Free The Armoured Ghost by Oisin McGann Page A

Tea-Leaf had never done any Gladiator training. How could she start from scratch now, as a knight? Still, it could have been worse.
    ‘So, Stamper’s not in?’ he asked.
    ‘No. He’s not made of the right stuff,’ Salt replied bluntly. ‘Now, it’s time for our two new cadets to choose their medallions.’
    He brought over the wooden box, which held the last two power totems. Tea-Leaf and Hoax both hesitated – if they took turns, only one of them was going to get to choose. The two of them chose at the same time, each picking a disc in one smooth move. They both flinched as the Flow rushed through them – a mixture of energy, emotion and the faint whisper of someone else’s memories.
    ‘Stand Together,’ Hoax murmured.
    ‘Battle as One,’ Tea-Leaf added in a soft voice.
    ‘They have accepted you,’ Salt told them. ‘We have our five. From now on, you will live by the Armouron code: Honour, Duty, Compassion and Justice. But none of you are knights. Not yet. And before I let any of you out of here again wearing an Armouron suit, you’re going to need a lot more preparation.
    ‘Tea-Leaf, you are welcome to stay down here for the rest of the night. The rest of you need to get back to your beds. Hoax, I’ll have you moved into quarters in the Armour Department as soon as possible. So, all of you – sleep tonight, if you can. From tomorrow night, we’re going to get serious about your training.’
    As they walked back towards the stairs leading to the Academy, Rake said beneath his breath:
    ‘What, like we weren’t being serious before? What’s he going to do us now?’

Chapter 15
    A Bunch of Misfits
    ONCE MORE, THE row of cadets stood before Salt. He walked up and down the line. He did not look impressed. Tea-Leaf and Hoax were trying to hide how nervous they were. They had spent the rest of the last night and day wondering what the old knight had in store for them.
    ‘This is what I’ve got to work with,’ he growled. ‘A fine bunch of misfits, I must say. Look at you: a show-off, a thief, a geek, a liar and . . . and a little girl.’ Snow looked a bit hurt. Salt looked like he didn’t care. ‘Well, we’re all stuck with each other now, so we have to make do with what we’ve got. Not one of you is putting on a suit of armour again until I think you’ve well and truly earned the right to wear it. Let’s see if we can whip you into some kind of respectable shape before the White Knights find us and bury us in the darkest prison in the deepest hole on Earth.
    ‘Cadets! Up against the wall! Give me handstand press-ups! And I want to see the tops of your heads touch the floor and then I want those arms perfectly straight! Twenty times! Now!’
    The five kids tipped up into handstand positions against a bare piece of wall and started lowering their heads to the floor and back up again. And so began a new level of training for all of them. Gruelling physical exercises to strengthen their bodies. Drills and sparring to improve their speed and coordination. Meditation to help them focus when they were completely exhausted.
    For two weeks, Salt used every minute he could spend with them to work them until they dropped. Then he taught them how to pick themselves up so he could work them some more.
    By the third week, he decided they were ready to start training in their armour. For the first time, Tea-Leaf and Hoax got to see what the old knight had made for them.
    Like the others before them, they each looked at the tough polished surfaces of their armour. And, for the first time, saw the knights they might become. All five cadets brushed their fingers over the plastallic plating. They could feel the power of the totems flowing through the skin of their armour. They hefted the weapons in their hands, admiring their weight and balance. Finally, Salt had decided they each had earned the right to wear the armour of an Armouron Knight.
    All of the cadets were suited up and given the weapons they would