Xerxes is absent from the picture, but Lex is enjoying a bit of fun here eh?
side notes: Ironically, Gryphons in Sylvos share many of the utilitarian associations as horses in the real world. It is ironic since Gryphons in myth are said to be enemies of horses and eat them - hence why the Hippogriff is said to be one of the most mythical of mythical beasts!
When I get to the Dullahan, Xerxes' Djinni form, I'll tell you why his form is especially ironic given the mythology of that dark faerie (yes, the headless horseman is technically a 'faerie-like creature', if a sinister one hehe).
Gryphons are a bit different from Gryphoenixes, the latter of which is what Lily is.