Fear was as simple as it seemed.
Everyone longed to live. If they were not able to defeat their opponents or lost the hope to escape, they would be consumed by fear in a matter of minutes. Even if it were the soldiers with the firmest beliefs, they would still surrender in a fight that had no hope of winning. Soran's strength had made them despair. In a span of a few minutes, he killed 20 to 30 people, and even their leader, Narwhal. Beneath the pirate ship was the wandering Killer Whale, and if they escaped into the sea, they would only be fed the Killer Whale.
Fear came not only from the killing but from the unknown.