[Secluded Desert]

It is a shame that Xeni is entirely unaware of that city in the distance. Zee, too, for that matter. The two of them would undoubtedly go to great lengths to stop what is happening there.

But! Apparently they haven't noticed yet.

Xeni's excuse is that he's coming to terms with an entire year disappearing in the span of days. Which, he would be disappointed to report, means he misses most of what Zee says during this time.

At some point in the latter end of discussing Karaglen, he reacquires his awareness of the immediate situation and has to mentally suffocate the duo of terrible thoughts that always pop up at the thought of Kara lately.
1. is she actually safe, or will she need put down again? This thought has an especially black spike of guilt in his heart.
2. That isn't really her, not after what Zee did. This one is easier to mash, under a self-repeated "if it looks like a baby dragon named Karaglen and talks like a baby dragon named Karaglen, it's a baby dragon named Karaglen" mantra.

He has gotten better at crushing the invasive threads of these, but they do still exist, at least enough to be noticed.

Also an easy out to stop worrying about his own issues for a little longer. This is absolutely a dreadful plan, but it seems good in the moment.

So, with that all worked out to some passable degree, he lets out a ragged little sigh and drags his fingers through his somewhat matted hair. Which reminds him that he could probably use with a bath at some point. Imminently.
He's sure he looks like general exhausted garbage (not wrong) and he should probably at least wipe off some of that Mad Wizard Grime before seeing anyone else he cares about.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll have to apologise to her too. Hah, I promised I wouldn't disappear for months on end again. Didn't take long to break that..."
He was planning on following through on that too, which is more frustrating.
"I won't pity party over it though. As long as she's fine, everything is fine. Definitely fine."
So very unbelievably fine.

He squints back up in Zee's direction, again resisting the temptation to test her censor-ward.
"How long are you going to be out here eating?"