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written by:  hdalby33 ; illustrated by  RealDealMeal
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FIRST - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/32536306/
LAST - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/32548030/
NEXT - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/32574307/
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Part 3 of 6

“Ah!” Callum’s voice came out a watery breath, muted by the depths. It did nothing to quench his terror though. He floundered backward as those gleaming white teeth nipped at him again, this time closing barely an inch from his wetsuit-clad belly. He reached around frantically for something to grab and felt his paws close on a piece of rusted pipe.

With all his strength, he swung it around and caught his attacker square in the nose. He wasn’t entirely certain what to expect from the blow. Perhaps the shadow would flee or give pause for him to escape at the very least.

Instead it let out a cry of its own in a deep, oddly- mellow voice. “Yeouch! That wasn’t very nice!” the figure yelped, straightening themselves up and rubbing their blunt nose with a fin.

Callum gaped in surprise before remembering to breathe. He wasn’t sure what to say and simply mumbled the first thing that came to mind. “Ummm… sorry?”

Now that he had time to recover from the heart-pounding terror, Callum could see his attacker was a shark. Complete with the blue-grey and pearly white coloring and a pair of brilliant yellow eyes set back from a face that was all teeth. The only slight difference between this shark and the ones he’d seen in aquariums was it had about twice the girth. This one looked more like a parade blimp, complete with a rotund torpedo shape and curvy white belly.

The shark seemed to sense him staring and lowered their fin to glare at the dragon accusingly. “Are you done staring? I know I’m not the sleekest of sharks, but I’m nothing compared to those blubber mountain whales!”

Callum raised an eye-ridge. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have too! It was implied.”

The dragon shook his head. Just his luck he’d almost be eaten by the world’s only self-conscious shark. “Well forgive me for being a little weird around a shark that was about to eat me a second ago.”

“I wasn’t going to eat you!” the shark snapped, though a slight pause made it clear that wasn’t entirely the truth.

Callum folded his arms as he floated above the expansive ship. “It was implied.”

The shark opened his mouth to retort, but couldn’t think of a decent reply. “Well… whatever! I was just saying hi.”

“You say hi by almost eating people?”

“No! It was just gonna be a love bite. A taste test, you know?” He huffed to himself. “And if you ask me, you could do with a love bite, tubby. Get rid of some of that waistline.”

That just made the dragon laugh. He could scarcely believe the silliness of it all. Here he was having his weight insulted by a shark he thought was for sure going to make him a meal a moment ago. He was still pretty sure the shark might.

“Alright, alright, look…” Callum said, hoping to calm the troubled waters. “How about we start over again. I’m sorry for hitting you in the nose. It was a reflex.”

The shark twisted and turned uncomfortably, wobbling his white midriff about. “Fiiine, I’m sorry for almost eating you. Better?”

“Better,” the dragon agreed, floating a little closer to the imposing fish. “Now, I’m Callum. Do you have a name?”

“Of course I do!” the shark puffed. “It’s Nelson.”

“Nelson,” Callum repeated, a smile playing on his lips.

“Yes, Nelson,” Nelson huffed again, narrowing his predatory gaze at the dragon. He gestured to a rotting sign hanging down from the captain’s tower and Callum suddenly understood.

Where it had originally said “Channel Song,” the sides had fallen away to leave “nel Son.” Callum couldn’t help but grin at the revelation, which Nelson took with offense.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“N-no!” Callum swallowed a chuckle quickly, reminding himself this shark could easily snap him in half if he wanted. “Sorry, I’m still figuring things out. This just wasn’t what I was expecting on my dive.”

“Well what were you expecting?” Nelson inquired, his tone growing less annoyed and more curious.

Callum shrugged. “I was just gonna tour this ship, see if there was anything interesting.”

Nelson nodded, eyeing the hefty derg’s figure. He imagined the dragon swimming through one of the tighter spaces below and getting wedged, becoming an easy meal. One that wouldn’t hit him with nasty metal pipes. “Oh really?” he asked, a wide grin that was equal parts friendly and unnerving split his round face. “Well perhaps I could show you around.”

“You’d do that?” the dragon asked, excitement returning to his voice.

“Suuuuure,” the shark said, swimming in a lazy arc around the tubby dragon to get a good look over his ample rump and wetsuit-swaddled lovehandles. “I’ve been living in this ship for years. Know every nook and cranny.”

A bit of pride was evident in that last part, which made Callum believe the shark wasn’t lying. He turned his head to watch the immense shark glide by. Even with that arresting belly, Nelson seemed to move along effortlessly. Callum also realized he was even larger than he’d thought. At least twenty feet in length.

“Well if you don’t mind that’d be amazing,” the dragon said eagerly.

Nelson gestured a fin down the stairs from which he’d emerged, his pale teeth gleaming like abalone in the low light. “Just down these steps then,” he said, watching the dragon’s wide figure wobble too and fro as he doggy-paddled forward. Nelson followed close behind, already plotting his tour out in his head. He’d take the dragon through some of the cabins, along the lower decks, through the captain’s quarters, and end his special room at the heart of the ship. That was where he hid his most valued treasure. One that would turn this overstuffed sausage link of a dragon into a proper meal.