The mighty host of Fereydun arrived at the surging banks of the Arvand River. The young prince sent greetings to the guards of the waters, commanding them to bring forth the ships and skiffs so that his army of vengeance might cross without delay. But the river-keeper, bound by terrifying oaths to the Serpent King Zahhak, refused to comply. He declared: 'The Sovereign of the World gave me strict order in secret that not even a gnat should be permitted passage unless it bears a sealed permit and written authorization.'
When Fereydun heard this defiant refusal, wrath flared within his royal heart. Undaunted by the deep and perilous waters, he girt his royal waist, pulled the reins of his swift, ruby-coated charger Golrang, and plunged straight into the roaring current. Seeing their king brave the depths, his loyal champions and warriors tightened their belts and drove their swift steeds into the deluge. Saddles were submerged beneath the waves, yet every warrior reached the opposing shore unscathed.
Setting foot on dry land, their hearts burning for retribution, they turned their march toward Beit al-Muqaddas—known in the Pahlavi tongue as Gang-i Dizh-Hukht—the fortress city where Zahhak had reared his exalted palace. As they emerged from the plains near the city, Fereydun looked out from a mile away and beheld the tyrant's imperial palace. It shone bright as Jupiter in the heavens, its soaring hall towering so high it seemed to touch Saturn and scrape the stars.
Knowing this to be the lair of the Dragon King, Fereydun turned to his companion army and warned: 'He who rears such a majestic dome from the dark pit must hold deep secrets with Fate itself. Here, in this narrow pass of destiny, there can be no hesitation; we must strike with fury!'
With those words, he seized his heavy bull-headed mace, loosened the reins of his charger, and burst upon the palace guards like a raging flame. Raising his formidable weapon high above his saddlebow, he shattered the resolve of the palace gatekeepers, sending them scattering in terror. Invoking the name of the Creator of the World, the untried yet invincible prince rode his stallion through the grand gates and into the heart of the tyrant's palace.