The aerial chaos persisted into the next day without signs of abating.
Normally, when Fire Dragons encounter other Fantastic Beasts, the battle ends as soon as they breathe out Dragon Flame, which is their primary form of attack.
However, this ability is not as effective when facing other Fire Dragons.
They inherently possess a high resistance to Dragon Flame.
Unless the gap is overwhelming, a breath of Dragon Flame only leaves a small mark on the opponent.
Two Fire Dragons with thick blood and high defense, having lost their main attack capability, end up competing in endurance and combat instincts.
The Swedish Short-Snout Dragon from before fell short in this regard, among the first batch of losers to be eliminated.
Of course, those Fire Dragons in the sky might seem to just scratch or bite each other, as if they aren't losing any blood, but anyone who tries to join in the fray will likely be torn to shreds instantly.
Not even a Wizard, nor a thick-skinned Troll, could last more than two seconds.
As the sky began to brighten, Newt was having trouble holding on, his body swaying uncontrollably as he stood there.
Despite his youthful days of lugging a suitcase all over the world, going days on end without sleep, things have changed as those were five or six decades ago.
For someone approaching a century old, staying up all night was truly a burden; Newt had to drink two bottles of Awakening Potion just to barely hold out until now.
As Newt was about to drink the third bottle, Kael swiftly snatched the Magic Potion Bottle from his hand.
The Awakening Potion is useful, but you can't drink it like water.
Moreover, it merely forces you to stay awake; the more you drink, the worse you'll feel once it wears off.
"We don't know when this will end. How about taking a break first?" Kael pocketed the Magic Potion Bottle. "Leave the rest to me."
"Alright..." Newt glanced skyward, debated momentarily, then accepted Kael's suggestion.
He truly couldn't hold on any longer.
"Although our location is quite safe, you should still be cautious. If danger arises, get away immediately... I remember you have a ring capable of Disillusionment."
Newt reminded Kael once more before opening his suitcase.
Inside was a small bed, ideal for a temporary rest.
Once Newt entered, Kael picked up the suitcase and continued observing the skirmish overhead.
...
This was bound to be a tedious process.
By noon the next day, Newt awoke, and it became Kael's turn to rest…
From night to day, then to night again…
By the early morning of the third day, the chaos gradually subsided.
It wasn't over, but the Fire Dragons couldn't fly anymore, staggering in the sky as if drunk on false liquor. The large masses of Dragon Flame were reduced to small flames, forcing a temporary ceasefire.
Once the last Hungarian Horntail calmed, Newt and Kael returned to the previous location.
Soon afterwards, others began to return one by one.
Most appeared thoroughly exhausted, keeping silent upon their return and going straight to sleep.
The Fire Dragon Reserve had prepared tents as temporary accommodations for each person, right beside the dining area.
Curious, Kael entered the tent with "Newt Scamander" written on it.
Inside was a rather spacious three-bedroom suite along with a bathroom and kitchen. Though the furniture seemed a bit old, everything was clean with no musty smell.
Since both had rested in turns before, Kael wasn't sleepy at the moment. He sat at the table, preparing to tally up the harvest from these few days.
Newt had mentioned earlier that anything collected would not be questioned by the Fire Dragon Reserve... a tacit understanding between the parties.
Opening the Transfiguration Lizard Skin Bag, he took everything out, placing them item by item on the table.
First were the Fire Dragon's teeth and scales; full of items with varying qualities, from intact to severely damaged. Kael lacked the time to sort them, so he messily piled them in the corner.
Next, he pulled out a large, deep-red bottle, placing it prominently on the table.
Inside was all Dragon Blood, roughly a pint.
In Diagon Alley, a bottle of Dragon Blood costs twelve Galleons, often with a pitifully small amount.
Kael had collected enough to fill about thirty bottles of that size.
Three days... strictly speaking, two days, totaling three hundred sixty Galleons; equating to one hundred eighty Galleons per day.
If split between two people, that's still ninety Galleons… plus other bits and pieces, the day's proceeds surpass Mr. Weasley's monthly paycheck.
"Oh... is this all Dragon Blood?"
Upon entering the tent, Newt immediately noticed the bottle on the table.
"That's right." Kael nodded, then frowned, "But this contains blood from at least three dragon types. Will there be any issues?"
"As long as there's no Peruvian Vipertooth in there, it's fine," Newt replied. "Their blood also contains toxins."
"That's good." Kael breathed a sigh of relief.
Peruvian Vipertooth's blood is green, something he particularly noted, and that green blood has a strong, pungent odor, making it easy to detect if mixed.
"Oh, by the way..." Newt pointed towards the tent's direction, smiling, "I just saw Rockneil seemingly buying these items at reasonable prices. If you need, you can find him."
Rockneil, the Beauxbatons professor?
Kael pondered a bit but didn't go.
He wasn't short of Galleons at the moment, and he could use these items himself, be it for crafting Alchemy Items or Magic Potions—excellent materials indeed.
Most importantly, they're one hundred percent genuine, without any concerns of adulteration.
Kael took another bottle, splitting half of the Dragon Blood and handing it to Newt.
Newt didn't refuse, accepting with a smile.
Dragon Blood, when diluted, can be used to make tonics for other Fantastic Beasts; even a small amount boosts the tonic's quality considerably.
In shops, it's the difference between ordinary goods and premium items.
For Newt, with a suitcase full of Fantastic Beasts, Dragon Blood is essentially a necessity.
However, he didn't accept other items, leaving all to Kael.
Kael spent over half an hour sorting out the severely damaged ones. By evening, he packed and sold them to Beauxbatons' Professor Rockneil.
The large bag, weighed at thirty Galleons—a minimal amount but better than nothing.
Truth is, he initially thought Professor Rockneil wouldn't accept such items, yet the professor indiscriminately took anything dragon-related.
"You may not know this at Hogwarts..."
Professor Rockneil handed Kael thirty Galleons, smiling as he said, "Beauxbatons offers Alchemy courses. For beginners, there's no need for top-quality materials; these suffice."
He informed Kael that if he had more substandard goods later, he could sell to him at the same weighed price, no limit on quantities.
Kael nodded, agreeing.
He now suspected whether the materials used in Hogwarts' Potion Class might also have been weighed and sourced from somewhere by Snape.
...