Lord Hesse's real face flashed before my eyes the second that he touched my hand. I recoiled in shock and gasped at his deformed visage.

His hair had burned away, leaving his skull bald with patches of shriveled skin. Half of his face had been scorched beyond repair, revealing bone and muscle. The other half was covered by mottled skin, permanently scarred by flame.

"You've seen my real face," the dark lord whispered in my ear. "Haven't you?"

"Yes, my Lord," I replied in a tremulous whisper.

"You have the sight of a Risan Sorceress. You see visions. You can see across planes, space, and time. You can even see through magic." He paused. "Your gift ... it matters not. Your blood may be Gatál, but the Halcíans have tainted your mind."

"My Lord?"

"Your Gatal blood cannot save you from your punishment," he replied. One of the spikes on his iron gauntlets nicked me as he grabbed my chin. "Death by firing squad."

"No, please!"

"Your blood will soon flow into the carpet beneath your feet, a mere drop in the river of blood upon which our great Empire was built."

A gasp left my parted lips as I eyed the rug. For a moment, it reverted to pure white before morphing from pink to red to crimson as it absorbed a steady stream of innocent blood from thousands of victims.

"A shame. You have quite the gift," he said as he shoved my face away. With heavy steps, he returned to his throne.

"My Lord." Darius' voice rumbled behind me. With a bow of his head, the Shadow Rider clasped his right fist to his heart. "With all due respect, it would be my honor to serve the Empire by training her in our special foreign corps."

"The Halcíans have tainted her," he replied. "She would betray us."

"I can purify her soul," Lord Darius said. "You've seen me do it before. I can make her a true Gatál. Imagine how she could serve you and our glorious Empire."

After a few seconds of silence, Lord Hesse's decree ran forth. "A tempting offer." He paused in thought. "We shall let fate decide. Guards!"

A row of Dragonborn warriors lined up shoulder to shoulder and faced me. They wielded metal crossbows and each arrow ended with a broadhead that could rip me to shreds. If my mother's shield couldn't deflect their formidable weapons, I'd be dead in seconds.

"If Helena can use magic to dispel twenty arrows at once, I shall grant your request."

Twenty?! Could my shield cope?

After a brief pause, Lord Darius replied, "As you wish."

"But beware." Lord Hesse hissed like a serpent from Hades. "Should you assist her in any way, I'll trap your souls within the walls of the Deep Caverns for eternity."

Lord Darius stiffened and drew himself ramrod straight. "Understood."

My knees trembled at the dark lord's words, and I could feel my strength fading as though Lord Hesse were feeding off my fear. If I had to die, I would face my end with the bravery and grace of my parents. Squaring my shoulders, I stared Death in the face.

Mama, Papa, give me courage. Protect me from the weapons of my enemies.

I fortified my strength by recalling a memory of my happy family for what would probably be the last time.

Standing before the fireplace of my childhood home, I grasped the metal pail in front of the hearth. I scooped the flames into the bucket and tilted it up to my mouth like the young Halcían man had taught me. I gulped the energy until my face flushed with warmth.

"I won't give in, Papa!" I cried out to the remaining flames. "I won't dishonor my family and become a Shadow Rider. I'll see you and Mama soon in Elysium."

I jumped with surprise as a pair of hands seized my shoulders from behind. Cold. Very cold. Like the dead of winter. Half-turning, I saw the young Halcían man from my dreams.

"Shh, it's me," he said.

"Will it hurt much?" I asked in a tremulous voice. "I want to be ready."

He whispered in my ear, "Don't be afraid, Helena."

Squaring my shoulders, I took a deep breath and stared at the row of guards. They all narrowed their reptilian eyes in concentration as they aimed their massive crossbows.

I didn't stand a chance.

"Fire!" the dark lord commanded.

The guards' arrows pierced my mother's shield. To my utter shock, they all disintegrated into metallic dust. Before I could draw another breath, twenty ephemeral arrows made of white light glistened and flickered as they emerged from the shield.

A collective murmur rose in the hall.

Flying through the air, they killed each of the guards in the same manner they'd wished to kill me. Some were stabbed in the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, or even less savory places.

None of them survived.

Lord Hesse leaped to his feet as the blood of his guards was absorbed by the magical rug that led to his throne. The remaining guards clasped their hands to their hearts and stomped their boots on the stone floor in salute of their mighty leader.

"All hail!" Lord Darius called.

"Hail!"

At first, I thought the dark lord would slay me for committing such a heinous act against his guards. To my shock and dismay, he didn't cast even a single glance at his fallen warriors. Instead, he stared at me.

"Fascinating," Lord Hesse said. "Imagine what power you would exert on the battlefield."

To my horror, Lord Hesse's disregard for his guards' lives made it all clear.

He wanted me.

"I knew you'd have a spark of power, but this has exceeded all of my hopes," Lord Hesse said, staring me down. "Perhaps I should let you live. If Lord Darius can cleanse your mind, that is."

Lord Darius didn't give me a chance to retort. "It would be my honor, my Lord," he bellowed from behind my back. "Once I teach her, she will serve you with honor and loyalty."

Fire rose from my stomach as I shot Lord Hesse an evil glare. I'll never serve you.

"Very well," Lord Hesse said. "I shall hold you personally responsible for her recovery."

"Thank you, my Lord," Lord Darius said as he clasped his fist over his heart. "I won't fail you."

"You may not, Lord Darius," Lord Hesse pulled me towards him. "But if this one fails me, I'll make her beg for death."

I glared at him in defiance. "You already killed my family. I have nothing left to lose."

"That's where you're wrong," he said as he yanked my head back further to the point of pain. "What about your childhood friends? What's her name? Oh, yes, Marlena?"

Lena!

"Just so that we understand each other," he growled as he shoved me towards Lord Darius.

The Shadow Rider wrapped his cape around me and brought me close.

"You have two years to whip her into shape, Baron von Kratvach," Lord Hesse hissed. "After which time she belongs to the Empire, not to you. So don't get too ... attached."

"I have no feelings, my Lord. I live to serve the Empire," he growled in reply.

"Well said, Lord Darius."

"With your permission, I will begin Lady Helena's training without delay."

"Agreed," Lord Hesse said as he stared at me. "Dismissed."

Lord Darius clasped his hand over his heart once more before he turned on his heel and escorted me from the grip of Death. When the doors slammed behind us, I exhaled a deep breath and cradled my face in my hands.

"You did well, child," he said in a husky voice. "Your father would be proud."

Unshed tears burned in my eyes as I grasped the Shadow Rider's arm. "You said you're a man of your word, but you lied to one of us. You can't have it both ways. Whom do you serve?"

Lord Darius drew me towards him with a sharp tug before he pressed my back firmly against his chest. Wrapping his arms around me, he prepared to teleport. But before we entered the void, his cold breath fanned my neck.

"I serve no man," he growled. "I'm a servant of the Empire. Lord Hesse never said to turn you into a Shadow Rider. I shall keep my oath and train you in the healing arts."

___

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it so far. If so, please don't forget to vote and/or comment to let me know I'm on the right track. Any feedback or suggestions you have are also greatly appreciated.

Please note that this is a raw draft subject to major changes and editing. As such, you may find minor errors. Feel free to point them out if you feel so inclined.