Night Light {FFXV/OT4}

Loqi Tummelt

Chapter Fourteen: Loqi Tummelt

-

"Noct! There are imperials overhead!" Prince Noctis of Lucis groaned in frustration as Ignis called out the same unnecessary warning he always did; as if anybody could miss the roar of an engine and the dark shadows cast by an Imperial Airship.

The group looked up at the carrier looming above them, weapons drawn as both Prince and retinue prepare themselves for yet another fight.

Prompto readied his gun, loaded with bullets ready to tear through the tough metal armour coating the Magitek soldiers. Ignis had been concerned at first, questioning whether Prompto would be comfortable fighting other Magitek Troopers. The blonde had assured the concerned chamberlain that they were simple hunks of metal and daemons, that there wasn't a human thing about them. Not anymore, anyway.

However, it wasn't Magitek troopers that came hailing from the sky this time. Instead a much larger machine dropped down from the airship, the sun baked earth cracking under its spindly metal feet as it landed in front of them.

"Astrals, what is that!?"

Ignis could only shake his head in response to Gladio's outcry. Unexpectedly it was Prompto who provided the answer, the group preparing themselves as the machine steadied its lumbering metal body, preparing to attack.

"That's the MA-X Patria, we need to be careful! It's got missile launchers, can probably take us all out in one hit."

Instead of feeling threatened Gladiolus seemed to take the blonde's words as a challenge, readying his great sword with a grunt. "Not if we take it out first" he quipped, and with that the fight began.

Prompto kept his distance, using his knowledge of the machine to target its weak spots with piercing shots. Gladio was right under the metal beast, taking broad swipes at its spindly yet surprisingly sturdy metal legs, leaving a trail of fire in his wake whenever he swung the mighty Blade of Brennaere.

Noctis was getting up close and personal with the machine, Ignis using his daggers to set the Prince up for warp strikes. In a flurry of blue Noct would warp around the Ma-x Petria, the sound of metal clanging against metal ringing through the clearing as he attacked relentlessly.

Despite their efforts it seemed that Prompto's calculated attacks were the only really effective ones, but even then they weren't doing much. It was inevitable when the machine shot a barrage of missiles at them, a shout from Ignis their only warning.

Things didn't go too great after that. Prompto threw himself to the side at the last second as he saw the homing mistle aimed for his face. He managed to dodge the impact that likely would have been fatal, but he still got hit with the resulting shockwave. It sent him flying a few meters, and left him covered in burns and scrapes he would have rather avoided.

Ignis got off fine: he'd noticed the missiles as soon as they'd been fired, and had managed to jump out the way in time. 

It was Gladio who had taken the worst of the attack. He'd been nearest the machine, and the missile would have hit him square on if it hadn't been for the metal leg that had blocked it. As it turned out the missiles used thermal targeting, and hadn't accounted for the M-AX Patria itself being in the line of fire. it took only one missile to take it down and soon enough the machine fell to the floor with a sickening metallic crunch, never to move again.

Noctis, of course, came out of the battle completely fine. He'd warped away from the missiles with ease, and now took upon himself the task of dishing out potions to his friends. The healing drinks were happily accepted with weary mumbles of thanks. After chugging several potions the group found themselves sat on the sun-baked stones of the desert, staring at the heap of partially destroyed metal.