Transsexual Savage

John had walked for eleven days. He was headed towards Fort Winston at the Hiat River, and he still had about three days ahead of him. The Hiat River was the natural border that separated the civilized world, where he came from, and the savage and brutal wilderness, where the natives lived and practiced their mystical religious rituals.

John hoped to find fortune in the fur trapping business, and he had heard that the best fur was found among the many exotic and wild animals of the great wilderness. Kings, queens and aristocrats back in the old world were willing to pay heaps of gold for this fur. But the supply was always low, since it was a dangerous endeavor to cross the Hiat River into the unknown wilderness. If you met the savages, your best hope was to be killed quickly in an honest fight, and not risk being captured and sacrificed to the natives’ evil gods, who gave the natives their bravery and cunning skill in combat. Many good men had suffered this fate and there were tales of the savages engaging in wild and unnatural orgies while burning their captives alive at the stake. John had prepared himself by purchasing a sword and a gun back at Breston Habour on the east coast of the new world, the epicenter of civilization on the new continent. He had also practiced swordsmanship and shooting most of his life. He was not the best fighter, but he didn’t mind labeling himself decent in this regard. He was most dangerous when he wielded his gun, but he wasn’t afraid of a good sword fight.

Around noon, he reached the small Pokloma River. He hadn’t expected to reach the river before evening, so he decided to take a well-deserved break. He freed himself of his backpack and put down his sword and gun. He started a small fire and made a potato stew. It had little flavor but it did the job. He quenched his thirst in the fresh water of the river.

As he was refilling his flasks in the river, out of nowhere, he saw a savage standing in the middle of the small river, the water reaching just below the knees. It was a woman. Was she alone? He looked around, but he couldn’t see any other savages.