Chapter One, Agony
Labor. Hard, heavy labor. It was not the sun that bothered me, nor the beasts at my side, but the constant strain of pulling open and pushing closed the extreme weight of metal gates made by humans. Human-made gates, the infernal creatures. Chains had my horns, my wrists, my neck. I was bound to the creatures in front of me and held firm to my captors from behind. They would whip me if I did not move at the desired rate. I would not cry out, but grit my teeth against the pain that bit into my flesh. Once well into the night, they would lead me by the chains around my neck like a Saarebas! They would tie me to a hut, and set say on the ground for me to sleep on, I cried. . .
Night had finally fallen. After two months, the Antaam has given in to weakness and exhaustion. I sobbed into my hands, debating if I should end my life rather than continue on like this. A once powerful creature was now a slave to a lesser race. I thought of my brothers who had been taken with me. Surely, they are dead, I thought to myself wearily. They were men of war, violent. Humans do not enjoy being resisted. My tears stopped at a noise in the tall trees looming over my head. I sat up, cautious. A pair of pale yellow eyes was staring at me. I blinked my deep golden ones, this must be some illusion! But no. . . a long scaled body slithered out of the trees.
"Atashi," I whispered. Dragon. The small hairs along my neck stood on end. Never had I seen a creature such as this. It breathed smoke and sparks from its nostrils. It came closer, then spoke.
"What are you?" I held my breath, taken aback for a moment. I took no longer than that moment to reply.
"You should tell me first." The creature growled, leaning over me. Flames licked at its tongue, threatening to devour me at any moment. I stiffened, fear showing on my face as blurred memories of fire and death danced behind my eyes. I had been terrified of fire for as long as I could remember, and I have been alive for a very long time. It hissed.
"I asked first." It said.
"I am Qunari. Sarepta to my family, Antaam to my people." Of course, Qunari do not truly have families like humans or dwarves do. My family was my closest companions. It snorted laughter at me, and I felt my blood turn hot at its mocking sound.
"A Qunari with a name? I think you're lying. I think you're a traitor." I snarled now, enraged that it would assume such a thing.
"I have NOT, nor will I ever, betray my people. I am old enough to own a name. I am one of the oldest." It laughed again and I could feel my already short temper grow shorter and shorter.
"No need to snarl, princess." It mocked, scooting closer. I turned my back to it.
"Leave me," I said, my tone as firm as a mountain. It reached up with a leg, scratching behind a long ear like a flea-bitten beast.
"I don't think I will," It mused. "You're the most interesting thing I've seen in 50 years."
"Leave me, creature! I have no time, nor the tolerance for your games." It scoffed as I demanded the same thing again, and then turned.
"Very well," It replied, snaking back towards the tree it came from. I closed my golden eyes, clenching my hands into fists.
"Wait," I called, trying my hardest not to sound desperate. "If you can get me out, I would be much more tolerant. I have been in these chains for over two months." It stared at me with a piercing gaze, and then sat.
"If I get you out, you have to let me stick around." It bargained. I did not want such an ominous creature at my side, but It was my only means of escape. I hesitated before I gave my answer.
"Fine." It smiled its victory with long, ivory teeth as white as the moon. It grabbed my chains with its clawed paws and slowly, but surely, started stretching and pulling them apart. I could hear the strain of the metal. It had a pained expression on its scaled face and groaned.
"Help." I jerked myself, pulling free of the bonds. I could have cried for joy, but I did not dare. Instead, I took the Atashi's great paws and pulled it out of the village with me.
"Stay here. I will go and search for the others who were taken with me, and my blade." It laughed.
"A female, Qunari warrior?" It grinned.
"No. I am higher than a warrior." With that, I made my way back into the human village.
End of Chapter One.