In the long rays cast by the rising dawn, he glows like gold.

Sun Wukong, Handsome Monkey King, Great Sage Equal to Heaven, stands ready by your side, a sturdy Universus glaive in one hand. On his arm is a long-tailed macaque, bouncing eagerly as it peers at you- it’s grown fond of you, same as every other monkey in the forests do Flower Fruit Mountain- though none could match the fondness held by the great Thunder-Calling King, smiling at you from his position beside you, nestled up on makeshift cushions scrounged from his old temple. The sun catches glimpses of his copper-hued fur, bathing it to a warm wash of glistening honey-

And then he twitches; just barely, eyes locking onto the nearly-imperceptible rustling of the leaves in the expanse of forest ahead, and he turns to you, a hand moving to snatch up your wrist.

“Monster, bud. Let’s get you out of here.”