The garden bubbled and gurgled as I wandered through it. Mushrooms split open, spilling clouds of golden spores, and the trees sagged low, branches bent with swollen, twitching fruit. Flies buzzed thick as smoke, but I waved at them like old friends.
A fruit fell at my feet, and worms spilled out from the ruptured flesh. I crouched, plucking one up. It twisted and wriggled violently in my fingers, trying to escape.
"Oh-ho! Not so fast, little one," I said, letting the green haze curl from my fingertips. The worm froze mid-twist, shivering as if it were deciding whether to fight or obey. I laughed. "There we go. That's better."
I pressed it to my forearm. With a quick nudge of my power, it burrowed happily beneath the skin, sliding along my veins. "See? Now you're mine. Make yourself comfortable."
---
The Nurglings came next, tumbling out of a cracked tree. Their tiny bodies wobbled with excitement, teeth too big for their mouths, and their eyes glittering with mischievous delight.
"Hello, friends!" I shouted, holding my arms wide. One Nurgling leapt for my shoulder, and another dove into an open wound on my thigh, wriggling and squealing.
"Careful! That tickles!" I laughed, letting the green haze curl around each of them. The power tickled their skin, settling them, soothing them. One by one, they stopped struggling, staring at me with wide, happy eyes.
"You're all my friends now. And we'll play nicely," I said, tossing one into the air and catching it. They squealed with joy.
---
A Plaguebearer lumbered out from the mist, groaning, its horn jutting like a rotten tree branch. Its gut sagged open, exposing writhing worms and other small horrors. One of the worms crawled toward me.
"Oh-ho! Trying to run away?" I cooed, letting the green haze flow over it. It froze, then shivered, obedient. I pressed it to my palm and whispered, "You're safe now. You belong to me."
The Plaguebearer groaned, then turned away. The worms inside me twitched, exploring their new home, their movements guided by my gentle touch.
---
Further on, I saw a beetle trapped in a pool of pus. It scuttled frantically, trying to escape.
"Now, now, little Chomper," I said. The green haze wrapped around its legs, slowing it down. It froze for a moment, legs twitching, then finally relaxed. I picked it up and let it crawl onto my arm.
"Good boy," I said, guiding it into a small opening in my forearm. It wriggled and pressed into the warmth of my flesh, finally still. "There. Cozy now, isn't it? You're mine."
---
Then the Beast of Nurgle appeared, massive and oozing slime. It bounded toward me, flopping onto the ground. While it squirmed, I spotted a centipede wriggling across the muck.
"Ah, little Scurry," I said, holding out my fingers. The centipede hissed, curling defensively. I let the haze swirl around it. It froze, legs twitching, then slowly uncurled, crawling willingly into my hand. I opened a boil on my arm and pressed it inside. "That's right. Cozy little friend."
The Beast nudged me with its slimy bulk, and I giggled. "And you, big fellow, are already mine, aren't you? Don't worry. You don't need training."
---
Grandfather's laughter rolled over the garden, making the pus in the trees bubble and the ground quake.
I raised a Nurgling high. "Look, Grandfather! I tamed them all! They're my pets!"
The Nurglings cheered and rolled around me, squealing with delight. Inside me, the worm, beetle, spider, and centipede all wriggled in happy obedience. I could feel each one, guided by my green haze, exploring their new home without resistance.
"See?" I said, hugging a Nurgling. "I'll take care of you all. And you'll take care of me. That's what families do."
Grandfather's booming laughter echoed through the garden, warm and approving. I laughed back, rolling in the muck with my pets, proud of each one I had tamed, each wriggling happily inside me.