As the radiant sun mounted its high throne in the vault of heaven, casting a golden canopy across the earth, the thunder of war-drums and the blare of trumpets resounded from the court of Tus. A mighty clamor rose across the realm; the vast clouds of dust kicked up by the cavalry obscured the sun, while the magnificent Kavian Banner glittered above, tinting the sky in shades of crimson, violet, and gold. Champions of the house of Goudarz and noble warriors descended from Nowzar gathered like a towering dark mountain before King Kay Kavus. The King solemnly bestowed the Royal Seal and the sacred Kavian Banner upon Tus, installing him as the supreme commander of the host. Kavus issued a strict royal decree: no farmer, artisan, or innocent civilian along the march was to suffer harm, for the righteous sword is drawn only against armed foes. Then, the King delivered a fateful warning: under no circumstances was the army to take the pass through Kalat. For in the mountain stronghold of Kalat dwelt Farud, the son of the slain prince Siyavash and Piran's daughter. Farud was a youth of divine radiance, the spitting image of his noble father, commanding his own mountain fortress. Kavus commanded Tus to take the desert route instead, avoiding any clash with Siyavash's line. Tus bowed his head in complete obedience, swearing to follow the King's command to the letter.