Scorching flames were dancing in the air carried by the wind, relentlessly eating away any kind of vegetation, leaving behind fields of ashes of what the forest once had been.

Sharp talons whipped through the air as two gryphons engaged in a fight.  One of the gryphons was red and black, trailing fire from a ring around her neck and vents in her sides.  She was obviously the source of the forest fire, though whether she had set it on purpose or on accident during the fight was less clear.  The other gryphon was smaller, grey and midnight blue with two pairs of wings.  He whirled around his opponent, agile and vicious, causing her to screech in rage.  The fires flared brighter.

Simultaneously, Koge and her feline on her back, followed by Zenaida and Liatris swiftly ran through the mayhem happening below, keeping their heads down to avoid the toxic fumes emanating from the flames, but still glancing at the two in the air, occasionally.

Dodging flames and fallen trees the three found themselves in a small clearing, untouched by the flames. Zenaida looked at the gryphon, weighing in her hands one of the two cleansing potions they brought with them after hearing about the two corrupted individuals sighted in said forest.

Pondering the vial she recognized the bigger gryphon as Vesuvius, whose flames were now burning impetuously. Squinting her eyes she identified the other as Sterling, the other missing and corrupt gryphon, now fighting against Vesuvius’ flames. Despite his elemental power disadvantage, he was still able to successfully strive against the other, not caring about the flames occasionally burning away some feathers.

“If he’ll keep fighting he’ll eventually become a burnt chicken,” Zenaida sighed, worried.

“Good for me! I’ll finally get some chicken wings!” Proclaimed Koge with glee, regardless of the reproachful looks her companions gave her.

"We must stop them before it’s too late. Does anyone have a plan?” Liatris changed the conversation as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, pensive.

“Maybe we could distract them,” Zenaida suggested.

Another screech rang out over the roar of the fire, and all three dragons winced.  “If a wildfire isn’t distracting them, I don’t know what will!” Koge said.  

Liatris nodded in agreement.  “They don’t seem to care about their surroundings.  Maybe one of us could get between them, and when they’re separated, the other two will give them the cleansing potions?” he offered.

“That sounds dangerous,” Zenaida said, apprehensive.  The fight raging above them was not slowing down.  Any dragon that wanted to get between the two gryphons would have to be quick and decisive.

Koge stood tall and proud.  “Well, I’m not afraid of any big chickens!” she announced.  Gently she nudged her celestial feline off her back and toward Zenaida.  “You’ll be safe with her,” she said to the little cat.  Zenaida held out a wing for the feline to climb up and nestle among the soft feathers on her shoulders.

With her feline safe, Koge launched herself upward.  Zenaida and Liatris watched her go.  “She’s about the same size as the gryphons,” Liatris said.  “Maybe one of us should’ve volunteered.”

Zenaida glanced over at him.  “Yeah, probably,” she agreed.  “Let’s just make sure they don’t hurt her.”  The two sapieres joined Koge in the air, flying toward Vesuvius and Sterling.

Koge reached the fighting gryphons easily and started circling them, yelling.  They kept up their battle, feathers flying and talons flashing in the sun.  Koge huffed.  Clearly no amount of noise would distract them.  Taking a deep breath, she charged up her breath weapon and shot a bolt of lightning between the two gryphons right as they were about to clash back together.  Both Vesuvius and Sterling jolted to a stop, and pairs of blue and yellow eyes turned to Koge.  “Hey!” Koge shouted, “Quit the barbeque!  We’ve got cures for your affliction!”

The gryphons considered for a moment, then screeched at Koge, beating their wings furiously toward her.  “Hey, woah, wait a minute!” Koge cried as the two gryphons gave chase.  Fortunately, Liatris and Zenaida arrived at that moment.  Liatris grabbed hold of Vesuvius, and Zenaida put an arm around Sterling.  Normally the cleansing potions were intended to be drank, but the gryphons seemed intent on fighting rather than talking reasonably.  Zenaida popped the top on the potion she was holding and waited for a moment.  When Sterling screamed in anger at being restrained, she simply dumped the potion in his open mouth.  She held him for a moment longer to make sure he wouldn’t fall out of the sky, but he seemed to be calming down very quickly.

Vesuvius was proving harder to cure.  Some of Liatris’s fur had already been scorched, and Koge had had to fly in to help hold the angry gryphon.  Seeing Zenaida’s method, Liatris waited for Vesuvius to open her beak as well- to screech at Koge, no less- to toss the potion down her throat.  Vesuvius’s beak snapped shut immediately, then she looked confused, glancing around at the two dragons holding her.  “What happened?” she asked, as Liatris and Koge guided her down to the ground.  Behind them, Zenaida supported Sterling as he landed as well.

“I would also like to know what happened!” Sterling chirped.  “Why do I feel like I stuck my face in a fire?”

“That would be because you did,” Koge informed him.  Her celestial feline jumped off Zenaida’s back and ran to her, and Koge hugged the little cat, relieved.

Sterling only looked more confused, and Zenaida jumped in to explain.  “You and Vesuvius must have eaten something contaminated with the affliction,” she said.  “The two of you were fighting, and we couldn’t get you to stop.  It set the whole forest on fire!  But we brought some cleansing potions, and now you’re all good!”  Vesuvius and Sterling stared at her, then at the smoke rising all around them, the scorched remains of trees, and the ash beneath their feet.

“Oops,” Vesuvius said quietly.