The Poppy War, #2
The Dragon Republic
by R. F. Kuang
Contents
Chapter 14
Overview
Poison floods Arlong’s waters, killing wildlife and the Cike’s water shaman Aratsha. Council debates reveal Daji’s likely sabotage of the Murui, threatening famine across the south, while the Hesperians refuse immediate aid.
Vaisra orders an accelerated campaign: light skimmers sail first to locate and destroy the poison source. Venka demands to fight, and Rin and Kitay join the Swallow.
Summary
Rin wakes to chaos in Arlong and finds the harbor carpeted with dead fish and amphibians. The Cike recover Aratsha, the water shaman, who arrives decaying and incoherent before dissolving into brine and shells, confirming the water is poisoned. Rin concludes the attack targets the Dragon Province, not just the Cike.
At an emergency council, physicians report mass but nonlethal troop poisonings. Strategic debate pins the source upstream, likely under Daji’s direction. Kitay warns of catastrophic agricultural collapse as the Murui irrigates the south. The Hesperians, led by General Tarcquet and observed by Sister Petra, refuse aid until victory seems likely.
With the blockade neutralized, the Warlords commit to a rapid offensive. Plans solidify: Jinzha’s main fleet will ascend the Murui through Hare Province; Tsolin and General Hu will strike along the coast to split imperial defenses. The Hesperians will mostly observe, reporting back to their Consortium.
On the pier, Venka presses to join the campaign with a new auto-reloading crossbow. Nezha refuses, invoking her trauma and safety; Venka rejects his protection, fires a warning shot, and asserts her capability, forcing the issue into the open.
Captain Salkhi receives the Cike aboard the light skimmer Swallow. Kitay opts to sail with Rin, citing friction with Nezha and offering support. Cut from Arlong’s command for weeks, the first fleet departs with simple orders: find the poison’s source, destroy it, and punish those responsible.
Who Appears
- RinCike commander; discovers the poisoned harbor, witnesses Aratsha’s death, and joins the first fleet on the Swallow.
- NezhaGeneral and Vaisra’s son; assesses the crisis, clashes with Venka, and leads elements of the first fleet.
- KitayStrategist; explains famine implications of the Murui poisoning and chooses to sail with Rin on the Swallow.
- AratshaCike water shaman; fatally poisoned by the river and dissolves, confirming the scale of the contamination.
- VaisraDragon Warlord; convenes emergency council and accelerates the northern campaign to counter Daji’s ploy.
- General TarcquetHesperian commander; withholds aid pending proof of success, committing only observers to the campaign.
- Sister PetraHesperian priest-scholar; observes council impassively, continuing interest in studying Rin.
- JinzhaVaisra’s elder son; commands the main inland fleet and presses for swift action.
- TsolinSouthern Warlord; urges immediate offensive and co-leads the coastal strike.
- General HuCommander allied with Tsolin; leads coastal operations against imperial ships.
- Lady SaikharaWarlord; questions water flow effects and proposes granary relief, challenged by Kitay.
- VenkaFormer captive; demands to fight with an advanced crossbow and defies Nezha’s protection.
- RamsaCike demolitions expert; alerts Rin and reacts to Aratsha’s gruesome death.
- Captain SalkhiCommander of the Swallow; integrates the Cike and sets mission parameters.
- Captain EridenNaval officer; briefs Salkhi about Rin’s limitations amid fleet mobilization.