As Liam gave Mike a very pleasant grooming, an imposing-looking man came over to watch over the stall gate. He was not old, certainly no more than 30, with chain mail armor that clung to his muscular build. Shoulder-length brown hair framed a handsome face that had a scar across one cheek, and large blue eyes that looked over Mike with curiosity. "I'm looking for a new warhorse, boy. You working on one now?"
Mike peered at the man, a little confused. Liam was working on him, not a horse. Even more confusing was the stableboy's reply. "Could be. Looking for anything in particular? He's already mostly Shire, and a potent stallion. I'm not going to reverse any of that."
The knight chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of ruining a perfect black Shire stallion. Is it too late to keep him smart? I'll pay a lot more for a mount that understands me, or at least can learn quickly."
"What do you mean, keep me smart?" Mike frowned, knowing he should be a lot more upset about the man's attitude, but having trouble working up much more than mild annoyance. "I'm a centaur, not an animal."
His words seemed to surprise the young man, who blinked and cocked his head. "Sorry! When I saw... well, I just sort of assumed that you were thinking like a horse. I never saw a centaur allowing himself to be changed like this."
Mike was puzzled a moment, then remembered that Liam had made him bigger and changed his color. Made his horse parts Shire. An in-game character probably would not go for any form of magic, and in truth, Mike knew he shouldn't have allowed the boy to transform him at all, at least if he was staying in character. But the memory of mating with the mare was still fresh in his mind, and any sense of duty he felt towards the rest of his party was overshadowed by the intensity of feelings he had experienced. As real as all of this felt, it was still just a game, right? And he could play around with his own character as much as he wanted. It sure wouldn't be the first time he'd found a way to get transformed on a quest. He grinned at the knight. "I guess you never saw a centaur like me before."
Tye had to laugh, grateful that the trio he was watching could neither see nor hear him. Trust Mike to ignore warnings and forget what he had been told about this world. The 'game' they were playing was real, and carried all the consequences of reality. If Mike allowed himself to be changed into a horse here, a horse is exactly what he would be - which meant that the teenager who had started the game would cease to exist as Mike assumed the life of an animal in this world. Tye wasn't exactly evil, but he had no plans to 'save' Mike from himself. As long as the former human made his own choices, Tye was going to let him 'experiment' his way to being a true beast for the rest of his life.
"Um, you would certainly make a magnificent mount." The knight seemed to think a moment, then asked "Are you willing to become a smart Shire stallion, with some training added? I'd pay for the very best, make you the most amazing warhorse this world has ever seen! When we are not on quests, you'd be a sought-after stud. And loyalty would go both ways. Bonding with me would make us more like partners, and I would feel an obligation to take care of you."
Liam joined in as he continued the pleasant brushing. "It sure would be safer than adventuring as a centaur. A centaur is a big target, but warhorses? They get spared whenever possible. And you wouldn't have any worries or cares - food, lodging, equipment, all provided." The stableboy hesitated and then added "Besides, if you don't like it, all you have to do is let us know and you'll be changed back to the centaur you were before."
Both Tye and the knight smiled, and probably for the same reason. If Mike went along with this transformation, being a horse would not only feel perfectly normal, but the idea of being anything else just wouldn't occur to him. Tye waited to see if Mike would put the pieces together. Some 'added training', 'bonding', 'no worries or cares'?
Mike seemed to think a moment, then nodded as he came to a conclusion.