Young Yusuf holds the sword, his dark eyes reflecting the sunrise over the mountains. He speaks quietly, but every word lands like a hammer: "I will take back every inch of land taken from us. I will treat my enemies with justice, even when they show me none. I will be a servant of Allah, not a king of pride. And I will enter Jerusalem… not as a destroyer… but as a man who prays in its streets once more."
"Ten knights. Twelve infantry. Two archers. The wagon has wine barrels, not arrows. They are relaxed." sultan salahuddin ayyubi episode 1
The night wind howls over the ruins of a fortress near Tikrit. Torches flicker against the black stone as a young Kurdish woman, , clutches her newborn son close to her chest. Her husband, Najm ad-Din Ayyub , a governor for the Zengid Empire, paces anxiously. Young Yusuf holds the sword, his dark eyes
Najm ad-Din looks back at the fortress he is sworn to protect. He whispers a prayer, then lifts his infant son——into the saddle. "You are born in exile, my son," he says softly. "Perhaps one day, you will build a home for all of us." I will be a servant of Allah, not a king of pride
Opening Scene: The Road to Mosul, 1138 CE
"Good. Now—attack."