--- Interlude: Encounter with the Ferther---

  *Fuck! Why, and more importantly how, did this happen? All I remember was losing my footing and falling into some kind of hole. Now that I woke up, I’m in the cave of a goddamn Ferther. At least it’s not home, or otherwise, I would be dead already. *

  I looked around, observing my surroundings. I was in an underground cave of a Ferther. With their enormous claws, they like to dig their homes in which they sleep and store their food.

  All around me, there were piles of gnawed-off bones, with little balls of hair and other gross stuff inside them. It smelled like someone died while taking the nastiest shit of their life; it smelled horrid. I nearly passed out again, but I could keep myself conscious.

  The first thing I did was cover myself in mud and the other disgusting things the ground was made of that were present here.

  The worst thing that could happen was that the Ferther came back, while I was trying to find my way out, but it smelled so bad, that I had to swallow my puke back down several times, but after I was done, I was sure it couldn’t smell me anymore. Now I was ready to look for an exit.

  I started following the large tunnels. The walls were made of dirt, with the roots of trees acting as support. Some of them were chewed on, making it seem as if the Ferther liked to snack on them.

  As I was sneaking my way along the tunnel, I reached a small room, a little bigger than the tunnel. It was filled with pelts and feathers, leaves and branches, all kinds of soft things. As soon as I entered, I saw a shadow.

  I pressed myself against the wall. There it was, the towering colossus of fur, able to kill me with a single strike of its paw. The scariest part was that even though I saw it in front of me, its enormous 10-foot body walking at a slow pace, I couldn’t hear even the faintest sound of its existence.

  No breathing, no footsteps, no nothing. It’s like my eyes were playing tricks on me. I did not dare to move. If I moved, I was dead. I couldn’t die like this, not without my family knowing where I was and what happened to me.

  The Ferther looked in my direction, staring at me. It got closer and closer. As it stood directly in front of me, it started smelling me. While their nose is incredible, their eyesight is terrible from spending a lot of time in their tunnels. They were blind. I was glad I covered myself in mud, so glad.

  It was so close. I could see its nose widening, trying to determine if there was something here. I could see its milky white eyes just staring at the space in front of it. I could smell its breath, the same rotten concoction of death I smelled everywhere here.

  After what felt like an eternity, it stopped. It turned around and walked in a circle until finally laying down near the center of the room and closing its eyes. Not daring to move, I waited for what felt like an eternity until I finally heard snoring.

  Sneaking my way to the Ferther, I readied my hunting knife, and slit its throat. Its eyes darted open, realizing its life was nearing its end. It thrashed around itself with no semblance of coordination. I already leaped out of danger and watched as it breathed its last.

  I bolted out of there, fearing that there was another one near. Feathers often lived together in “families” of 2 to 3 beasts. As I left the lair of the beast behind me, I realized how lucky I was.

  *** ***

  I did not know how long I had been sitting here, on the ground I once called home. Maybe Hours, maybe days, or maybe just seconds. Time held no meaning. The remnants of everything I called family were only a few feet away from me, but it felt like there was a wall between me and “them”. I could not go in there, not again.

  I looked down at my body. But it did not feel like my body. My muscles reacted to my call and did what my brain told them to do, but it did not feel the same way as before. As if I was no longer fully in control of my body.

  I stood up and tried to move. It was easy, really easy. I was faster and stronger than ever before, but I felt a dull pain radiate everywhere. Not because I was hurt, but because I was using magic. I was a Schmerzan now.

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  After a while, I heard something in the back of my head, trying to get my attention. At first, it was faint, like a thought, gone before it could be fully realized. But it got stronger, forming full words and talking to me in human speech. I thought I had fully lost it now.

  *..ey, Hey! Are you there? Did I manifest inside of a brain-dead moron or what? Hello?*

  “What? What the fuck do you want? Can’t you see I’m mourning here?” I shot back, already annoyed by whatever was talking to.

  *Oh, so it talks. I would be more grateful if I were you. Millions of Schmerzans would kill to have something like me, you dipshit. Treat your elders with respect.*

  I was convinced I had fully lost it now.

  *No, you have not gone completely crazy yet, but you were very close. That was some delicious pain you had there. Haven’t quite felt something like that in all my life.*

  *Oh, so you can read my thoughts? Great* I thought, sarcastically.

  *Only the most surface level, or at least for now.*

  *What even are you? Where did you even come from? Why the fuck can I hear you in my mind?* I asked.

  *I’m the reason you can use magic. Without me, you would not even be here yet, still running out of that forest to reach this BBQ here.*

  And the reason you can hear me is that I’m in your body. I am a sort of wandering soul or something like that, you could say.* I could feel him grinning in my head.

  *You fucking…*

  *Chill out, I’m just joking. Anyone that’s able to use magic can do so because they have one of my brethren inside them. Though most of them are not sentient till way later, usually not till Core Level 8. You got lucky, kid, be grateful.*

  *So what now, you are just here? And why give me your powers? Because of the greatness of your heart?*

  *Of Course not, I’m here to take over your body. Why would my kind just give you lessers our power?*

  *What? Take over my body? That’s the first time I’ve heard this.* I shivered at the idea of having my body controlled.

  *Like I said, most only regain their sentience at Core Level 8, and at that point, it’s already way too late to stop us from taking your body. If you lessers knew we were trying to take over your body, you would never pursue more of our power.*

  *And why would you tell me this? I am assuming it’s not too late for me to stop you, so would it not be smarter for you to keep me in the dark?* Not expecting good news, I steeled my mind for the information I was about to receive.

  *No, because I have a deal for you. I am going to help you get revenge on the guy that did this. But to get strong enough to do that in a reasonable amount of time, you have no choice but to slowly but surely make your body accept more of my influence until it is not your body anymore, but mine.*

  *And what if I refuse? Are you going to leave on your own?*

  *No. Your body is still going to be mine, but it is going to take longer and it is going to hurt a lot. But not for me.*

  I was baffled. All of this new information was too much for me; my brain hurt. Magic was only possible because of these things?

  And they want our bodies? How does no one know this, and why don’t the Level 8 and above Schmerzans say anything? Are they already gone, replaced by the entities?

  *So I don’t have a choice, do I?*

  *No, but there is good news. First, the guy who did this is close. And he is not that strong. With some help from me, you should probably be able to kill him.*

  *That’s good, but I have some more questions. Why don’t you just invade all our bodies from the moment we are born? Would that not increase your chances? Why wait for the pain?*

  *Obviously, because we can’t just invade your body. We can invade the weak-minded, simple beasts, but the stronger and the more intelligent the creature, the better the natural protection against spiritual beings like us. Only during intense pain does the body lower its defenses against us, and we can slip in. And to not get kicked out the moment the pain ends, we keep you in pain every time you use our power. Pain itself is not required for us to use magic once you are gone and we have your body.*

  *Disgusting parasite*

  A jolt of pain ran through my body, making me scream and fall to my knees.

  *Don’t get cocky now. Your life is already in my hands, no matter how nice I act. Remember that.*

  *Fuck you, let us get this over with, so I can die in peace. What am I supposed to call you? Master? Great One? Fuckfac…* Another jolt of pain ran through me. Blood was coming out of my 7 orifices.

  *Call me Zael. And that was Strike 2. I am allowing you to die in peace and kill that guy, but if you keep acting up, I am just going to possess you right now, however long it takes.*

  *Sure, but why not just do that to all the people you guys possess? Why wait for us to suffer?*

  *Because it’s easier. And like I said, we are all usually not sentient, because your defenses were not low enough for our whole soul to enter.*

  But you were so close to going crazy that I could slide right in. You were like a “free beer here” sign. You should feel honored that someone as important as me will possess your body.*

  *What could be so important about you?*

  *Not for you to know. Now, let’s go kill that guy so I can finally have a body again.*

  *Not like I have a choice…* I mumbled.