As Ferrin's eyes skidded through the various tails grasping hold of the reeling, the tails moved and lunged their respective monkeys onto the roof.
Nearly stealing the breath away from Ficko and the others.
"Wh-What madness!? Is this nonsense real? How many are there?" Ano's quivering gaze slipped past the monkeys, each new sight decreasing her temperature by a whole degree.
Her feet lost all strength, if not for the warmth coursing through to her from Ficko, she would've collapsed.
"Thirty! This is not the Genius's way, this is the... phase one!" Ferrin snarled like a wild beast, each step he cautiously took towards Aria felt as of the chains tying an old beast had been loosened.
'Protect mother! Ferrin needs to fight for his mother. He must fight for his mother. He shall... He can fight... ONLY FOR HIS MOTHER! So it matters not what I turn into, as long as mother... escapes this unscathed.' Ferrin's claws slowly dug out of his furry paw, trembling ever so gently at the monkeys' every move of surrounding him, alongside the others.
As he reached his mother, he took hold of her from Seilo and strapped her on his back tightly with his tail. He believed only himself in being able to protect her.
He let out a pungent breath, his eyes drifting from monkey to monkey as they completed the circle around him.
'This game, I see. The Genius... its after them now.' Ferrin peeked back from the corner of his eye.
'A part of me wants to let them die if it means my mother can be safe and left unharmed and a part of me wants to cripple the Genius's plan.' Ferrin growled in frustration.
'Wait, I can't let them die! I need them to help my mother recuperate back to health! Besides, do you honestly believe that the Genius will let mom go? If he's after them... than he's after her!' Ferrin's eyes squeezed tightly, his eyes firming up in resolve.
'Very well! You who seek my mother! First seek me! Your death!' A chuckle... escaped Ferrin's lips.
Like the bell had been struck, the monkeys screeched loudly in unison, their ear-splitting roars settling down inside the group's ears whilst etching their impending dooms in their skulls.
Ferrin's eyes flickered behind, landing atop the monkey charging towards Paul, instinctively he commended his tail to move but the ne t instant he cursed himself and charged behind.
His claws pushed forward in an arc to face to the monkey and collided fiercely with its. Sparks flew as the sharp edges slid past each other. The only difference being Ferrin's vanishing just as it came whilst the monkey's remained.
Without hesitation, the monkey jumped backwards and filled the hole he had left in the circle.
'Not good!' Ferrin gulped nervously, with his back facing Paul, his eyes dashed left and right, his ears twitching at the slightest sound, 'I need my tail!' As if instinctively, Ferrin's tail around his mother tightened.
"Shit! This time, that monkey was coming for me!" Paul cursed while taking a step back.
"Huh? Are you sure you just weren't in its path?" Ano's sweaty voice came right after.
"Of course not! Those eyes... they were after me!" Paul gulped, fearing what would've occurred if Ferrin hadn't stepped in front of him.
A tiny smile flashed atop Seilo's face before vanishing just as quickly.
"Kek!"
Ferrin responded instantly to the screech and dashed left, only to get stupefied by the thudding sounds coming from the right instead.
"THESE BITCHY TRICKSTARS!" Ferrin hurled out a vulgarity and leaped backwards, over Ficko and Ano and growled at the incoming monkey while stepping forward to intercept.
His right claws collided with the monkeys' while his left rushed straight for its face.
Only for the monkey to swing its bushy tail at the back of Ferrin's knee, causing him to lose balance and fall forward.
"Kekeke!" The monkey shook it's head vigorously in its joy and used both its claws to leave deep gushes atop his face.
"KEE!" The end of Ferrin's tail unwrapped before tightening up again.
He grounded his teeth and smashed his bulky head straight in the monkey's gut, causing it to stumble back a step.
Ferrin chewed his lip under his sharp fangs and leaped at the monkey, without hesitation he rose his claws high and slashed them down on the monkey.
Before the monkey could even screech loudly, Ferrin's other hand bolter at its neck and pierced it with his claws. A snicker escaped his lips followed by his other hand's claws piercing the monkey's throat as well.
As Ferrin's wounds healed up in a jiffy, his ears twitched and without hesitation he leaped backwards, leaving the monkey's corpse to eat dust.
'THIS WON'T DO!' Ferrin screamed while countering the monkey.
"LEAVE ARIA TO US! WE WILL PROTECT HER!" Seilo's eyes flickered as she stepped forward. "NOT ONLY ARE YOU PUTTING YOURSELF AT RISK LIKE THIS BUT YOU ARE ALSO ENDANDERING HER!"
Ferrin's ears twitched, he pushed back the monkey, causing it to flee to its circle and gazed at Seilo from the corner of his eye.
"WHAT IF A MONKEY SNEAKED ATTACK YOU FROM BEHIND? YOUR MOTHER WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE BRUNT!"
Ferrin's eyes flickered slightly, a low whimper escaped his lips as he turned his head and dubiously gazed at the group.
Seilo's eyes flickered again, she took another step forward and enticed Ferrin further, "You want to protect us all as well right? We will barricade ourselves around Aria, with us grouped together so tightly, not only will Aria's safety be more guaranteed but you will also have an easier time protecting us!"
Seilo gazed at the others and spoke in a stern tone, "He will be more willing to protect us if we are around Aria! For if he fails to protect us, he fails to protect her! So just do it!"
Seilo's words caused the others to nod their heads.
Like the nail had been struck, Ferrin leaped backwards and gently laid Aria on the ground, after hissing threateningly at everyone, he leaped backwards, shooting himself high above.
His eyes gazed down at the tens of monkeys charging forward in sync as if the Genius's new commands had finally been issued and his tail unwrapped itself.
Slowly but surely, Ferrin's lips spread apart in a devious smile, "KEKEKE!"
His laughter accompanied his decent to the ground and he dashed straight towards the monkey's at a vigorous pace.
His cackling laughter left the monkeys' sweating admits their unwavering charge.
Like a devil, Ferrin shot straight into the monkey in front of him and grabbed it by its throat before hurling it towards another monkey.
His venomous, long tail shot towards the monkey like a viper and smacked them crisply on the skull.
"KEKEKEKE!" As Ferrin glanced at the fresh monkey blood of his previous victim, a refreshing sensation spread throughout him.
With a mesmerised smile, he glanced back at the three monkeys that escaped and kept charging towards the terrified group. Terrified, not of death, but from... their so-called protector.
Ferrin's tail shot like a swift arrow at one of the monkey, its horrifying momentum matched by Ferrin's speedy steps.
The instant his tail reached the monkey on the left and entangled its leg- causing it to slam on the ground face-first. He arrived behind the monkey in the middle and pierced its skull with its eager claws.
Despite the darkness spreading its curtains, the group could clearly see the bright blood flowing left and right like a fountain.
After doing away with the three, Ferrin exhaled in satisfaction whilst glancing back at the monkey's standing up after being smacked by his tail earlier.
Along with them, the other monkeys also stepped up and growled before charging forward in a threatening motion.
Ferrin's brows knitted together as he felt himself in a pickle. He took two slow steps backwards towards the group's direction before breaking into a mad dash.
The monkey's screeched loudly in response to his panic.As if they just added a new gear in their legs from joy, their speed shot up a notch. Prepared to give Ferrin a taste of his favourite, misery.
Ferrin's eyes drifted left to right, his feet sliding on the floor to stop himself from bumping past the group.
His eyes flickered with a hint of cruelty as he gazed at the barricade around his mother. A protestesting voice rose from deep within him, asking him to stop this barbaric strategy but he suppressed it back and braced himself.
His tail rose up in the sky, awaiting for the monkeys to draw closer.
Ficko and Aoci, who could see Ferrin, squinted their eyes in panic and confusion seeing him standing still.
Ferrin noted the monkey's general position and shouted in his head, 'NOW!'
"KEEE!" Letting out piercing screams, the monkey's lunged forward towards the group.
A wicked smile appeared atop Ferrin's face as he gazed forward, his tail struck the ground with a heavy crispy and lifted up while hurling itself towards the monkeys around the group.
With a heavy snap, it struck every monkey ruthlessly, blowing them away.
But before it even reached half the distance, some of the monkeys let out screams whike either jumping high into the air with their springy legs or ducked down next to the ground as the tail flew past them.
All the other monkeys, too dumb to react paid the price in pain and screams.
Ferrin stepped forward and growled loudly as his tail snapped atop his own group due to its momentum, blowing them away whilst causing them to let out ear-curdling screams from the stinging and seething pain.
Grinding his teeth, Ferrin let out a barbaric scream and forcefully swung his tail back, this time slapping it straight atop the ducking monkeys' faces.
The tail manged to strike some right on the chin or on the back of the head, resulting in them falling down unconscious.
While the others held their broken jaws or nose while bleeding profusely.
Ferrin bared his fangs and threw himself atop his mother. Prepared to shield her from the ruthless strikes of the monkeys' who he failed to throw off.
He closed his eyes tightly and cursed loudly, if only he didn't had this many dead weight, he would've easily wiped clean the floor.
But despite waiting for sometime, no pain assaulted him from the back. But he could still hear the monkeys steps.
Suddenly, his eyes shot wide in realisation as he glanced forward, at the monkeys running away from him with mocking grind and towards... his group.
'Oh... shit!'
***
The Genius chuckled seeing the horror flashing in Ferrin's eyes and glanced back at the Dwarf, "Prepare the final stage! Soon... its going to be checkmate!"
The Dwarf snickered while glancing forward at Ferrin's situation and nodded his head, "Yes, master!"