Hybridtale-The Return of the Dragons

Chapter 3: Restoring Power... Slowly

The trio went up to final floor of the office to speak with Daniel Richards, the head scientist in Denver. Daniel was from another country, being born in Perth, Australia (A/N: As I thought of this character I thought of Melbourne, but I decided to go with Perth instead). Daniel had a really thick Australian accent as well as a charming attitude. The bell soon rang to his lab.

"You may enter," he bellowed. He saw the trio appear through the door. "Who are you guys?" Daniel asked.

"I'm Develyn, this is Asriel, and this is Andy," Develyn answered.

"Ohh, now I know you, you were the guy who killed Umaril last year," Daniel stated.

"Looks like you don't know us enough though!" Asriel exclaimed.

"I just moved here when I heard about this, so of course I don't know you guys," Daniel stated.

"Fair enough, I'm assuming you heard the news?" Andy asked.

"The pandemic crap is a load of bias and I don't find it credible," Daniel answered, "I heard a dragon fly over town as I drove to work, so I immediately started to believe the dragons were behind the attack on Pueblo."

"Can you help us with this dragon deal?" Develyn asked.

"I guess I can do anything to help you, I've been researching them recently about their origins, turns out the Divines are making this the actual end of the world like all the stories we were told when we were younger," Daniel asked.

"Unless we stop it, right?" Develyn asked.

"This can be stopped like it has been plenty of times, about 6800 years ago the dragons sought the same task, however, Alduin's soul wasn't absorbed by the Dragonborn. I believe that Alduin's soul can actually be absorbed rather than linger on in the voids until his return," Daniel explained.

"What can we grab?" Asriel asked.

"In Bleak Falls Barrow lies a Dragonstone, it might have a reason on why the dragons have actually returned," Daniel asked.

"That's a ruin right?" Develyn asked.

"Yup, you're going to have to plunge through dangerous ruins to get it," Daniel answered. The trio have been in so many dangerous ruins in the past few years, often coming out unscathed. From the puzzling ruins of Fort Bulwark to the dangerous Miscarcand.

"Well guys, if we wanna save the world, we might've as well start here," Develyn stated as the trio exited Daniel's lab.

***

The trio headed to Bleak Falls Barrow near Bailey. Bandits were easily seen around, but the trio killed them quickly before entering. Bandits have made themselves a bit familiar around with them noting their presence, they would soon be killed and a strange Golden Claw would be mentioned.

"Are they plundering for treasure or something?" Asriel asked.

"Maybe the claw is the way to treasure, we're after one thing however," Develyn answered.

"True that," Asriel stated. The trio purged through the ruins which had almost all forms of life killed from it. They soon heard a scream as someone died. Going to investigate, another bandit died, likely from a trap in the ruins itself.

"Looks like a puzzle of sort, and if we get it wrong we'll end up like him," Andy stated.

"Asriel should be the one to solve it, you did solve a complex puzzle last summer after all," Develyn stated.

"Well, looking around it looks like the solution is presented to us, looks like inscriptions of animals, and if we match them all, we'll continue forward," Asriel stated, "So, lemme think, snake, snake, whale, let's try that." Turns out that was the correct order and the trio progressed forward deeper into the ruins. They soon heard another cry for help. Probably from the amount of webs, the trio inferred that there were spiders nearby.

"Probably Muffet's children are on the loose again," Asriel stated.

"Yeah, those vile creatures," Andy stated, shivering

"I forgot you dislike spiders," Develyn noted. The trio cut down a large, thick web that prevented them from accessing the giant chamber. A huge frostbite spider would drop from above, which spooked Andy to the point he used the killing curse on it.

"Get me down!" The bandit cried. Shortly after Develyn cut him he took off running. Develyn would soon stick a crossbow bolt through the back of his occipital lobe and through the front of his frontal lobe, killing him.

"Next time let us know what you're doing before bolting off," Develyn stated. There was something metallic and shiny the bandit was carrying. Curious, Develyn picked it up. It held the shape of a claw. Underneath the claws itself lies three symbols. In order from top to bottom was bear, moth, owl.

"Hey, Asriel, know anything about this?" Develyn asked tossing the claw to him.

"Looks like another puzzle farther down the ruins and this is the solution for it," Asriel answered.

"Well, let's keep going," Andy stated.

The undead were starting to note their presence around the ruins, but the trio killed them quickly. One of them managed to reveal a trap that flung a large wall of spikes at one of the undead.

"Watch your step, I don't want that to be you," Develyn warned. The trio carefully navigated through the ruins after the first trap killed an enemy by surprise. They soon spotted pools of oil.

"If they're smart enough, they could burn us to death," Asriel warned.

"They're bunch of knuckleheads, so it's obvious they won't try anything," Andy stated. Develyn cracked up at the statement. After getting through the undead and trap infested part of the ruins, they soon reached an open cavern. They were confronted by a troll, which they thought they were extinct, but the troll was killed by team effort. They eventually proceeded into the next zone of the ruins.

After dodging another trap and purging through the undead residents they soon reached a corridor blocked off the door.

"Great, there is no way past this," Andy stated.

"Wait, hold on, those looks like claw marks, and this is another puzzle," Asriel stated. Asriel turned three large circles to the correct order (bear, moth, owl) by referring to the claw. Asriel would soon stick the claw into the respective holes and the door would reveal a large room. With haste, they reached a large, well lit cavern. Develyn heard eerie whispering from far away, sounding like an ancient language. They soon stumbled upon a large wall. Develyn heard the chanting get louder and louder, he approached the wall which had a words inscripted in the ancient dragon language. One appeared to be a bright blue, he read the phrase quietly and the glowing word was soon embedded in his mind. A large quake occurred inside the cave which unleashed a powerful undead master. The trio killed it with ease by using teamwork. Asriel soon grabbed the Dragonstone, the item Daniel requested to see. The trio soon exited Bleak Falls Barrow with the Dragonstone in hand.

***

Daniel was talking with a stranger who kept her identity hidden. They seem to be talking about the dragons. The trio soon walked in as they just about finished up.

"Looks like you have visitors," The stranger noted.

"Ahh, it's you guys, looks like you handled the ruins ok," Daniel stated. Asriel soon gave the stone to Daniel and they eventually left, and would soon return to the mayor's office.