Patchwork Earth Book 1: Chapters 3 & 4 (Patreon)

Chapter 3

“Cover your ears,” shouted Bose. 

Before Goto could ask him what he meant, the older man had fanned the hammer of his revolver, unloading two shots into the charging beast. Goto hadn’t heeded the advice in time, and he couldn’t hear himself cursing over the ringing of his ears. He’d always had a true samurai’s disdain for firearms, and this only served to confirm it. 

The elephantine creature wasn’t much impressed either and continued on. Bose and Goto had to scramble out of the way. Goto swore he could feel the tip of its trunk brush against his leg. Thankfully, its bulk worked against it in the soft mud, and it couldn’t stop itself before it plowed into the bamboo stand they’d struggled through before. 

“What in thunderation do you think that pig sticker’s gonna do against that?”

“More than my bare hands,” retorted Goto. “It is coming back!” 

The beast backed out of the hole it had created in the dense tree line and turned to face them. Its enormous lungs gulped in air as it eyed them. Twin trails of blood flowed down its flank. Bose hadn’t missed, which was almost more disturbing.

“Didn’t think it’d leave well enough alone,” groused Bose. “You got any ideas? I’m not accustomed to things I shoot asking for seconds.”

“We should run.” As much as he didn’t care for Bose besmirching his sword, he knew what a katana could handle, and he doubted it would survive a slash against the thick-skinned giant. 

“I like the way you think,” said Bose. “Pity he has the same idea. He’s fixin’ to charge again. I’ll go left, you go right. We’ll see if I can hit anything softer this time.”

Goto wished he had a better plan than that, but the creature didn’t give him much time to think before rushing them again. Two more shots rang out without slowing it down, but they were able to dart out of its range as it barreled past them again. 

“Bose, its haunches!”

“What about… is that a spear?” A bamboo shaft was embedded in its back leg around the hip. The animal had learned its lesson, and it hadn’t fully committed to the charge, so it spun about to face them far too quickly for something with its bulk. 

“It must be,” said Goto. “Aim for the wound. I will draw it my way.”

“How-’

Without explaining himself, Goto scooped up a handful of mud and flung it in the beast’s face. It bellowed with indignation and bore down on the samurai. 

Goto had intended to run out of the way. His sandals stuck in the mud, spoiling that plan. By the time he freed himself, it was nearly on top of him. Out of desperation more than anything else, Goto slashed at the beast as he darted away. He was sure its trunk would find him this time.

Instead, he heard a loud, wet thump from behind him, followed by an agonized blast from the creature’s trunk. He hazarded a look behind him. Its right tusk lay in the churned up mud and there was a gash in the side of its trunk where the tooth now ended. Bose shot twice again, and this time they struck true. The creature’s back leg seized up and it collapsed on its side, going right into the pool. It thrashed around, bellowing with pain and rage, but it couldn’t right itself again. 

Goto scrambled away from it, fearful of its thrashing legs and trunk. He came up alongside Bose, who was reloading his pistol. “Well, I’ll be a son of a gun. I didn’t know Japanese swords could do that!” 

Goto glanced down at the weapon in his hand. “That should not be possible. It went straight through the bone.”

“Ain’t that what a sword’s for?”

“It was a one-handed slash,” explained Goto. “My weight was not behind it. The sword should have broken, or it should have been knocked from my hand. Instead it went through like a… a…”

“A hot knife through cold lard,” suggested Bose as he snapped the cylinder of his pistol back into place. 

“You have a way with words.”

“I do try.” 

“But yes, that was impossible.”

The creature had managed to roll onto its stomach, but its smooth footpads found no purchase in the churned-up mud, and its back leg wouldn’t move at all. 

Bose let out a sigh. “Poor critter. That spear wound’s been festering for a while. The pain must’ve driven it mad.”

“We should do the decent thing,” said Goto. “Put it out of its misery.”

“I’m not in favor of wasting bullets,” replied Bose. “We don’t know if or when we’ll be able to get more.” 

Goto pointed at Bose’s chest. “What are you talking about? Your bandolier is full.”

Bose’s jaw dropped. “What in tarnation? I swear I just took six bullets right off there.”

With the immediate danger gone, Goto ran a cloth down the soiled katana before returning it to its scabbard. “Well, that means we can spare the creature more suffering.” 

Bose frowned, but nodded. “I reckon so. Let’s do it and get on out of here. We made an awful ruckus, and that spear belonged to someone.” 

Goto nodded, following Bose’s lead as he walked in front of the creature, keeping a respectful distance. The ground rumbled with its vocalizations, though it had ceased its struggles. It looked on them with tired eyes that had the spark of intelligence in them, much to Goto’s surprise.

“Feels weird fighting something I don’t have a name for. Is that an elephant?” Bose pointed to the creature’s long jaw. “I’ve only seen drawings and they didn’t have those crazy shovel teeth.”

“I could not tell you. It looks more like that than anything else.” Goto turned his attention to the animal before them. “Do not worry. Your pain will be over soon.”

“It can’t understand you,” said Bose as he lined up a shot on the center of its forehead. “It’s just an animal.”

“How can you be so sure? We have seen many impossible things today,” he replied. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Don’t make it linger.”

The report of Bose’s pistol was his only response. He took off his hat and held it over his heart. After a moment of reflection, he returned it to its spot. “Well, let’s get moving.” 

“Where should we go?”

“Not here,” he said. “If there’s elephants around these parts, there’ll be things that eat them too.”

Goto couldn’t disagree, so they walked around the pool and back into the bamboo stand. “Do you think that creature made the paths through the bamboo?”

Bose shoved aside a stray branch. “If it did, that was right neighborly of it. I think they look a little too regular, though.”

“Do you think people made them?”

“The spear was bamboo,” replied Bose. “If I have to cut down that many trees, I’m going to use them for something.”

They walked for a while in silence. The bamboo provided some shade, but it wasn’t much cooler than it had been in the desert, and it was far more humid. Goto’s muddied robe was glued to him with sweat, but he didn’t complain, as much as he wanted to. Bose was suffering in silence, and he didn’t want to seem like a shirker. The stands of bamboo came to be broken up by trees Goto thought looked like cherry blossoms. It made the going easier, since they were not as tightly packed together.

It was the cowboy who broke the silence. “Those were some slick moves back there. Where did you learn to fight with that sword of yours?”

“I was going to be a warrior back home,” said Goko, ducking under a particularly large fern that jutted across their path. “A samurai.”

“What’s that?”

“It is like a soldier. Almost like European knights, from what I have heard. I would be bound to the service of my Shogun, ready to fight for my nation and my family’s reputation.”

“Sounds like being a slave, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Goto bristled at that. “It is different.” Just then, Bose King was reminding him a lot of his old boss, Mr. Richardson. He would have to avoid punching the man. He didn’t know if there was another person for a hundred miles, much less one he could trust. “I was no slave. My family was very well off.”

“If you say so,” he replied. “If it was so great, why were you walking around a California train yard?”

“I am the backup,” he admitted. “I was the least of my brothers. The youngest. Things are not going well for the Shogun. They wanted me to build a new life, so I could support the family if they needed to flee the country. So, I worked at the railroad to save up money.” He decided to leave out the part about his firing. It didn’t seem germane. 

“That’s a right honorable thing to do,” said Bose. “I don’t think I’d have done the same. I left home as soon as I could. I gotta be free. It’s what got me into cattle rustling. I love those wide-open spaces, with nobody around but me and God’s creation.”

Goto was about to respond, but the words died on his lips. They came across a river cutting through the forest. A hundred yards downriver, the water turned white and there was the steady roar of a distant waterfall.

“Makes me wish I hadn’t drunk my fill at that mudhole,” said Bose. “This is clear as crystal!”  

“Yes, though we should be careful with it. This water is moving swiftly.”

Bose’s response was cut off by a commotion from the path behind them. He grabbed Goto’s hand and hauled them into the nearby bushes. 

“Bose, what-”

“Hush!”

The creature that stalked down the riverbank was like nothing that Goto had ever seen before. It stood on two legs and was covered in brown, shaggy feathers like a bird. However, Goto had never heard of a bird the size of a draft horse with teeth like butcher’s knives. Its oversized head was counterbalanced by a long tail, ending in a brilliant fan of green and blue feathers that opened and closed as it walked. Its nostrils flared in and out as it snuffled along, and Goto inhaled sharply as he realized it was following their path. 

The creature riding it was stranger still. It reminded Goto of an oni from the tales back home. Its skin was grey and smooth, and the hands that controlled the bridle in the strange bird’s mouth had deep webbing between them. It scanned its surroundings with eyes as black as coal, and Goto shuddered as he realized the strange beast had no nose. Besides that, it looked nearly human. It even wore clothing, a golden robe and a broad brimmed hat of woven reeds.

A moment later, it was joined by four more grey creatures riding identical toothed birds. One was a darker shade than its fellows, and another was more slightly built, but they were clearly of the same type. They made high pitched clicking noises to each other that Goto almost thought sounded like words. Each wielded a bamboo lance with an obsidian tip.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing,” whispered Goto. 

Bose tensed up, ready to spring into action. “Demons riding bigger demons? Yeah.”

“Those spears…”

“Yeah, I recognize them from the elephant’s side. Now stay quiet, unless you want to end up the same way!”

Too late. The leader’s mount turned towards their hiding spot and let out a gurgle. The leader clicked again. After a moment’s silence, he called out to them in a commanding, baritone voice. 

“If you do not understand our calls, you must be a Romish.” It leveled its spear at them. “We know you are there. You have violated the treaty and poached on our land. Come out and explain yourself!”

Goto stood, his hands above his head, followed a moment later by a reluctant Bose. 

“I think you will know what is happening better than us,” Goto replied. 

Chapter 4

“We should know better? Don’t be coy,” barked the grey skinned creature. “I said explain yourself, Romish!”

Goto let out an annoyed grunt. “You can stop calling us that. I am no Roman, and we do not have a treaty. You have no cause to threaten us.”

The creature let out an irritated click. “You are on our land, and you refuse to tell us how you came here. You are lucky we do not slay you like the bandits you are.”

“Bandits?” Goto’s face flushed red. “You listen here, oni! I am a…”

Bose put a hand over Goto’s mouth. “A young man who don’t know when to be quiet.” Bose wasn’t sure if demons liked smiles, or if the creature in front of him was even a demon, but he put on his winningest grin. “You seem to be a reasonable… man?” The being didn’t seem offended, thankfully. “There’s a whole heap of misunderstandings going on here. We’re not from around here, you got us right there. But, we ain’t Romish. We’ve never even met one. Now, how about you put down that spear, and let’s be rational about this.”

Anger flared in Goto’s eyes at the slight, but he relented after a sidelong glance from the cowboy. The demons seemed to relax a bit, though they didn’t lower their weapons. 

“Good boy,” whispered Bose. He coughed into his hand. “Let’s start with some introductions. I’m Bose King, lately out of San Francisco, previously out of Fort Collins.” He nudged Goto’s ribs. 

Goto gave a deep bow. “Goto Matsukata of Kyoto.”

The lead creature’s eyes narrowed. “I am Stenellus of clan Lagen, of the city of Ketarum. I have not heard of those places, but it matters not. You should be there instead. This is our land, and your kind are not welcome here.”

It was not the first time Bose had heard those words, but it was hard being offended when a monster was the one saying it. It was more perplexing than anything. “May I ask what kind is welcome here? I can’t say I’ve ever seen your like before.” 

Stenellus puffed himself up. “Yes, well, we delphens the Blessed Oasis do not often leave our lands. The treaty works both ways.”

Bose nodded. He had decided they weren’t demons. The demons he’d heard about wouldn’t have still been talking. That didn’t mean that he much cared for their tone, though. Still, it meant there was a chance to avoid a fight. “If that’s a rule, we didn’t break it on purpose. We are strangers in this place, and we only wanted to slake our thirst. We found ourselves lost in the desert, and we barely made it here.”

“You shouldn’t have come here, then. There is water in Romia,” said the darker skinned rider as he spurred his mount closer. “Stenellus, the Romish have been too bold lately. We should make them an example to the rest.”

Stenellus let out an angry series of clicks. “I was not aware that you had been made Captain, Troba.” 

Troba’s shoulders slumped. “I apologize, sir. I was out of line. I was merely making a suggestion.”

“Your suggestion is noted. Do not make another unless I ask.” Stenellus gave Bose a grin full of peg-shaped teeth. “Not that the idea is without merit. You killed one of our shoveltuskers. Those are our prey, but you Romish have been taking them for the ivory and leaving the meat to rot. Such a waste. You owe us recompense.”

Bose felt his guts clench at the terrifying grin, but he managed to keep his composure. “In all due fairness, it attacked us first.”

“He admits he slew it,” said Troba.

“In self-defense! Besides, it had one of them bamboo spears in its side. Drove it crazy. We’d have rather left it alone.” Bose’s brow was slick with sweat, and not just because of the humidity. He’d been in enough scrapes to know when one was in the making, and he didn’t care to see if those birds would shrug off his bullets the same way the shoveltusker had. 

One of the shorter delphens spoke up. “Captain, there was a spear in the body we found. They might be telling the truth.” Her voice was higher than the others, and if Bose didn’t miss his guess, she was a female of the species. She was almost pretty, in a way. Not that he was inclined to romance one of the critters. 

Well, maybe if he’d had a few rounds. 

“Not one of ours,” barked Stenellus, forcing Bose out of his ruminations. “We would not let a kill get away.”

“Clearly you would,” said Goto in a challenging tone. “Your sloppiness nearly got us killed. You are the ones who should be apologizing to us.”

“Hush, child,” hissed Bose. 

“Do not call me a child! You are not much older than me, and you are not my lord!”

Stenellus pointed at Goto. “Boseking, get your subordinate under control. Now stop your Romish babble and tell us what you are really here for!”

“Stop calling me Romish!” Goto’s hand went for his katana. 

Bose opened his mouth to reprimand Goto, but his words were drowned out by an explosion that bowled over one of the riders. “Aw, hell,” he muttered as he drew his revolver. It reminded him of that time in Sante Fe, only he didn’t have a horse this time. “Goto, we gotta… No! Get back here, you hotheaded fool!”

The samurai spoke with actions instead of words. He dashed forward and an overhand chop removed the tip from Stenellus’ spear. The riding bird hopped back and exposed a bright red mouth full of teeth. 

The delphen leader eyed the ruined weapon and urged his mount back. “Troba, Yesan, attack! Klai and Welta, prepare your horns!” 

Bose was swearing a blus streak as he aimed at the charging lancers. He hadn’t been lying to Jeb about his aim. He’d been lucky that shoveltusker presented a large target. He preferred words and bluff to a fight, if only because he took “thou shalt not kill” as seriously as was practical. He went for the center of mass on Troba’s mount and fired once. 

The beast let out a pained grunt and collapsed to the ground, hurling its rider into the swift-moving river. Troba recovered quickly and put his webbed fingers and toes to work. He was making slow progress against the current. Stenellus held out his ruined spear, and Troba grabbed on gratefully. 

Bose thanked God he hadn’t killed the man. He could pay for what amounted to a horse if he had to, but he doubted the territorial delphens could be talked down if he shot one of them. Peace was a slim hope, but it was all he had. 

The other rider, who Bose supposed to be Yesan, was upon Goto a heartbeat later. Instead of a spear, he wielded a curved, bronze blade shaped like a scimitar. Yesan pulled up along Goto and used his height advantage to slash down at the Samurai. Goto’s sword snapped up to block the strike with an ease that Bose couldn’t help but admire. 

To everyone’s shock, especially Goto himself, the bronze sword was cleaved in half by the edge of the katana. “Dang, those Japanese don’t kid around with their swords.”

Goto flinched back as the end of the delphen’s sword flew past his right ear. He didn’t have long to think, though, as Yesan’s mount lunged at him. He stepped back and nearly toppled back into the river. 

Bose leveled his pistol at Yesan’s bird. Before he could pull the trigger, a high-pitched shriek assaulted his ears. He nearly dropped the gun altogether, and his knees knocked. He hadn’t felt that so off balance since his last bender in Fort Collins. “What in…” He gritted his teeth and forced his eyes to focus. 

The remaining two delphens had pulled out strange contraptions that reminded Bose of a tuba, only the mouthpiece disappeared behind their necks. He couldn’t imagine how that worked, but he was sure they were the source of the unbearable sound. Goto was afflicted to, as were the disarmed rider and his mount. He did his best to take aim at the prettier delphen’s bird, but his hand shook like an untamed bronco. He prayed that he wouldn’t have to try in his condition. He wouldn’t be able to avoid hitting one of them. But, Stenellus had just hauled Troba out of the drink. If they came upon him while they played their devilish music, he’d be a goner. 

His prayers were answered as more explosions rocked the riverbank. He was blown off his feet, but at least the ringing in his ears ceased. He levered himself up, his head pounding. “The Lord does work in mysterious ways.” 

Goto had kept his footing, but the delphens were all out of order. One of the horn players lay in a heap twenty yards down the riverbank, and the pretty one was rising on unsteady feet. Both their birds were shaking themselves off, almost reminding Bose of oversized dogs. Stenellus had fallen into the river, and this time it was Troba trying to haul him out. However, Troba’s arms were exhausted from his desperate swim before, and it was all he could do not to let his captain go. Yesan’s mount was darting back towards where the unconscious rider lay, and Yesan was frantically trying to get control of the panicking beast again. 

“Goto, we ought to run while we can!”

“Where to?” He dashed over to Bose’s side. “Their beasts can smell us, and they won’t listen to reason. It’s them or us!” 

Bose’s eyes narrowed. The kid had a point, as much as he didn’t like it. “Don’t be so quick to take what you can’t give back. But… yeah, we need to do something to fix ‘em.”

“I will be gentle, if it will put you at ease.” Goto shifted his grip on the katana, bringing the blunt side to bear. “Blast it, that woman has the horn again!”

The samurai could move, Bose had to give him that. Before he could reply, Goto had cleared the distance between them and the female delphen. She let out a series of startled clicks before the katana struck her in the side of the head. She stumbled back and lost her footing on the muddy riverbank before collapsing into the drink. 

Bose felt the world slow down as his mind raced. None of the delphens were in a position to help their clanswoman, and she was floating face down towards the waterfall. The current pitched her to and fro. She’d be a goner once she hit the rocks, to say nothing of going over the edge. Should he care? She and hers had attacked them. He wasn’t the delphen’s keeper, was he? 

Bose was paddling towards her before he knew what he was doing. It wasn’t easy swimming in his new duds, but he managed to catch up with her. Before he could consider swimming back to shore, he slammed spine first into a stone that poked above the water. He saw stars, but he kept a hold on her. “Ain’t you a slippery one,” he gasped as he tried to find a purchase on her rubbery skin. She didn’t reply, and the growing knot on her head concerned him.

“Bose! Are you alright?”

“Doin’ dandy, Mr. Matsukata,” shouted Bose as he cradled the unconscious woman in his arms. “I needed a good wash. Though, I’d be mighty grateful if you could help me with this little lady here. You did a number on her.”

Goto nodded before plunging in after them. 

“I wanted you to get a pole to drag us out, you fool!”

The samurai was soaked through as he came to rest next to them. “Then you should have said so! I cannot read your mind. I think we can get back to shore, though. Maybe even get to the other side and lose them.”

“I like you, Goto. You’re an optimist.” At least the unconscious delphen floated easily. “Alright, we’re going to each take an arm and…”

Bose’s half-baked idea ended up being moot. Another barrage hit further upstream, knocking some of the near cherry blossom trees into the river. Like logs in a flume, they bore down at them. It would have been hard enough to get back to the bank as it was, but they’d never make it in time.

“New plan,” shouted Bose. “We go over.”

Goto’s eyes were wide as saucers. “We what?”

Bose had already kicked off into the current, trusting himself and his charge to the mercy of God and gravity.

“And you call me a hothead,” grunted Goto before following.

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