2. The 78th Face

Wysteria didn't know much about dragons. She had seen them in books, watched them in movies, but had never come across one until now. Here, on the 79th Face, Wysteria was staring at a helpless, yet terrifying being. 

"How come you're not training him, Imonso? You're definitely strong enough." Wysteria wondered out loud. 

Imonso chuckled, brushing a leaf off his shoulder. "As much fun as that sounds, I am rather busy. Besides, dragons and kraken tend not to get on so well, and I would rather not have to deal with the thing."

Wysteria nodded, her gaze never leaving the dragon. She took a step closer, and his head jerked in her direction. Blood encased purple orbs stared back at her, filled with rage, but the magic Imonso had wrapped him in seemed strong enough to keep him from thrashing about. His mouth was curled into a vicious snarl. 

Minth leaned against her blade, a hand under her chin. "Where'd you find him?"

"That is unimportant." Imonso said, turning to leave. "All you have to do is make sure he speaks by the time I come back. Don't worry yourselves about anything else." He turned to Wysteria, his hand curled into a fist. "Good luck."

A sudden gust of wind swept through the pod, swirling around the Architect, before both disappeared in a blink. Wysteria looked at Minth, a smile curled on her lips. 

"Any ideas?" Wysteria asked, taking a few steps back. 

The dragon, still floating in the air, glared at her with menace. It was a look that chilled Wysteria to the bone, but her smile never faltered. A challenge, no matter how seemingly difficult, was still a challenge. And, if she wanted to catch up to her friends, she would have to solve it. 

"Take a crack at it first, I'm starving. Can't do good work on an empty stomach. Find me when you're bored." Minth yawned and swung on her heels, turning towards the bridge. 

Wysteria opened her mouth, but thought against making her stay, and looked at the dragon instead. His eyes, still glistening with fury, were truly a sight to behold. Like precious gems, cut from a milky-white mountain, she had a hard time looking away. 

"You're in a terrible position, dragon." Wysteria sighed, crouching on the ground. "But, it could be worse. All you have to do is speak, and things might be over before you know it."

Whether he understood her or not, Wysteria couldn't tell. He just continued to glare at her, his limbs struggling against the magic that bound him as he watched her pick up the tokens that had scattered around the box. She ran her fingers over them, collecting as many as she could in her hand. If they were made to subdue a dragon, they'd fetch good money once she was free. 

As she knelt there, her mind wandered to her friends. Holison was usually the one in charge of their funds; always reminding them to look out for any of value. He and Rynara were the best at bartering. Despite how shy Rynara usually was, when it came to money, she never took no for an answer. Especially with Sion and Yela behind her, that woman could sell a feather to a bird. The thought made her heart clench, but she shook it away before the feeling took hold. 

"Look, I know you're not happy with this, dragon. I wouldn't be either. This prison must feel so small compared to the open skies you're used to." Wysteria said, getting to her feet. "It feels small to me too..."

The dragon's body shook even harder, appearing to disagree with Wysteria with a passion. Frosty air swirled around him, dust catching the sunlight, and Wysteria felt the atmosphere shift. Even with the magic wrapped around him, she could feel his energy tearing at the seams, desperate for a way out. A release into the freedom he had been ripped from. 

The air around her started to crackle and pop, immediately chilling her to the core. It took her a while to realise that it was the dragon's doing, and she was taken aback by just how powerful he was, to be able to exude such an aura, despite being restrained. If they had just been regular chains, she assumed they would have cracked by now, from the chill alone. 

"I applaud your confidence, dragon, but you're not going anywhere. This is Imonso's Face. That guy who trapped you here, he created this place. You might have been powerful on another level, but you're nothing here." Wysteria sighed, swinging her body around wistfully, before muttering to herself. "I know, I've already tried..."

Frost flitted through the air, causing partially formed snowflakes to dance in the wind. A glint of light caught Wysteria's attention and she found herself focusing on the intricate webbings of the snowflake as it shifted and stretched into thin shards of ice. A shocked gasp escaped her lips as she dropped to the ground, narrowly missing the shard cut through the air towards her. 

"Dragon, that was not a good idea." Wysteria huffed, looking up from the floor. "I haven't even done anything to you. What, is my conversation not good enough?"

Another silent answer rolled by as more shards began to appear, iridescent thorns all turning in the air to point at the woman. Alarming wide eyes stared at the dragon, before turning to focus on what was behind him instead.

"Minth!" Wysteria shouted, causing the dragon to falter. "How was your nap? Good dreams?" 

Minth stood behind the dragon and cracked her knuckles, lacing them in front of her. She squinted at Wysteria, unsure of whether to answer her question or just attack. The dragon craned his head to look around too, snarling and baring his teeth at her, unphased by how she pulled him closer to the ground and raised her fist.

"It was alright." Minth said nonchalantly. When she answered, she pulled her muscular arm down in a swing and snapped her fists into the side of the dragon's head, her fist making a direct impact with his temple. 

Wysteria winced as the dragon's body jerked from the impact, slumping down. His eyes fluttered before shutting completely, clearly fighting hard not to succumb to the unconsciousness that had already taken him once before. When the dragon's eyes closed, the ice shards melted and dripped onto the ground.

"That wasn't very nice. I was getting somewhere." Wysteria huffed, hopping up to her feet. 

Minth snorted. "From where I was standing, looked like you were about to get turned into shaved ice. No thanks necessary."

"How do you know that wasn't my plan? As if a little ice could take me down, I'm offended." Wysteria kissed her teeth, shaking her head. "How am I supposed to make him talk if he doesn't trust me? Trust the process, Riz, I know what I'm doing."

"Look, I could care less about his trust. That's your business." Minth said, heading back to the door. "I just told Imon that I'd keep you safe. That means protecting you from danger, which is what I just did. You're welcome."

Minth, not even waiting for a reply, sauntered back through the door and disappeared around the corner. Wysteria sat there with her mouth open, scoffing as Minth left the room. She muttered something to herself, but the words barely formed any real meaning before a groan caught her attention. She knelt beside the dragon, thinking about reaching out to him, but then leaving her hands by her side.

"Are you alright?" Wysteria asked, concerned. It looked like Minth hadn't used all her power, but she could already see a bump forming on the dragon's head. 

Groggily, the dragon reached up and rubbed what he could from within his restraints. Wysteria's eyes followed him, pity in her expression, and the dragon's shoulders tensed under her gaze. His entire body turned to stone when Wysteria reached for his face, caressing her fingers over his cheek as she bit her inner cheek. Her eyes, though looking at the dragon, were glazed over.

"I just want you to know that, given the chance, I wouldn't keep you here." She said, dropping her hand from his face and reaching for the energy that bound the dragon's hands together. 

As Wysteria tugged at it, the energy flickered and sizzled under her touch. Then, wisps of smoke started to plume from her fingers, and from under his long eyelashes, the dragon saw Wysteria wince. His fingers twitched in her direction, but he did nothing more than watch as she pulled the threads of energy apart, one by one.

When the last thread was exposed, Wysteria smiled at the dragon. Genuine or not, the dragon only bared his teeth at her in another low snarl. This seemed to make Wysteria's smile widen even more. 

"Dragon's must have thick skin." Wysteria said, laughing as she sliced through the last thread with her nail. "You'd do well to protect it, or someone may come trying to skin you."

In the instant that the thread was severed, the dragon seemed to pull all the air from the pod in through his nostrils in one breath. Even Wysteria felt light headed, but she kept herself conscious through regulating the air around her manually. It was a useful skill that she was glad to have learnt early, otherwise she'd already be face-first on the floor. 

The dragon narrowed his eyes at her, surprised by her tenacity, but ignored her once he started walking towards the door. With a newfound weight in his step, he shook the pod as he moved closer to his freedom. Only, it didn't seem to let him get any closer. Though he was placing one foot in front of the other, the door never got any closer. Even Wysteria stood in the same place, despite having walked past her a while ago. 

"I said I would if I could, dragon." Wysteria said, picking at her nails with disinterest. "You're no longer unable to move, but you are still trapped here. It's Imonso's ward, after all." She pointed at the crystals around him, shrugging her shoulders. 

Despite being told of the looping ward Imonso had placed, the dragon didn't give up his attempts at freedom. He tried to run, transform, even punch the ground, but everything seemed to pull from his reach the moment he approached it with aggression. It was a cruel joke, one that had him curled up in the middle of the room after tirelessly failing over and over, again and again. 

Wysteria sighed as she walked to him, dropping to the floor herself and crossing her legs. "Now do you believe me? If you were the type to accept your situation, maybe you would have saved a lot of time."

The dragon shot his eyes at her, lips curled. Wysteria put her hands up jokingly. "Relax. I only want to help." She said. "You've been dealt a difficult hand, and I for one hate when people abuse their power. Here."

From within a sudden shimmer of purple energy, Wysteria pulled out a bundle of green and silver cloth and held it out for the dragon, who just stared at her unblinking. Wysteria smiled, before getting up and unravelling the wide-sleeved robes in front of herself. The dragon's eyes left hers to take in the robes, unable to resist the impressed smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth. 

"I don't know if dragons get cold or embarrassed." Wysteria wondered out loud as she got closer to him. "But, maybe you'd feel better with some clothes?" Then, with speed quicker than the dragon could react to, Wysteria wrapped the robes around him. 

The moment her hands touched his shoulders, a jolt of lightning singed her fingers. Jumping back from the shock, Wysteria chuckled and rubbed her hands together. 

"Not even a thank you, huh? You're arrogant, that's for sure." She said, smiling at him as she winked. "No wonder I like you so much."

The dragon's cheeks flushed at Wysteria's words, averting his gaze from hers. He had found himself staring at her smile a little too long, and was quick to scold himself for falling for her tricks. This was no doubt her plan, to make him lower his guard, yet he couldn't help being enamoured by her smile. As the thought trickled into his mind, the dragon aggressively shook his head to knock them out. 

"Are you alright?" Wysteria asked, looking worried. Her eyes wider than he had seen them before, her irises glowing more vibrantly. 

The dragon huffed and looked away, hugging his legs closer to his chest. He heard Wysteria sigh as she got up, and fought hard not to turn to look at her again. 

"Well, this was fun, but I'm getting tired." Unable to contain the yawn that escaped, Wysteria stretched her arms and turned on her heels. "I'll be back tomorrow. Sleep well."

A familiar purple glimmer suddenly billowed in front of the dragon, causing him to jump in surprise. But, as he watched it dissipate, a folded mattress and pillow were left in its wake. He looked around and, noticing that Wysteria had disappeared, set his bed up in the centre of the pod. The sheets were silky and soft, chilled to the touch, and elicited a deep yawn from the dragon that probably echoed throughout the whole forest. As he lay his head against the pillow, his mind was whisked away from the prison of his body, to an endless sea of clouds.

*

"...your plan? I hate to step on your toes here, princess, but there's only one plan that works. Beat him until he begs for mercy." Minth's voice drifted in through the door, waking the dragon. 

Wysteria laughed. "And if he bites off his tongue, he will never speak. How is it that barbarians always underestimate the power of will?"

Minth growled at her. "Barbarian?" 

"Oh, don't get offended, it's true. You're from the outer ring, aren't you?" Wysteria said, munching on some leaves she had picked on the way. 

The outer ring was one of the further surrounding areas of the Estate, between the building and the outskirts. Known for their blatant disregard for law and order, it bred those with a violent and aggressive mind; quick to fight and difficult to reason with. Of course, there were exceptions. Those that displayed both logic and strength from the outer ring had undoubtedly climbed the Estate quickly, with little to stand in their way. 

Wysteria called those from the outer ring 'barbarians' because of their brute force and show of strength that they never failed to call upon, even in the smallest of situations. It also didn't help that the majority of them had a one-track mind that was difficult to sway. Wysteria had only met a few barbarians over the years and Faces, but she was always glad to see them. They were always great at drawing attention towards themselves. 

"How did you know?" Minth huffed, snatching a few leaves from Wysteria's hand and shoving them in her mouth. "You from there too? You look a little too... small to be though."

"Aren't all of you from the outer ring?" Wysteria asked, ignoring her question. "I've met a few and you all have an air about you. Makes it hard to ignore."

Minth blinked at her, nostrils starting to flare. "Are you saying I smell?"

Wysteria laughed, shaking her head. "No, not like that. I meant your aura. Your intensity can be felt a mile away, and not just by me, I'm sure. You're tough, so I'm just curious how come you're helping out an Architect instead of climbing."

The sound of chewing stopped as Minth pondered the question herself. "It isn't because I like the guy." She finally said. "I owed him a debt and he cashed it in. It happened a while ago, when he was still on the 24th Face."

Wysteria turned her head in shock. "I'm sorry, what? Imonso used to be on the 24th Face?" 

"You didn't know?" Minth asked, smirking as she chewed. "Architects move all the time. Some up, some down. Depends on what they've done. Same as us, really."

"How far did you get?" Wysteria asked. 

"99th. Imonso called me just as my team and I finished the challenge. Talk about bad timing." Minth spat out the leaves and sighed, watching the wad tumble through the air. "I heard the 100th Face is another city, so I'm not worried about them leaving too soon, but it's a little boring here babysitting."

Pulling a face at Minth, Wysteria threw a leaf at her. "Think of it as a holiday. A work holiday, where the most you have to do is sleep in a tree and see me everyday. It's not so bad, is it?"

Minth laughed. "It's not terrible, no. I would rather be elsewhere though, so if you could hurry up with the dragon, I'd appreciate it."

"How much would your appreciation cost?" Wysteria asked.

Minth looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"If I expedite things, finish up in say five days..." Wysteria drawled. "Will you take me to the 100th Face?" 

"While that's not half a bad bargain, bringing you to the 100th Face might not be as easy as you think." Minth started to say. "You'd have to pass the 99th challenge, even with an escort. It's not easy."

Wysteria grinned at her. "I wouldn't worry, I haven't failed a challenge yet. And, you passed it, so I'm sure it couldn't have been that hard."

They both laughed, oblivious to the stirring dragon behind them. Though he didn't understand much of what they were saying, he understood a lot more than when he had first woken up. There were words he couldn't really grasp, but with context, it was getting easier to decipher what they were saying. 

What he understood from that conversation, however, only made the dragon more confused. Wysteria was kind to him, or at least, that's what it seemed like. Perhaps, he thought she was because he wanted her to be. Because he needed someone to be. 

"Morning, dragon." Wysteria said, her face appearing in front of the dragon's. A bright smile meeting a frightened open mouth. "How'd you sleep?"

Wysteria waited for his response, as if she had been talking to him the entire time. Unfortunately, no words left his mouth, no matter how long she waited. Sighing dejectedly, Wysteria got up and stretched. 

"Well, I slept terribly. Thanks for asking. I figured it might be because I feel guilty that you haven't actually eaten anything since... a while ago." Wysteria said, reaching to place a picnic basket in front of him. "So, here's a little something."

Plates of fruits and meats were pulled out from the basket and laid out on the ground, alongside loaves of bread and jars of honey. From the corner of her eye, Wysteria noticed the dragon's eye twitch at the food, and smiled. As she continued to pull food out, the dragon's eyes widened at the amount and variety it held. Buns, wrapped dumplings, even a steaming bowl of rice were spread out in front of him, reminding him of the feasts he used to have. 

The memory was fortunately chased away by the resonant growl of his stomach, so loud that even Wysteria giggled. She pointed to the corner of her mouth, then to him, and the dragon quickly realised that he had been drooling at the sight and smell of everything. 

"Don't be shy, it's all for you." Wysteria said. "Dig in."

As the dragon's hand went out to lift a bowl of soup, he hesitated. Wysteria noticed, shaking her head as she too picked up the bowl and took a long sip of its cloudy liquid. 

"It's wise of you to be cautious, dragon. But, like I said, I won't harm you. I might eat all of this before you even get a taste though." Wysteria said, teasingly. 

He waited to see if she had any reaction to the food, before swiping the bowl from her hands, downing it in one gulp. The sweet savoury flavour warmed his belly, making him even hungrier. It didn't take long before the dragon had both claws holding a piece of food, happily eating everything that Wysteria had prepared. 

"Take your time, it's not going anywhere." Wysteria laughed, chewing on more leaves. These were different this time, mintier. "Do dragons even get stomach aches?"

As expected, there was no response, only the grunts of a busy eater. Wysteria shook her head with a smile, and sat back against the chest, watching the dragon eat. It made her hungry too, but she let him eat as much as he wanted. Maybe there'd be leftovers that she could finish up.

However, to no one's surprise, the dragon finished every morsel she brought. Every plate licked clean, every grain out of sight. Wysteria was impressed but her stomach cried out at the sight. She chewed on more leaves as she cleared everything away, waving her hand over the basket and watching it disappear in a shimmer of purple. 

Wysteria leaned forward on her elbows. "So? How was everything?"

The dragon looked at her, fingers in his mouth, and smiled. It was the first time the corners of his lips had turned upwards, and Wysteria was blown away. She had wondered how he would look with a smile, but seeing it in actuality was almost too good. Glossy lips from the oils of the food, two dimples on either cheek. It was a smile that swept the words in her mind away and replaced them with stars, and Wysteria had to shake her head to snap out of it. 

"Uh- so, good, I take it?" Wysteria stuttered, catching herself. "I'm glad. You deserve to be treated better, dragon."

"Shen." 

Wysteria looked at the dragon blankly and tipped her head to one side. She blinked a few times, silently wondering if it had been a trick of the forest creatures that mimicked voices. It seemed highly unlikely that the dragon, who had been so against speaking earlier, was saying something to her now. Even she had not expected her food to be such a success. 

In the weighty pause that followed, the smile that had appeared on the dragon's face quickly slid off, and he turned to fiddle with the threads on his robes instead. 

"Shen?" Wysteria repeated. 

The dragon faced her again, nodding as he spoke. "My name. Shen." He rubbed his neck, smiling a shy little smile. "Thank you for the food."