newtralize | Then we are dead.

[ Lately, encounters with smugglers was becoming more and more frequent. They would stake out areas of the forest surrounding the lake the Kelpie called home and waiting till he went out foraging to trap him in strange new traps he hadn't encountered before. It had been a few weeks since he had seen the last group and he let's his guard down when he knew better.

Everything happened much too fast for Kielo to even attempt to escape, it didn't help that his horse form made a much easier target then his human one. No amount of thrashing or kicking eased the restraints they put him under, leaving him to eventually burn himself out enough to cooperate and be pulled in any direction they wanted.

Sometimes its a tarped cart or large case or something generally inconspicuous that he's led into but the inside is always the same. Various sized cages and tanks, crates, strange bottles that were usually drowned in loud creature calls and smells. A few predators lunge at their confines causing Kielo to jump and bang hooves against anything nearby.

He wasn't expecting a cage to be sized properly to him, they never really are, as he gets prodded into one and the only fear he has becoming a reality as his captors take the bridle away from him before they lock the cage door. Kielo was a the mercy of whoever held it, his only downfall compared to other kelpie breeds.

There's a moment of frustration at this as he slams his body against the sides of the cage before resigning himself to his fate and letting out a huff as he looks around at the neighboring cages. Kielo partially shifts back to feel less claustrophobic as he sits on the ground, hands holding onto the bars. He hated how overwhelming such a place could be and all he can really thing about was Newt's suitcase and how it was far less harsh than here.

He wonders how the magizoologist was these days. ]

[It wasn't that he didn't know it was risky business. What he was getting into. Of course he knew the dangers of his career. If anything, he knew better than anyone else. Handling magical beasts of any kind was riddled with dangers. He didn't believe the creatures he cared for to be dangerous persay, but he never considered them a danger to him. He could understand that in most situations involving people, they would be dangerous. Not because they are mindless beasts, but because he can't imagine any social environment that wouldn't stress an animal out and cause them to retaliate.

This was also ignoring the more dangerous part of his work. Smugglers and traffickers and the like. They were who he truly thought were dangerous. Greedy men looking to make a pretty galleon off creatures. Dead or alive. They were as heartless as they came and didn't care about the product they were handling. Product being living and breathing creatures.

And they didn't like the magizoologist. He meddled and whisked away their wares and the Brit won't deny he has made quite a few enemies through his travels.

He just didn't expect them to pursue him as they did.

It wasn't even that he had recently done anything to gain their ire. Hell, his travels had been within the cities and countryside and had nothing to do with chasing creatures (which is honestly more of a shock to anyone that knew him and himself). But perhaps he had let his guard down because of that.

And perhaps Kielo will see the curled up form of the man. A cage with so little room that he could even sit up. Instead, the man was curled and laying in his cage; feet tied together and arms tied behind his back. The usual coat of his absent along with his waistcoat and his usually off white shirt dirtied with dirt and blood. For extra measure, he had apparently been blindfolded and gagged as though they were worried if they gave him any amount of freedom, he could make do with it and escape and free everything with him.

Not a terribly bad idea given Newt's handiness even in bleak situations.

Honestly, it was probably a sad sight along with everything else.]

[ As his gaze looked around the space, he furrows his brows at someone who looked rather familiar but it was a little difficult to completely place the stranger being bound and gagged in such a small space, too far away for him to actually try to help.

Kielo probably stares at Newt's form for too long before it eventually clicks. The other's scent was drowned out by all the other smells in such a crowded space and the man's usual telltale features were hidden away or taken. How long had the magizoologist been held here for? Had he tried to free the other captive creatures here or did he have the unfortunate time of being caught or even ambushed himself?

Either way, the kelpie tries to see if he could slide out between the bars to escape to help the other man but his attempts were rather futile. Instead, he tries to call out to him, though he's not sure he'd get much of a response in return given Newt's current state. ]

Mr. Scamander? [ He shakes his head, remembering how Newt preferred not the be called that. He tries to keep his voice down enough the creature noises around him would overshadow it and wouldn't draw attention from the traffickers. ] Newt. Hey !!

[Newt hears someone call towards him. He furrows his brows for a moment. The voice was different. New. It wasn't any of the traffickers saying his name (he had already committed the nuances of their voices to memory), so he knew that this was someone new.

He couldn't place who it was at all, but they seemed familiar with him when they call his name out. Newt shifts a little to try and sit up somewhat, though it's hard because he can't tell where anything starts and ends. He hits the top of his head against the top of his cage, but finally at least isn't lying on the ground.

The magizoologist looks in Kielo's direction, though he can't say anything back.]

[ Kielo flinches as Newt hits his head, thankful that the magizoologist could hear him over the noise, even if he didn't recognize his voice.

He looks around his cage again, surely there had to be a way to help out the other. The kelpie tried to pick the lock on his cage with a pin he had kept in his hair, tried to pry the bars further apart to make a way to slip through, even went as far as to kick the bars with his hooved feet to see if they'd budge at the force, all to no avail. He wasn't magically equipped to make much of a difference to whatever magic clung to the cages.

Trying to communicate with the other creatures surrounding Newt's cage didn't work in his favor either. But then he gets a rather stupid idea, if he made enough noise, would the traffickers come over to inspect the source, giving him a chance to steal a key or a wand? It didn't hurt to try.

Kielo does just that as loud and obnoxious as he could. ]

[The noise doesn't seem to really bother the smugglers. Perhaps they're used to the creatures making a ruckus.

They eventually appear, but not because of the noise. One does sneer and kick at Kielo's cage a bit to tell him to shut his trap, before turning his attention to why they came in the first place. The group talk amongst themselves as they unlock Newt's cage and drag the man off.

It's some time before Newt is dragged back and tossed back into his cage. They don't bother to tie him up or anything, but he looks a little worse for wear from when they had initially taken him. They merely laugh as they slam the cage shut again and leaves the magizoologist to nurse his injuries a bit. It is finally then that he can see all the cage animals around him; a rather sad expression on his face as though he was more heartbroken to see them than he was about being captured and abused.

His eyes fall on Kielo-] Oh...

[ Kielo gives up before the smugglers appeared, thinking it didn't do much to help, but he doesn't take kindly to the one that kicks at his cage. The Kelpie bares his fangs before looking worried as they pull and drag Newt out of sight.

In the time that Newt was away, he had laid back against the cold metal floor of the cage, kicking at the bars on the left side, knowing it wouldn't do much but he was anxious and pacing around such a tight space felt worse than letting out pent up energy. He perks up at the sound of incoming footsteps, or what he was able to catch of them after being mostly drowned out, sitting up as he grabbed the bars again.

Kielo gives the other a rather sympathetic look as he saw the current state of his injuries as the other had looked so sadly at his surroundings before finally noticing him. ]

Let me guess... you tried to save them? Is that how you got caught?

[ He didn't expect anything less of the other. Always trying to save them at the expense of his own safety. ]

[Newt laughs a little. It's awkward and the tone is far from being happy.]

I'm not popular amongst many. Especially these people. [He had actually not been involved in anything recently, but he recognizes the people who captured him. Strong observation skills and the like. He recognizes them enough and can place them to when, but he couldn't say why they were so mad at him over other groups.]

I'd have been more careful, but I suppose I should have expected it at some point. [Caught by surprise. It's rare, but not impossible. Especially because he was sure he remembers them when he was in some other country completely.] I don't really know what they want though.

Maybe if they have you here, you wouldn't sabotage things later? [ He tilts his head in thought. He didn't know the business of smuggling or the black market creature trade in general. Making only assumptions. This was one of the first times in a long awhile he's found himself in a cage like this. ]

I have a feeling you and I won't see each other for awhile after this though. [ A sad smile as he raises a hand to touch his neck where his necklace would've been. Once he gets sold and the control is passed to the buyer, he'd have to obey their every desire and it would just be a cycle that would last who knows how many years.

He can't imagine getting a decent enough owner to just give him back his free will. The real question would be would he get out of here before Newt or would it be the other way around. ]

I have a few concerns why they haven't killed me. [It's one thing to get him out of the way, but to keep him...

They surely had something planned for him. It meant that he had to do something quick.] Well, they really did take the chance by not bounding me again... Sorry, Pickett. It was safer this way, but I can't imagine it being as comfortable as my coat pocket. [As Newt speaks, there's some disgruntled chirping as a small green creature slowly crawls out from his boot.

Newt was sure they would have checked his pockets on his person so it was safer for Pickett to have moved to somewhere less obvious.] I really don't have any intention of sitting here idly. No one deserves to be here like this.

Then we are dead.

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