Towards the Sea

  "Is this Sparta?" Tang Yin asked, whining as she felt every muscle in her body while lying on the carriage roof, staring at the sky and the wandering clouds drifting by. The inside felt stuffy beneath the constantly warming weather. Not too far away, Uncle Jian sat on his sword and ate a few snacks. Unlike Tang Yin, who was lying there exhausted, he seemed refreshed, as if nothing had happened.

  Tang Yin eyed him, feeling a hit to her dignity. How was it that the old man wasn't even tired when she thought she had been put through the wringer and back?

  "You are doing well, don't worry," Madame Ning said from below, and Tang Yin turned over onto her belly and peeked downward.

  "Sometimes I feel the contrary," she whined, earning a few ughs from her surroundings.

  "Believe me, you are doing better than anyone expected," Madame assured her. "We all guessed you would have given up by the second month at the test." Tang Yin groaned and let her arms dangle down as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the cool breeze around her, already starting to smell salty from the approaching sea—just like how the dense forest slowly changed flora the closer they got to the coast.

  Enjoying the sun, Yin fell asleep with the carriage's constant rocking, the repetitive sounds, and the comfortable atmosphere.

  Eventually, the sound of the sea filled the air, and she cracked open a tired eye.

  "Yin, the sea!" she heard Madame shout. She got up, jumped down, and rushed forward until she was a few meters ahead of the caravan. The sea came into sight in front of her, behind the next gentle hill.

  The clear blue water shone and glittered beneath the sun. Her eyes widened as she was amazed by the sight of endless blue that seemed to stretch out into the nothingness of the horizon.

  She couldn't even remember the st time she had seen the sea.

  "It gets me every time," Madame said behind her as the rest of the caravan arrived. "Beautiful, no?"

  "Yes, incredibly so," Yin beamed at her, then ran further toward the sea.

  "Not too far, Yin!" Madame shouted, cautioning her. She was more careful than ever since the incident at Nuoding. Eventually, the harbor came into sight in the distance.

  It was small, the entire city smaller than Nuoding or Soutou, where she had been before. The scent of salt tingled in her nose as a breeze made the greenery by the coast sway.

  She closed her eyes and hummed in enjoyment.

  Their caravan slowly approached the city, which had a small, naturally formed harbor beside the sea. They went to a trading post, leaving the horses there as Chen Xin and she were sent to secure a hotel room and pces to sleep for all their members.

  The two of them explored the small city together, as Tang Yin was drawn to many things she hadn't seen quite like this before.

  In a small marketpce with an uncountable number of seafood and fish offerings, people cd in far lighter clothing than she was used to—bright and clear colors—wore decorations made of seashells and pearls. She bought herself a few accessories and lighter clothing, a flowing long skirt filled with small glittering shell fragments, and a white flowing shirt. Both airy and cool, it also providing protection from the sunlight. Yin was in no mood to end up with a sunburn, and chances were high, considering she was naturally pale.

  Uncle Jian took them to a small, cozy-looking inn where they were already waiting and asking for rooms. A chatty man in his mid-forties, the innkeeper, assigned them their rooms and took the money while Tang Yin noted down all the names on a sheet of who was coming to check in ter. The writing was still slightly awkward as she wrote with her left. Most of them had single rooms, though some needed to share.

  Uncle Jian and she got the two rooftop-level rooms out back. They were said to be the calmest and have a beautiful view of the sea and harbor.

  The evening passed peacefully, and when everyone went to sleep, she couldn't. Like so often when she was restless, she ended up on the rooftop, staring into the sky and counting stars while writing in her diary beneath the moonlight.

  The breeze was slightly frosty, and Tang Yin shivered for a moment before taking out a bnket and wrapping herself in it.

  Eventually, she felt drowsy and yawned. The following day, they would set out to sea, she mused.

  The sea.

  Curling up, she continued to stargaze. She slowly dozed off on the rooftop, eventually falling asleep.

  Unnoticed by her, a prominent, white-silver-cd figure appeared—Chen Xin. He looked down at her, his gaze softening as he saw her curled up on the roof.

  "You'll get sick like that," he muttered, then gently lifted her up in his arms. Her long blueish-bck hair trailed loosely on her side, framing her face. Usually, it was tightly bound back in a ponytail or braided.

  "I hope you survive, little one, on Sea God Isnd... so I will have to continue to make you suffer."