Chapter 5

Rin, seasick aboard Moag’s lent skimmer Caracel, waits with the Cike to intercept a target while reflecting on Speer and her fresh burn. Tension flares over Altan’s memory until a strange, flagless ship appears—bulky, fast, and empty of visible crew.

As the Cormorant executes impossible turns, Baji and Ramsa debate firing. Rin orders caution, but the warship strikes first. Their cannon volley bounces off its metal plating, and arrows are useless. Ink rounds blacken the water, blinding Aratsha and stalling the Caracel, revealing the attackers anticipated a water shaman.

The Cormorant then saturates the deck with opium smoke. One by one the Cike collapse, and Rin succumbs to the drug. Bound to the mast upon waking, she confirms everyone is captured; Aratsha is sealed in a barrel. Their silent captors steer toward a towering, multi-deck war junk unlike any Imperial vessel.

Boarders arrange a salute as a high-ranking Nikara general arrives. He orders the Cike unbound, chastising his crew for rough treatment and mentioning his father’s interest. Removing his mask, the general reveals himself as Nezha—alive, face eerily scarred. Rin, shocked, realizes the ambush was deliberate and that Moag betrayed them.

Nezha’s survival and command of a powerful fleet signal new political forces at play, leaving Rin disoriented, disarmed, and forced into an uncertain confrontation with an old rival.