Page 61 of Validus Vale Academy 1
“The academy’s utility plant.” He grins and nods to a metal platform, twenty feet up in the air, covered in pipes and humming vents. “I’m going to train you in Parkour.”
“Par-what-now?”
“Parkour, Wilson. It's a form of movement that will improve your situational awarenessandperformance under pressure. The name is from the Frenchparcours, meaning pathway, and it's all about overcoming obstacles in your path.”
I like the sound of that.
“Parkour is all about forward motion,” he continues, “and letting nothing get in your way. Perfect for you, Wilson, because you don’t have magic or brute strength.” He folds his arms, lookingat me like I’ll be upset by what he’s just said. But I’m not, I just have one clarification.
“I don’t have magic or brute strengthyet, sir,” I correct, mirroring his action and folding my own arms.
He grins slightly. “That’s the attitude. So let’s see how you do.” With that, he jumps and swings his right arm above his head to catch hold of an iron pipe. The next second, Feniks pulls himself to standing and immediately runs the length of the narrow tube, ten feet above the ground. When he jumps, it’s like a panther, sleek, fluid muscles that land gracefully onto the parking lot.
“Wow.” Looks awesome, but kind of out of my achievable realm.
“Let’s start here,” Feniks tells me, beckoning me over. He puts my hand on a concrete pillar, it’s cold and rough beneath my fingertips.
“Here? Like, I just leap up on it? No chance.” He’s expecting me to suddenly become a mountain goat? Not likely.
Feniks just smiles. Sunlight catches the sharp angles of his face, but the look in his eyes is soft and encouraging. “The first rule of Parkour club is that there is no such word as no. This is all about moving, and you know how to move.” He points to the post. "So, hop on up."
Right, sure. The pillar is a little over two feet high, but that’s still an impossibility for me. I raise an eyebrow and move my hand from the post to my waist. “Canyoujump to thigh height from standing?” I ask him.
He runs a hand through his hair, “Well, yeah, I can… but I get your point. Take a run up, I’ll be here to steady you.” He widens his stance and puts his arms out slightly. My stomach does a flip when I think about those big hands encircling my body, if, or rather, when I fall. Honestly, it makes me a little more inclined to try this whole thing. I walk several feet away, then turn.Professor Feniks’ eyes hold a challenge. Alright, alright, I guess I’ll give it a crack, and hopefully won’t break a bone.
As I start to run, my legs feel leaden, but trusting him not to let me splat, I throw myself into a leap. One foot grazes the post, but I immediately chicken out, then overbalance. Strong arms grab me around the waist and plop me into position. Swaying, my arms outstretched for balance, I feel the professor release me. Sure, it’s only two feet, but I feel a kick of accomplishment when I don’t immediately wipe out.
"Nice job, Wilson," he says, a laugh in his voice. “Now jump down. Keep your body relaxed and aim to land on the balls of your feet.”
“Knees bent?” I ask, looking down at the hardtop.
“Knees bent. It won’t hurt.”
If you say so, Professor. I land with a soft thump.
“Good. Again.”
By the fifth time, I manage to land on the post without needing a boost. It’s like something shifts in me, and wow! “I can do this,” I yell, immediately falling off and luckily getting caught.
Placing me gently onto the ground, Professor Feniks gives me a warm grin. “Of course you can. Ready for something different?”
For the next hour, Professor Feniks leaps around the parking lot, climbing walls, dropping from heights, and bouncing up ladders. I try to follow suit. Mostly I look like Bambi on ice—but it’s still fun. My palms are stinging, and I’m collecting bruises left, right, and center, but this is the most carefree I’ve felt in nearly a year.
Once we’re standing on the roof of one of the portable cabins, Feniks nods at the gap between this building and the next. The gap between them is about five feet. “Ready to jump that?” he asks.
I’ve been enjoying myself, but this challenge is different. I could get properly hurt. Get it wrong and the consequences would bepainful. I look at Feniks, and he nods encouragingly at me. “You got this.” His confidence in me calms the frantic flutter of my heart. The memory of the Fateball incident flashes through my mind. I went from plummeting to being gently lowered to the ground by his magic. He won’t let me fall. I know that with a certainty that settles deep in my bones.
Fuck it.
Taking a deep breath, the crisp autumn air filling my lungs, I run. My feet pound against the bitumen. There is no time for second thoughts, no space for doubt. I launch myself into the air, a moment of pure, exhilarating, terrifying flight.
Trusting the professor. Trusting myself.
And then?
I land on the other side. “I flew!” I yell at him, a grin stretching my cheeks so hard. He’s there in an instant, giving me a high five. "Yeah, you did," his voice is warm and filled with pride. “Yeah, you did.”
“Thanks to you, professor.”
