Rakhsh- Persian CreatureCreature · Beast

The Selection

When the young Rostam needed a war-horse, herds from Kabul and Zabulistan were brought before him. Every horse collapsed under the pressure of his hand on its back. Finally, Rakhsh appeared: a rose-colored stallion with leopard-like spots, enormous and fierce. When Rostam tested him, the horse stood firm. His mother had guarded him so fiercely that no one had dared approach, but Rostam claimed the wild stallion. When the herdsman asked for payment, Rostam declared that Rakhsh's price was fighting Iran's enemies.

Companion in War

For centuries, Rakhsh served not as a mount but as a fellow warrior. During the Seven Labors, he killed a lion that attacked while Rostam slept and sensed the approaching dragon before his rider did. In battle, he charged into enemies and trampled them. The rose-colored horse was feared as much as the champion on his back.

The Tragic End

Rostam and Rakhsh died together, victims of treachery. Rostam's half-brother Shaghad conspired with the king of Kabul to dig a pit filled with upturned spears along a hunting path, then covered it with brush. Rakhsh sensed the danger and hesitated, but Rostam urged him forward. Both fell into the trap and were mortally wounded. With his last strength, Rostam took up his bow and shot Shaghad, pinning the traitor to a tree. Horse and rider perished together.