Chapter 83: The Slave Uprising in Tyrosh (Part 1)
Tyrosh, Underground Sewers
Most of the slaves in Tyrosh were confined within the vast sewer network near the estuary. When the Valyrians built this city, they referenced the lower-tier pyramid model used in Meereen.
Every morning, just as dawn broke, overseers selected from among the slaves would come under the guidance of their masters to choose laborers.
The slaves who had not worked diligently the previous day would be dragged away first, while those who had worked hard would be taken away in the last batch. Sometimes, slave masters in a good mood would even reward the hard-working slaves with a little extra food.
This experience was not innate; it was a method developed after repeated suppression by the slave masters. These masters understood that by skillfully using bait called "hope," they could make certain resigned slaves work wholeheartedly.
Amir was an overseer slave who had recently been promoted from being a mine slave. From the first day he entered the mines, an old miner had taught him how to curry favor with the overseers and the head overseer.
Last month, Amir, who had been working diligently, finally got an opportunity for promotion. Just as he joyfully intended to help the old miner…
…Amir only found the old miner's unwanted head inside the underground sewer.
In fact, the overseer responsible for Amir and the others had once told him something.
The old miner had always performed well among this batch of slaves, and even their master, Saeraes Moss, had heard of him. The reason the old miner could never be promoted…
…was simply because Magister Saeraes Moss wanted to see how long he could endure.
Overseer Hughes had told Amir that this was their fate. If they wished to change it, they must obey. Resistance would bring only death and torture.
It was from that moment on that Amir made a decision in his heart: he must become ruthless and outwardly loyal.
Amir never wanted to return to that terrifying sewer. In his eyes, that place was no different from hell itself.
The dead old miner's head had been dried by Amir and hung from his waist. This was not because Amir respected the old miner greatly.
Rather, Amir wanted to use this method to constantly remind himself never to be soft-hearted. Because if he became soft, the Head Overseer would kick him back into the sewers.
"Clang…"
Accompanied by the sound of heavy chains, the shackles restraining the exit of the underground passage were opened by several overseers.
"Hey! 'Skull' Amir, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and move!"
Overseer Hughes quickly reminded Amir after seeing him distracted, because the Head Overseer seemed to be watching him.
"No, no, nothing, my lord. I just felt that this lock was a bit strange. Yesterday, when I left, I clearly put it here on the left, but today it suddenly moved to the right, this…"
"Crack!"
"Hiss—!"
Before Amir could finish speaking, a leather whip lashed fiercely across his face, and the burning pain made him cry out immediately.
"Do you think you're clever? Huh? Then today I'll tell you what obedience is! Magister Saeraes Moss has already ordered us to take the slaves to the mines. That is the only thing we are supposed to do! The rest is none of your business! Do you understand?"
Head Overseer Salami was a native Tyroshi. In his view, slaves could only obey and never question, so he intensely disliked slaves who meddled in things beyond their place.
In Salami's opinion, these slaves were no different from the sheep in the northern hills: give them a little food and a whip, and they would obediently follow orders.
Therefore, Salami disliked slaves who thought themselves clever, because he viewed it as slaves attempting to challenge the authority of the Tyroshi.
"Yes, yes, yes! I am very sorry, Lord Salami. Amir is still young and does not understand many rules. I will teach him properly."
Overseer Hughes, realizing his superior was angry, quickly pulled Amir along to apologize. After taking a few lashes, they were finally spared further punishment.
Because of this delay, most of the slaves in the other passages had already been pulled out of the sewers by the overseers.
Since dawn had not fully broken, only a few torches illuminated this area. The mine slaves who were dragged out first looked like lumps of soot freshly pulled from a furnace.
These troublesome slaves were always the last to return to the sewers and would be dragged out again as soon as the sky brightened to prepare for work.
Because the workload in the mines was extremely heavy and the oppressive environment caused great suffering, many disobedient slaves were sent to the mines for "re-education."
Due to the warning he had received, Amir was cautious when entering the sewer. However, Overseer Hughes lacked such caution and continued complaining about Amir's paranoia as they walked inside.
"Patter…"
"Get up, you lazy dogs!"
Following Hughes's roar, his voice echoed through the empty sewer tunnels.
Normally, Hughes would see many reluctant eyes and resentful expressions.
But today, Hughes, with a coarse hemp rope slung over his shoulder, witnessed a strange scene.
The slaves had already formed orderly lines, appearing as if they had been waiting there for a long time.
It should be known that just yesterday several slaves, unable to bear the suffering, had nearly confronted the overseers. Although those individuals were severely punished by the whip, the work efficiency of this team had dropped significantly afterward.
Although Salami had killed a few people to establish dominance, after those individuals died, what he received was not fear from the slaves—but deeper hatred.
Most of the slaves in Sector Seven were people from the continent of Westeros, making them harder to break than the slave populations native to Essos.
"Yo! Yo! Why are you all so obedient today? Have you finally come to your senses? Hahaha! Obey, and maybe one day you'll become people like us."
Hughes was delighted by the slaves' cooperation.
In his view, this meant the slaves had accepted their fate.
If all the slaves in Sector Seven became obedient, then overseers like them would receive rewards from their masters.
"A dog will never know the joy of having its collar removed. If you want to remain a slave, that's your business—but I will not be a slave anymore!"
Because all the slaves' faces were covered in black grime, Hughes could not identify who had spoken.
Hughes himself had once come from Sector Seven.
Although slaves were often thrown into this area, most people here never had time to clean themselves. Often Hughes did not know who was who.
But the speaker's words made him wary, because the voice was full of vigor and did not sound like someone who had just endured days of exhausting labor.
"You—uh… uh… cough…!"
After Overseer Hughes realized something was wrong, he quickly reached for the bell hanging from his waist.
But just as he moved—
Several short swords, each nearly an arm's length long, plunged into his body.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
After seeing Hughes die in front of him, Amir hurriedly rang the bell at his waist.
The few overseers who had gone deeper into the passage to gather the slaves with hemp ropes soon met the same fate as Hughes.
"You won't get away with this!"
Amir, holding the bell, retreated while shouting loudly at the surrounding slaves.
At this moment, Amir had completely positioned himself as the enemy of the slaves.
He seemed to have forgotten that just over a month ago, he himself had been one of them.
"Kill him!"
"He used to be one of us…"
"No… not anymore…"
The Chainbreakers warrior who had spoken first glanced at the man and immediately gave the order to kill him.
Some of the surrounding slaves still wanted to plead for him.
But more people stated that Amir was beyond saving.
If he had not rung the bell and surrendered immediately, they might have spared him.
But from the moment he rang the bell, he had become their enemy.
"You won't—uh…!"
Amir, trapped and surrounded, still tried to resist.
Unfortunately, armed only with a leather whip and no real weapon, he was no match for the armed slaves.
Within moments, the man was stabbed into a hornet's nest by his former comrades.
"Freedom is something we must fight for ourselves—not something granted by the Tyroshi!"
"Blood for blood—I want freedom!"
"Blood for blood—I want freedom!"
Led by this Chainbreakers soldier, the slaves tied strips of blood-stained cloth around their arms.
This served as their identifying mark, meant to prevent accidental attacks among their own ranks.
By the time the Chainbreakers soldier led the slaves of Sector Seven out of the tunnels, the people outside were already fighting and killing wildly.
The mine slaves—whose bodies looked like lumps of black charcoal—opened passage after passage.
After opening them, they threw down weapons and the corpses of overseers.
In this way, whether the slaves below wished it or not, they were forced into the rebellion.
The Tyroshi would never care whether you had personally killed someone.
All they wanted was to "kill the chicken to frighten the monkeys."
Soon, large numbers of armed slaves poured out of countless sewer passages.
The warning sounds of the slave uprising quickly spread far and wide.
Before long, bells and war horns echoed throughout the entire city of Tyrosh.
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