Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Kyo Kara Maoh, this is purely fan-made.

(Chapter Updated 4/21/2019)

~Chapter 3: Rite of Passage~

(Chapter inspired by Orome by Oonagh)

At last, the night of the ceremony was upon them. And Yuri could feel all of his restless energy rising to its peek as he watched everyone finished making their final preparations to celebrate the Rite of the Hunt along with him and to pray for his safety upon entering the forest as a hunter-to-be by offering their prayers to the spirits and the Will of the Forest. Many of the villagers were already dressed up in their finest traditional garbs for the Wild Dance where they would all dance around the bonfire and pray to the spirits of the forest for their protection for them to over those proud youths participating in their first hunt...

Although this year, they would only be praying for Yuri's sake.

A great feast was also being prepared for Yuri which was yet another time honored tradition for the Rite so that if food supplies ever became scarce during the Hunt he would most likely still have the energy to press on by getting by on only what he had eaten during the feast. It was traditional for everyone to set a small portion of their meal aside too for each of the hunters to add to their supplies for the journey. However, since it was only Yuri traveling into the forest this year, the village elder decided that he would provide the extra supplies himself once the feast concluded to avoid giving him too much to carry during his journey.

As was custom, the villagers were taught only to hunt as much as they needed to survive and to give thanks to the forest and the earth and then to store whatever extra food they had somewhere that the whole village could access in times of need in case it was needed to help get through the winter. Whenever a young man was coming of age however they were allowed to indulge a little and enjoy feasting together like this as a community. There were a few other ceremonies where feasting was allowed, and these three were primarily the Summer Solstice, the Winter Solstice, and last but not least there was the Autumn Feast where they celebrated the harvest and once again made sure to share whatever access supplies were left over to ensure the survival of the entire village during times of hardship and famine. Of course, there were other holidays where small-scale feasts were allowed, but everyone took great care never to become too gluttonous and anger the forest by taking more than they gave back in return, such as replanting as many seeds as trees they cut down for firewood or sparing a creature's life if it was accompanied by it's young if they already had enough food to sustain themselves and so on.

It wasn't as if they feared the Forest's wrath as some people would claim, the reason they were able to live in harmony with the forest was because they were taught from a young age that as long as you respected all of nature and the spirits and only took what you need to survive then the Will of the Forest would bless those who proved their love and devotion. The Will of the Forest was not cruel to those who disobeyed, they only withheld their blessings and left nature to do as it will without raising their hand to influence it. No, the only time the spirits unleashed their wrath was when Mankind took more than their fair share or tainted the forest. That's why their village, whose people mutually respected the forest and its inhabitants very highly, worked very hard to coexist with the spirits and beasts alike so they could live in peace along its edge. Because otherwise they really would end up like so many other villages who were Claimed by the forest as punishment for their willful and arrogant ways.

That was the world they lived in.

From the dawn of time, the Forest has given and taken many lives, for although they were blessed with a better understanding of it, life and death went hand in hand and not everyone survived their hunt. The rest was a matter of skill and wit. So their village did whatever they could to remind each other that even the most skilled hunter is considered as much a beast as the prey they must kill to survive, and that kinship should never be forgotten. Neither should it be forgotten that only the bravest of warriors should dare venture into the forest because it was still a wild, uncontrollable thing which no amount of praying could tame; and having the spirit's favor could only take one so far to help them survive its unpredictable nature...

"Now, let us go over this one last time," the village elder explained as Yuri stood before him in the council chamber. "Because this year's hunting party is so small, it will only be you and the person acting as your 'Spirit Guide' traveling into the forest after the feast. They will lead you as far as the hunting grounds we've chosen for you this year where you will begin your Rite before you'll be left on your own in the forest. As you well know Yuri, it has been a long time since only one hunter has come of age in our village so instead of the usual boar you would usually kill by working together with your fellow hunters, I've decided to change your target to a stag. Of course, even hunting one of them could prove to be just as dangerous because this in the time of year when they're all looking for potential mates and are therefore more aggressive. However, as we have always taught the rest of our young hunters, if you cannot fell your intended target then you may seek out whatever prey you can find and bring their pelt back as proof of your success. But remember, you'll only receive the highest honor if you take down the intended target. Therefore, do not feel as though you have to settle for less unless the situation demands it and do your best out there. This is not a contest, Yuri. It is a test of your skill as a hunter to prove to yourself and your family that you can help provide for the village and one day your own children. And don't feel discouraged if you cannot find anything on your first day out there or even during the rest of your hunt, because there is also honor to be found in the art of survival alone. Also, if your first hunt fails, you are allowed to ask for a second chance to try again at least six months or so after your birthday to redeem yourself. Do you understand Yuri?"

Yuri nodded vigorously and beamed at him excited, "Yes, of course, elder! I'll do my best out there and I won't let you down!"

Nodding in approval, the aged village elder sat back in his seat and chuckled to himself, "I'll admit, sometimes having to act so formally in front of everyone all the time is such a terrible bore so I'm glad I didn't have to repeat any of that. So now that that's out of the way we can focus on enjoying some of the festivities, which I am very much looking forward to! Though, I'm sure your excitement far exceeds mine my boy," he winked playfully.

Laughing, Yuri replied, "You never change, even at your age you still act like such a kid when no ones around! And speaking of kids, by the way, did you know that Al was back in town?"

The elder nodded, "It just so happens that did know that. Sand speaking of which Alford came to see me a short while ago to ask if he could personally act as your 'Spirit Guide' this year before he leaves again. He decided to stay a little longer than planned just to make sure you're taken care of."

"Really? Al did that just for me?" Yuri blinked, honestly surprised that Al would personally ask for something like that, especially when he was so busy.

"Indeed. And frankly, he was quite insistent," the elder added thoughtfully, stroking his long beard with a warm caring smile. "Alford must still think of you as his younger brother my boy. Either that or he's concerned about what's been going on in the forest just like your father and I am. We've reduced the hunt to three days rather than the usual span of a week though and while there shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't stray too far from the path in pursuit of your game, we're all feeling more than a little concerned for your safety since you're precious to us all."

Closing his eyes, Yuri agreed with him and admitted, "I've felt it too. The forest is feeling more restless but I'm not afraid. My father taught me everything he possibly could to prepare me for this and I'm ready. I want to make him proud. And I want to make the whole village proud, but I know that in the end this isn't about them, it's me. I have to shape my own destiny and learn from those mistakes. That's the only way I'll grow stronger as a person for my sake and the people I care about."

"Well said Yuri!" the elder smiled happily. "Now, you'd best be off. The ceremony will begin shortly and I'm sure that your father would like to see you and share some last minute wisdom with his son before then."

Yuri opened his eyes, which were glittering brightly, and nodded with a matching smile, "Right."

Meanwhile, while Yuri was still busy going over the details of the ceremony with the village elder, Conrad waited patiently for his son in the tavern while sharing a few drinks with his friend Yosak. The two of them spoke idly at first, but as it grew later their conversation veered more towards what Conrad asked Yosak to do for him before, which was to watch over Yuri during his hunt. They also spoke a bit about the good old days when they were younger and used to play with wooden swords and race each other on horseback. By unspoken consent though, neither of them spoke about Julia or their days serving in the army as soldiers together since those were things that both of them would rather forget, as it brought back too many sad or painful memories...

"Hey kiddo, we're over here!" Yosak waved suddenly, catching Conrad off guard while he was too lost in thought to notice his son's presence.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Yuri approaching them at the bar while carrying his pack and the hunting knife Conrad presented him was now tightly secured to his belt.

"Hi, Yosak!" Yuri beamed brightly, "How have you been?"

"Been doing great as always of course!" Yosak winked, smacking Conrad heartily on the shoulder, "Just been catching up with your old man here."

Conrad rolled his eyes and retorted, "You're much older than me Yosak so I believe that makes you the old man here, not me."

"Me, old? Never!" Yosak snorted before joking, "Didn't you hear? I'm going to live forever! As long as nobody tries to stick me like a pig that is once they find out I like disguising myself as a girl to get information."

"Yosak!" Conrad hissed sharply, blushing slightly, "Not in front of Yuri."

"What? I was just joking," Yosak shrugged as he stood up to bequeath his seat to Yuri and started to leave, "Besides, everybody loves me so that'll never happen either. Anyways, I'll see you kids later at the ceremony! Be sure to bring that big appetite of yours!"

Watching him go, Yuri laughed, "Honestly I don't know how you manage to keep up with him sometimes. Yosak is always so energetic so I can see why you usually have to reign him in from time to time like you did just now, guess that's how come you can handle having a son like me who's almost just as bad! But then again, it's not like I'm really a kid anymore. Besides, you really didn't have to snap at him like that. I think everyone in the village already knows Yosak likes to play dress up, it's only visitors we have to worry about getting the wrong idea about us."

"I know, but it still worries me sometimes that thanks to Yosak's favorite pass time you might get funny ideas and start dressing up that way too and lose any chance of finding a good wife someday," Conrad sighed, waiting for Yuri to sit down beside him before continuing, "It's just that sometimes his jokes are a bit too crude for my liking that's all."

"Isn't that part of my charm?" Yosak whispered in Conrad's ear after sneaking up on him instead of leaving right way and hugging his friend from behind like some flirty barmaid.

"Get out of here Yosak!" Yuri yelled with a playful scowl on his face, "I'm trying to have a serious conversation with my father here if you don't mind!" With a sly wink, Yosak didn't say anything else as he withdrew his arms from around his best friend and finally left the two of them alone.

After leaving the tavern once they finished reviewing everything Conrad had taught him over the years one last time, the two of them made their way to the bonfire roaring in the center of the clearing just outside the village where they held most of their festivities and performed the village's ceremonies. This was where the feast was being served and once they arrived they saw that some of the villagers already dancing around the fire. The air was humming with energy and Yuri could feel his whole body quivering with each and every drumbeat or thrill of the pan flute. It was like the earth beneath their feet had a heartbeat pounding in time with the light footsteps of each danger circling the fire and the wind had a voice whispering softly in their ears as it sang in time with the music...

Yuri never felt this way before during any of the other coming of age ceremonies, but then again he supposed it was because this time it was his own and not someone else's. And so, after getting an approving nod from Conrad, Yuri happily joined the fray and started to dance with his friends around the fire. He never felt so free before and content to dance like this with such wild abandon, not caring how he looked and feeling his muscles ripple with each elegant movement. It was as if his spirit was moving him in ways that Yuri wasn't conscious of and guiding him along through a deeper more primal instinct to move to the music praising the spirits of the forest and the Will of the Forest itself.

Eventually, Conrad also joined the dance until it was time for everyone to settle down for the feast and listen to the Telling, which was basically just a fancy way of saying they were about to start listening the other hunters who had already come of age tell stories about their own hunts and give Yuri advice on what to do during his. As for the feast itself, there was a wide array of dishes to choose from like freshly baked bread, ash-wolf meat, and a wide range of fruits and vegetables. And most of the dishes were prepared with the idea of them being easily preserved and would last for a long time in case the hunt was a lengthy one. At the end of the feast, that's usually when each villager would set aside part of their meal as an 'offering' to their prospective hunters, but this year the elder told them he was taking care of that this year since it was only Yuri going into the forest.

As humble as all of the dishes were, they were delicious! And a few of the villagers who helped prepare the feast even gave Yuri some of their spare salt and small satchels of the various herbs and spices they used on the meat dishes as a gift. Not that Yuri was planning on making any gourmet meals or anything but he appreciated the gesture. And the nice thing about these gifts is that they would last a very long time even when he wasn't out hunting...

Before long, the festivities started to wind down and the village elder called for everyone's attention. Silence fell, and all eyes drifted towards the elderly man and Al who were both standing with their backs against the bonfire while facing the table where Yuri sat. And boy did Al really look the part of a spirit guide in his traditional hunting garb. It was leather outfit with a scale-like design burned directly onto the thick fabric which made it appear almost as though Al was wearing actual dragon skin. The war-paint on his face also gave him a dragon-like appearance. But despite looking very formidable, the smile never left his face as he stood there proudly and looked down at Yuri fondly, very happy that he was visiting the village again just in time to do this for his childhood friend.

Every hunter who came of age was presented with a symbol that represented their spirit and each one of them had a special meaning. The Dragon of course, which was Alford's spirit beast was the symbol of the fire-blood and awarded to those with great strength and spirit. There were others too such as the Unicorn, a symbol of the mist-vale and represented wisdom, light footing, and patience; the Pegasus, a symbol of the sky-stride and represented speed, vitality, and far-sight; the Wolf, a symbol of the moon-song and represented unity, cunning, and endurance; the Stag was the symbol of the forest-prince and represented instinct, foresight, and sharp senses and so on…

There were countless other beasts of legend which represented different traits and skills, but these were the most common symbols in their village that were used the most. But, there was one other spirit animal that was perhaps the rarest and most honorable symbol that any hunter, in their village at least, would be beside themselves with joy to receive...

And that was the symbol of the Lion, the symbol of the beast-king himself that ruled over all the beasts of the forest and represented courage, leadership, and skill. It was the same symbol his father, Conrad, received when he came of age many years ago when he came to live here with his father and eventually met Yosak and Yuri's mother, Julia. That was the spiritual beast sign Yuri was hoping for, but…what he didn't know was that in truth, the symbol of the Lion held a much deeper meaning concerning his bloodline and receiving it was about to change his life forever.