It was a struggle, but Mike was just about to demand he be restored when the Knight spoke. "Let him touch your skull." The words were spoken softly, gently, yet they blasted away Mike's resolve in an instant. He lowered his head and felt the touch of the figurine against his forehead.
Memories and knowledge flooded into his mind, overwriting much of what had been part of Mike's human identity. The centaur staggered a moment as he found he knew how to move, how to carry the knight properly, how to fight, how to be a warhorse. Except he wasn't a proper warhorse yet. He was an ugly creature that was part centaur.
Liam seemed to pick up on his distress, and raised the black brush again. "Can I finish you up, make you a full Shire Warhorse? Once you are fully changed, it will all come together and being a warhorse will feel totally natural."
Tye grinned and shook his head. This was it. His former classmate would be a beast forever, even finding himself in the animal afterlife if such a place existed. And it was all Mike's choice. He had asked for this every step of the way.
Although the warhorse instincts and memories were now very strong, Mike felt a moment of indecision. If he accepted the last changes and became a horse physically as well, he was pretty sure that his human life would be over. At the same time, the desire to be the Knight's warhorse was almost overpowering, and he was also sure that he would be that animal happily.