Dancing to the booms
Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 10:25 pm
80 Searing 121
The young knight was running a bit behind as his shift patrolling the streets had taken a bit longer after dealing with some minor traffic issues. He was actually on time but he wasn’t early like he had wanted to be so he arrived with the last group of trainees. He slowed his breathing so that he wasn’t gasping or looking silly after having rushed though much of the city to arrive. They weren’t meeting in the Fortress on this particular day but instead were meeting at the edge of the city.
None of them had been trusted with bringing the guns they were training with and Pah could see them sitting in a wagon carefully stored for the trip. The group kind of stood in small groups as they waited. Pah wasn’t an outcast and no one really questioned his right to be there anymore as he was working hard to work his way up to full guard and into the mounted group. Yokota was standing with his friends off to one side but only a few of the training group was with him. Pah joined a group of his winged brothers who like himself came from the bottom tiers of society.
Pah didn’t really have a chance to join the conversation before the Instructor stepped forward and looked at the recruits and nodded his head and pointed to the wagon. “Alright boys its time to teach you how to use these things not in the safety of a training ground. Grab one of each kind as we want to you know how to shoot either. The pistols come with a belt holster and riffles you get to carry.” He stood there watching as all of the guards looked at the wagon of weapons. Pah didn’t wait before moving forward. His parents would have thrashed him for delaying such clear instruction.
The Dawnmartyer in hiding went to the pistols and there belts first. He carefully pulled the pistol out and then looked it over before setting it carefully down now separated from the belt. He was working on putting the belt on when others joined him and began to pick up their belts. “Stop.” The Instructor said. They all paused what they were doing and turned to look at the man. “What is the first thing you need to be aware of when welding guns.”
“Safety.” Someone said, and another called. “They can back fire.”
“Then why are you swinging those pistols around.” Everyone paused and looked at the still holstered pistols they were swinging around. Pah continued to secure the belt and holster before slipping the pistol into the holster. He then went and collected ammunition and secured it before moving on to the grab the larger rifle. He could see others who had grabbed the rifles first trying to juggle or just plainly setting it down in the dirt or against the wagon. Pah looked up and saw the Instructor looking at him and Pah nodded his head as he came to stand at ready.
It wasn’t much longer before others were standing by him. Pah saw that they were all the ones who had joined him as grabbing the pistols first. The Instructor stood watching them shaking his head, and the processed to talk with them about thinking through equipping themselves. “A enemy isn’t going to wait for you to juggle your equipment. Grab what be stored quickly and what will take up you hands last. If you can’t keep your head when I am talking to you.” He yelled at them, “Then when a monster with claws come at you, your going to be dead before you can find weapon.”
Pah stayed still with his face emotionless, this was a situation where it would be better to take a yelling with the group instead of trying to stand out. There was enough division in the group and could become worse or become better depending on how people acted, and the young knight wasn’t about to be the match that lite the fire. Soon though they were on their way out of the gates and into the forest beyond. Each made sure that there rifles were pointed upwards so as to avoid pointing it at each other. As they walked their instructor spoke. “Alright todays practice is simple. Usually you aren’t just standing still while you shoot you have to move and dodge and shoot on the run and at moving creatures. That is one of the things you will be practicing today. Hitting a moving target.”
He didn’t say anything else and just led them to area that had a fence around it with keep out sign. Soon they were lined up and allowed to take turns in group. Pah was in one of the middle groups. PThe young man carefully made sure his gun wasn’t pointing at anyone as he began to check over the weapon. Standing out here in the forest there were differences as he had to juggle it and didn’t have a table to put things on. So he had to be careful of the weapon and juggling his other items. Everything appeared to be okay but he gave it a wipe down while he waited for his turn. Once he was done he looked at the cloth and frowned at how much dirt came away but he stored the cloth and looked to watch.
As he watched he found it hard to really see everything going on but he did notice that some of the others would quickly stop and then shoot and then be off. Others would wait just a little longer, and Pah began to notice that those hit more often. He wondered if it wasn’t similar to a blade. You don’t want to swing and swing again, you had to finish your swing or you weakened the effect or possible even missed because you weren’t waiting.
Soon it was the young man’s turn. He moved into line and his ice blue eyes watched for a minute looking for activity. He moved as he did so but held his weapon securely. He dropped to his knees in the underbrush as he saw his target move and brought his gun up but didn’t shoot yet. The target moved between two trees and Pah shot at bit ahead of the target in a hope to get it. Unlike with the targets that stood still the target was gone and he wasn’t sure how well he had done. He stayed long enough for the ammunition to clear the chamber before he stood up and was on the move again. He didn’t actually move to far forward. He wanted to focus on the rifle he held and not on the pistol yet.
Pah looking around found an ideal spot. He moved up to a tree and pleased with the cover he rested the front of the rifle on a low branch and then positioned himself. This was a good spot. Pah watched as others chased the targets down but Pah waited for them to come as he stayed a distant back and waited to take shots. The spot made it nicer as he had to spend less time getting the shot ready but could instead focus on the shots. While there were some very big difference between the two somethings were the same and one of them was just wildest running around.
Pah took shots until he was making less shots and slipping the strap of the rifle on his back he slipped the pistol out of the holster and moved towards the targets keeping himself low and to the bushes. He remembered times he had to hunt in the forest for any number of reasons and while he wasn’t the quietest he kept and aye around him for spot that would allow easier passages with out completely opening him up.
Suddenly a target jumped out at him and he raised his pistol up. The target vanished and Pah still holding the pistol followed and suddenly had another shot which he took and then moved quickly back to find cover. He continued this closer contact game with the pistol sometimes shooting after the target had passed but generally he held until had a shot that could hit its target.
The kick back was still annoying but he practiced and didn’t waist his ammunition trying to make ever shot count. Eventually though he found himself out ammunition and as instructed returned back to his the others. He was actually surprised to see the rest of his small group were all back and waiting for him. His instructor motioned for the next group to go and then pulled him over.
“Took you long enough.”
“Sorry Sir.” Pah said wondering what he had done wrong.
“Why did it take so long?”
“I wouldn’t have hit much if it just shot blindly. In a case like this I could take a little effort and hit more targets. I can always have unlimited ammunition in a combat situation.” Pah explained. The Instructor nodded.
“Well you need to work on your aiming some more but I am glad someone can use there brain.”
Pah stood back to watch the others in his group as they each took a chance to try shooting at moving targets and the young squire wondered when they would have the chance to do so again.