James laughed. He found walruses interesting. A walrus; a form perhaps unappealing to most. James however, found it fascinating enough to want to experience first hand.
That a medallion could grant him that chance seemed impossible. To James however, there was no harm in trying.
After a few seconds without result, James sighed.
"I didn't think it would..."
A feeling neither painful nor pleasurable, just there surrounded Jame's mouth, halting his words.
James blinked and tried to get the last word out.
"I didn't think it would -- urk!"
James shook his head. He didn't make that strange sound -- he couldn't have! His canine teeth felt sore, as though they were sensitive to cold and he'd just bitten into ice cream.
The world spun. James staggered forward as though in a drunken stupor. He fell onto his belly. The sensation of warm grass under him alerted him to sudden nudity. James closed his eyes.
The ground seeming to turn into a liquid interrupted any attempt to stand. Warm water that seemed to rush in from every direction stunned James.
Opening his eyes led to an impossible view. Something had submerged James.
His body felt different. He didn't have time to consider why his arms and hands felt so odd, why despite the ache in his canine teeth fading, that they felt longer or why his legs felt so different.
He darted toward a light source in a desperate attempt for air.
James surfaced with a loud splash of water as cold air hit him.
A few seconds of desperate inhaling led to a sense of calm but also confusion.
One crisis averted only led to the other.
James looked at what he thought was his right hand. The sight of what he couldn't mistake for anything but a flipper greeted him. Though James couldn't see his body all that well, every sensation he felt told the tale well enough. James was a walrus.
A series of grunts and bellows escaped a larger mouth when James tried to speak. The words still existed with his mind. An altered tongue, mouth and vocal chords however betrayed James. Working with them was like trying to write a musical using a system he'd never used and in a different language.
The grunts and bellows that James made only added to his stress level and seemed to beckon a panic from within far stronger then anything he'd ever dealt with.
James needed multiple attempts before he could grunt out an approximation of his name. It sounded terrible and almost degrading. It would have to do should James find potential help.
That one inevitable question invaded James mind. What now?
James felt somewhat at peace floating. As long as he didn't worry about what this meant for his future or mentally scream denial over his form he seemed to stay in control. Yes, at that moment, he was a walrus. He however, was also still James. He could resist certain urges to keep from acting like an animal. As long as he could still do that, he felt that he wouldn't completely lose his humanity.
The water while cool was still comfortable to him. He seemed to know how to swim. Maybe a short swim wouldn't be so bad.
While he was naked, he felt didn't feel vulnerable. He didn't need clothes for warmth or protection from the elements. As a walrus, his parts were no longer private. James didn't like that, but knew he needed to accept it.
Even if he managed to avoid humans, he couldn't avoid other species forever. Sooner or later, someone or something was going to see him like this. He knew his options involved either getting used to it and risking perhaps degrading himself or feeling eternally humiliated and violated. Neither option was appealing.
After some thought, he chose to get used to it. His human body was private but his walrus body was not. Even if it degraded him, it seemed preferable to constant humiliation.
There remained one problem; finding humans. James didn't know where he was or where to go.
James sighed (or at least tried to). Second guessing himself wasn't going to get him home or restored to humanity.
Perhaps, James thought, he indeed could enjoy a quick swim. Maybe he could even find a herd of wild walruses and hang out with them for a while. So long as he could change back, being with natural walruses as one of them seemed beyond cool and even a little exciting.
Even if the idea seemed wrong somehow, James didn't want to lose out on an opportunity. Memories of potential extra circular activities he'd passed up and since regretted filled his mind.
James submerged, allowing instinct and desire to guide him. For now, he was a walrus and he was going to be a walrus. He didn't want to lose out on any opportunity. Not this time -- never again.