On a fine day, Kasra Nushin-Ravan set forth from the royal capital of Ctesiphon to pursue game across the wilderness. He galloped across the wide plains in pursuit of wild sheep and gazelles until the beasts scattered and fatigue weighed heavily upon the king. Leaving the arid waste behind, he happened upon a lush and shadowy meadow filled with verdant trees and sweet grasses. Beside him rode his faithful and wise counselor, Bozorjmehr, bound to his sovereign by both duty and profound affection.
Seeking respite, the Shah dismounted gracefully to rest his weary eyes upon the green foliage. As his army and attendants dispersed across the surrounding terrain in pursuit of game, the king lay down upon the soft meadow and fell into a deep, untroubled sleep.
As he slept, the sleeve slipped from his arm, exposing a magnificent armlet encrusted with precious jewels. From high above the clouds, a dark and mysterious black bird swooped down, landing directly beside the king’s pillow. Seeing the sleeping monarch unwatched and the glinting gems bare before it, the bird tore open the seams of the armlet with its beak. One by one, it swallowed the brilliant pearls and gleaming yellow rubies, then took flight and vanished into the skies.
Watching this grim spectacle, Bozorjmehr was filled with sorrow and foreboding. The sage vizier recognized the omen: the turning heavens were signaling a descent into hardship, and time itself was preparing to reveal its deceptive and terrifying nature.