People have felt different things when they go in for their conversions. Excitement is the most common feeling. Some people feel anxious, especially if they're unsure what they're becoming or what it will all entail. Resentment is a rather rare thing, but that's what Alex felt as he was walking into Horizon Labs. It wasn't resentment aimed at Animalia, but towards the government he was sworn to serve. Alex had severed several years in the US army, even rose up to Captain. He had also done a tour in Iraq, which he wasn't particularly proud of. While the War on Terror had to be fought, the government didn't seem to have the right idea of where it should be fought. And the current government was not proving itself to be any smarter.
At least Alex had returned home with only a few bullet wounds, more than he could say for a lot of soldiers he knew. He was glad he didn't have to go back east to deal with the ham-fisted actions that the current government tried to do. But then he was plucked out of the comfort of home, having been selected for a special project. The government had been trying to get Animalians in the military ever since the current president came into office. However, Animalians' natural distaste for the noise and smell of war meant they had no interest in enlisting. The military had been wheedling for years to get one of their operatives converted and they recently had a success with Henry of the USAF. Now they needed a ground soldier. Alex was chosen for his even temperament, his skill, and (probably most importantly) his single status. Living alone in an apartment made it seem that Alex would not have much of a life to leave.
That was the resentment Alex was feeling; that he had so little of his own life that his superiors saw him as expendable. But he didn't refuse his assignment outright. It wasn't just that it would have landed him in hot water, but he had also wanted to join Animalia, but lacked the money to pack up and move, let alone afford conversion and the complications that followed. But Alex was able to rebel in his own way. While his superiors could make him convert, they didn't tell him what kind of Animalian to become. They would probably be expecting him to become a dog or wolf, which was a stupid idea considering how sensitive canine ears were. Well, they would be in for a big surprise.
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"So, would you consider your conversion a success, Captain?" asked Dr. Stein.
Alex flexed his arm, admiring the huge equine muscles that bulged under his skin. He heard that horse Animalians were all well-muscled on a whole, but being a draft horse made him bigger than average. He was a little surprised he ended up with a palomino coloring, though his main fur coloring was more tan than yellow. "I can't say I'm displeased," said Alex, "But is this feathering going to get in the way all the time?" As a draft horse, he now had noticeable feathering on his ankles and his wrists. It's the extra hair on his wrists that threw him off.
"You don't have to keep it that long," said Dr. Stein, "You can trim it down. It may be preferable to do that during summer anyways." At least this solider wasn't dogmatically patriotic as the last one was.
"So, how strong am I now?" asked Alex.
"Well, draft horses were bred to pull very large loads," said Dr. Stein, "I think you'll find you'll be able to be able to lift several hundred pounds."
"I think I'm going to the gym to find out," said Alex, "The gym is still open, right?"
"Yes, though we try to take precautions that no one infects anyone," said Dr. Stein.
"You don't actually have the coronavirus here in Lyre, do you?" asked Alex.
"Not yet, but it's always a good idea to be cautious," said Dr. Stein.
"Well, thanks, doc," said Alex, "I guess I'll see you around."
Dr. Stein watched Alex walk out wearing the tank top and gym shorts he had been given after his conversion. He was definitely an improvement over Henry. And yet, Dr. Stein had the vague feeling he had forgotten to warn Alex about something.
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The weight-lifting room in the Claw Coliseum was still open for business, even if people are going to extra lengths to avoid contaminating each other. Alex was looking forward to testing his new equine strength. "Alright, let's see," said Alex, "Where should I start?" He was plenty familiar with how these weight machines work, considering how much work went into his military training. But he wasn't sure what his new limit was.
Then his longer horse ear twitched as he heard giggling, female giggling. Turning around, he saw several lovely ladies, each of them a mare Animalian. Alex wasn't much of an equestrian, but he could pick up that there were enough differences between these mares to suggest that they were different breeds. "Can I help you ladies?" asked Alex.
"Oh, we're just excited to see a new stallion show up," said one of the mares.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said a second mare, "I'm Sara-Jane. That's Mary-Anne. And these are Elizabeth, Jessie, Vera, and Theresa."
"Charmed, I'm Alex," said Alex, "Do you girls greet all the new stallions like this?"
"Well, there's more single mares than single stallions around here," said Vera, "We're still trying to find enough for everyone."
Alex raised an eyebrow at her candidacy. "So, I take it I'm one of the very few single stallions around," he said.
"Well, there's Archie, of course," said Elizabeth, "Then there's Kip and half of the Hansom sextuplets..."
"Actually, only two of them are available," reminded Theresa, "Damien's dating that Arabian mare."
"I thought she was Lebanese," said Jessie.
Theresa shrugged and said, "She still has first claim."
"You think they'll end up as bond-mates?" asked Mary-Anne.
"Hard to say, honestly," said Sara-Jane, "Looks promising."
Alex cleared his throat and said, "Well, that's only five stallions if you're including me."
"Oh, we're definitely counting you," said Mary-Anne in a seductive tone. Alex noticed she was a type of draft horse as well, though he didn't know what in particular. But she was certainly more muscular than the other mares. But if there was only 5 single stallions and 6 of these mares (not counting how many other mares were also still single), he had a feeling he was going to have his hands full.