Lasairi

It's quiet outside. Dark, despite the moon being nearly full. The stars are bright, but unfamiliar, watching the dragons below eerily. Sometimes, Zora swears she can see them blink. Tiny, pinprick eyes of a huge creature, just waiting to pounce and devour her.

An itch in her throat pulls her attention away from the night sky, and she coughs. She's always hated the Plague flight, the disease that they seem to leave anywhere they walk. There's no escape from the pestilence they leave behind, the death that follows them like a trail. She despises being here, and yet she continues onward anyways, further into the territory even as she has to cough again.

Hours seem to pass as Zora walks through the Wandering Contagion, and yet nothing on the horizon ever seems to get closer. The moon hasn't even moved, or is that just a trick from the sky? She already despised the endless wastes in the Plague territory, but now every gasping breath is followed by a quiet, mumbled curse against the Plaguebringer. Blasphemy, yes, but deserved nonetheless.

She doesn't know how long the Coatl has been following her when she looks over her shoulder. All black, with crescent-shaped markings covering every inch. Zora doesn't spook easy, but she can't deny how she jumped when she noticed the following dragon. The Coatl's footsteps are graceful as she approaches Zora, stopping beside her.

"Sorry, uh, you spooked me." Zora chuckled, feeling awkward. The other dragon was almost as unblinking as the stars in the night sky, simply watching her. Somehow, her gaze felt comforting, patient, and yet completely unfamiliar. "What's your name? Mine's Zora."

"Lasairi." The Coatl answered. Her voice was like a quiet melody, one someone would listen to if they were having trouble sleeping. "Where are you headed?

"The, uh... the Blight Sanctum. Or, near it, at least. My clan has traded some items with another clan in that area." Zora said, gesturing to the bag that she almost forgot was on her shoulder. It was light, just a few papers and food parcels. Notes, mostly, as the two clans had good relationships, apparently. "Everyone else has had their turn travelling there except me, so, uh... yeah."

"Hm." Lasairi hummed like she wanted to disagree with the answer, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. "I'm heading that way too. Would you like to travel together?"

"Yes, that would be great." Zora sighed, before coughing again. "This air smells rancid, how come you aren't coughing?" She asks, mostly just trying to make conversation, until she notices the Coatl's dark red eyes. "I mean-- well, except for, y'know--"

"It's okay." Lasairi said, almost chuckling as she spoke. "Outside of Plague territory, the air smells... so fresh. It's nice, but it's not home."

"Yeah, you're tellin' me." Zora smiled. "Is it, is it just me or does it seem like we aren't moving? We've been in the Wandering Contagion for a while, I thought it was just the border of this place, not... the entire thing."

"It's always bigger than you think it is." Lasairi responded. "I've been here a while, but sometimes it feels like it stretches on forever."

"I just can't wait to go home." Zora smiled. She didn't notice the pitying glance the Coatl gave her.