The God's Game

Chapter 16 -Tryant King buys shoes

"I should have knocked the fucker out with that gold pole" Raven huffed .

It wasn't a question , it was a statement. So River kept hush and followed him.

This was an unfavorable situation. A King beating the living daylight out of a tax officer in public is only going to put him in a negative light. It seemed South was yet to adjust to its new ruler and Raven Alistair acting exactly like the tryant he is rumored to be , might stir unrest within civillians.

On the other hand , this was boarderline power harassment. The right procedure would be to put the man under trial and charge him accordingly. Although that would result in a much , much severe punishment, that was the acceptable method.

But how Raven Alistair ruled was none of River's business. He had other worries concerning his own life.

They next stopped infront of a wine store to River's .. no it didn't spark anything in him. He had more or less arrived at the conclusion that this man was a raging alchoholic.

He purchased a bottle of Softberry wine and pulled the cork open with his teeth . He shot the cork out from between his teeth with a loud pah! and slugged half of the bottle down.

"Open up " He turn to River .

River tilted his head in confusion.

Raven rolled his eyes. He grabbed River's face and pinched his cheeks, like he was force feeding a brat and poured wine in his mouth .

The bottle clanked painfully against River's teeth and he choked violently. His throat burned, his eyes and nose burned too.

"You are such a fucking baby." Raven tipped the bottle ,emptying the remaining wine.

River felt a rare desire to cuss. He was now sticky all over . That was so unnecessary.

He might have displayed his inner thoughts on his face because Raven huffed. He then rubbed his sleeve across River's face rough enough to wipe his lips off.

"There! All clean . Stop fucking glaring at me like I cursed your mother "

He then walked away , cussing all tax officers and their ancestors . River silently followed , still disoriented from being force fed wine.

Their next stop was a little run down boutique. The old shopkeeper, who was a kind looking lady , came running from behind the shop. She smiled warmly at her customers.

"What are we looking for today, gentlemen?

Raven pointed an accusatory finger at River. "Do you have boots that fits his tiny ass chicken feet?"

My legs are fine !

The lady looked down at his feet and gasped "my !my !"

River was still wearing the wooden sandles he had worn to the banquet. They had straps to hold them in place and they were painfully cutting in to the skin between his big toe and longtoe, making him bleed a little. He was running around all day on them and now his feet was red and slightly swollen.

They found a pair of black boots that fits and Raven haggled for a good half an hour until the lady took three coins off the price.

"My lord shouldn't have gone through the trouble , Thank you"

Raven looked down at him and rolled his eyes, which he seemed to be doing a lot around River.

"Boots are cheaper than what it would take to amputate an infected leg or fix a broken bone if you fell "
he pointed out "dont fucking make trouble for me "