He shouted,
"Everyone!"
Dozens of eyes watched him, hollow tired, hostile and hopeful alike. To some he was an ally, while to others he was an enemy, so they did not dare to miss out on his words.
He took a deep breath, calming himself, before he spoke.
"I don't know who you all are. I don't know how you've all lived till now, nor do I care either."
And already, everyone felt just a tiny bit insulted.
"Fisherman, soldiers, criminals, beggars, thieves, craftsmen, even awakened. It all doesn't matter. In this place, we are all the same filth. Trapped desperate hostages waiting to be turned into slaves."
The grim reminder of their situation showed on everyones faces, some already having it craved onto them permanently, while others quickly casted it aside.
"Even in here though, your rights have constantly been trampled. Not by your captors... But by yourselves. Those who were better off left those who were weak for dead, and while I may have balanced things out, those who were once better off, now only feel resentment."
Feeling himself wobble, Azdin quickly stiffned his legs.
"Why is that?? Why do you all feel that way?"
And then his voice suddenly dropped.
"The answer is simple."
What came out his mouth next, startled them all.
"It's because I trampled on you. The power you once relied on became useless before me, and now you can only watch from a distance with those hateful eyes."
"I'll tell you right now.. you're cowards. Every single one of you are cowards."
Some felt personally attacked, and so they awkwardly turned their gazes away. They had no choice but to listen to him though, while others glared at him directly with slight aggression.
"It's the same with those people up above. You were too weak to fight back, so you were captured and taken as slaves. And so even now, you hold onto a distain for them too, don't you?"
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"So to those of you with power, I ask... why are you using it for such a pathetic reason? If you're strong, you should desire more, no? And yet, the moment you deemed things to be hopeless, you accepted your fates and buried yourselves in your despair."
But it wasn't just them. They weren't the only ones guilty of having submitted to this self defecating system.
"And to those of you who are weak.. you gave up because there was nothing you could change. And yet, I find you all to be the ones anticipating change the most. I will tell you now, the only ones who can save you, are yourselves."
It's because they didn't fight back that this system was able to support itself in the first place. Had they all rallied together at once, not even the fifty battle capable mundane would be able to hold them.
Because they lacked the desire to survive, or unite, they suffered instead.
"Distrust of my words, resentment of my actions, hatred, hope, desire. Those emotions that you all feel right now, they are proof that you still care. But I will tell you right now, they are all misplaced."
Raising a hand he pointed upwards to the wooden ceiling above, then declaring,
"The target of our anger, is above our very heads! And the target of our hope, is the freedom that lies beyond it!"
Freedom..
Hearing that word, something long dormant had begun to stir within them. It was something they always had, but didn't understand it's value until it was taken from them.
"Those people! Those heathens, they are the ones who took everything from us! So why are we fighting amongst ourselves, when we know where the enemy truly is!?"
Even the ones that had long given up and were waiting for death to take them, felt it too.
A deep longing.
"For the strong who desired the power to stand above even them, I am here! For the weak who prayed for change to come, I am also here!"
Gradually they rose, even if they were already standing, they rose higher.
Postures straightened. Shoulders squared. Hands clenched—not in desperation, but in desire and frustration. Even those who still feared the cost could no longer deny the truth gnawing away at them.
They wanted to live. They wanted to be free. The hope that they had forgotten, no longer seemed like a fantasy.
"To all of you I ask of this, are you satisfied with that meaningless life, and the future that lies ahead?"
For the first time since he started, one single voice broke out from the crowd, letting out more of a scream than a shout.
"No!"
And then another joined him, and then another, and another, until the air itself seemed to vibrate. Numerous voices all shouting their disapproval of their circumstances all screamed and called out.
"Then I ask of you all, will you stand and fight with me for that future!?"
Now united, they all shouted, barbaric and savage. Their answer wasn't verbal, but what they wanted was obvious enough.
"I may wear these chains, but I have not forgotten! I am an Awakened!"
Battle cries rolled through the hold like crashing waves, overlapping and colliding, feeding off one another. Shouts of fury, grief and defiance tore through their throats that had been silent for far too long.
Chains rattled as fists were raised. Feet stamped against the deck. The noise swelled, echoing off wooden walls, surfing upwards as if trying to tear the ship itself apart.
The once divided people, became united as one.
Just like that, the army they desired had finally been formed.
As Lotte watched the almost bittersweet scene, she was slightly bewildered.
'I was expecting it to take a while, but he did it in one speech?'
And in such a flawless, but that was a problem too
'No! No! No! These people are getting way too passionate!'
As their cheers echoed and grew, they became loud enough to even reach all the way up to the ships deck above.
The steel door groaned as it began to open, metal shrieking against metal as the locking mechanism disengaged. The battle cries were cut short, swallowed by the sudden, looming presence on the other side.
"Oi! What the hell is all this racket for!? Shut up!"
Stepping in, was the mundane sailor that had fed them countless times before. Quickly, his gaze swept across the hold, sharp and irritated.
He barked,
"Quiet!"
The room stilled, not with fear, but caution.
In their eyes though, the sailor could see the sparks of rebellion. As long as they were chained though, he didn't have to worry about a thing.
"Hang on a minute..."
His eyes narrowed as he noticed strange movement near the back of the hold. More specifically, where Lotte and Azdin stood dauntingly.
He took note of the abnormal pile of bread next to them, but his sharp eyes focused on Lotte specifically though. She stood rigid, her body angled oddly, hands clenched behind her back as she tried to maintain a calm appearance.
The sailor strode over, hand already resting on his sword as his suspicion flared.
He demanded,
"What are you hiding?"
Remaining silent, the sailor sighed as he simply shoved her aside without a second thought.
He really wasn't expecting much, but then his face paled in horror as he shouted,
"What the bloody seas is thi—"
Cutting him off before he could finish, something hard and cold slammed into the back of his head. The chill of metal lingered for a split second before his knees buckled, as he tilted and collapsed.
Lotte's breath caught the moment she witnessed the scene. Her silver eyes widening as she watched Azdin huffing from exhaustion, the cuffs around his hand slightly stained with blood.
Alarm broke through her unusual composure.
"Azdin, whatever your about to do.. please just think about it?"
Ignoring her, he declared.
"No longer will we wait! The time to fight for our freedom is now!"
And once more, the cheers and battle ready screams erupted before him.