Once the rock was thrown it was chaos. After coming to his senses Edward looked for the foreman, who was running around frantically trying to gain control of the crowd.
"Stop you idiots, you'll only make it worse."
Edward could see the foreman trying to pull men back from the fight but being shrugged off by each man. Edward still standing on the platform sees a woman being beat down by one of the guards while trying to stop him from beating her husband.
Like a match set off in his mind to ignite a larger much brighter flame, he decides now is the time to act "Hey listen up!" He shouts to the crowd.
At first now one hears him, then he meets the foreman's gaze and helps him onto the platform. They both begin to shout to the rioters. At first only the people by the platform listen.
So Edward and the foreman pull up more individuals until at least ten men are standing on the platform yelling. Edward turns to the foreman "I know you think this will only cause problems but there are already problems here, we can fix it." The foreman looks as though he wants to protest but he instead doesn't say anything.
Now the a large amount of the crowd are paying attention Edward speaks. "Hey, we need to work together!" "Form a line!" The crowd is unsure at first but then foreman speaks up instead " Hey! We need to stand up for what's right and fix our town. What's the point of working ourselves to death if things just get worse, just listen and maybe we can fix this!"
"For too long the working class has been oppressed and spat on by those who think because they have the power right now they're better than us!" Edward said these words with more than just rage behind them, but vitriol. Of all the people listening to Edward in the crowd, none were more moved than Anton. While living in the high society world of his father; Anton never got very closely associated with the pain of those in the underbelly of the world. Hearing the way Edward spoke, the pain behind his words. Anton felt for not only Edward but all of those who were hurt by society.
Anton shouts " well, come on! Are you going to let them walk all over you forever or are you going to take a stand and fight for your lives back! Don't let men like him call themselves a leader and then sit back in their towers of opulence and lies. They thrive in their lies protecting themselves from any criticism by pretending to alleviate the problem why never doing so much as to even lift a finger!"
The crowd shouts in agreement and begin to form a line pushing back the guards. The town guards who were already outnumbered, were now struggling to contain the rioters and ran back to the mayors office where the crowd was marching. There was such a tangible hate in the air. It was almost as if that much hate was so strong that it enveloped any person who got close enough to join the crowd was immediately swallowed by the wave of anger, pain and resentment built on years of living in squalor and oppression.
The mayor's house was what was once known as the town hall. Was now and opulent garish building of brick and marble. It's located in the. Center of town. With a large gate that had been built around it to keep the public away. The guards pulled back to the gates and stood prepared to defend the mansion. As the rioters grew they began to storm the estate. Making torches and throwing bricks at the guards. While it seemed clear that all of the power was solely at the mayors feet. If watched closely enough you would be able to tell that in reality the power never left the people and he was just playing the part of being in charge, the people run the shops, clean the streets. The whole of the city is run by its citizens. The mayor is merely a figurehead who the people have grown accustomed to listening to, that's where the real power is. The people just need to be reminded that it was always theirs. Anton watched in awe as the group charged the building. Of course some were injured, a few even died. But they watched as the mayor's guards turned on him and let the crowd move past the gates. They dragged the mayor out in the streets, throwing rocks, kicks and insults alike. To them he was nothing more than an insignificant parasite who preyed upon the work of others, not carrying for what the cost of lives was. The crowd killed him in the town square, and they hung him from a statue of himself he'd commissioned.
" You should never treat them like dirt. Each individual matters; that's not only where the power to govern comes from, but the power to lead. The unbreakable human spirit. When enough people come together anything is achievable." Edward looked at Anton continuing
" Even… creating a place where the people have the power and one that's free from suffering, where children no longer have to watch their parents be killed, pass away from sickness. Slavery doesn't exist, food isn't impossible to acquire."
Anton looks back at Edward shocked " So you'll do it! You'll help lead the town?" "Yea, I wasn't sure it was really possible but you showed it could be. Done these brought about change, so why don't we help them along the path so the can thrive, and we can make that place we talked about."