When Alex blocked my way, I set my jaw and prepared myself for a fight. To my surprise, he pushed past me and took a wide stance opposite Darius. The Shadow Rider lifted his head, and I could almost imagine him jutting his chin at his rebellious pupil.

"Think I could get some private sessions as well, Lord Darius?" Alex asked with a sarcastic sneer. "Oh, wait, no. They're only for Helena."

"As you well know, Helena must catch up on years of training you've already had."

Alex scoffed. "Why would you even discipline a magic user in combat training? What sense does that make?"

"Everything I do has a purpose, a function, and a reason."

"What's the purpose of your private sessions with Helena?" Alex sneered as he paced before his master like a caged tiger. "Everyone else hosts open sessions at the gym."

"I don't see why I have to explain myself to you," he said. "Learn your place, young one."

Alex glared at me. "Oh, I see how it is. Helena's the teacher's pet."

"Careful of your tone, young warrior," Lord Darius said, his voice betraying his impatience.

"Or what?" the Gatál trainee asked as he whipped around to face his master. "The asthmatic Shadowmeister will throw me in the dungeon?"

"Is that what you want?" The Shadow Rider's eerie calm sent shivers up my spine. "Perhaps you need to cool down a bit."

I ran over to Alexander and grabbed his arm to keep him from provoking the Shadow Rider any further. "Don't test me now, Helena!" Alex roared as he ripped his arm away from me.

"Let's go. Stop provoking him."

Alex faced me, wide-eyed. "Tell me, what does he look like under all that armor, hmm? What does he make you do? Is he a grotesque monster? Does he look like a freak?"

"Stop it! You don't know what you're saying," I said. "He was just teaching me some combat skills. It's not what you think."

Alex whipped around towards Lord Darius. "You know what they say about you?" Alex sneered as he stared at the inscrutable iron helmet. "That you barely survived your village's massacre."

Lord Darius clenched his fists and pressed the button next to his mouthpiece, and his voice echoed like the loudest thunder.

"It would be wise if you stopped speaking," the Shadow Rider snarled. I clasped my hands over my ears at the terrifying noise.

"They say your face is so burned..." Alex strutted even closer to his master. "And your body is so broken ..." Alex withdrew his wooden fighting stick. "That the only way you can survive is to wear that uniform."

"Be ... silent."

"No, you stop preying on an innocent woman who depends on you for protection."

Alex thrust his wooden fighting stick at Lord Darius, who blocked and parried his apprentice's moves until the stick fell to the ground. With inhuman speed, the Shadow Rider picked it up, snapped it in half over his thigh, and threw a piece to either side of the gym.

"You're just as bad as King Willem van--!"

"Stand ... down," Lord Darius growled. "You have one last chance."

"Enough, both of you!" I shouted. "Stop it!"

"I heard rumors of the Shadow Riders teaming up with the Khatanese Empire to oust the king," Alex sneered. "What's the point if another corrupt, evil bastard takes his place?"

Faster than I could think, Lord Darius flipped Alex and dropped him to the ground on his back with an ominous thud, and I recoiled. The Shadow Rider placed his booted foot on Alex's chest.

"If you ever speak that way to me again, I will end you," the Shadow Rider sneered. "What you say is treason. Do you understand me?"

Alex nodded, but his jaw was set.

"Leave!" Lord Darius roared as he removed his foot from the young man's chest.

The young warrior scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could and limped towards the exit. Before he did, he gave me one last piercing stare.

"Don't fall for the black leather uniform, the helmet, or the mystery, Helena," he whispered. "They say he's ruthless. Steer clear of him."

"Wa'ag!" Lord Darius shouted at Alex in Gatalán, and the young trainee exited the gym like someone had set fire to his ass.

With a flick of his wrist, the Shadow Rider slammed all the doors and locked them. He slumped to the ground and rested his head against the wall.

"Lord Darius?" I asked as I approached him. "What in Hades was all that about? He's just a trainee, and those rumors aren't true anyway."

He held up a palm to silence me, and I sat beside him. The Shadow Rider's raspy breathing echoed in the chamber. "He needs to learn respect, know his place, and manage his rage."

"Rage?" I asked, incredulous. "If anyone had a rage problem, it was you."

The Shadow Rider leaped to his feet. "I was holding back."

"It didn't look that way to me, Lord Darius."

"If I'd lost control, I would have killed him."

"Why would you get angry if he's just spreading lies?"

"Silence, Helena!"

"You're supposed to be the calm teacher," I said. "He needs your guidance."

Lord Darius turned towards me with clenched fists. "When we are on the battlefield, and I lead our troops, he must do what I command, not spread dissident thoughts."

"You almost broke his back."

"No, Helena," Lord Darius said, staring at me. "The Gatál have stronger constitutions than Halcíans. It would have frightened him, nothing more. Trust me--I know what my warriors need."

"Would you do that to me if I said the wrong thing?" 

The Shadow Rider recoiled and he didn't speak for a moment. After pressing the button on the side of his mouthpiece, he whispered in a calm, deep voice.

"No, I wouldn't."

"Why not?" I moved towards Lord Darius, and my cheeks flushed. "Is it because I'm a woman? We're both trainees, Alex and me. I talk back to you all the time, and you never do anything."

"Would you utter such traitorous words in public as Alex just did?" After a few seconds, he said, "Exactly. He's a fool, and he needs to learn his lesson."

"Lord Darius, where would he even get such an idea?"

"He's an impetuous fool," the Shadow Rider said. "Warriors don't have the luxury of politics."

"If that's true, you'll probably have to beat me all the time because I love talking about politics."

"Spitfires have passion, not rationality. I expect flames from you, but not from him."

"Your favoritism will make the others hate us both." I gazed up at his iron helmet. "You're blind, and it will come back to bite us when we fight as a unit."

"I have sworn to your parents to protect you, and I will do my duty."

My breath hitched. "Is that what you think I am? A duty? A burden to you?"

"Do not twist my words," he growled as he looked away from me. "Don't use me to boost your ego. You're better than that, Helena. If you have a question, ask it in plain speech."

A lump rose in my throat. A question? More like a million. What could I dare to ask him?

Take off your mask and reveal yourself to me, Lord Darius.

Who are you, really?

"Very well, stay silent," he muttered. "Perhaps that's best."

I clenched my teeth but didn't respond.

The Shadow Rider rose and clasped his black cape to his shoulders with a flourish. "Tomorrow I'll teach you how to break free when someone pins your arms. Hurry off to work now."

As I made my way to the gardens, I tried to understand what in Hades just happened back at the gym. The more I tried to make sense of it, the more confused I became.

Were the Shadow Riders really plotting a coup d'etat?

___

A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this short chapter - if so, please vote and/or comment. Of course, I also love any feedback or constructive criticism you may have.

Please be aware that this is a raw unedited draft that may contain errors or awkward formulations. If you find anything that doesn't make sense, please tell me. I've tried to modify the draft to fit the new story, so if you find any inconsistencies, please let me know.