After two successes, Alexandria, Zenaida, and Terranon were more told they would be going after another elder, rather than volunteering.  None of them minded too much, though: Terranon was excited for another fight, Zenaida was happy to feel like she was helping, and Alexandria….well, Alexandria didn’t care either way.  It was something to do.

Their next target was Azreal, a small gray gryphon with purple and pink markings on her throat and wings.  She had been spotted nearby, but seemed to be moving about a lot, so it might be quite a hunt to find her.  The trio of dragons set out on a brisk, windy morning, traveling on the currents to where Azreal had last been seen.  A few gryphons were supposed to be out tracking her, but the power of flight always made tracking more difficult, with no trace of passage left in the air.

As Zenaida, Alexandria, and Terranon passed over forested isles, the wind whipped leaves off of branches, throwing debris into the abyss and occasionally smacking into their scaled hides.  The gryphons they saw seemed to be having some trouble making headway, but the three much larger dragons did not find themselves buffeted nearly as easily.  It did, however, tire them out faster than a calm day would have, and by noon the trio had to make a landing on one of the smaller islands to rest.  The forested isles were long past, and these were grassy, with rocks poking out like their own miniature islands in a sea of grass.  Terranon stomped about, crushing the grass.  Her tail whipped about, and she turned to the others.  “I can’t believe we haven’t found Azreal yet.  We’ve been searching all morning!” she exclaimed, frustrated.

Alexandria had found herself a comfy spot to curl up, and Zenaida was sitting down, her wings spread to catch the sun.  Both of them looked at Terranon in surprise.  “We’re not even sure where she is,” Alexandria said, “That gray and blue gryphon said they saw her going this way, but who knows if she even kept going this way.”  Terranon growled and resumed pacing, and Alexandria watched her a moment before letting her head flop down into the grass.  It wasn’t her job to convince an agitated dragon to rest.

Zenaida, however, did think it her job.  “Why don’t you sit down for a bit?” she suggested.  “If you keep pacing like that, you’ll be too tired to face Azreal when we do find her.”

That got Terranon’s attention, and she sat down with a huff.  “We better find her soon.  All this flying is boring,” she grumbled.  Zenaida hummed in sympathy.  She didn’t mind the flying.  The different isles were pretty, fragments of landscape in an unending sky.  Terranon listened to the wind in the grass and it soothed her somewhat.  She must have been far more tired than she thought, as she soon fell asleep.  Alexandria allowed herself to nap as well, the sun warm and comforting.  Only Zenaida stayed awake, but she didn’t mind letting her companions rest.  She simply listened to the prairie birds and the crickets.

A few hours later, the wind had begun to die down.  Terranon awoke and was furious with the other two for letting her sleep, but Zenaida and Alexandria simply shrugged off her anger.  Clearly, she had needed it.  They returned to the sky, and returned to their search for Azreal.

It was only when the sun was going down that they received news of the missing elder.  A reddish-orange noctua gryphon soared up to them, saying he had spotted their target, and she was not far away.  Immediately all three dragons altered their course, following their guide.  Far below them, flying lower than the lowest isles, was Azreal.  The noctua gryphon hung back as the trio circled above her, deciding what their plan should be.

“We should lure her back up to the islands.  We’ll be able to push her to land and then restrain her,” Zenaida said.  Alexandria nodded agreement.

“And how do you think we should do that?  You’re not going to try talking again, right?  I don’t think she’ll follow you if you ask nicely,” Terranon replied, showing her teeth in a sneer.  

Zenaida sighed.  “No, I’ve learned my lesson,” she said, her tone regretful.  “I guess it’s probably up to you to get her attention and bring her back up to us.”

This time, Terranon grinned, clapping her claws together.  “Oh, that sounds fun, I’d love to!  Be right back!” she called gleefully, folding her wings into a dive.  She barreled toward Azreal, intending to hit her like a falcon hits a pigeon, but Azreal appeared to have seen her coming, as she rolled out of the way at the last moment.  Terranon roared in frustration as she whipped past, flaring her wings out to brake hard.  Azreal took the attack as a challenge, making her own dive after the larger dragon.  Terranon was forced to bank away to avoid the gryphon’s slashing claws, and then drive upward as fast as she could to lead her back to her compatriots.  Fortunately, Azreal followed.

The gryphon was faster than Terranon, and she had to swerve out of the way more than once on the way to the island they had chosen to fight Azreal on.  Once, she came very close to snapping her teeth on Terranon’s leg, but a well-timed swing with her spiked tail warded the gryphon off long enough for her to reach the isle.  Alexandria swooped down, but once again Azreal rolled nimbly away.  However, she wasn’t prepared for a third attack, and nearly flew right into Zenaida’s arms.  The sapiere reached out, catching hold of Azreal’s wings, and with that, she was captured.  Though she screeched and flailed, she could not escape, and Zenaida glided down to solid ground with her prize in hand.  Glowing purple goo flecked her chest as it sprayed from Azreal’s screaming maw, and Zenaida knew the gryphon was not the only one who would need to be treated with a cleansing potion when they got back.  Time was of the essence, and Azreal was soon safely restrained and ready to be transported home.