The Forbidden City (The Dragon's Legacy Book 2)
Page 50
Shahad: Zeerani pride
Shehannam (the Dreaming Lands): the otherworld, a place of dreams and strange beings
shenu: a board game popular in the Zeera
shofar (pl. shofarot): wind instrument made from the horn of an animal
shofar akibra: a magical instrument fashioned from the horn of the golden ram
shongwei: an intelligent, carnivorous sea creature
Sindan: empire that stretches from Nar Kabdaan in the west to Nar Intihaan in the east
Sindanese: of Sindan
Snafu: patron divine of fuckups
Sundering: cataclysm that took place roughly one thousand years before the events of this story
surdus: deaf to atulfah
Tai Bardan (Mountains of Ice): mountain range in Sindan east of Khanbul
Tai Damat (Mountains of Blood): mountain range in Sindan on the Great Salt Road, north of Khanbul
tarbok: goat-sized herd animal, plentiful near rivers and oases
touar: head-to-toe outfit worn by the Zeerani wardens: head wrap and veils, calf-length robe, loose trousers, all blue
Twilight Lands: a land at once part of and separated from the world of Men; home of the Dae
usca: a strong alcoholic beverage popular in the Zeera
Uthrak: Zeerani pride
vash’ai: large, intelligent saber-tusked cats. Vash’ai are kin, descended from the first races
Wild Hunt (also the Hunt): deadly game played by the Huntress, a powerful being who enforces the rules of Shehannam
wyvern: intelligent flying kin
yendaeshi: trainer, mentor, and master to the Daechen and Daezhu
Yosh: name of the wicked spirit or deity that rules Jehannim
youthmistress/master (istaza/istaz): Zeerani adults in charge of guiding and teaching the pride’s young people
Zeera: a desert south of the Great Salt Road, known for its singing dunes, hostile environment, and remote barbarian prides
Zeeranim: people of the desert
Zeeravashani: a Zeerani person who has bonded with a vash’ai
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to give a nod of thanks to…
My readers. I love you guys.
My rockstar agent, Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media.
My Dark Editorial Overlord, Steve Saffel of Titan Books.
Alice Nightingale, again, for initially acquiring The Dragon’s Legacy and applauding my every success.
Nick Landau, Vivian Cheung, Paul Gill, Miranda Jewess, Ella Chappell, Samantha Matthews, Julia Lloyd, Chris McLane, Lydia Gittins, Katharine Carroll, and Polly Grice of Titan Books, for believing in my story.
My high-school English teacher, Deane O’Dell, who against all odds kindled the love of literature in the heart of an ungrateful young barbarian.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deborah A. Wolf was born in a barn and raised on wildlife refuges, which explains a lot. As a child, whether she was wandering down the beach of an otherwise deserted island or exploring the hidden secrets of bush Alaska with her faithful dog Sitka, she always had a book at hand. She opened the forbidden door, set foot upon the tangled path, and never looked back.
She attended any college that couldn’t outrun her and has accumulated a handful of degrees, the most recent of which is a Master of Science in Information Systems Management from Ferris State University. Among other gigs, she has worked as an underwater photographer, Arabic linguist, and grumbling wage slave. Throughout it all, Deborah has held onto one true and passionate love: the art of storytelling.
Deborah currently lives in northern Michigan with her kids (some of whom are grown and all of whom are exceptional), an assortment of dogs and horses, and two cats, one of whom she suspects is possessed by a demon.