It felt awkward at first as my wings tingled as I spread them out and lightly touched the ground with them. I could feel something shifting within them. The skin of my wings tickled as I felt pressure against the skin.
Thankfully, it doesn't hurt, but it definitely feels weird. My balance begins to fail as I lean forward more, using my wings for balance, which feels both off and more natural. I feel the skin on the tips of my wings push outwards more to balance myself as they press into the ground.
Next, my arms begin to pull back against my body, going from outstretched wings to more ganglier feeling limbs as they move below me, giving me better balance. I feel the feathers push into my skin and shrink, feeling coarser and shorter. The tips of them begin to push out while shrinking, and feel something closer to a hand, but nothing like one.
My shoulders roll forward as it feels more comfortable standing on my wings....Though I guess at this point, they are more legs. My talons and feel claw at the ground as I feel a change over them, my talons balling up more like fists and my legs growing longer and thicker. Another tickling feeling as it feels like my scales vanish and are soon replaced with something closer to fur.
I feel my leg spread out again, but instead of talons, it feels more like a foot. I can feel the stump and bits of moss on it against the bottom of my foot. Then, on all four legs, I feel something push through the skin that feels hard and slightly sensitive. As my feet near completion, I feel my spine shifting, so my head is now aimed forward rather than downward.
My foot feels weird, like there is an extra bend in it and facing the wrong way from when I was a human, or even an eagle. I feel my beak soften and then push out slightly and become a little narrower, similar to how it felt in the dream when I became leopard, my sense of smell growing as I pick up so many things. I feel the skin on my head push up as ears begin to form, and soon even sounds become more distinct and louder.
The last thing I feel as everything settles in is pressure at the base of my spine as I feel it push outwards, and something growing which I can only assume is my tail. As it finishes, I realize there was a buzzing in my head similar to when I had gone feral.
I give my head a shake, trying to get rid of the buzzing, but soon I realize it's words as I look up in confusion and spot Shiners, which is now longer glowing, and hear words, <Hey, you did it, Mike!!! are you in there?> he asks, sounding mildly concerned.
I shake my head as everything...smells and stinks, and smells...did I mention SMELLS. I rub a paw against my nose, trying to concentrate, <ughh...I think so, but I smell everything...but don't know what ever thing is.> I say.
Shiners shakes his head, <Come on, it can't be that bad. I barely smell anything myself.> he says as I just keep shaking my head and sneezing. I was getting used to it, but it was so confusing.
Ughhh, I frown, <Can you go get my parents and Charlie...It's going to take me a bit to get used to all this.> I say. My ears pin against my head as I try to ignore all the sounds around me for the moment and just focus on the smells and getting control of them.
It was confusing and giving me a headache, as even with my ears shut, it was like I could tell what was around despite my best efforts not to sneeze. I kept at it. And then I smelled something weird, it smelled...familiar but not in a way I could explain. I could tell there were three...wait, no four things approaching me. Three that smelled similar, and the fourth that I now realize had been there before, was that Shiners?
I paw at my nose a little more as I hear my mom come closer, "YOU OKAY MIKE!?" she shouts, or at least I think she does. It doesn't have the cadence of a shout, but in my head, it was like she had a megaphone.
I whine to my mom as Shiners repeats, <Mom....don't yell, I'm right here.> I say, looking over at her. Glad that my eyesight isn't worse, if anything, it's blander, unlike everything else.
I smell the confusion and concern in my mom's smell that feels weird and makes me sneeze, "Hon, I'm not yelling, I'm talking quietly," she says, and it feels a little better but still loud as I shake my head.
Shiners finally catches on, "If he's like how I've noticed dogs and wolves acting, he's probably hearing everything stronger than normal, and it's sounding like yelling more than a normal tone."
Charlie whispers quietly, which sounds more like a natural tone, "Makes sense, I could whisper dinner to my friend's dog, and he hear it two rooms away," he says. My ears perk up, but not exactly dog-like, more curiosity as he laughs, "Sorry, Mike, if that made things worse."
Dad just smiles, crouching down holding a hand out to me as I sniff at it, it felt so weird, as there was a billion...okay, maybe just a lot of different ones. It was almost like I could smell his hand...like the way I could see it, it was weird, but it helped a little as it was one source of scent, not everything else around me.
My dad moves his hand to rub against my back, causing me to lean into it. never understood why dogs like it fully, but it felt so nice and comfortable as I press against it, closing my eyes. Their presence was helping with the smells. The odd thing was that even with my eyes closed, I could tell where they were, and each smelled different from each other as I keep my eyes closed and sniff each of them.
Finally, things settle down as I calm down, <Wow....I feel better now, least with you close, it was like someone dumped a hundred perfume bottles at once and could smell them all.> I say.
Charlie laughs, "So I guess you're finally smelling just as weirdly as you smelled to the rest of us," he jokes, making me give an annoyed whine and growl mix.
Shiners smiles, "You feeling better, Mike? Maybe we should get you some food and take you over to the picnic area and eat."
I nod my head, looking at the others licking my lips, I suddenly was curious how food tasted after being an eagle for so long. I knew that smell played a big part in taste. <Sure, let's get something to eat...I really could use some food and some moe practice on smells.>
I move to get off the stump and then stumble slightly as my first instinct was to spread my legs and fly, which isn't only confusing, but also impossible, as my legs don't really work that way, causing me to tumble onto my back.
Shiners looks down at me, "Smooth move, fluffy, you aren't an eagle, you can't fly...well, least not horizontally," he says, making my ears warm up as I try to cover my eyes with my paws, hiding my embarrassment.
I hear and smell my mom coming over as she rubs her hands against my belly and legs to see if anything wrong. I give a little leg kick as she rubs against something that makes my feet kick, and my tail wag.
Wincing, I look down at my leg and roll over onto my stomach, shocked at the way my foot kicked when she hit that one spot on my belly, <I'm okay, Mom, just more embarrassed than anything else.> I say as I slowly get back up onto four feet and begin to walk back the way they came.
Soon were back at the car, my nose was still assaulted with every weird thing the oil, the gravel, the grass, though many things I only know from being human, others I still have no idea how to categorize them.
As I near the car, my nose burns for a second as I sneeze again, realizing that I'm smelling the gasoline, but in a way that made it hurt at first as I frown, <Ouch....gasoline really burns and doesn't smell good.> I think.
I move over to the car and sniff it, it still burns a little bit, but I'm slowly getting used to it, plus there is something about it that smells like...home. I look back at the others, finally beginning to feel a little normal. Smells are still strong, sounds are bearable. I give a small bark and a wag of my tail, excited to get something to eat.
My mom laughs, "Okay, no matter what form you are, you're always hungry, yes, I did get some meat from the butcher, though I couldn't get anything bloody for you, not sure what you like, and I got some kibbles for home, as you are meant to be a dog," she says almost apologetically.
I groan at this, <I hope it's at least a tasty kind, they sure don't smell much...then again, I'm a wolf, maybe they are the wolf equivalent of chocolate.> I think laughing a little internally. She gets out a plate and a chunk of meat, and I'm already salivating while looking at it.
Charlie just shakes his head, "Always thinking with your stomach, but yeah, I think we should get you something to eat" he says as my mom heads into the trunk of the car and pulls out a couple of bags with meat as my ears perk up and my nose sniff, ohhh I could smell it through the bag, I was so hungry as my stomach growls.
Stepping up before I can realize it, I nudge my mom's hand trying to get closer to the meat, as she smacks my nose, "Mike watch it you will get your food." she says before catching herself and rolling her eyes, "Ughhh i can't tell if your my son or a dog or both." she half jokes. But I can tell she's about as confused about it as I am.
I back off, confused and wince, that actually hurt as I give a small whimper before saying, <Ow...but I get it, mom...just my instincts told me to get it.> I say before I move away to sit down calmly while licking my lips.
Charlie laughs, "I remember you having a similar problem when you turned into an eagle. I was trying to pour you some soup while you were frantically nosing at it before I even poured," he says, making me wince at the memory.
My dad laughs, "Mike, you better behave, you're a dog now, and don't make us take you to obedience school." I give a little growl at that before I catch myself and shake my head, embarrassed.
I sigh, <UGhhh....this is so much worse than being an eagle...I mean, it's cool, but way WAY too many sensory inputs, instincts complain about everything.> I say, though I finally quiet down as my mom brings out a bowl and places the meat in it as I fight the instincts to inhale it all at once.
Once I'm sure my mom's moved out of range, I quickly dig in trying to savour the taste, as it tasted okay till I bit into it, and then it was a million new flavours and smells as I look at it confused, and just keep eating it as quickly as possible until it was all gone.
Sniffing the bowl, I look around for more and lick some of the leftover juices and look uptowards the others, <Is there any more?> I ask, very hungry.
My dad shakes his head, "No, we should get you home...though, are you ready for going home? You will meet your sister, and she will see you as a dog...and probably be really hyper," he says as I wince. I love my sister, and happy to see her, but I was unsure if my ears could take it.
"You can do this, this is what this is all about, we can always let you go to the shed if you need it, but just think you can sleep on your old bed just like before. Though we may need to get dog-friendly sheets for you," she laughs.
Before I have time to realize it,I feel something moving behind me and turned around only to notice my tail wagging, which was still new to me, but I actually liked it as it felt neat. The idea of sleeping in my old bed was a great one, one I needed. <Okay, let's head home then....I will need to get used to this eventually anyway.>
My dad nods and opens the door for me and motions in, "Come on, I will leave the window open for you. If you need to be let out, just bark a few times to get our attention," he says as I nod. I step to the door, as I'm hit by a wave of car smell, far stronger than anything I was used to, but I THINK I can manage.
Gulping, I move to the door and try to get into the seat, and find it awkward to get into the car as the height was confusing for me. I wanted to jump up, but wasn't sure if I should or how to even really. But I eventually manage to get in and sit next to the window, eyeing the seatbelt and how I put it on.
I grab it with my teeth and try to pull it, which sorta...works, but then I'm sitting on the wrong seat with the buckle in my mouth . Behind me, I hear Charlie, "Mike, what are you doing? he asks as I look at him with a huh? Well, obviously, I'm trying to put the seatbelt on, what a dumb question.
My mom and dad get into the car as my mom turns around and just stares,"Mike..I don't think seatbelts are made for wolves, maybe you can try sitting in the seat or lying down, if that doesn't work, we can try to get you into the seatbelt," she says.
I nod my head and try to lie down, though it's a little awkward with Charlie sitting there next to me. I groan as I look to see if I can find shiners, <Maybe I should have stayed an eagle, this is going to be tough.> I think.
Shners just laughs from somewhere above me in a tree, I suspect, <You will be fine, just think of it as a new adventure, and not like you can never turn eagle, it will always be there as backup,> he says.
I hear my mom as she leans over to pet me, "You will be fine, Mike, we got this, just think how excited your sister will be, and how good it will be to be home in your own bed tonight."
I remain lying down as the car starts up, fighting the urge to stick my nose out the window. I really want to know why dogs do it, but a little concerned about how safe it be for me to sit up. I can't wait to get home and sleep in....or is it on my old bed, great now am I going to be yelled at first sitting on the couch? Suddenly, my mind runs wild as we drive back with all the changes.
