As Goudarz son of Kashvad took his seat, Tus son of Nowzar stepped forward and kissed the ground before King Kay Khosrow. Speaking with proud devotion, he invoked his exalted lineage stretching back to Fereydun and Key Qobad, reminding the assembly of a lifetime spent with loin girded in unwavering service to the realm of Iran. He recalled the dreadful siege upon Mount Hamavan, where his heavy mail-coat had clung to his wounded flesh like a shroud; his ceaseless night vigils guarding the host during the long war of vengeance for Prince Siyavash; his unyielding courage on the battle plain of Lavan within the very jaws of danger; and his bitter captivity in Mazandaran alongside King Kay Kavus. Never had he abandoned the royal host or left a warrior's plea unanswered. Now, as the righteous King stood sated with earthly crowns and treasuries, ready to abandon this transient world, Tus offered his sword and heart for the King's final decree.
Kay Khosrow listened intently to the old general, replying that the trial and toil Tus had borne exceeded all measure of mortal effort. Thereupon, the King committed the sacred Kavian Banner—the ultimate emblem of Iranian sovereignty and Divine Glory—into the hands of Tus, designating him supreme military commander adorned with the golden boots of office. A royal decree granting him sovereign governance over the vast realm of Khorasan was drafted and witnessed by the empire's greatest chieftains. Setting his golden seal upon the covenant, Kay Khosrow presented Tus with a necklace of pure gold and a golden girdle, showering him with royal blessings so that no shadow of bitterness might ever cloud the heart of the veteran warrior.