The Black Sun ; Judal x Reader

5: Future Preparations

        Judal groans and throws his head back. Sweat is already starting to drip down my body. I can't help but feel the need to start panting.

"Shh, someone might hear you," I warn in a quiet voice.

"Who cares?" he retorts in a low voice. My body feels hot but yet we continue. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up.

"Aren't you tired?" I ask Judal whilst out of breath.

"Not really," he smirks. "In fact, let's pick up the pace." I widen my eyes at his suggestion and start to shake my head in defiance.

"We've been walking under the blistering sun for hours!" I yell towards the sky, reaching my hands up as well. The market place is bustling with sweaty merchants and customers. Kids run around, hitting leather balls with wooden sticks.

No matter what, people don't mind brushing up against me, receiving a gag in response. I'm poked, pushed, prodded even while trying to keep up with Judal. It's not fair. I don't know what exactly it is but people naturally make time to move around him. His threatening atmosphere clearly affects those around him, but unfortunately, not me as well. I get the backlash instead.

"Stop whining," he snaps at me over his shoulder, despite me drowning in the stink and sweat of the sea of people around us.

I feel my eyebrow twitch and can't help but mumble to myself, "Oh, the spoiled palace baby tells me to stop whining."

I watch as Judal takes a quick turn down a skinny alleyway. I grossly break through and follow after him, but he's nowhere to be seen. I kick the wall at the end of the alley and curse. One thing I am thankful about is that this provides shade and it's a lot cooler than out there.

"Oi," I hear a voice bark at me. I look around trying to identify the source. "Down here, you idiot."

I look to my right and notice a water grate alongside the corner wall. I jump a bit when I see two piercing red eyes staring back at me.

"J-Judal!" I angrily whisper. I crawl on my hands and knees over to him. "What are you doing? How'd you even get down there?"

He smirks and shrugs his shoulders, "A little bit of magic here and there."

"Okay," I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. "But why?"

"Did I forget to tell you?" He raises an eyebrow but the corners of his lips curl slightly, leading me to believe this was done on purpose. He then says in a nonchalant tone, "We're infiltrating the black market."

My eyes widen as I exclaim, "The black market?!" His eyes instantly narrow as he grips the bars of the grate.

He hisses through his teeth, "Keep it down, dumbass!"

I lower my voice into a whisper, "I don't understand why though."

His eyebrow twitches in annoyance, "Listen, I only need you to do one thing for me then you're in the clear--for the moment at least."

I take a deep breath and ask without even bothering to argue, "Fine, what is it?"

A mischievous smirk plays on the corner of his lips as he bends the bars and pulls me through. Held tightly in his grasp, he says in a low voice, "Why, you're going my ticket inside--literally."

He sets me down and starts to walk at a brisk pace.

"Judal, is this really necessary?" I ask uncertainly while watching Judal as he leads me down a damp hallway. I feel like we're going further and further underground as it keeps getting colder.

"Yes, you need a partner to be allowed to go in," he explains without looking back at me.

"Why are you just now deciding to follow the rules now?" I ask, almost concerned. "I can tell that it's clearly not your style."

"Yeah, we're infiltrating the black market but don't be so stupid as to assume we're disbanding it," he scoffs. "We're here to set up a trade system for the Kou Empire."

I feel my chest start to feel tight, "What exactly are you planning to smuggle?"

He stops and turns around, giving me a cold, sinister gaze. His expression is a sadistic one.

"Why, weapons of course!" he says with a plastered grin. "You can't win wars without the best weapons available! They're illegal for a reason." He lets out a laugh that sends chills down my spine. How could he change character so fast? He wasn't like this a few moments ago.

"Judal," I say sternly.

He adjusts his position so that our eye level is the same and he hums in a strangely cheery tune, "Hmm?"

"Are you planning on going to war?" I ask in a serious manner. I'm truly starting to learn how little I really know about Judal.

"What do you mean? We're already in one, dumbass," he says so as he flicks my forehead like a child would.

I swat his hand away, "Don't forget , dumbass, that I don't remember anything before a month ago!"

He smiles a sickly sweet one and murmurs, "I don't know why just yet, but I can tell you're going to be of good use to me in the future."

"That's sick, Judal," I spat at him. "I'm a person, not something for you to use."

He leers down at me whilst hiding his face in the shadows, "Pfft, that's not what I meant."

I clench my fists and stomp past him, grumbling, "Let's just get this over with, the sooner the better."

He follows behind without a word.

As when near the end of the long passageway, I start to feel warmth emanating at the very end. Alongside that, I can hear the buzz of people chatting as well as music. A soft glow of yellowish light seeps through the large wooden double doors.

I come to a halt before the door suddenly, resulting in Judal accidentally running into me.

"Oi! What are you waiting for?" He barks whilst trying to compose himself after getting knocked off balance.

"Fine," I say while giving him an insincere smile. "Ladies first."