The night before the expedition, Virgil Varis was carefully sharpening the dull edge of his scavenged hunting knife, using a smooth river stone he'd found. Chandra was nearby, meticulously cleaning his mace.
"Chandra," Virgil began, without looking up. "The Familia is wealthy. The brew sells for a fortune. Why are the children, including myself, allowed to starve to death?"
Chandra stopped wiping his blade. He let out a quiet breath, his eyes drifting to the half-empty bottles scattered around the room. "When Zanis came, everything changed," he said. "Soma stopped caring about us. All he cared about after that was the alcohol."
Virgil nodded slightly, his tone flat. "So, the money doesn't go to the Familia."
"No," Chandra replied. "It goes to the brew. Soma makes it, Zanis sells it, and the rest of us just keep things running."
Chandra eyed him carefully. "Why ask about that now? Knowing it won't help you kill a Kobold."
Virgil kept his eyes on the knife, turning it in his hand. "I'm just curious," he said. "Everyone talks about Soma, but no one ever sees him."
Virgil waited until the warehouse was deepest in the silence of the addicts' sleep. He walked to the one section of the warehouse that was not dilapidated: a single, reinforced door that led to Soma's private brewing chamber.
He knocked once, sharply. "Lord Soma. It is Virgil. I require a status update before the expedition."
There was no answer, only a strange, rhythmic bubbling sound from within. Virgil pushed the door open just enough to slip inside.
The room smelled strongly of alcohol, the air thick with the scent of the brew. Bottles and barrels were stacked carelessly along the walls, some still dripping with spilled liquor.
At the center sat Soma, his long black hair covering over his eyes as he worked. He moved slowly, focused only on the mixture in front of him, as if nothing else in the world existed.
Virgil watched in silence, as it was his first time to see a God physically in this world. He realized that Gods have beautiful features.
"I am busy, child." Soma murmured, his voice soft and distracted, not looking up.
"I need my Falna updated," Virgil repeated, standing just inside the doorway. "Before I enter the Dungeon on your Familia's behalf. It is required protocol."
Soma sighed, a sound of profound annoyance at the interruption of his art. He slowly, reluctantly turned his attention to Virgil. He walked over, his movements graceful yet heavy with detachment. He pulled a silver needle from his table.
"Hold still."
Soma pricked the tip of Virgil's finger, drawing a single, dark bead of blood. He immediately dropped it on Virgil's back. The familia's emblem began to show, it was a chalice positioned in front of a crescent moon. Then his stats began to show up one after another.
The sensation was bizarre to Virgil. A sudden, rushing warmth, a quiet, ancient power accessing the truth of his being. The process took only a few moments, but Soma froze suddenly, his eyes widening slightly.
"A Magic..." Soma murmured, confusion breaking his trance. "And a rare one at that. Skill Hunter? The Magic of permanent skill theft. I—I have not seen that among my children since the beginning. Only you and Zanis have Magic."
Soma quickly recovered, his passion for the brew overriding his divine duty. He wiped his hands clean. "Go. Your status is updated. Do not interrupt me again." The single word carried the weight of total indifference.
Virgil felt a powerful, cold surge of understanding. A skill theft magic. Something unique to this consciousness. He knew instantly that this was a result of his transference. He did not ask questions. He bowed his head and retreated.
Virgil stepped out of the chamber and pulled the door softly shut, breathing in the cold, stale air of the warehouse.
"Well, well. Look at the little thing walking out of the master's parlor."
The voice was cool, precise, and utterly devoid of the drunken slur common in the Familia. Virgil looked up to see Zanis Lustra leaning against a pillar nearby. Zanis was tall, with carefully styled grey hair and with eyeglasses.
Zanis pushed himself off the pillar and approached slowly, his eyes gave off a cold stare over Virgil's small frame. His surprise was genuine.
"You actually got an audience with Soma?" Zanis said, amusement curling in his tone. "The God rarely bothers to speak with anyone these days. I guess he actually got lonely?"
"I required a status update before the expedition," Virgil replied simply.
Zanis chuckled, his grin widening as he gave the boy a once-over. "You? Asking for a status? You look like you can barely lift that spear, kid." Zanis chuckled. "What's your name brat?" he asked.
Virgil met the man's cold stare without flinching. "Virgil Varis."
""Virgil Varis," Zanis repeated, rolling the name on his tongue with mild amusement. He smirked, turning away. "Well, Virgil Varis, I'll be looking forward to seeing what you bring back from the expedition. Try not to die before then."
"The Familia profits when Chandra returns. And I profit when the Familia profits. We need Chandra alive." He gave a short, dismissing gesture with his hand. "Go prepare."
Virgil gave a short nod and turned away, his heartbeat calm but deliberate. Soma was lost to his obsession. Chandra was the only one still holding the Familia together. And Zanis was the real danger. Virgil understood now. If he wanted to have a high position in this familia, Virgil might have to challenge Zanis.
Name: Virgil Varis
Gender: Male
Age: 11
Status
Level: 1
Basic Abilities:
Strength (STR): I-10
Endurance (END): I-18
Dexterity (DEX): I-21
Agility (AGI): I-20
Magic (MAG): I-0
Magic:
Skill Hunter: Permanently steals the inherent Skill, Magic, or Developmental Ability of another individual. This ability requires the target to be alive for the high-concentration chant.