Mike didn't have to think too long - he had already made his decision, and he figured a soul was a soul, right? What difference would an animal soul make? He rubbed against the mare, the pressure and pulsing getting stronger. She whinnied and squatted, pissing on the ground, a cloudy stream that increased his interest. Aaron caught some of the urine in his hand and again, let it run across the front of Mike's face. The odor was strong, but Mike found it even more exciting.
Nightmare dropped her head and faced away from her, her slick opening clenching and unclenching, 'winking' at him. He moved behind her, his massive shaft stiff and swinging, and made a sudden leap ove her rump. Grabbing her sides with his forelegs, he slid forward and hit too high, then prodded her rump. Frustrated, he shifted and thrust again, this time finding the correct opening.
The mare whinnied and Mike shouted in pleasure and triumph as he drove in deep, his body rocking instinctively. The pressure and pulsing suddenly overwhelmed him, and as he drove in twice, three times, four times, there was an odd sensation of pieces breaking off something - inside his head, his heart, his body, and none of those. The pressure became too great, and he cried out as he exploded inside Nightmare, an incredible release of pressure. He shuddered, thrusting twice more on pure instinct, then slid off the mare to stand dazed and sweating. There was something missing in his head, though - he did not know what it weas, just felt the emptiness.
Aaron reached up and wiped sweat from Mike's face, grinning. Mike met his gaze, feeling intesely satisified and a little confused. The young human's eyes held him entranced. Then Aaron said very firmly and clearly "You are an eight year old Shire stallion, trained from birth with me to be my mount and partner in battle. You are the strongest, fastest, most intelligent warhorse ever seen, and you function as an extention of my own body. We have seen battle. we have fought monsters, we have travelled far. You are devoted to me and my needs, and protect me without thought to your own life. You are my companion, my partner, and my property. You are my horse, Thunder."
And then the emptiness was gone. The words had become part of Mike, unalterable truths. He was Aaron's horse, and Aaron was his master. There was no sense of loss, not anger or fear. It simply was. He grinned back and nodded. "Yes."
The Wizard watched them, then said "Excellent!"
Thunder looked down at his master curiously. A scar appeared on one cheek, and then he stretched up and out, becoming more mature. His clothing changed, and other smaller scars appears on his arms and legs. Thunder felt twinges in his hide, and looked back to see white streaks in his black fur, the marks of battles past.
Now in his early 20s, Aaron was heavily muscled and dressed in the armor and weapons of an experienced fighter. He took Thunders human hands in his own. "What are you?"
Thunder blinked. "I am your warhorse." As he spoke the words, the fingers of his hands shrank away, followed by hands, and then arms to leave smooth shoulders.
Aaron reached up and placed his hands on the human shoulders. "What are you?"
"I am your warhorse." This time, his shoulders sagged in and his head seemed to drop as his belly and chest sank down and altered into an equine neck.
"What are you?" Aaron's hands reached up to hold Thunder's still-human face. As he answered, his face pushed out into a massive black-furred muzzle and the words emerged as a whinny.
He dropped his massie head downa nd rubbed it against his human's chest. Aaron placed his hands on the top of his broad, flat skull. "What are you?"
As soon as the words were spoken, Thunder felt a slight confusion. He suddenly duid not understand the sounds, even though he was sure he had a moment before. However, in his mind there was an absolute reply, a sense of belonging, of purpose, of identity. He was Aaron's warhorse. Memories filled his mind, knowledge and instincts of a lifetime - a warhorse's lifetime. Curiously, some small part of his mind remembered being a centaur, and a human before that. He knew those forms had been real once, but now they were vague and easily dismissed as dreams. Thunder nuzzled his master, content to stand there and have his ears rubbed. He no longer even thought about being a warhorse. He simply was.
Tye watched, hidden, and shook his head. It was unlikely that Mike would ever exist again. The power here was impressive - the former human was part of this world now, and had been for eight years. All links to his past life had been severed, and this new identity as a magnificent and loyal animal was absolultey real. It would be interesting to see him in battle. Tye flickered away.