Just off the horizon Zuhair al Hassein could see the dragon flying above the hills. At this distance the dragon looked as if it were no bigger than a predator bird, but he knew that at least two leagues separated them. The dragon was immense and the black silhouette they saw now was the same color as the beast.
فرس الشمس، وقالت انها سوف يرانا
"Sunsteed, she will see us. We must return to the forest," said the centaur at his shoulder. One of the new additions to his small company of men. As tall as Zuhair was, he only came up to the horse-man's shoulder.
فرس الشمس كان القنطور عينه
Sunsteed the centaurs had named him yet they all called him that now: the centaurs, the refugees from Galt, and all of the keleshites that remained of the ten thousand that left their homeland of Qadira more than a year ago. The priestess encouraged the name. "There is power in a name," she told him one night, "and this name brings the power of a goddess with it. You only have to wield it as you wield Shihab al Din." The priestess was his shadow, always present and whispering her words of fire and conquest.
ركض زهير أصابعه من خلال لحيته
Zuhair ran his fingers through his beard as he watched the dragon. The beard was the priestess' idea as well; a symbol of wisdom she called it. The dragon was so far away that he couldn't actually see she her move. She is watching us already, he thought as he watched the dragon.
كانت التلال سافروا قصيرة ومتجددة
The hills they traveled were short and rolling, it would be easy enough for the dragon to come upon them of a sudden if she chose. "She saw us the moment we topped the hill," he told the centaur. "But lets not give her a chance to catch us in our camps or we'll fair no better than the merchants." He looked over his shoulder; under his banner (an emblazoned sun behind a falchion wreathed in flames) twenty centaurs and a score of men-at-arms, most no more thann boys, waited for his command. "Have the men split up into smaller groups and instruct them to keep their distance from each other."
قبل يومين أنها جاءت عبر القوافل التجارية
Two days ago they came across the merchant caravan. The dragon had torn the wagons apart and left two dozen corpses scattered on the ground. The bodies were grotesque--little more than bloated corpses with melted bits of flesh and muscle. The carrion birds hadn't even touched them, and Zuhair realized why when one fool tried to loot a coin pouch; even with the power of Sarenrae he was unable to restore the boy's fingers. Acid is an unpleasant way to die, he thought, better a clean death by sword or axe.
الالتفاف على قاعدة من التلال بدلا من التقريب قمم
They traveled slow, going around the base of the hills rather than rounding the tops. The entire time Zuhair kept his eye on the sky, watching for the dragon. He barely escaped the last encounter with her, when the scouts first reported the sightings and he took a sortie of men into the field. The beast was as large as the blade tree that once tried to devour him, with a wingspan of at least 30 feet. Half the men died in one breath. The warrior priest shivered at the memory.
لا خوف في السماء
"Do not fear the sky," the priestess said at his side.
ليس من السماء ، وأخشى
"It is not the sky, I fear. It is the dragon that flies in it."
فجر الزهور حياة أعلى من أي التنين يمكن أن يطير
"The Dawnflower lives higher than any dragon can fly. She will guide us through these lands and protect us from even them." She placed a hand on his arm.
قد يشعر زهير الحرارة من يدها من خلال هدفين له، فام
Zuhair could feel the heat from her hand through his vambrace. She is always hot, he thought, and wet. The warrior in him came out whenever she touched him and he could only think of her. Her robes today were translucent and revealed far more than even his sister would be comfortable with. He gently pulled away from her and went back to scanning the sky.
وربما ساعة الغسق بعيدا عندما سمعت زهير خوار
Dusk was maybe an hour away when Zuhair heard the bellow from right in front of him. He had been lost in thought and the sky, but he looked down just in time to see a club the size of a tree coming at his head. He ducked under the enormous club and saw a giant standing next to an outcropping of rocks. Even mounted as he was, the giant looked down on him and his arms were thicker than the club he wielded.
ضرب زهير حرب المدربين جواد خارجا مع الأسنان
Zuhair's war-trained steed struck out with tooth and hoof, distracting the giant and giving Zuhair time to launch himself from the saddle. He landed hard on the ground and drew Shihab al Din. Behind him the priestess screamed. How many are there? He saw one giant standing above two of his men, one lay motionless on the ground with a rock larger than his head still on top of his crushed chest. A third giant was crushing another man between two massive arms. A fourth faced off with a pair of centaurs.
ارسلت القنطور العملاقة مع سهولة
The centaurs dispatched their giant with ease, two of their hunting spears jutted out from the giants chest. They were already galloping toward the other giants.
عقد زهير سيف معقوف له في أمامه
Zuhair held his falchion out in front of him as he regained his feet. The hill giant reeked of something foul and decaying. He stepped to the side, positioning himself between the priestess and the remaining giants. He struck like a dervish even with the heavy, two-handed sword. The giant screamed and went down to one knee after being hamstrung. A cross slash opened his throat to finish him.
زهير ذهب إلى كاهنة الحصان "، وساعد من روعه
As the battle came to an end, Zuhair went to the priestess' horse and helped her down. The centaurs were strong warriors but his men were little more than boys. I wasn't so different than them a few years ago, he thought.
وكانت هذه الشركات العملاقة في انتظارنا
"Sunsteed, these giants were waiting for us." One of the centaurs beat his hooves restlesslessy against the ground as the other talked.
كمين؟ عمالقة تلة ليست وقحة جدا
"An ambush? The hill giants aren't so brazen as to ambush an armed host." Zuhair said. Something doesn't feel right. A ripple of goosebumps raised up along his skin as a shadow passed over him. Zuhair looked up to see death with wings.
وكان التنين الهائل ومغطاة بالكامل في جداول السوداء
The dragon was immense and completely covered in oily, black scales. From her head two bone-white horns curved forward to frame a maw lined with rows of razor sharp teeth. Her wings blocked out the sun as she passed overhead, so close that Zuhair could see the dark red embers of her eyes as she inspected the scene. She opened her mouth and roared.
صرخة الحرب دب البومة العظيمة وعواء الذئب غاضبا من الشتاء
Zuhair had heard the warcry of a great owl bear and the angry howl of a winter wolf, but those were nothing compared to the sound that came from the dragon. He could feel it in the air and it sent a dagger of fear to his gut, rooting him in place. He couldn't look away as she flew by.
تحول التنين الاسود في السماء لجعل آخر يمر
The black dragon turned in the sky to make another pass. The priestess yelled something at his side, snapping him out of his trance. By the Dawnflower, he thought and recited a prayer to Sarenrae, his protector. He felt the divine power flow through him and gather in his hand. "Sarenrae protect us with your fire and shield us from acid that would harm your servant." He had prepared for this encounter, but not like this--there was not enough time to give the blessings of protection to everyone. The dragon was above them again and this time when she opened her mouth the sky rained acid.
سمع زهير همسة من أول قطرة عندما اصطدمت درعه
Zuhair heard the sizzle of the first drop when it hit his armor and saw the putrid liquid bubble as it tried to dissolve the enchanted steel. The second drop landed on his cheek, and he felt the hot liquid melt the skin off his face. Beside him the priestess cried out. He reached out to her, grabbing her by the arm and releasing the energy stored in his hand. A nimbus of light surrounded her and the acid rolled harmlessly off her skin and clothes.
إله، حمايتي
"Sarenrae, protect me", he prayed. Then the full spray of the dragon breath hit him, coating him in thick, green acid. Zuhair lurched forward, falling to his knees before the priestess. He tried to wipe the acid from his face but it was too thick and he only succeeded in pulling away a glob of melted flesh.
زهير
"Zuhair!"
وذهب بعد ذلك العالم المظلم
He heard the priestess scream his name and then the world went dark.
