Garret Zarubin
Hearing the Captain's apologies quickly alleviated the tension that previously bore down on Garrett. With the miscommunication affair resolved between both his superiors, he quickly rejoined his team and climbed atop Galmira's back. Within no time and a powerful wingbeat, they were airborne. The sudden shift in orientation was very much unkind to anyone as it quickly became painfully obvious there was no real way to secure themselves as Galmira contained to gain altitude. Garrett naturally leaned over and assumed a posture that had his limbs wrapping around in desperation, trying hard not to get blown off while the dragon cut through the sky with surprising speed. Thankfully, his suit, specifically his gauntlets, featured an array of micro-suction incisions at the fingertips which ensured he and his squad were able to maintain some semblance of a secure grip.
Though even with the finest of Commonwealth technology at Garrett's disposal, the sensation of weightlessness as Galmira began diving into the clouds, leaving the mountain range behind them.
---
It didn't take long until the ground came into perfect view, where they could see specs resembling tiny bipedal beings, and another larger mass which was undeniably the dragon they were hearing about attacking a group of adventures.
Only the supposed dragon didn't seem so threatening with its entire form having collapsed into the snow-layered ground. it didn't appear to be very much alive either.
Garrett brought his head forward while his helmet's internal sensors tracked his facial gestures, prompting a smaller screen within his HUD to zoom in on the scene. While the quality of the feed wasn't that great, the pixelation of the image was still very much accurate enough for him to discern that the dragon they had come all this way out to stop, was indeed dead, having fallen to what he could make out was the burns of a large explosion, though he could also see evident scars caused by deep cuts and other wounds he couldn't properly identify. Bringing his focus to what he assumed were the adventures who certainly appeared to not be in any need of rescue, he noted how, 'primitive', their attire was in comparison to the common citizenry of the Commonwealth. Though it was very much undeniable that the folks down there loosely represented what the people of Earth in the fourteenth to the fifteenth century looked like, although the flair and styles they wore and adorned were unusual and out of place - as if they were straight out of a fantasy game or holo-novel he interacted with as a child.
Garrett would have shaken his head due to the ridiculousness of the situation if it weren't for the painful fact that he was riding a dragon.
//So much for the rescue op,// Tess chimed in over the comms, //the adventurers down there beat us to the punch.//
//But how'd they do it?// asked Shirley, //they don't appear to be very armed. It would take all of us with munition launchers to take down something like that.//
//They must have used magic!// Meisha claimed.
//Yup,// said Thorin.
//Really? We're really going with that?//
//We're riding a freaking dragon that can turn into a human form, Shirley,// Garret finally said, //as bullshit as it sounds, it's the best logic around here that explains how they messed up that thing down there.//
Though in truth, Garrett didn't want to admit 'magic' had a hand either with the results he could survey from the sky.
Soon enough, Galmira had landed with an almost abrupt halt as her claws and feet jabbed into the snow. Garret patiently watched as Galmitra lowed her head and watched as Captain Almira slid down the dragon's body.
//Dismount!// Garrett ordered his team, as he jumped off, followed by each member of the squad, //rifles out but keep 'em down until I or the Captain say otherwise. Clear?//
//Copy.// his squad said in unison.
As his team finally dismounted and started trudging through the snow, Garrett silently motioned the members of the squad to stay at the Captain's flanks, forming an arrowhead formation of sorts. Just as Amira stopped to face and speak to the adventurers before them, the team immediately stopped as well.
//Let the Captain do the talking,// Garrett ordered while he stood still as a statue.
//That girl over there...// Meisha began, while having a HUD marker highlight a brown-skinned woman ahead of the native party for the rest of her group to spot, //she looks so sad. Did something bad happen? One of those people over there lying in the snow; could they be...?//
//Dead?// Shirley responded, //no, check the scan readouts. That guy is out cold.//
//You think that's odd, take a look at the weirdo over there beside the dead dragon,// Tess states, also pinpointing her own HUD marker towards a woman whose arms were soaked in blood, //whaddya think she's doing?//
//...eating it?// Thorin innocently answered.
//Doubt it,// replied Garrett, noting the jars around the woman containing what appeared to be organs and reddish fluids, though his focus seemed to land on a curiously tiny figure with small wings fluttering about, //...is that a fairy?//
---
While the introductions seemed to be playing out fine, it wasn't until Garrett caught sight of Galmira who by now reverted to her human form, and wore the most vexing of sour expressions he'd ever observed while she stopped in a beeline towards the women Tess pointed out earlier. The rest of his team, including the Captain, took notice of the developing scene which reeked of a bad escalation brewing. Garrett felt his hands tighten their grip on his rifle as he helplessly watch as Galmira ignored the Captain's pleas. It was then that Captain Almira gave the unsettling order to prep the megafauna pacification devices.
//Shit,// growled Tess as she and her teammates frantically brought the large devices to bear.
Garrett trained his sights on Galmira and unknowingly held his breath. The situation certainly turned dire as Galmira questioned the fancy-dressed woman and carved into the dragon's corpse. That is, however, what he thought was going on since they spoke to one another in a language he and especially the Captain didn't understand. Though Q-T, after what seemed like a long and daunting minute of perpetual aiming and antsy trigger-tapping, essentially confirmed his suspicions upon translating the apparent one-sided debate. His heart sank even deeper when Q-T clarified that the woman on figuratively thin ice wasn't making too great of a case for herself.
//Double shit,// Thorin blurted out.
After another few agonizing minutes, Galmira seemingly withdrew her fury and walked away having declared the apparent issue resolved and allowing the woman access to the dragon corpse. Though the Captain hadn't given the order herself, Garrett motioned his team to lower the pacification devices. With sighs echoing through the comm, even he exhaled his own relief that the situation was taken care of and reassumed his attentive posture. The squad soon followed and continued to observe the now-resumed discussions. Of course, whatever the discussion was exactly about, neither Garret nor his team truly understood since they didn't speak Indonesian for much of it, they kept silent and simply observed, awaiting Captain Almira's orders. And those orders soon arrived though they weren't the orders they were quite expecting, or even prepared for.
//Wait, I didn't sign up to present to the class,// complained Tess.
//Yet you came here to fight a dragon, this is nothing in comparison,// Shirley countered.
//Think about it though, you're getting to know new people!// said Meisha.
//But I'm shy around new people without my helmet...// Thorin meekly admitted.
//For the love of...// Garrett openly groaned as he frankly heard enough of the reluctance of his team to follow through with the Captain's request, //just take your helmets off and stow it. I'll do the talking.//
His squad compiled and began unsealing the connection between their helmets and their armored suits. With a quick twist, Garrett's own helmet came off with a light crack and a brief hiss of the inner atmosphere quickly venting. After bringing the helm under his right arm and holding it to his side, he took a few seconds to scan the scene and the adventurers with his own naked eyes, only to however witness the same adventurers snap their attention towards his direction. Suddenly, the Captain's orders seemed strangely unreasonable.
"Hello," Garrett started, trying to make his introduction as simple as he can make it, "My name is Garrett."
He then slightly turned to his squad and pointed at each member, "This is my team; this is Shirley, Thorin, Tess, and Meisha..."
Meisha quickly smiled and gave a friendly wave to the adventures. Garrett then turned back and then pointed to Almira.
"We are her..." Garrett paused for a brief second to figure out which word may be the most accurate yet simple to use to convey his and his squad's association that will be easy to translate, "...escort."
Credit to Artstation