Chapter 63: Hero to victim
Axelius suddenly woke up with a loud cough, choking on the water still trapped in his lungs. He was lying flat on his back, soaked and gasping for air. He turned to his side, trying to breathe properly as he coughed out mouthfuls of river water.
After catching his breath, he slowly pushed himself up and looked around, confused. The sound of the waterfall was gone. It seemed he had been swept far downstream, away from the place he fell.
His whole body ached, but he stood up, wobbling a little before finding his balance. He looked around again, noticing that staying in this open patch by the river wasn’t safe. Too exposed. Too quiet. So, he started walking into the forest, trying to stay alert even though everything felt heavy and sore.
Eventually, he leaned against a nearby tree, breathing hard, and then allowed himself to slide down into a sitting position. His clothes were still soaked, clinging to his body uncomfortably. He reached to squeeze the water out of his sleeves, but then paused, noticing something strange.
"...Oh right," he muttered, blinking. "I forgot. My clothes are high-tech." He gave a small chuckle as he realized the material had already dried itself. There was even a bit of warmth left over from the auto-drying feature.
After resting a few minutes, he stood up again, brushing dirt off his pants. He looked around with a serious expression, rubbing the back of his neck.
"How am I supposed to find Owen now?" he whispered to himself. "Where did that bird even go?"
Just then, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. Axelius’s body tensed immediately. He rushed behind the nearest tree and pressed his back to it, trying to keep his breathing low.
The bushes parted... and out popped Owen, completely unharmed.
Axelius stepped out with a sharp glare. "Where were you?!"
Owen bounced closer with a smug look on his slime-like face. "Oh, miss me already? You idiot, why’d you follow me?"