Chapter Eleven: Waves and Spilled Wine
By midday, the road opened into a vast stretch of pale sand, the air heavy with the salt of the sea. Waves rolled in lazy arcs, glittering beneath the noon sun. The cries of distant gulls mixed with the steady crash of water against stone.
"This," Wang San declared as they stepped onto the shore, "is perfect. Sea breeze, adventure, and—" He patted his pack. "—a bottle of my precious wine to celebrate when we win."
Yun Zhan walked ahead, scanning the horizon where jagged rocks jutted from the water. His mind was already on the monster's trail.
"Relax," Wang San said, trailing behind him. "You'll wrinkle your forehead into an old man's map. Here—" He reached into his pack, pulling out the bottle. "Let's have a drink before we get eaten."
Yun Zhan glanced back. "We're here to hunt, not drink."
"I can do both," Wang San replied cheerfully, stepping closer.
But as he handed the bottle over for Yun Zhan to inspect, the prince simply pushed it back toward him — a little too firmly. The bottle slipped, hit a rock, and rolled toward the sand. The cork popped free, and half the liquid spilled out in a ruby-red stream before soaking into the ground.
There was a heartbeat of silence.
Then—
"ZHAN!" Wang San's voice cracked with outrage. "Do you know how long I've been saving that? Where am I going to buy more out here? The fish don't sell wine!"
Wei Xie, who had been quietly surveying the shoreline, sighed. "If you didn't tease him every waking moment, he wouldn't 'accidentally' spill it."
"That was not an accident," Wang San said, glaring at Yun Zhan. "That was a cold-blooded attack."
Yun Zhan kept walking, unbothered. "Consider it a lesson. Alcohol dulls reflexes."
"It also makes me more fun," Wang San shot back.
Wei Xie chuckled. "You're already more trouble than either of us can handle sober. Come on — before your 'lesson' gets eaten by the monster first."