be classified as people but far more clever than your average Beasts! So Shark Humanimals were sent to H1N1 to fight and destroy the Aquatic Aliens who were attacking the Coastal Dwellings and their machines that harvested important minerals under the ocean.
It was a cold winter night when one Shark-Man pulled himself out of the water, wearing only a Speedo for modesty and an X-Shaped Harness on which his sheath and sword were attached he was one of the few Humanimals who could carry weaponry for he had been trained never to strike a Human with his weapons. This Shark-Man whose actual name has slipped through the cracks of history instead we only know him by his nickname ‘Sea Dog’ which is simply an archaic name for Shark. But he is on a kind of ‘Shore Leave’ to return to the King of H1N1’s palace to report the progress against the Extra-Terrestrials and for inspection.
The night is cold but he knows these roads well, despite his minimal clothing does not mind the cold he comes across a familiar outpost, he knocks once than twice, on the door to the Slaves’ quarters the door opens the Humanimal who opens it is a shaggy mongrel who Sea Dog had been Herd Brothers with as a Cub, the two Humanimal laugh and greet each other, the Dog-Man get down the bottles of cheap liquor reserved for the slaves and they drink and regale each other with stories, at last Sea Dog stands and begins to make his way to the door.
“Wait...” The Dog-Man says “Stay the night with me.”

“That is very gracious of you…” Said Sea Dog “…But I am eager to return to the palace.”

“But...It’s not safe.” Says the Dog-Man
“How so?” Asked Sea Dog.
The Dog-Man sighed “Many years ago in this town, a Warlock died in this town and each night he rises from his grave, stalking the town and bringing terror to even the bravest among us!”
Sea Dog chuckled and said “I as a Humanimal Soldier am property of the Crown and not even a Warlock would dare touch the Crown’s property.”

And with that Sea Dog walked out the door leaving the Dog-Man fearing for his friend.
The night was dark but the Shark-Man was able to find his way by hearing and by scent, this path passed by the cemetery. As he passed by the cemetery he was nearly blinded by a great light! In one of the graves a great fire was blazing, Sea Dog squinted and he could see the Warlock, having become a Vampire sewing boots.
“Greetings Human!” Sea Dog called out
The Vampire tossed aside his work and took Sea Dog by the hand, disturbing the Shark-Man somewhat
“Come with me!” Said the Vampire “There is a wedding tonight!”
(Of course this meant Humans, Humanimals can’t get married)

So Sea Dog followed the Vampire into the town where they entered the Wedding of a beautiful Human Maiden and a Handsome Human Man, the Vampire entered and was greeted by everyone, no one seemed to see the Shark-Man who could not be at the wedding (The Servants at the Wedding were all Androids, mechanical machines who wouldn’t ‘stink up’ the place) it wasn’t that Sea Dog had become invisible it was that the Warlock had dulled all the Humans senses so that all their attention was on the Vampire not on the Humanimal in their midst.
And so the Vampire drank and drank, and danced and danced until suddenly he became angry, and chased the guests away, he then placed the Bride and Groom in a deep sleep and he took out two vials and an awl and he pierced the hands and collected their blood in his vials. Having done that he said to Sea Dog “OK…Let’s be off.”
As they walked Sea Dog acted as if nothing was wrong he simply asked “So…Why did you do that?”
“Why so they might die!” Laughed the Vampire “They have been placed in a deep sleep from which no one will be able to wake them, I alone know how to wake them!”

“How would you do that?” Asked Sea Dog
“If incisions were to be made into the Bride and Groom’s heels and some of their own blood poured back into them, they would wake, but since I have the Bride’s blood in my left pocket and the Groom’s blood in my right, that will never happen!”
Sea Dog remained silent as the Vampire continued to boast about how he could do whatever he like in the town.
“Oh.” Said Sea Dog “Than I am sure it is impossible for anyone to defeat you.”
The Warlock laughed and said “Of course not! If a pyre were made of Aspen boughs 100 load of them and they would burn me on that pyre that would surely defeat me! But whoever did it better be quick once they do! For as I do Snakes and Worms and Reptiles will creep out of my insides and Crows and Magpies and Jackdaws will burst from my skull! And even if a single Maggot were to escape and not be thrown back onto that pyre…I should be able to get away!”
As they talked they arrived back at the Warlock’s grave “Well…” Said the Vampire “…I shall tear you to pieces! I can’t have you telling everyone all this!”
He sprung at Sea Dog, but the Shark-Man leapt back, reflexes trained by years of battle, he drew his saber and threw himself at the fiend! They matched blow for blow, Demonic Claw clashing against Intergalactic Steel, and so they danced slash for slash, thrust for thrust, but whenever Sea Dog managed to strike a blow the Vampire merely laughed uninjured.
Slowly the Shark-Man’s strength gave way fatigue wracked his every muscle, he could fight no longer.
The Vampire raised a talon to land the final blow, then in the distance…A Cock begins to crow dawn had come! The Vampire’s final blow never landed! And instead his lifeless corpse fell back into his grave…
Sea Dog retrieved the Vials and raced back to the town and revived the two Newlyweds, he then instructed the Humans of the town of what they must do so they raced to collect all the firewood they would need before the night set in.
At last they had a great pyre ready in the graveyard, the dragged the Vampire’s corpse onto the kindling and they gather around in a great circle with pans and brooms and shovels, as the sun began to set, a torch was thrown, the blaze went up, and with a terrible shriek the corpse burst! And Worms and Snakes and Reptiles crawled from it and Crows and Magpies and Jackdaws flew from its split skull! But the townsfolk were quick! Knowing what they had to do, not so much as a Worm escaped them and finally when the Vampire and all his Creatures had been burned Sea Dog scattered the ashes to the wind.
While the town was never again plagued by such a Fiend…What happened to Sea Dog after that we do not know, presumably he returned to the Palace…We hope he was able to live out his natural lifespan and was granted a Mate and had many children.

I think I like the older Vampires more than Bram Stoker’s