Either the change to stableboy had been fast or the tour was taking way long. Derrick kept watch on the entrance, waiting for his family to appear. The receptionist had assured him the tour was still out, and he had no missed his group. She also chuckled and complimented him on getting a head start.
After standing around a little while longer, Derrick was fidgeting badly. He felt awkward and uncomfortable doing nothing in the middle of the main lobby. Then he spotted a satyr tugging a heavy-looking box towards the back. He padded over and asked "Uh, can I move that for you?"
The satyr looked up at him in surprise. "Oh! Uh, sure! Haven't seen you around before. You equine types have a lot more muscle than us goat guys." Derrick picked up the box easily and followed the satyr off down a corridor, where he was directed to place the container in a corner. "Thanks! I got some more of those to move. If you have time, I'd appreciate some more help."
"Sure thing!" Derrick went back out to where a stack of eight more large containers was sitting. This one was heavier, but still not a problem. The satyr led the way back, very appreciative of the assistance. After placing the second box down, Derrick said "If they all go here, I can finish up on my own."
"That's really nice of you!" The satyr gave him a curious look. "You ARE a worker, right?"
Derrick grinned. "I sure am now!" He went back to the stack to grab the next container. It felt a little lighter this time, and when he got back to the storage room the satyr was gone. The containers got lighter and smaller as he worked, and instead of getting tired, he felt full of energy and better than ever. After setting the last container down, he clopped back toward the reception area, but then stopped as the solid thud of his feet finally registered. Not feet - he had hooves again! They were even larger than before, almost hidden under a thick feathering of white fur that sprouted out from the bottom of golden-furred equine legs. Curious instead of alarmed, he found one of the many large mirrors and examined himself. From the waist down he was pure draft horse, probably like the Clydesdales they used to pull the famous beer wagon. His top half was fully furred now, but remained mostly human. His face hard hardly changed at all, though it was still board-featured and homely. However, it wasn't until someone walked behind him that he realized where the real change was. He had to be more than 7 feet tall!
"Hey, Stud! How about a hand here?" The gravelly voice of a minotaur made him turn around. The bull-man was moving a life-sized statue of a well-endowed man frozen in mid-orgasm and struggling to keep it from dragging the floor. "They are always way heavier leaving Medusa's garden than they are going in."
Stepping up quickly, Derrick grabbed one side and followed the minotaur's lead as they carefully carried the statue into another long corridor and then into a side room filled with similar marble figures. As with the containers, Derrick found it was easier to grip the statue the longer they moved it, and he watched in fascination as his fingers merged and lengthened, becoming two long, flat digits and a matching opposable thumb. When they set it down, he flexed his now massive and curious hands in admiration - not good for small things, but he knew he could grip anything large and heavy with ease.
The minotaur looked surprised. "You must be a guest! Did you ask to be a worker?"
Derricks hook his head. "Nah. I spent some time with the centaurs and started to become a stableboy, but changed my mind and changed mostly back. I was waiting for my family in the lobby, and got an urge to work. It seems like the more work I do, the better I get."
"You should check in with the main desk before it goes too far. That way you can get credit, and make sure everyone knows what you are so they can reverse it when your vacation is over."
Derrick frowned. "Credit?" He had to think a minute to remember what that meant.
The minotaur nodded. "Come on, Stud. I'll take you over now. I think your head is starting to shift."
He led Derick back to the main desk and told the woman "This must be one of the guests - he is still changing, but he's already started working. He was with the centaurs first, and said he came back here to wait for his family?"
Derrick whickered in annoyance. He was right here. Why didn't they just ask him...? His eyes widened and he tried to talk. A snort and whicker came from a mouth that was way too wide and protruding to be human.
"Just a second. I think I know... yes, this must be Derrick Anderson. The mother and father and a sister went on the tour and he stayed behind." The woman looked up from her screen. "Derrick, right?"
He nodded, wrinkling his nostrils as muscles in his neck and face started to pull oddly. He was also getting taller, now looking down a bit on the minotaur.
"Looks like the centaur work ethic took hold pretty strong. We'd better work fast. Derrick, you are becoming a Equiid Worker, one of the beasts we use for heavy labor, mostly in the background. Pretty much a humanoid Clydesdale. If this goes all the way, you'll want to use your muscles, want to be useful and work. Two weeks of pulling, hauling, sweat and strain. And you'll love every minute of it. If you accept this, your family will get half the vacation cost refunded, and you'll qualify for some bonuses when your vacation ends. If you want to undo all this, it has to be now. You'll go back to how you were when your family left you here, and no one will be the wiser. Make a choice quickly - in another few minutes the transformation will be done and you'll be a worker."