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Today was a special day, according to Hanzo's father. There had been a ceremony a few weeks ago in which the entire Shimada clan had gathered around the stone altar that stood in the center of their home in the mountains to partake in the blessing of the first son born to their leader. All eyes had been focused on the small cub that had been placed on the altar and all mouths had remained closed as the prayers were said to bless the heir. The cub had yet been still too young to speak or do much but mew as the shaman performed the various rituals and sacrifices that would bind the spirit guardians of the clan to him. Blood spattered the altar and the cub, but Hanzo hadn't seemed to mind. In fact, the tiny paws had found a toy in the intestines of the hare that had been slain.

But today was the culmination of all that...for the time being at least. Hanzo was now able to stand and run and play, he could talk and laugh and was learning already how to fight. A successful pouncing lesson was the final key to the ceremony, and he found himself once again on the stone altar, flies no longer buzzing around the dried blood and bones that had been left for this purpose. Hanzo sat very still even though he wanted to run and bat at the bones, but the ever watchful eye of his father kept him in place.

The shaman spoke more words and procured a beautiful yellow ribbon, shining when the sun caught it just right. The cub's dark eyes widened with delight as the gift was brought to him and he held very still as the long cloth was wrapped around his neck a few times, then around one leg as it had a bit of a tail left. He looked down at the shiny ribbon, the yellow glinting in his eyes from the reflection.

But his moment of awe had soon passed. Those gathered were turning to leave and the shaman was murmuring to him softly. Summon his spirit guide? What? How was he supposed to do that?

He was left alone on the altar. He peered over the edge, but a final glare from his father had let him know he wasn't to leave until he had...summoned his spirit guide or something like that.

"Hello?" he called out softly, looking down at the ribbon. He stroked it with a paw, enjoying the silky feel for a few moments before trying again. "Hello!" His voice echoed around the mountains but still, nothing.

"Spirit guide," he tried again, turning in circles on the altar. "Please come, I would really like to get down from this place." He sat down by the bones of the hare and sighed, finally giving in and batting at the skull. It skittered across the stone altar before tipping over the edge. Hanzo winced as he heard it shatter as it hit the stone ground. Whoops.

He got up and moved to peer over the edge, looking at the carnage he had caused. He hummed softly, his tail swishing back and forth, before he jumped off the ledge and moved to sniff around in the now broken skull, wondering if any brains were left.

Hanzo was disappointed to find any brains were long gone, the scavengers seeing to that long before he had been replaced on the altar. He sighed and sat down before wiggling his arm, trying to undo the knots that had been tied into the ribbon. He wanted to play with it, not have it wrapped around his arm and neck!

Struggling a bit, he flopped onto his side and began to chew on the fabric, thinking he might be able to rip it, but he was surprised to find his sharp little teeth didn't so much as catch on a thread. Pulling his paw out of his mouth, he scowled at the ribbon. What kind of fun was this?

The voice had him back on his paws in an instant, though. Soon his training would teach him to be taunt, ready to spring, but for now he was relaxed and curious as a large cub approached him.

"Hanzo," he said readily. "Who are you?"

When his question wasn't answered an instead another was asked, Hanzo's curious demeanor changed instantly. He bared his little teeth and lowered his head a bit, protecting the shiny ribbon from the larger cub.

"It has been in my family for as long as anyone can remember," he said, his tiny voice firm. "It is my birthright and my spirit guardian will come when I call, so you better run before I do! You can't have it!" Little claws poked out from tiny toes as the small cub growled threateningly...or, at least as threateningly as he could. He'd chase this would-be thief far out of the mountains before he let him have his ribbon!

Hanzo didn't give up ground as the larger cub approached, his claws and teeth still out and ready for a fight. He was sure if he called for help his father would be back in a moment and there would be more blood to spill on the altar, but at the same time he didn't want to look weak. He was the heir, after all. He needed to be able to take care of himself.

The challenge made him raise his head, dark eyes still narrowed. So far his spirit guide hadn't answered, but perhaps now it would.

"Spirit guide," he called out, his voice high but powerful despite his youth. "I summon you!" And now all he could do was hope that it would work. It hadn't so far...perhaps the third time would be the charm.

Hanzo's proud stance was reduced to that of a cowering cub as the snow and mist and pebbles around the cub began to swirl, growing in size, until they fell away to reveal a massive lion. He stared with wide eyes and an open jaw for a few moments before the huge lion spoke. The huge lion with a horn.

"You are my spirit guide?" he asked, his voice no longer powerful, but shaky and awestruck all at once. This was the biggest lion he'd ever seen, not to mention the only one that had ever had a horn growing out of his head. Not that Hanzo had been alive very long to see many lions, of course, but he was familiar with other species of predators and none of them had horns.

Hesitantly he approached the god, staring up at him with more confidence now than he had a moment or two ago. The ribbon was still wound tightly around his paw and a bit more loosely around his neck, but now it felt warm and seemed to shine with the power of the god before him.

"...you're really big," he pointed out quietly as he stopped in front of him.

Hanzo tilted his head one way, then the other as the god introduced himself. Airion...Patience...how interesting! A little smile formed on his muzzle as he walked forward and put his much smaller paws on one of the god's before looking up at him again, his tail swaying back and forth.

"You didn't come right away," he said curiously. "Did you not hear me call? Or did I call you wrong?" He pointedly ignored the question the god had asked, taking a page from his book from earlier. Hanzo was young, but he picked on those types of things very quickly.

He would show Airion around, of course. Just after he had had his question answered, just as Airion had done.

"Oh."

Hanzo thought on that for a bit. He needed to call his new guardian with conviction and with purpose, which was what he had done the third time. The first time had really just been a simple question and greeting, and the second had been a bit unsure. Now that he knew what he needed to do he was sure he could do it faster.

A glance up at Airion had him smiling again as he hopped off the large paw, his tail up in the air as he led the white lion from the open space around the altar into the cave that made up the home of the pride. "Well, become un-rusty. I will call you when I need you so you better get here quick! Now come with me, I will show you to Father. He told me I had to summon you before I could leave, so I don't want him thinking I didn't do it properly."