Million Dollar Soul

Chapter 4

I pull into the old dusty parking lot with just enough time, a drizzle starting, which is probably my fault. Being a high tier Elemental if I don’t keep my emotions in check I can effect the weather within a few miles radius, I use to cause mild thunder storms around the manor when I was younger. I jump out of the car and spare a glance up before I stop in my steps, seeing Gal leaning against his old Cadillac smoking.

“Oh Charlie” he says his eyes widing just a bit, “I wondered what brought the rain.” He holds out his cigaretteless hand to catch a few drops.

“What” I shrug, “I can’t come check on an old friend?”

“Old, original” he gruffs out snubbing his cigarette under his foot. “It’s not Thursday Char.”

I shrug “Can’t a girl come pay a visit to one of her favorite people?”

We fall into step with each other as we stride up to the old building. No one knows how long Gal has been at this crossroads, everyone has their own theory. Some say Gal had a right to whatever land he chose because he helped dictate the borders, and that’s why this place is right on one. Others think he’s immortal, they go as far as to say that he might be an original Jackal. Don’t get me wrong I have no doubt Gal is ancient, but the man was still spritely, taught me how to fight, and if he was immortal I think he’d be a lot less cautious.

Gal holds the door open for me. “What a gentleman” I say bowing to him as I stride into the place that has become like a second home. As we walk in Alyssa’s head spins over. “Alyssa, sweetheart, how are you?” I make an exaggerated motion in her direction. She huffs, “What are you doin here Char?”

I gasp and hold my palm to my chest in mock hurt, “First the old man and now my beloved, I’m starting to not feel welcome here.” I lean over the bar and reach for her hand, and instead I get a defiant pat on the back of my own, “You know one day you will return my affections.”

“One day you’ll get bored” She tosses back hands on her hips.

“I would never!” I straighten and lock eyes with her, “You are the only one for me, and I will wait as long as it takes.” I add a wink for effect, which is rewarded with a chuckle and head shake.

Alyssa has easily become my one and only friend, and I love to get a rise out of her, since her mask is so hard to c***k. I’d be lying though if I said that while the banter started out as a game, as years went by it did start to hold some truth. After that first day I started to spend a lot of time at Gal and even in the apartment up above, I’d spend days here at a time and the when I wasn’t getting my ass handed to me by Gal, I was with Alyssa. At first it was me trying to show off with my powers, then it became idle chatter. She helped shape me into the fighter, and woman that I’ve become and when I became that woman I realized I kind of had a crush on her.

Gal was also shaking his head standing in the opposite doorway waiting for my advances to end. If I was anyone else, my ears would be scorched for flirting with Lys, but I was me, and whether Gal thought I was joking, or that I never had a chance he left it alone and got the occasional chuckle himself out of her declining my affections.

I start to head over to the doorway, “I’m not fighting tonight, so if you need me give a holler.”

“My knight in black jeans and a graphic tee.” She mock faints.

I give her a huge grin to show that I am unbothered by her joke about my attire and follow Gal into the dark stairway. As soon as the door is closed you are hit with the sweat and metallic smell of the arena underneath. The light is dim and the room is humid, it feels cave like and sticky. In reality it is probably the worlds oldest basement, off colored peeling wallpaper to match, a deep brownish that probably had a pop of color in its pattern back in its day. The floors were old stone worn down from years of booted feet strides. There are tables littered about, a few have makeshift lanterns on them, currently occupied by big burly men, looking to get a quick buck by showing whos the alpha male in the room. Along the far wall the floor is bare and cast in sand with a rope to wall it off, doesn’t look like much but it is completely warded once the fighters are inside so no one outside can become a casualty.

I follow Gal over to the bar in the corner and take a seat across from him on the counter. He starts to rummage up some drinks, and I can feel all eyes on me. Its rare to see a woman here, while my normal Thursday crowd has gotten use to me, word doesn’t spread around the night run. It’s very fight club like that, you don’t talk about what goes on down here.

As Gal sets a glass in front of me and reaches for a bottle, a beefy middle aged guy walks up the end of the bar, “Think you’re lost sweetheart." His voice sounds like he needs to cough up gravel, and his cheap cologne is doing nothing for his body odor situation.

“I am no ones sweetheart” I say pointedly as Gal pours my drink.

“This place is for fighters.” He mumbles.

Gal shakes his head setting the bottle down next to me. I stare at him and he gives a small shrug. I sigh before spinning in my stool to stare at the guy. “I am aware of what kind of place this is, and don’t think just cause you don’t know who I am I can’t lay you on your ass.” I give him a quick look down, “Let me guess you’re an Earth elemental, not a conjuror, mid thirties, probably live in a run down apartment just inside the city lines. You come here because you feel more like a man when you’re fighting because your daddy never thought of you as one, and told you such regularly as he got wasted on a cheap recliner that never worked. I know what I am, what this place is, and who you are, what I need from you is to leave me alone because I didn’t plan on fighting tonight but you might just tempt me.”

If the lighting wasn’t so low I’m sure I would see how red his face is. He looks over at Gal for an explanation. “Dave, you gotta stop picking fights with people. She did walk in with me after all” He strides to the end of the bar pats Dave on the shoulder and proceeds to the back of the room to start the next match. Dave gives me one last glare before he huffs off in the same direction.

I swivel in my seat to take a look as Gal gets to the center of the arena and starts to spark his hands grabbing everyones attention before wofting the flame around the edge of the arena lighting the torches there. “This is the Night Run. Yall know the rules, but I’m gonna remind you because I like to hear myself talk. Now no fighting until the runes are set, once they are set, only submission or death will lift them. Interference is not tolerated and written into the runs to attack the person who does. Bets have been taken before hand and are sorted, money will be paid out once the runes have fallen. Now don’t make me have to put in any extra work, lets be fair and quick.” He throws his hands up and as he walks out of the arena two guys step in, two bowls on each side contain their elements. Another spark from Gal and the runes glow into place and the fighting starts.

I swivel back in my chair uninterested when I see that the fighters are both elementals. I’m here for a telepath after all, which now that I think about it I have never heard Gal mention a telepath competing in Night Run. It a little harder to master offensively, and with most of the telepaths being low level, that’s something that should be beyond their skill set.

Gal rounds the bar again, “What are you really doing here Char? You’ve never liked to watch”

He knows me to well, the man who trained me in hand to hand combat, and how to weave in my Jackal abilities. The one who took in a spoiled rich high tier who thought she was already the strongest and laid her on her ass until she refused to go down anymore. My most trusted friend, and now my only father figure. I give him a smile around my glass, “I’m looking for a telepath.”

He bristles at my words, “What do you want with a telepath?”

I hesitate, my father made this seem so dire, so confidential he sent me on a scavenger hunt to destroy a childhood book to get the information. Should I tell Gal what I’m doing, the mission my father set me on.

“Tell me Gal, did you ever see my father here?” I say leaning over the bar. I know Gal, he keeps peoples secrets. He wouldn’t out right tell me my dad had been around.

I glance over at the fight as Gal pours himself a drink and downs it. The earth elemental is winning. The water elemental almost out of resource, most of it laid into the ground soaking the sand. If he was stronger he could use the wet substance, but work like that takes practice and just a little more power.

“Twice “comes Gals answer.

I spin to him fast and lock my eyes on his. “Why wouldn’t you tell me this?”

“Char you know who your daddy was. If he went somewhere and didn’t want people to know, they wouldn’t know.” He sighs, “I first saw him about 3 months ago, and then just a week before you told me he was bed ridden.”

He pours us both a drink and I down mine this time, “And what did he want?”

“Don’t know, could never get it out of him. He would just sit here and watch.” Gal sips his own drink, watching the fight come to an end. The arena is reset, elements put into place, and two more guys step in. Gal flicks his hand and the runes are reset.

“He told me to do something for him, but didn’t give me all the details. What I found told me to be here tonight.” I say meeting his eyes again. I’m sure I looked tired, panicked maybe, confused at best. I could never hide my emotions from Gal.

“Are you sure? I’m not one to be gentle, but is this maybe you searching for some way to feel connected to him? It’s only been a week, maybe just take some time.” He reached over and placed his hand on mine.

“Gal” I flip my glass over and push it toward him, “I know he’s dead, and gone. I had to accept that the moment he got sick, especially when he was bed ridden. He asked me to do this and even if it was the ramblings of a dying mind, I owe it to him to try.”

He stared at me for a moment but then our attention was grabbed by a commotion by the arena.