Winter Camp - Part 4
The heat grew more intense as the seconds ticked by. Noctis's mind was racing, but Ignis's steadfast silence assured his was even more engaged. Noct could phase through the windshield and take the MTs head on. But he would have no backup from his friends.
"How many are there?" Gladiolus asked.
"About twelve," Noctis said. "I can handle maybe four or five before I'd need help."
"We're pinned down here. Even if the door gets opened we'd be sitting ducks," Prompto griped.
"The dropship departed?" Ignis finally asked. The usual form was for Imperial personnel carriers to drop their payload and return to resupply.
"Yeah, it was flying off. Why?" Noctis asked.
"The behemoth is still out there. The original plan is still in effect," Ignis said.
"You mean draw that thing here, now?" Prompto asked. "Add a behemoth to the MTs?"
"And perhaps have them worry about each other while we make a getaway," Ignis said calmly. "I realize it's not my most graceful plan."
"It's good enough for me. Let's see how chaotic things can get," Gladiolus replied.
He laid his whole weight into the Regalia's horn and a discordant din blared out across the wilderness. The flamethrower's heat abated for a moment. Gladiolus stopped, leaving the surroundings in crashing waves of silence, interrupted only by the sounds of mechanical footsteps.
"Well, the MTs know for certain something is in here now if they didn't before," Ignis said.
There was another sound. No, it was several. Clockwork and in perfect unison.
"They're readying machine guns," Noct said.
"They're probably going to light up the car," Prompto added.
"Keep your heads down and pray," Gladiolus said as they once again laid as low as their seats would let them.
Mere seconds later the inside of the vehicle was alight with a maelstrom of glass shards, icy powder and bullets which came from all sides of the vehicle. The deafening close range noise of the high caliber ballistic fire provided a fitting soundtrack to the two minutes of hell the group suffered through.
But then, the gunfire stopped. The earth shook for a moment, and a low growl slithered through the carnage before erupting in massive roar. The gunfire resumed, only this time the MTs had taken aim at a new target. The behemoth had arrived.
"Anybody dead?" Gladiolus asked, brushing glass off of him and noticing a few deep gashes in his arms.
"Not yet," Prompto shrugged, seeming relatively unscathed.
"Next time I think of a strategy, don't be afraid to point out obvious miscalculations," Ignis grunted.
"It might work out yet," Gladiolus said. "Let's get the hell out of here while the getting is good."
The four piled out of the car through the shattered windows. The MTs were now thoroughly preoccupied a few hundred meters away from the Regalia. The behemoth was clearly winning the fight as Noct only counted 5 of the initial dozen still standing. That also meant their time was running out.
"Back to the haven, quickly," Noct said.
They attempted to run through the snow, but the task was difficult enough without them having received fresh injuries. The biting chill seemed worse than ever before with quickly freezing blood running down Noctis's face and hands.
They collapsed on their campsite and Ignis quickly reached for the first aid kit to mend their wounds. Gladiolus looked out over towards the battle but only saw the distant figure of the behemoth skulking back to its den.
"It's injured," Gladiolus said. "Right front paw. MT must have got him good."
"Well the entire squad paid dearly for it," Ignis said, pouring some cleansing potion on Noct's cuts before bandaging them up.
"So, we don't have any firewood," Prompto sighed.
"Nope," Gladiolus replied tersely.
"And now the empire knows where we are," Prompto added.
"Yep," Noct added.
"Even if they can't harm us here on the haven, that doesn't stop them from having a company of soldiers awaiting to apprehend us as soon as we set foot off this rock," Ignis said. "It may be a moot point. Without firewood we may not survive the night."
"We have to move," Gladiolus said.
"But where?" Prompto asked. He gestured towards the distant city lights. "Lestallum is way too far that way." He then gestured in the opposite direction. "And the Coernix station is way too far that way."
"There's another Haven about four kilometers south of here near the Alstor Slough," Gladiolus said.
Ignis grunted. "Mmm. Four kilometers in the snow, with at least one behemoth on the prowl. That would be dangerous. Especially bogged down with the camping supplies."
"We don't really have much of a choice at this point Ignis. If we can make it there then we'd also be only another five to the Wiz Chocobo Post. We could take it slowly and be back within civilization within three days," Gladiolus suggested.
Ignis rubbed his chin again. The group fell silent to let him think. For a brief moment Noctis remembered how fun camping used to be.
"If we left now could we make it there before nightfall," Ignis asked.
"Probably, if we hustle," Gladiolus said. "Either way, staying here for another night isn't an option."
"Once again I find myself without any resources to work with," Ignis sighed. "We'd better pack up then. Gladio, you lead the way."
The boys wrapped their sleeping bags up and strapped them to their backs. They folded up their chairs and did the same. The massive Gladiolus also took possession of the tent and the scant remaining foodstuffs and the single log of firestarter wood they had.
"If the behemoth does come for us out there, let us just hope the empire is kind enough to send us some reinforcements," Ignis quipped sardonically as he set his feet back down into the snow.
Gladiolus was next, followed by Noctis and finally Prompto. They each took a moment to chance one last glance at the ruined Regalia before moving on. They were truly alone now, and diving headfirst into uncertainty.