Jason Cosmo: Hero Wanted

Chapter 20

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I awoke. My hands were bound behind me and my feet tied together with thick leather cords. The air was cold. The stony ground upon which I lay was lightly dusted with snow. Even the dim light of a hazy grey sky seemed dazzling after the ceaseless gloom of the Incredibly Dark Forest.

I rolled onto my back for a better view of my surroundings. The terrain was mountainous, an array of cliffs and gorges and weathered rocky hills. Mercury lay nearby, still unconscious, also bound. His cloak was missing. Nearby, a rickety suspension bridge with frayed ropes and broken footboards spanned a deep chasm. On the far side was a wall of vegetation that unmistakably marked the western verge of the Incredibly Dark Forest.

"You awaken. Good. I am BlackMoon."

The soft stiletto voice startled me. I looked up and saw the bounty hunter standing over me. He hadn't been there an instant before. Dressed in close-fitting black garments, he was lean and hard, a living dagger of a man. His yellow-green eyes were cat-like, vertical pupil and all. He really could see in the dark.

"I hoped we would have a chance to speak. I wish to thank you for a splendid hunt."

"You're welcome. Where are we?"

"Malravia. This is the rendezvous point where I will deliver you and your companion to the Dark Magic Society and collect my reward." He frowned. "A pity."

"Why?"

"As I say, this has been a splendid hunt. It is the chase I love, not the pecuniary rewards. My skills are such, however, that I am rarely so challenged as I have been in pursuing you."

"I was a challenge?"

"It was not so much a matter of any great ability on your part as it was the interesting circumstances through which you led me."

"Oh."

"I held back, savoring the pursuit and waiting for the perfect moment take you down. Stealing you from Natalia Slash and Isogoras the Xornite in the heart of the Incredibly Dark Forest was exquisite."

"If chasing me is such fun, let me go and we'll do it again."

"Every hunt must end, alas. It is time I turned to other pursuits."

Mercury stirred and rolled onto his back. He took in the situation at once. "Malravia. Wonderful. Haven't been here in years. You must be BlackMoon."

The bounty hunter nodded.

"I've admired your work," said Merc. "Though I'm none too wild about this particular demonstration of your skills."

"Thank you," said BlackMoon.

"Just out of curiosity, how did you manage to transport the two of us out of the Incredibly Dark Forest? I assume it has been several days since our capture and that you kept us drugged during the journey."

"Indeed, this is the fifth day since your capture," said BlackMoon. "I find ComaDose effectively subdues captives for transport. It slows respiration and other body functions to very low levels."

"You prefer it to DormaDose or Torporex?"

"DormaDose is useful as a tactical sleep agent, but less practical for maintaining extended unconsciousness. Torporex is powerful, and in some ways superior to ComaDose, but I find the side effects unpredictable. Permanent brain damage and the like."

"Most considerate of you," said Merc. "But surely you didn't carry both of us yourself?"

"Naturally not," said BlackMoon. "My jujula bore you."