Part Two: Kirk & Nixie

The rumour of the beast flooded around, but those working at the docks were not as bothered or fearful of the creature. Instead they merely sat down by the big warehouses at their morning or evening breaks, smoking and chatting. Musing over the subject of a monster that was claiming to have come from either the mountains in the west or maybe even from a quarantine failure on their part. But though the humans were not affected directly, it was the dogs that took most interest, especially as the docks were prime junk-dog territory, not to mention stray or guarding dogs that were let loose.

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One such dog was a large black and tan Doberman, named Kirk, as with the new rules the young dog was un-docked so that he would be permitted to show in England when he was back with his master during the summer months, and he had low ears. The dog listened in on the worker’s comments, and they were careful not to arise his annoyance, the Doberman was a good guard, his father having been a keen Schutzhund, though his mother had been a loosing show dog. When one man mentioned the possibility of the beast being an Alsatian, the Doberman sat up and lowered his head, snarling and growling deep. The men quickly departed, they knew very well of the proud pedigree’s keenness for a young white-coloured bitch that was a stray around the area, and she would be turning up soon enough!

As was usual for them both, the Doberman was able to greet his dear friend after five o’clock, when the sky was darkening. The dock-men were pacing away quite happily, though a few would pause around the chain-link fence and smile at the visitor. It was not their place to question Herr Klemens or his dog on their choice of companion, and they liked the lady quite a lot. Either way, they always felt great joy to see a German shepherd like dog with a thick white coat, sitting patiently outside the fence for the gate to be opened. It was a girl dog of course, and her colouring was a soft creamy-white with a pair of bluish eyes, hence her abandonment in the dockside. She was a pedigree, but an un-exhibited colour, and through her charms the named of the dock had named her Nixie, the water sprite. Her usual spot was dancing by the river when the autumn leaves fell or the sun set, but as her season had come, she had sought secured company, and the Doberman was her first choice. Plus the dog’s owner did not mind and bed, water, food, and care were available for her here. Herr Klemens had even managed to give her a microchip, on the off chance that she tried to wander into great trouble.

Happily that evening, she wagged her thick muddy-white tail and pressed her liver nose to the hands of each worker to pass and offer. Then the boss, Her Klemens, stepped out of his house and un-chained his guard before putting food out for them both. Then he left Kirk the Doberman and Nixie the Alsatian to converse with each other. After allowing his white lady to eat her fill first, Kirk took only a few gulps of food and water before settling down on a warm blanket at her side. Then he licked her ears and neck as a gentle lover would. Nixie seemed to appreciate it, but then Kirk noticed something odd about her smell.

“Where have you been?” He questioned like all men to their wandering wives or girlfriends. He sat up sharply, his teeth slightly bared at the repulsive scent of another male. But Nixie merely snorted at him contentedly. In her mind, the mind of a stray that had never encountered monogamy, Kirk’s place was just another stopping point, which she paid for with her company. To her, Kirk had the possibility to be a friend, but not a master. But the black and tan animal let out a low whine of annoyance at her. He was desperate to know and to kill his rivals to gain her eternal companionship.

“What does it matter to you, Kirk? I’m a ‘wandering water sprite’, that is what your master calls me and he is a smart human. You are just far too possessive!” Nixie chuckled gently in a whine, thinking it all rather funny. Then she lay back down and prepared to go to sleep. But Kirk was not amused, he stood up and stamped to the door of his master’s home and scratched at it a bit, he suddenly missed human company. Nixie lifted her head and shuffled nervously in her bed as the door was opened and Kirk was embraced. She gave a whine for him to remain with her, but it was ignored.

The rest of the night Nixie spent alone, saddened that she had been too cheeky to her dear companion for her own good. But though she did manage to sleep, Kirk remained awake. His master gave human advice, guessing the subject for his dog’s upset, but it was so much more different for dogs. Even so, the words gave comfort as to the restless guard dog, and Kirk felt a need to stay and watch the window as he generally did. But eventually, just before the pale beam of dawn light broke the cloudy skies, Kirk fell asleep.

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At the end of the yard of chain-link fencing, a shadow was prowling around and prodding at the edges of the fence. It could both see and smell the white bitch, but it really wanted some food. Amongst the tough fencing it found one older section that had not yet been replaced, and this section had a small gap in it where wires had snapped. This was usually where the rats snuck in, but the beast stuck in one large and thickly furred brown paw, and tugged the wire aside to make a bigger hole. The sound of chinking wires and pinging breaks made Nixie sit up in fear. She looked at a mass of some darkness pushing through the gap with massive drooling fangs! Nixie stood up, the beast let out a growl of warning, and the little white bitch froze.

With a whine of sheer surprise, Nixie was flung aside by a massive paw as if she were a leaf on a breeze. But at first, the beast was only interesting in eating the dog food that was left out. Slowly, Nixie used the time to stand and then drop with the pain in her left hind-leg. Then she stood up through the pain and even so, she marched onward, not caring to be quiet but simply eager to just get away from the creature. But in finishing off the last little scraps of meat, the beast remained hungry and it turned its dark brown eyes toward the fleeing form of the bitch. It was starving since its previous, smaller meals and Nixie would be much more filling, at least for a short while. Within a few bounds it was upon her, rearing up like some kind of horse but raising an arm like a bear to strike her down. Then there was a smashing sound like shattering glass behind them, a terrible pain was sent through the shoulder of the beast’s shadow-like form, and it let out a horrendous scream of anger.

Herr Klemens had leapt out of his bed and downstairs toward the living room at the sound of his window smashing. Half way down he heard the bellowing roar of the angry monster and he had paused. His heart had leapt in terror at the fact that the monster was in his home, and on reaching the ground he ran for the nearest gun. At finding an old hunting gun belonging to his late father, he paused nervously and then slowly turned to look out of the great hole in the living room window. Through it, he could see Kirk biting at the back of a massive animal, and the swiping claws of the beast as it managed to dislodge the backbiter. Without hesitation for the shot he now had, Herr Klemens fired and the beast squealed as it bolted away in fright. As it smashed passed Nixie and through the fence gap the master fired a few more shots at it, in the hopes of wounding it. But then he dropped the gun and found himself more concerned with the great slash across his guard dog’s back, though already Nixie was comforting the bold Doberman.

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Part 3: Kerberus and the Strays