A day off

The sun feels nice on my face as I wake up, thinking about it this is actually the first time I had slept in, but after last night who wouldn't sleep in a little bit. Once I'm ready to head out, I decided to actually grab a cup of coffee while I was at the mess hall, I don't plan to make it a habit, however I might just have it... once in a while.

After I arrive at the gathering point I don't see any of them, except for the trainees that had failed, "where is everyone else?" They look amongst one another, slightly confused until one of them comes forward, "you said last night that all the passing trainees could either practice or sleep in sir." Wait I said that, thinking back I was tired, so instinctively I probably did end up saying something to them along those lines.

"Well whatever, anyway as for all of you that didn't pass I'm sorry to say, this is where we all part ways, thanks for trying your hardest, and God speed to you all in the future." After saying everything, they all went back to there old barracks area since the barracks that they had been using before were going to be set up for the trainees in the sniper training course.

Once I make my way down to the range, I only see one person there, "I guess even once you pass you really don't like being lazy do you Lily?" When she gets up she salutes me, "no I can't slack off, even if I did pass last night, my aim is tarible, so I must work on it every time I get a chance." The enthusiasm for training is a lot, almost to much if you ask me, even I wasn't this enthusiastic when I was thirteen and practicing the rifle.

While I watched her fire off some shots, eventually some of the other trainees started to show up down at the range. The second one to show up is Siler, "I guess some trainees have the ability to actually wake up early in the morning." When Siler hears this he laughs a little, "right right, so instructor Daniel, what are the plans for today?"

Thinking about it I didn't actually have any plans, sure I could have them all start training on these old rifles, or wait till tomorrow for the new rifles to be handed to us. "Then how about everyone has a day off from practice today, and enjoys some down time by going to the near by town." They both look at me as if I had said something crazy, but I assure them it isn't a bad idea.

While waiting for everyone else to slowly show up, both Lily and Siler are working together on some sniper range training. Once everyone shows up, I stand up, "alright everyone, this is the verdict for today, so everyone here has been through a lot the past few days, so how's a day off sound for everyone."

They all look a little shocked at the fact I had mentioned a day off to them, but they all soon like the idea of it, since they had been worked to the bone for the past week. "Alright everyone, if we all agree that today is a day off your all free to head to the near by town of Creek Wood, remember to enjoy yourselves while your all there." They all thank me and then leave, as I watch them I feel I should also go along, since it has been a while for me as well since I had a day off.

Once I get back to my room I see a note on my desk from Battle Stategist Hawk, curious I wonder what he wants to talk about, so I head off to see him. When I arrive at Hawks strategy room I go to nock, "come in I already know your there." Well so much for being undetectable, telling myself as I walk into see Hawk standing there at his desk.

"Sir Daniel nice to see you again, it's been a week, so how's the trainees and how many of them passed your three test trials?" The truth is that only around fourty have passed, sure that is a nice hand full but not enough to help win a war. "The number of successful trainees is gonna be only fourty sir Hawk, I wish more had passed but not a lot did sir."

Disappointment run across his face, then again none of them could have made it past if it was any more difficult. The first exam was three days off in the wild, second exam was a full day of basically as how two of the trainees put it as hide and seek, then the third exam was shooting a bullseye on a target four hundred yards out, if anything I'm surprised so many made it through.

"Well Daniel do you think you could train more snipers, I'm looking for anywhere from a thousand to maybe three thousand ready and able, you think you can help do that?" Those two numbers are immense, however I have faith in my skills, but if I were to start training that many we would have to just work on the main part, the sniper aspect itself.

"With all do respect Hawk I would like to finish training the first amount of snipers, then I believe they will be able to help me out with my work, seeing as how training upwards of possibly three thousand by myself would be difficult."

The look of reason goes across his face, "very well Daniel I'll let you do it your way, also let me let you in on a little something." Inching closer to Hawk I'm intrigued on what he could possibly say, "you might just have time, since the spy's I sent into the people's Republic of Labronsk have been feeding back mostly good news, along with two successful sabotage missions on their main train lines, so hopefully you have enough time."

That news is quite nice to hear, so I keep it in mind as I excuse myself from Hawks strategy room. While walking down the hall I think about eventual time off as well, maybe a few weeks off or a month or two after I help get the first batch of trainees learn everything I have taught them.

After getting back to my room I see another note on my desk, sure I'm a little disappointed that I'm not enjoying a possible day off, however work is important. When I look at it I see that it is from James, he is asking me to meet him down at the research building, so I head down there to see James.

Finding the building is a little hard, however when I see a member of the research lab building I ask him for the directions to the building. The way there is a bit long but soon enough I do make it there, and when I do I see James tinkering with the same rifle I tested at the range that day, "oh your finally here Daniel, that didn't take to long."

"The only reason it didn't take very long was because I got direction to it, otherwise I would have been wondering the base for maybe an hour or two." Hearing this he laughs a little while handing me the rifle he had been working on, "it's finished along with all the other eighty prototypes, they are ready for the field tests."

When I look it over not much has changed from a standard semi auto sniper rifle, except for a scope, and longer barrel, "what is the name of the gun?" After asking he starts sifting through some paper to find its name, "this gun is based off an older gun kind of like your grandfather's however it has been modified, so we named it the SPR-03 after its ancestors."

The gun itself is amazing, along with a bit farther distance capabilities I believe it will be strong enough to make an impact. While me and James talk I look at the clock in the research lab, to see that it is already past noon. "Well James I have to leave now, I'm gonna enjoy the rest of my day off, before practice starts up again for all the trainees, I hope to see these guns in action tomorrow."

While I leave he reassures me that tomorrow we would have the rifles ready for practice, I thank him for that as I leave the building. The walk back to my room feels long, due to the fact that I've just been to and from places all day today, but in the end it still felt nice to take a break, eventhough it didn't feel like much of one.

After I get back to my room for the third time, there is no note this time, "few now I can rest a little," the day went by fast even though it was a day off it didn't feel like one, but at the same time it did since I did things I probably wouldn't have done if it wasn't a day off, so I feel satisfied.

Once it's late into the afternoon I see my trainees coming back to base from their town adventure, "so how was it for all of you?" They say that they had fun while searching for things, "oh also instructor Daniel this is for you, all of us picked it out for you as a thanks to you." When they hand over the little box they got me I wonder what it could be inside, but once I open it I see a little patch saying best instructor on it.

"Thanks all of you, but this Still won't lighten the training, so make sure all of you do your best out there ok!" They all salute me, "alright your all free to go to your barracks, training starts up again tomorrow morning." After that they all walk off that direction, sure I would have also liked to enjoy the day like they did, but at the same time I still got to rest today as well, so in the end, yes today was a fairly decent day off for everyone, including me.