As time rolled on and Bahram Chubin found a haven of rest under the favor of the Khaqan of China, a tragic sorrow of that realm came to light. Deep within the stony, pitch-black mountains of China dwelt a monstrous dragon-beast known as the Shir-Kapi—a creature larger than a warhorse, with a golden-yellow hide, pitch-black ears and maw, and a dark mane falling like twisted ropes of musk. Its talons mirrored those of a ferocious lion, its roars shook the clouds, and with its terrible breath and sweeping tail, it could drag boulders from the earth, casting a pall of dread over the noble lords of China.
Khatun, the Queen of China, had once possessed a daughter of breathtaking beauty—a maiden with hair black as night, lips like polished rubies, and eyes like sorrowful narcissus flowers, precious beyond measure to her parents. On a fateful day in the past, while the Khaqan was away hunting with his host, the maiden walked across the verdant meadows. Suddenly, the Shir-Kapi descended from its high granite crag, drew her into its ravenous maw with its sweeping tail, and vanished into the mountain mists. For years, the Queen and the Khaqan burned in heart-wrenching grief, for no champion in all of China dared face the monster.
Yet after Bahram Chubin slew the champion Muqatura and proved his matchless valor, his renown echoed through the royal realm. One day, Queen Khatun beheld Bahram riding forth, resplendent with divine glory and attended by a hundred noble Iranian knights. Deeply moved by his majestic bearing, she resolved to seek his aid. Though the Khaqan hesitated out of royal pride, reluctant to reveal that his own warriors had failed before the beast, Khatun’s maternal sorrow could not be silenced.
During a grand feast held by the Khaqan, where Bahram was seated upon a golden throne of honor, Queen Khatun stepped forth from behind the royal curtain. She showered praises upon the Iranian hero and recounted the horrific plight of the Shir-Kapi that plagued the spring meadows, devouring the youth and warriors of China. Moved by her grief, Bahram Chubin swore by Almighty Yazdan, the Creator of the sun and moon, that at the break of dawn he would march to the black crags of the mountain and destroy the dragon forever.