King Lohrasp sat long in profound reflection, contemplating the extraordinary reports arriving from the land of Rome. Realizing that the legendary youth who had slain the monstrous dragon, felled the fierce lion, and won the hand of Katayun could be none other than his vanished son Goshtasp, Lohrasp summoned his noble brother Zarir. Declaring that no time should be lost, Lohrasp ordered the royal regalia—the royal throne, golden shoes, the crown, and the sacred Kavian Banner—to be borne to Goshtasp, surrendering the sovereignty of Iran to him.
Yet to preserve the majesty and terrifying power of Iran, Lohrasp instructed Zarir to assemble a formidable, vengeance-seeking army and march directly to the borders of Aleppo, proclaiming nothing but war to the host. Zarir readily obeyed and gathered a splendid army of freeborn nobles, descendants of Kay Kavus, Gudarz, Kesvad, and Zarasp, featuring fierce champions such as Bahram the lion-slayer and Riveniz. Riding without rest like the blazing sacred fire Azargashasp, the Iranian force arrived at Aleppo, unfurling the auspicious Kavian Banner and raising their royal pavilions.
Leaving the main host under the command of the haughty Bahram, Zarir rode toward Caesar's court in the manner of a diplomatic envoy, accompanied by five wise and formidable champions. Entering Caesar's hall where the ruler sat alongside Qalus and Goshtasp, Zarir stood tall as a cypress and took his place upon a noble seat, delivering formal greetings. Caesar questioned why Iran had treated the valiant youth Goshtasp so harshly. Zarir replied strategically that the youth had grown weary of servitude and fled. Hearing this, Goshtasp remained utterly silent, acting as though he remembered nothing of Iran.
Zarir then delivered Lohrasp's fierce ultimatum: if Caesar did not act with justice and send Goshtasp back, Iran's victorious armies would march on Rome, leaving none behind in Iran. Zarir sternly warned that Iran was no weak Khazar realm, nor was Lohrasp like Elias to be intimidated. Caesar, unawed by the threat, boldly accepted the challenge of war, declaring he would test his strength on the battlefield. Hearing Caesar's defiant reply, noble Zarir grew somber, filled with deep foreboding for the conflict to come.