Tariq swaggered into David's room as if he owned the place, slamming the basket of food onto the table with a loud thud. He then removed his mask and placed it on the table, revealing his round face. David raised an eyebrow but said nothing, closing the door behind him and returning to his seat.
Tariq's face matched his figure—round, with small, beady eyes and thick, dark eyebrows. His wide mouth stretched into a simple, disarming smile, giving him an unthreatening appearance that made people instinctively trust him.
"Relax," Tariq said, his voice cheerful. "I checked. There's no surveillance in the room, and they wouldn't dare to do anything. You can take off your mask. It's been so long, and I still don't know what you look like!"
David hesitated. They didn't need to remove their masks to eat—a simple tap of the wand would create an opening for them. But after a moment, David decided to play along. He removed his mask, revealing a face that wasn't his own. He had no reason to worry; the R organization didn't know him.
"Ron, your face... is a bit startling. Maybe you should keep the mask on," Tariq said with a chuckle, though his tone was lighthearted.
David narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
"Just kidding, just kidding! You look fine," Tariq quickly added, shoving a piece of bread into David's hand.
After eating, Tariq lingered in David's room, chatting about nothing in particular. When he finally left, David put his mask back on and ventured outside to explore the area. The outer section of the compound was filled with identical wooden huts, mostly occupied by wizards who had transported magical creatures. Guards patrolled the area, but most people kept to themselves, wary of revealing their identities.
There were four gates leading to the inner area, all heavily guarded. David saw no opportunity to slip through. After observing his surroundings, he returned to his room, deciding against sending a message to Newt and the others just yet.
Two days passed uneventfully. Each evening, Tariq would bring food to David's room and engage him in conversation. By the third night, David was lying in bed when he heard a faint noise at the door. He sat up, wand in hand, and watched as a small paper airplane slipped into the room.
The paper airplane, a common method of communication among wizards, landed on his bed. David picked it up and unfolded it. The message read: "Brother, do you want to see the inner area? I have a way to get in."
It was clearly from Tariq. David frowned, wondering what the man was up to. After a moment of thought, he got out of bed and quietly left the room.
The compound was eerily silent, with no birds or other sounds to break the stillness. David spotted Tariq waving at him from a dimly lit corner, accompanied by another wizard. David approached cautiously.
"This is a friend I just met," Tariq explained, gesturing to the other man. "He says he can get us into the inner area, but we can't stay long."
The other wizard, wearing a swallowtail dog mask, nodded. "You can go in and look around, but don't touch anything. If you get caught, I'm not responsible for getting you out."
"Understood," Tariq said eagerly.
The masked man led them to one of the gates. He spoke briefly with the guard, handing over something from his bag. After a moment, the guard nodded and opened the gate just enough for them to slip through.
"Remember, don't cause any trouble," the masked man warned.
"Got it, got it," Tariq replied, squeezing through the gap with some difficulty.
David followed, stepping into the mist-shrouded inner area. As he passed through the gate, the fog seemed to dissipate, revealing a well-organized path lined with high platforms. Each platform held a large iron cage, and inside the cages were the magical creatures David and the others had transported.
Dwarf pig monsters, eight-eyed giant spiders, deformed lizards, bird-like creatures, and even a massive, slumbering man-eating giant. In the center of the area was a particularly large cage containing a poisonous horned beast—a rare and dangerous creature native to Africa.
The poisonous horned beast resembled a rhinoceros, with thick, gray skin and a long horn on its head. Its hide was resistant to most spells, and its horn contained a deadly liquid used in potions. Due to their low reproduction rate, most countries banned private trade of these creatures, making them highly valuable on the black market.
"This organization is impressive," Tariq said, waddling between the cages with interest. "They've managed to gather so many magical creatures."
David ignored Tariq, focusing instead on the surroundings. The cages and creatures were real, not illusions. But as he observed, a question nagged at him: "What is Tariq really after? Why bring me here?"
David's mind raced as he tried to piece together Tariq's motives. Was this a test? A trap? Or something else entirely? Whatever the case, David knew he had to stay alert. The inner area held secrets, and Tariq's actions suggested there was more to this place—and to him—than met the eye.