Even without enough time to accelerate, a dragon's flying speed was no joke. After a few minutes, Norbert landed on the ground beside the swamp, crouching slightly.
Getting down from Norbert's back, Evans casually surveyed the surroundings, then frowned slightly.
This swamp looked like it hadn't been properly maintained for about a week. Though nothing seemed abnormal from a distance, up close, some thin swamp gas was already floating in the air.
Typically, a mother Chimaera with cubs would regularly clear the swamp gas even if she was sick. These gases might not matter much to adult Chimaeras, but they were very detrimental to cub growth.
Moreover, clearing swamp gas was simple for them. A casual burst of flame from their tail could directly clear it away.
If she couldn't even manage this simple task, how badly injured must she be?
Hagrid beside him obviously noticed this too, worry appearing in his eyes.
Jumping down from the dragon's back, the little Chimaera ran ahead, charging toward the depths of the swamp.
After several minutes of communication, the little Chimaera's wariness toward the two had dissipated considerably. Now it only had worry for its mother in its heart.
"I'll take you to find Mum!"
Circling around some muddy areas and several boulders, a huge rock cave appeared before them.
It was a very large ground cave with no concealment around it, standing boldly in the centre of the forest.
However, the Chimaera caves indeed didn't need any concealment. Except for a very few magical creatures and powerful wizards, these creatures basically didn't need to fear any living beings.
But if the mother was already seriously injured, the disadvantage of having no concealment became apparent.
Without the mother's intimidation, such a huge cave was like a target, attracting countless dark creatures.
Before reaching the cave, Evans suddenly heard strange gurgling sounds.
Those voices reached his ears and automatically transformed into somewhat sticky-sounding words.
"Didn't expect such a surprise..."
"Big monster is sick, can eat..."
"Give me a leg."
"Why should you get one! Gur... I should get a leg!"
"I think I smell something delicious..."
"More delicious than big monster, delicious!"
"Outside cave, outside cave!"
The voices kept coming, then the ground began shaking as heavy footsteps poured out from the cave.
Within seconds, huge dark green creatures emerged from the cave. Their eyes were blood red, saliva hung from the corners of their mouths, and their ugly faces were full of greed as they stared at the young figure standing not far from the cave.
"Good, delicious!"
"Smells good, so fragrant, so tasty!"
Stepping back two paces, the little Chimaera looked at the trolls charging out of its home, anger and sadness filling its eyes.
They were coming out of its home, and Mum was still inside, so Mum...
"Roar!"
With an angry roar, the little Chimaera was about to charge up and fight those trolls desperately.
But before it could charge out, Evans stopped it, then hit it with a red light from his hand. Its eyes rolled back, and it fainted.
"Sleep for a while. This battle doesn't need you."
After knocking out the little beast, Evans looked at the group of dark green figures holding wooden clubs, a flash of recognition in his eyes.
Forest trolls. Old acquaintances indeed.
Placing Alice from his shoulder on the ground, Evans picked up the little Chimaera and set it beside Alice.
"Take it far away. Come back after we're finished."
The blue-green bird nodded, placed its wing on the little Chimaera's back, and both creatures vanished as a silver-white flash, appearing on a nearby tree.
Confirming the two little ones had moved away from the battle area, Evans looked at the group of trolls charging toward him with clubs, the corner of his mouth curving into a cold smile.
He wasn't the fifth-year student from back then who could be tied up and roasted by a group of forest trolls in Orleans Forest anymore. Moreover, now he had a half-giant who could use a wand beside him, and a half-grown Norwegian Ridgeback.
With an excited roar, Norbert spread its wings as fire gathered in its mouth.
On the other side, Hagrid had already raised his red umbrella, pointing it at the mountain troll charging at the front.
He never had any good feelings toward trolls. They were different from those simple magical creatures. Their hearts were always full of filthy thoughts.
Not to mention they had just tried to take advantage of and harm a dying mother with cubs!
Thinking of this, anger couldn't help but rise in Hagrid's eyes, and his grip on the umbrella tightened.
"Stupefy!"
The battle ended very quickly. Since that group of forest trolls had no brains to begin with, and their last bit of reason was attracted away by Evans's scent, they had no defence against Norbert's flames.
One breath attack knocked down a large group.
Combined with Evans and Hagrid's magic, in less than half a minute, that group of forest trolls collapsed on the ground and lost all movement.
Now they really became old "acquaintances".
"You're like a piece of living dragon meat to them."
Looking at Evans with emotion, Hagrid also petted Norbert, who had landed back on the ground.
"No wait, dragon meat doesn't attract them this strongly. Even living, Norbert can't attract trolls as much as you do."
Shrugging, Evans said helplessly: "I don't want it either. You know, if I could choose, I really wouldn't want to have such great attraction to them."
Since coming to this world and entering Hogwarts, basically every time he went to unfamiliar places, he encountered such situations.
Trolls, Acromantulas, zombies, water demons, carnivorous birds. Basically, except for cubs like Little Cloak, any dark creature that smelt him wanted to come bite him.
Silver-white light flashed as Alice brought the little Chimaera back to Evans's side.
White light shone from his palm, and after a moment, the little Chimaera slowly woke up. Then it sat up with a start, first looking at the trolls collapsed around, then gratefully glancing at Evans before running toward the cave.
"Roar!"
Mum!
Leaving Norbert outside to guard, Hagrid and Evans followed the little Chimaera into the somewhat dim cave.
The black-red flame at the little beast's tail tip burnt quietly, completely illuminating the cave corridor. Chimaera caves didn't need any light sources. Their tails were the best lighting equipment.
Following the little Chimaera deeper, after turning two corners, a spacious area appeared before them.
In the centre of the space lay quietly a giant beast with a lion's head, goat's body, and dragon's tail. Though it looked very similar to the little Chimaera, this face was full of majesty, completely lacking that little thing's cute feeling.
However, its current condition was indeed terrible. The flame at its tail tip was so weak it seemed a breeze could extinguish it. Even hearing someone enter, it only struggled slightly and couldn't even open its eyes.
Sensing the giant beast's extremely weak breathing, Evans's eyes suddenly turned black. Looking at the black aura permeating the beast's body, he frowned slightly.
This seemed to be... a curse?