The air was filled with a complex and intense odor.
The stench of sweat, cheap tobacco, rotting food, blood, and the scent of numerous creatures mixed together, making one feel nauseous.
Charlie clutched his slightly cramping abdomen, and after catching his breath for a moment, he looked up. The massive cave dome towered above, with thousands of magical candles floating mid-air, emitting either a ghostly green, blood-red, or deathly white light. The light flickered unpredictably, casting bizarre shadows all around, like a marketplace on the road to Hell.
"Where are we..."
Charlie just started to speak when Newt quickly covered his mouth. The old man, experienced from "unholy" daily sneaking into others' territories, pulled the two away from the altar beneath them, which glowed with red light, and moved to a less noticeable spot—
At the same time, William, also well-versed in "infiltration," had already pulled out his Magic Wand, green sparks ready to burst forth.
As long as all the witnesses are dead, it's a perfect infiltration.jpg
"..."
However, after pondering for a moment, William decided to put aside this plan, which brought him so much joy, after all, opening fire right after entering a new map felt a bit uncalled for—
Thus, he waved his magic wand, and their clothes transformed from Wizard Robes, Sports Leather Clothing, and Pajamas into black Cloaks, large hoods covering their heads. Now, they more or less blended into the crowd around them, no longer standing out as they did before.
Beneath their feet was a massive tiered platform square, stretching downward from the high altar they had just stood on.
Wherever they looked, there were about five or six similar altars and high points, with red light flashing continuously. Occasionally, a few people would emerge from the altar, blending into the dense, ant-like throng on the platform below.
The platform was crowded with all sorts of stalls, some makeshift and others solidly built, selling a bewildering array of items—
To their left, countless iron cages were stacked upon one another, containing various magical creatures, either listless or restless.
For example, a dozen Swooping Evil pups curled into balls, hanging upside-down in their cages; Erumpents and Unicorns confined in specially-made iron cages; and further away, a Chimaera was shackled with thick chains, lying in its cage, ominous white mist steaming from its nostrils.
In those stalls, piles of various creatures' dismembered parts lay: bloody horns, beast hides, or scales.
Also, there were some special containers filled with blood, venom, and organs.
A nearly complete blue Swedish Short-Snout's Dragon Hide was displayed prominently, with a Dragon Heart soaking in a gigantic glass jar nearby, scattered Unicorn horns still marked with dry blood. The air reeked with a nauseating smell of blood.
"They... By Merlin's beard—"
Charlie's voice trembled with incredulity as he growled with anger, "This is simply... a hellhole! How dare they do this? These are all forbidden trade items—accumulate enough of them, and they'd rot in Azkaban, more wretched than those withering under the Dementors!"
"Yeah, how dare they?"
William wasn't looking at the Fire Dragons but squinted towards another iron cage not far away—inside weren't magical creatures, but... people.
The green light began to leap again, but as his eyes gradually took on a blue hue, William's breathing steadied, and the glow slowly faded.
"They've always been doing this—I've tried to investigate, but it's futile. They have a well-established system, and I've never been able to enter here."
Newt wasn't in a good mood either; he glanced away from a filthy child hiding at the back of a cage, "So, what do we do now?" He looked up at William, like Charlie, clearly seeing William had become the leader of the three.
"... We need more information, like, how many of these gathering places exist worldwide."
William quickly cast several meticulous disguise Charms, also applying a Repelling Spell effective on wizards over the three, allowing them to blend seamlessly with the crowd, like any ordinary guests mingling among the people.
Soon, they had moved from one altar to another not far away. This place was just as bustling, with the same cages and stalls. Finally, they halted before a stall displaying various organs, Charlie's gaze riveted on a large glass jar containing a similarly enormous heart, gently beating—
Resolutely leaving his family to go to the Romanian Fire Dragon Reserve, Charlie obviously loved these Fire Dragons, and naturally, he found such a cruel scene unbearable.
"Calm down, Mr. Weasley."
Newt's voice was low, only audible to the three of them, as he subtly pressed Charlie's arm, outwardly appearing to examine the neighboring stall's sulphur-smelling viscous Magic Potion ingredient, "Right now, anger means nothing to us. What we need more is information..."
"Info's coming."
William interrupted their conversation, and following his gaze, they saw familiar red light break out again on the towering altar nearby. This time it wasn't as ostentatious as when William "unlocked" it, but it felt even more distorted in William's perception—
"A big guy's coming."
As he spoke, an unsettling, deep rumble erupted from the altar, the surrounding noisy crowd seeming to freeze, many ducking their heads or shielding their eyes against the blinding light as they all turned towards the source of the red glow—
Finally, as the glaring red light ebbed like a tide, the distorted figures stabilized, showcasing several silhouettes on the altar.
Leading them, several men dressed more elaborately in dark brown leather armor than the surrounding people, their expressions cold and stern. Their gazes cut like knives over the crowd below, with unbridled arrogance—
But more striking was the colossal beast beside them.
It was a massive Ukrainian Ironbelly, covered in dark gray scales.
This Fire Dragon, much like the Romanian Longhorn earlier, was being forcibly restrained, a thick collar gleaming with red-brown light tight around its stout neck, identical to the one on the Longhorn's neck.
The creature had evidently suffered greatly, with numerous visible wounds on its body, fractured scales oozing dark purple blood, a hind leg seeming dislocated, and tattered membranes on its wings, looking drained but still exuding an intimidating aura that dampened the surrounding clamor substantially.