Run for your Life [JudalXReader]

Gold

"What did you do, y/n?! You brought in a lot of money today, but it doesn't seem like you sold more than usual..." The Master praised you as you walked back towards our caravan, and she gave you a jolting pat on the back. Night had fallen.

"There was a noble who passed by. He gave me more than he needed to. I don't think he even checked how much he gave me," you said, not looking up from your feet as you walked the short distance back to your company. You held the bowl of peaches, hoping that there were no scorpions in there.

"Ah, well... I don't really care how you got it as long as I get more money! I'm glad anyway! So glad, in fact, that I might even let you stay with me tonight. You'd like that, wouldn't you, y/n?"

Your heart felt like it'd stopped again. No. I don't want to. Please, no. You thought desperately, but knew what you had to say.

"Yes, Master."

"Great! You deserve it. I might even let you take those shackles off too. You can't run away. You'd die in the desert without me. Not that I think you'd try. You're good."

When we came neared the caravan, the sounds of drunken laughter could be heard.

"Swine," the master commented, "If it weren't for their navigation skills and knowledge of the desert, I'd be rid of them in a heartbeat. All men are filthy, aren't they dear?"

"Yes, they are," you said unconsciously beginning to respond to her like always. Your mind had drifted into a daydream again.

A dim glow came from under the large purple tent where the men were drinking. You lifted up the opening and stepped inside.

"Ayyy!" A shout of pleasure came from one of the men at the sight of the females' return.

You paid no attention to the loud, slurred voices of the mongrels and dodged their arms reaching to grab you. It was disturbing. You made your way to the back of the tent to where the wagon was connected. You sat the peaches there and slipped through a gap.

"Shut up, idiots!" Master yelled at them, "Go to sleep you wretched hogs. We're moving out by tomorrow."

The chirps of the bugs of the day were replaced by those of the night. The moonless sky glimmered with the light of a thousand far-off stars. It was the only beautiful thing about this place... The darkness...

Your skin was still blazing from being in the sun. You felt like fish roasted over an open flame for 12 hours. Dead and burned.

All there was left to do was go into the Masters personal tent and fall asleep before she could... well...

Exhaustion was the only thing you could think of.

You stumbled towards the small tent and fell inside. You expected to be met by carpet, but instead you landed on  sandy rock floor. Sand got in your nose and mouth, causing you to go into a fit of hoarse coughs. Blindly, you crawled until you found something soft to rest your head on and stayed there.

"There you are, y/n," the sound of the Masters voice met your ears all too soon, "I see you couldn't wait for me."

You opened your eyes and looked up at her. The master's long golden hair was cast over her shoulders, revealing the many necklaces she wore.

"I'm... So tired," you managed to splutter.

The Master knelt down beside you and touched your ankles with her cool hands.

"Mmm, yes, it appears these past few days out in the sun have taken its toll on you," she said, her voice silky, "You deserve to have these shackles off. You'll have to pay me for it though."

You heard a click and felt the weight lifted from your feet.

"Oh... Your ankles are quite bloody," Master said, and moved closer to look at your face.

It was all you could do to keep your eyes open.

"I'm sorry... I'm... Such bad company... Master," you mumbled, hoping to gain some forgiveness.

"Poor girl, I'm going to keep you with me for a while. Let's let the men labor, shall we?" The Master brought a hand up to your face and swiped your hair back, "You can call me Kin for a while. I've begun to favor you once again."

"Thank you..."

The Master drug me over to where her bed was and laid my head on a pillow. You couldn't imagine a better feeling. Your limbs felt like they were going to fall off. The desert after dark was nothing but alcohol and prostitution. Corruptness was rampant in the small, uncivilized parts of the world. Actually, the whole world was corrupt, just a different kind for different places. There was no escaping the tyranny of darkness in this day and age. You fear that you'll go through your whole life without seeing the world find any light.

Such thoughts made you feel even more tired than before. Maybe it was the boy today that made you think about the darkness. You hoped you never met someone as frightening as him again... It only made your heart heavier.

"Y/n, don't you just hate how men are worshipped for doing the simplest thing while a woman can break her back working for a humble cause and be shamed for her boldness?" The Master said, sitting up beside me. I heard her eating something, probably a peach. Her hands ran through your relatively short hair.

"Yes," you croaked, and you actually meant it too. Women were thought of as no more than a possession. You wished more women would stand up for themselves, like the Master. She was a popular merchant, and she earned what she got on her own, and, well, also with the help of her slaves.

You felt the Master wrap her arms around you, just below your chest. Right now you didn't even care about her wandering hands feeling your upper body.

Your heart was filled with hatred and you couldn't keep thinking about the evil in this world. Then, your mind went back to the boy with the red eyes. You didn't care who he was or if he had any redeeming qualities at all. The thought of him bothered you tremendously. You wanted him to die.

Soon your body and mind went numb. All you could do was think about was breathing. The cool, peaceful night air was the only thing you looked forward to.

You fell asleep with one though in your mind - blood red eyes watching you.

Then everything was dark.