Sorry for delay between chapters, I was waiting for someone to review. So, a huge thank you to a certain SapphireShadowgirl...

Soundtrack for this story is Eyes Open by Taylor Swift, by the way.

Tricky thing is,

Yesterday we were just children,

Playing soldiers, just pretending,

Dreaming dreams with happy endings...


"Right, then. Listen up. We were going to spend longer on your training, but due to exteuating circumstance, we need as many men - and women - as we can get on the battlefield as soon as possible, and we need you to be able to hold up in a surprise ambush like the one we've recently experienced. This means we're going to have to speed things up. I'd advise you to get into groups of four."

Corrival Deuce was speaking, and this time no-one chatted or looked around in boredom. They were all tense and alert. Suddenly this no longer felt like a game.

Skulduggery saw Artemis besides him and caught her eyes. She gave him a small, reasuring smile. She knew she was thinking of the same thing he was thinking of - Suffelence and Cahall and Alicia, dead.

Dexter Vex joined them, as did Ghastly bespoke. Morwenna Crow did not. Other groups were forming, until eventually there was only one person left on their own.

"Hopeless. Why don't you join in with Skulduggery's group?"

He obliged and walked over.

"Now, you will be learning the first defensive tactic in case of an attack. Do you know what that is?"

No-one answered.

"I can tell you what it's not. It's not getting yourself purposefully injured and hoping beginner's life will keep you and the person you were trying to defend alive. Alright, Skulduggery?"

"It did work."

"Pure luck."

"Nothing I do is ever just luck. Unless it doesn't work out, in which case it's obviously just bad luck."

"Like I said, pure luck. So never try anything like that again, okay?"

"Fine."

"What you do do is you are attacked is shoot a fireball into the air and retreat into a defensive position until help comes."

Larrikin arched an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yes. The fireball is a signal to the more senior men. And whatever you do, stick together. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"You five," he gestured towards Skulduggery's group, "and you four." He gestured towards Shudder, Morwenna and Larrikin. "You're defensive. The others are attackers. Now, walk around the field. Look the other way."

They obeyed. Now, on my signal, the attackers spring into action. ATTACK!"

Confused, the eight attackers ran towards the defenders. The result was a couple of fireballs and lots of people lying on their backs having been tripped up. Deuce sighed.

"I'd say not bad, but that would be a lie. Again."


After they had managed to get a slightly less chaotic result, the sun had gone down so Deuce called to a finish of the training.

"Cadet testing is in two weeks time. If you fail, you will be sent back to the begginer's course. I strongly suggest that you don't fail."

"Yes, sir."


Don't worry, stuff will start happening soon. I'm skipping to the testing in the next chapter - which means I'll be introducing Erskine -, and after that... well... we'll see. I'm hoping for more of Aoibhinn, and maybe some China?