Read The Seven (Fist of Light Series) for Free Online Page B

engines, loud conversations made by self-important individuals, and a few vendors hawking their wares to a crowd that was clearly disinterested, utterly disengaged in their own world. Finally, when there was nothing more to put off the inevitable, I formulated my game plan.
    It appeared that the next structure was at least ten feet distant. That would be the hardest aspect of the course, as a retaining wall prevented me from gathering up speed for a running jump. The following buildings, luckily, had no more than a foot-high partitioning wall, if any. The buildings were all equidistantly spaced from each other, which, for continuity’s sake, was good.
    “So,” Jas said when he noticed that I was done analyzing, “You ready?”
    “No, but let’s do it before my adrenaline wavers and my higher thinking regains control,” I replied resolutely.
    Jas went first, almost without pausing for thought. That might be a useful skill in these situations. He pulled himself up the wall, and once adequately balanced, leaped into open space. He practically soared through the air, arms extended behind him and body pushed into the wind. As he landed three feet from the edge of the building, he rolled gracefully, using his momentum to carry him farther from the precipice. He gave me a thumbs-up from the other side of the building, and I decided to skip the preparation portion.
    Without thinking, I mimicked his approach. I climbed up the five-foot adjoining wall, and propelled myself off the building with as much forward and upward thrust that could be mustered. My hair flew wildly about my head as the wind rushed raucously in my ears, and the gap preventing me from obtaining my goal rapidly dwindled. Instinct took over as my feet impacted the paneling. As I fell forward with the speed of my stop, I brought my shoulder forward and instigated a tumbling, less-than-graceful roll. The fact that I had come out relatively unscathed from my near-brush with death, however, was exhilarating. I hollered with the joy of adrenaline singing through my veins as I stood up from my tumble.
    Jas echoed my cry of exhilaration. “Now let’s do it the way it’s supposed to be done. That last one was the hardest bit. All the next ones will be a piece of cake. This time we don’t stop. Keep going as fast as you can, and don’t fall.” He grinned.
    “Of course,” I managed to stammer.
    And then I pushed him to the ground before dashing off ahead. As I came up upon the next gap, I never slowed before throwing myself forward toward the next objective. I landed lightly, energized at the accomplishment. I blanked my mind of anything besides the next obstruction. There wasn’t a retaining wall on this building, and as I jumped over the rectangular cooling units in my way, I prepared myself for another leaping bound.
    I repeated my first jump, competing in an insane race without any conscious thought, but for the feel of the wind in my hair and the electric thrill in my bones. Everything became a blur, the world around me bending into where my focus was centered. I jumped over obstacles without seeing them and was back out in open air faster than I could ponder my reckless actions. The scenario was repeated ceaselessly, it seemed, although I would have been content to remain in those moments for eternity. Eventually, I reached the point where there were no more buildings in sight, but the green grass was now only a measly fifteen feet away, waiting to embrace me.
    Without slowing my headlong rush, I vaulted off the two-foot high partition that separated me from the edge, arms pin wheeling. From that point there was nothing left but to enjoy the last adrenaline-charged free fall toward the green blur that was the soft earth below.
    I whooped at the thrill, the sheer, primal joy. “HELL YEAH!”
    “Have fun?” Jas asked.
    “You cheated, didn’t you?” I smirked condescendingly.
    “I cheated? You kidding me? You were leaking Air the whole time. Didn’t