Chapter 8 Thou Shalt Not Bite the Mafia Boss （first）
Thou Shalt Not Bite the Mafia Boss (first)
Arwen
I rush to the classroom number listed and walk in the door. The classroom is much larger than I’m used to and filled with rows of paired wooden desks, each set facing the front. It’s beautiful and fancy for a classroom. Natural light is pouring in through the large windows that frame the far wall.
I notice the various posters of familiar geography from my lessons back home, but the largest poster depicts our entire continent of Vail that dominates the entire front wall.
I’ve never seen such a detailed map of our continent, showing all the territories and factions, with each region marked in vibrant colors.
In school, they always showed us maps of Wrath and its various cities, but the other factions’ details remained a mystery.
“Are you in this class, dear?” an older woman with silver hair and wrinkles lining her face asks me. She must be the professor. “The seating chart is on your left.”
I nod and move to look at the seating chart. As I move to my assigned spot, I notice Cleo waving at me and smile, returning her wave. I wish I could sit next to her.
As I move to take my seat, the color drains from her face. She looks away from me, cutting eye contact and looking down at her textbook. That's strange.
I pull out my book. The desks, worn from years of use, are made of sturdy wood. There’s an engraving on mine that says “Neal <3’s large penis potions.”
The professor taps her knuckles on the lectern to call us all to attention. She adjusts her glasses and smiles at the class.
"Welcome, everyone, to Alliance and Politics 101. I am Professor Ellington, and I am delighted to see such a diverse group of young minds eager to learn the intricate art of diplomacy and coalition-building among factions across Vail.
"First, I'd like to draw your attention to the person sitting next to you.
This is no random seating arrangement; your partner for this class comes from a different faction.
They will be your collaborator, your challenger, and your ally for the rest of the term.
The goal is to simulate real-world scenarios where you must negotiate and work with those from different backgrounds and perspectives.
"Today, we begin with a critical exercise to introduce you to this.
Imagine that your factions are facing a severe resource allocation crisis.
Water, food supplies, or energy—choose one.
Your task is to negotiate a treaty that ensures the survival and prosperity of both your factions.
You will need to show effective negotiation strategies, establish a temporary alliance, and resolve any conflicts that arise.
"Remember, the key to success in this exercise is cooperation and creativity. I expect you to approach this challenge with an open mind and a willingness to engage in productive dialogue. Now, get to know your partner and start strategizing. Good luck."
I look at my assigned partner for the term on my right. He hasn’t said a word to me or looked my way. The first thing I notice is that he is huge. His muscular frame pulls his uniform tight across his broad chest and arms.
I also notice that he has tattoos covering his body.
His uniform covers most of his body, but they creep down his wrists, across his hands, over his fingers, and up from inside his shirt, covering his neck.
I can make out a skull mixed among runes that underline his sharp jaw.
His hair is as black as midnight and has been cut into a sharp fade, sheered close to his head and highlighting his high cheekbones.
He’s beautiful but has a dangerous air about him, a vicious presence.
“Are you just going to stare, or do you have anything to contribute for your faction?” he asks, twirling his pencil in his strong fingers. His voice is deep and sounds as menacing as he looks...
He still hasn’t looked my way.
“Well… I think it would be best to know who I’m negotiating with first. Don’t you? I’m Arwen, from Wrath. And I wasn’t staring; I was sizing up my opponent.”
He twists his head towards me, brows lowered in confusion, and looks me up and down critically. After a beat of silence, he deigns to respond. “Maddox, Gluttony.”
“Well, Maddi,” I reply, “My faction needs food, something I’m sure Gluttony has plenty of. What can the great Wrath faction do for you?” If he’s going to be short with me, I can play this game.
“It’s Maddox, little Wrath, and your great nation,” he drawls out with sarcasm and lifts a brow, “can only provide one thing, right? We’ll take your weapons. Give us your weapons, and we’ll send you some food. Easy. Done.”
“No, not done.” I reply, leaning towards him as he turns in his seat and gets comfortable again.
“You can’t just take our weapons. We rely on those to do our jobs.”
“Fine,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders. “Then we’ll just wait for you all to die of starvation and then come take your weapons.”
I huff. “Why is this academy full of assholes? Is there a special asshole class that I’m missing from my roster or something?”
The edges of his mouth turn up amused, but he quickly masks it. “I always thought being an asshole was more of a prerequisite…”
“Look,” he continues with a heavy sigh, “Why are you making this difficult? We just say we’re trading weapons for food.”
“Because that’s not a diplomatic solution. In weeks, the food you give us will be gone. We’ll have fewer weapons to perform our trade of soldiering, giving us less of a chance to trade with other factions for more food. We need those weapons to do our job.”
“Why is that Gluttony’s problem? We’re not a charity.”
“Well, maybe our faction will just take all those weapons you’re asking for, head to Gluttony, and murder you and your whole family in your beds. Then take your food.” I sit back and cross my arms.
“Moving from negotiations to violence that fast, are we?” he asks with a sly grin, and his green eyes sparkle, making him look a little less menacing.
I sigh and lean over to his desk. “Look, I can’t fail this class.
I feel like we started off on the wrong foot.
Your faction must need these weapons for something, right?
Otherwise, why ask for them at all? Are you fighting rebel mages or something?
Do you need to protect your brothers or sisters, family? ”
The sparkle goes out, and he leans into me, getting right up into my face. “You want to threaten me? You know nothing about my family. MY family transcends blood. My family would die for me. My brothers and sisters are not my family. In fact, feel free to take them out. You’d be doing me a favor.”
I can feel his hot breath against my cheek.
Clearly, I have touched a nerve. Up close, I can see the lines on his face. He looks stressed, like he’s been holding the entire world on his shoulders.
I give him an understanding look. This man is going through something I know nothing about.
“Look, all I’m saying is whatever you need weapons for, let us use them.
Wrath has the best soldiers in Vail. Use us.
Hire our faction and trade for food. We’ll take care of your problem quickly and efficiently—no offense.
..” I placate him before he can lay into me; I can tell he has some pride in him as well.
“We discuss the specifics, size of the army we’d send, number of commanding officers, the issues and dangers we’d face, and we can negotiate a fair trade of food. Supplies to grow our own food would be even better, but we’ll make it fair. How does that sound?”
He's still leaning close to me, and his eyes assess my face, lingering on my lips, causing butterflies to thrash in my belly.
“Okay, you win. Let’s make a plan then,” he resigns.
We spend the rest of class working out the details of the trade and transportation logistics. After some time, we agree on a detailed plan for sharing food and soldiers with strict monitoring and contingency measures.
After we turn in the assignment, Maddox grabs his bag and goes to leave. “See you next time, little Wrath,” he says with a nod as he walks out the door. I can’t help but glance at his ass.
The bottom half of his body is somehow even better than the top half.
I catch up with Cleo in the hall, feeling upbeat about my day so far. I’ve made some new friends and feel confident in my work for my first class.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay?!” Cleo grabs my arms as I catch up to her with a concerned look on her face. She pulls me into the courtyard.
“Yeah, I’m doing great. Why, what’s up?”
“Your partner… the guy you were sitting next to? That’s Maddox West. He’s one of Councilor West’s children.
They call all ten of them the ‘bastard children.' Children of the mafia boss. He’s supposed to be ruthless and leads one of the largest gangs in Gluttony despite being the youngest son. He’s terrifying.
I can’t believe he’s at the academy this year. ”
Oh! Oh shit.
I just mouthed off at a dangerous gang leader, whose father really didn’t want me coming to this academy. Maybe this day isn’t going so great after all. Thanks, universe.
My face must reveal my anxiety because Cleo grabs my arm in hers as we walk. “It’s going to be okay. Just lie low and go along with whatever he says during class.”
She adjusts her glasses on her face. “The good news is the professor is probably too scared of him to give him a poor grade, anyway. Everything will be fine, Arwen.”