Ghastly's POV

This boy just walked into camp, with Erskine, carrying half dead Dexter. One of these days, these stray people we pick up are going to get the better of us.

"Who are you?" Shudder asks the kid, passing him some tea.

"My name's Chance Shrapnel, and I'm an archer." He replies, he has a strange accent, Northern, yet very deep. Hmmm...that would be puberty, then.

He seems, nice, he explains about what happens, and the fact that he wants to join the army to remember his family by is cute, I suppose. But he needs to know Channie'sthat war is no joke, and that if he really wants to join us, he will have to fight like a man, and not fanny about or be a coward. He will be pushed to his limits, not to even mention the fact we're here on suicide missions.

"I'm sorry, but Erskine, and Dexter, they didn't, um tell me why you're all here..." Chance says, fiddling with his bow.

"We are a group of blokes, who are basically super awesome freedom fighters, like superheoeos!" Larrikin says, jumping out from under a pile of clothes, scaring the hell out of the kid. I butt in before he passaes out.

"We are a group of fairly average mages who go on suicide missions to try and save the world from the mevolent. I'm Ghastly Bespoke, pleased to meet you." I say, and hold out my hand. He shakes it, then sits back down on some oats.

"I'm Anton Shudder," says Anton, and Chance shakes his hand.

When Skulduggery shakes his hand, we expect the kid to have a fit or collapse or something at the sight of him, but he shakes his hand like he had done with me. Obviously this Kid has seen something before more horrific thatn a skeleton in a suit.

"Are you going to see Corrival?" asks Saracen, who is busy inking a tattoo on his forearm.

"Who wants me?" asks Corrival, coming out of his tent. I look over at the kid. He looks more scared at Corrival than he did at Skulduggery!

"Sir, this is Mr. Chance Shrapnel, he would like to be a new member of The Dead Men," I say, and Chance stubles up, and holds his hand out to Corrival, saying: Yes, Sir, it would be such a pleasure to be part of your, um, gang?" with just a hint of question.

"Yes, um, well, er, how did you come about wanting to be in our so called "gang"?" Corrival asks, his eyebrows shooting up. This man is hrad to impress.

Chance takes a deep breath and tells him the story about his family and all that crap. The kid looks as if he has had a hard time, and after nearly breaking down, Corrival relents , and sits down next to the boy, and puts his chubby hand onto his shoulder.

"You can stay, boy, but you must realise that this isn't a holiday camp. Death is more than a possibility, if you stay with us, you must listen to absolutely everything I tell you, is that clear?"

Chance stands up and salutes our leader. "Yes, sir!" He yells.

"Good. Lads, this is Chance Shrapnel, the newest member of the Dead Men!" Corrival declares, holding Chance's hands up in the air. Applause sorrounds the pit, as our new member is happily welcomed into the group.

Channie's POV

I'm now an official member of the Dead Men! Corrival Deuce is surprisingly nice, although I can't hel thinking he looks a bit like a walrus, but he introduced me to all the lads, who seem all slightly weird (especially the skeleton with a pretty hat on, and the big bloke with all the scars who is slightly terrifiying, but he told me he's a tailor in his spare time) but they treat me well. Or they are at the moment at least.

"Sir, sir, I'm in I'm officially your general handyman and tinkerer-abouter!" I whisper-scream, hopping into the tent where Dexter is. He's lying on a few blankets and coats on the floor, topless. I nearly fall over from, well, the fact that he's topless. I can feel my face turning scarlet.

"Thats, brilliant, Chance!" He said. He does look slightly better than he did whe I last saw him. His leg is propped up, and has been put in a splint for some reason. I thought springs to mind. Is there actually any need for him to be topless?

"Actually, yes, it's quite warm in here." He says, smiling.

SHIT...I just said that out loud...

"Yes, err... sorry sir, will you be okay, sir?" I mumble. I think my face will fall off via rednosity.

"I'll be fine. I just need to rest." He says, then winces. "Hopeless did a very good job. I don't know what I'd do without him,"

"He seems, errr, nice. So do the others. I like Corrival, he'll be a good leader, I bet!"

"He's the best leader we could ever hope for, just don't get on his wrong side, okay?"

"No sir, I won't."

"There's a good boy, now get to sleep, you will have to get up early tomorrow., Hopeless told me that Larrikin spotted some of Lord Vile's men about a mile from here. You can help follow them if you want,"

"Yes, sir, I think I would like that a lot. Night night sir," I say, then make my way out of th tent and back into the pit. Erskine runs up to me, a wide grin spreading on his face. "Sleep there kid, I'm going to see Dexter now, byeeee," He looks a bit drunk...

"Don't mind him, he's had too many packets of M&M'S" Says the skeleton guy, Skulduggery.

"Is he like, your brother or something?" I ask, plainly because Skulduggery shows the disintrest that an older brother would have about his younger one.

"No, he's more like the camp Yorkshire Terrier..."

I laugh, and Skulduggery gives me a funny look, because I realise in horror I have laughed in my actual voice. Bugger it buggery hell.

"Soory, sir, it's just, um, puberty, you know..."

Dexter's POV

"Dexter? Dexter? Are you awake?" someone shakes me, and when I open my eyes I see the grinning face of Erskine Ravel.

"I am now, and can you stop leaning on my fucking leg?"I mumble

"Sorry? What's up Dexy, aren't you in the mood?" he asks looking genuinely sad. He starts stroking my face. I put my arms around his neck.

"Should we?" He asks hisface buried underneath my shoulder. We start to kiss, getting faster, faster faster until it was unbearable, then he breaks away from me and zips up the tent.

All of my lusting and unthinkable fantasies came true, as my longest friend Erskne Ravel made passionate love to me inside the tent.