The first sign of the transformation began with James’ legs. They began to expand and stretch outwards from the squat and flabby appendages of a toad into the considerably longer and more coarse ones of a tortoise. Bumpy, dry scales began to emerge where there had been bumpy, well, bumps, and the sticky, fingered ends of the limbs began to shift into rough and clawed ones.
The woman who had dropped the potion on James began to faint, only to be caught by Kenneth. The reaction did little to make James feel better about himself, as well as much less to make the process cease.
James’ fat, neckless head began to stretch outwards and toughen by way of texture, with his eyes turning fully black and beast as his nose raised gently upwards into two noticeable slits, his skull rounding into a circular end atop a long, hose-like nape.
The back of James’ body gave way to an outwardly growing shell, hard and rock-like as it carefully enveloped his torso and formed around his four legs. A phallic and plump tail spat forth from James’s rear, just as the final aspects of the transformation began to take place.
James then began to grow considerably, going from barely large enough to fit into the palm of someone’s hand to big enough to require being carried using both hands. Elspeth, cautious and worried, knelt down next to him. “James? Are you okay, dear? Can you hear me? Can you speak?”
James slowly turned his head to her, smiling a great deal more effectively (though not as well as a human’s mouth would) at her. “I..... feel..... good..... Mis..... tress..... El..... speth..... That..... felt..... rea..... lly..... nice...... ac..... tu..... al..... lay”, he said slowly but surely, still able to speak but at a considerably slower pace. And what he had said about it feeling “nice” had been true. Unlike what he had expected, and despite how painful it had looked to the others watching him, the entire experience of the transformation had been oddly soothing. No pain or discomfort whatsoever, but rather a massage-like feeling of muscular relief and relaxation all over his body, which he was already feeling very used to despite only being in it for less than thirty seconds.
Kenneth nodded. “Yeah, that’s part of the potion. Aside from random transformations, it makes each process of transforming real pleasant for the user. Gets progressively more good and enjoyable the more they transform, and it’s multiplied with how different each transformation is from one to the other along with that. So that’s an upside. James here, while he may not know what he’ll be turning into, can look forward to a good long while of sheer euphoria. Especially a special kind for..... er, us guys,” he said, smirking.