The Tigress and the Monkey

Chapter One: Hissy Fit

   A temple stands resilient within the cool, humid rainforest, during noontime. The faint, light sounds of rainwater trickling down the lush leaves of the trees, lulls the tigress queen to sleep. She lays upon the thick branch of a dawn redwood tree, napping in the shade, her tail swaying slowly as she dreams. The bamboo wind pipes hanging within her temple sang an airy, yet gentle and soothing tune, harmonizing with the tranquility of the rainforest. Every now and then, the young tigress would stretch and reposition herself on her comfortable branch. Abruptly, within the peacefulness of the forest, a disturbance, the sound of rustling leaves, evoked the tigress queen. Her golden irises illuminate in the noontime sun. She sits up and looks around, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Her ears catch the noise of laughter, followed by creaking branches and falling leaves. Her womanly face was trying to fend off the sleep of which she had returned from, and honestly wanted to return to. She licks her lips, tasting the indistinct flavor of a springtime peach which remained from her breakfast that morning, a gift from a little girl who visited her temple. The swish of leaves behind her redirected her head towards the area, catching a blur of fur whizzing past her, her precise vision watching the figure swing up into the trees above her. She squinted as she tried to identify the trespasser. "Houzi...", she lowly growled. The creature hung on a thick limb high over her head, staring down at her. "Good morning, pussycat!", he teased, his voice gigglish and bubbly. She snarled in disgust. "What are you doing here?! You're not welcome in this forest! My forest!", she emphasized, pacing on the limb she was previously sleeping upon. "Aw, don't get so tense about it~ I was just having fun!", he swung his legs forward and back, looking down at the pacing tigress. "But this is my land!", she argued, fuming with hostility, her claws starting to sink into the bark. She had begun to climb the trunk to knock some sense into the monkey man. "Here, kitty, kitty!", Houzi jeered, sticking his tongue out at her. She growled, the heat of her rageful breath trailing down her chest. Once she reached far enough, she lunged out at him, leaping in his direction, but he hopped to another branch. She skidded upon the base of the branch, almost missing and falling off. She pulls herself back up and glares at Houzi with blazing eyes. The monkey man was laughing at her, mocking her snarling face. "You do realize, you'll get wrinkles if you keep doing that, right?", Houzi shouts in her direction. "I will slaughter you!", she threatens, her claws outstretched as she makes another long leap towards him, landing on the same branch again. He stands before her, putting his fists up, ready to fight, with a silly grin on his face. "Come on! Put 'em up!", he taunted. She swung at him, but Houzi was faster, taking a vine and catching her ankle in it, then hurdled to another branch a few feet over to his left, letting go and letting her hang upside down. The tigress woman roared in fury and outrage. "Aw~ poor kitty cat~", Houzi faked a pout down at her, as she swung left and right. "I swear I'm going to kill you!", she threw a fit, punching bare air. "That just gives me a reason not to help you", he shrugged, chuckling at her threats. The tigress woman sighed, feeling herself become lightheaded from her blood travelling towards her brain. The monkey man sighed and held onto the vine and slowly pulled her up towards him, but made sure she was at a far enough distance to keep her from maiming him. "Actually, I came here to inform you that we have a meeting today with the council", he cocked a brow. "You could've just said so!", she hissed. "Nah, teasing is more fun", he smirked and cut the vine with his knife from his belt. She screeched as she fell, but landed on her four paws, glaring up at him. "Oh, would you look at that! Cat's really do always land on their feet!", he swung down towards her. She pushed herself up off the ground and stared at him, huffing as she dusted her red silks off. "So, you coming, or not?", he crossed his hairy arms over his bulky, armored chest. "Like I have an option...", she walks past him, taking the opportunity to kick his side, which didn't even faze him at all, thanks to the otherworldly armor he was gifted. Houzi just shook his head and chuckled at her as she flopped over and stood back up, just ignoring her embarrassing failure. "Nice try, princess~", he whispered under his breath, chortling quietly at his own remark. She rolled her eyes and started walking towards her temple, stopping once she reached the shrine, decorated with red and orange silks, dried fruits, incense, and candles. She kneeled and closed her eyes, but opened them due to the interruption of the monkey man's shadow darkening over the shrine. She groaned and looked back at him. "Do you mind?", she grumbled at him. He just smiles and stands beside her, not caring about how dangerous the distance may be. "Mind if I tag along, here?", Houzi kneels beside her. She grumbled and blustered. "Fine", she looked back towards the shrine and closed her eyes, awaiting to be transported to the council's palace within the sky.