Fumbling with his keys and almost dropping them, it was all Alex could do not to slam the door behind him, and fall on the floor sobbing. There was little point in that, of course. But then there was little point left in anything anymore, wasn’t there? Every action led to an inevitable end, and Alex only had so little time before all autonomy was taken from his hands. His final days would have him wishing for a quick death so he might not be forced to suffer with the pain in his ailing body. Worse, perhaps, was seeing his loved ones watch him slowly withering into a husk of his former self. Wasn’t he owned some rage at such an unfair fate?

Dying in his mid-thirties was far too young, a fact that he bemoaned every day for the past six months since he had gotten the news about his cancer diagnosis. In truth, with how hopeful his doctors had seemed, Alex figured there was every chance of making a complete recovery, especially at his age. He was not expecting to hear back that his white blood cell counts were dangerously low, or that the cancer had spread despite the weeks of chemo he had undergone. Fuck, it wouldn’t have even helped if they had caught it earlier, with such an aggressive strain. By now, it had spread voraciously through his body, and there was nothing within conventual treatment options that would provide any hope. His organs would gradually fail over the next few weeks, and apart from prolonging his fate via artificial means, he had only a fraction of time left on this earth.

Mind numb from the shock, Alex made the necessary arrangements to contact everyone he knew to tell them the grim news. Never having many friends or a big family, it took only a few calls, ones he opted to end quickly. With his own grief threatening to break his inner damn, it was all he could do not to wait and hear the pain in their voices. Thankfully, it was over soon, and despite the dire news, Alex was filled with an odd sense of resignation. At the end of his life, there was some strange solace in knowing how it would all transpire. All his dreams, his concerns, his responsibilities, all of that had been lifted from his shoulders in this moment of certainty. It still carried notes of sadness, of course. Mortality always did. But at least, for the moment, Alex felt assured in his sense of purpose to say goodbye to all those whose lives he had impacted.

One such place required an in-person visit, and Alex arranged to do so sooner rather than later. He had spent several summers working with a local animal shelter, one that specialized in avian patients. Helping care for the birds while they healed from their injuries and were released back into the wild had been rewarding. Unfortunately, it was something he’d had to give up in lieu of his treatments. And now he wanted to go one last time, knowing with what little time he had left he would regret not doing so.

It was not only his colleagues he wanted to say goodbye to as he pulled up to the facility, hit with a wave of nostalgia. There had been a female eagle who had been a patient for some months with a broken wing, and her condition made her a staple of the facility now. After saying his goodbyes to his coworkers, he was permitted to visit the aviary, for as long as he needed. Alex was thankful for that, walking into the familiar sights and smells with eyes settling on her form. The eagle was always so friendly with the staff, Alex included, and all he could do was hope she remembered him. He wasn’t sure how birds took to such notions, but he was delighted in her reaction, hopping down in a sign of trust. Even as Alex felt his strength leaving him and decided to sit down, the bird moved beside him, regarding him with a questioning expression. The fact she still harbored such trust for him went beyond his expectations, though it brought with it a heavy sadness. How he wished he could explain and properly say goodbye! Such was enough to draw tears, and Alex sat there for what felt like hours, committing everything to memory. 

Looking at his phone, it had only been half an hour, but Alex eventually figured it was time. It took more energy than he wanted to admit to get up, and staring at the eagle one more time, Alex resolved himself to turn away. In his stupor, Alex nearly ran into one of his colleagues, Andrea, who had evidently been watching him. She looked like she wanted to say something but Alex couldn’t expect her to know how to respond in this situation. Alex simply gave her a light smile, hardly able to suppress his tears as he left for what he felt was the last time. 

Yet, he was not expecting her to call out for him to wait, or the offer to spend the evening with her and her husband Jack. With so much end-of-life care to attend to, Alex said no outright to what he assumed would be a final invite to dinner. But after some convincing, and a surprising amount of insistence, he figured what the hell. She seemed to have something more important to say, and Alex felt he owed her that much. She had done some much for him during his volunteer days at the sanctuary. And besides, such an invitation was not something he would be able to entertain for long.

With that, he made his way to their home later that evening. The hectic day had him rather fatigued, though the dinner was wonderful. Home-cooked, it was made up of some of his favorites, things he was sure he had not told Andrea directly. Their talk turned to past times working in the sanctuary, some of the patients they had tagged and kept tabs on, and some of the future projects they would work on. Having decided already, Alex thought it fit to tell them he planned to have any donations made in his name directed to the sanctuary. After all, it was a place he held dear and wanted to support even in death. It tore him up inside to think about it, but he was sure it was the right thing to do. 

What he could not have expected was to learn the purpose of his invitation. The pair sat down with him after dinner, prepared with all the seriousness such a proposal required. Andrea had a secret that might save his life, though it was so unorthodox in nature that no sane person would ever risk it. It turned out Jack worked in a private research laboratory, focused on recent advances in genetic engineering. They had made several breakthroughs in altering the genetic code of disease victims, and all early tests showed their efforts to provide complete removal of the target genes from the patient’s blood. And knowing Alex as she did, even if it was dangerous, she wanted to offer him a chance to undergo this experimental treatment. 

Unfortunately, their cure came with some unexpected side effects, perhaps more like science fiction than the cure itself. Unfortunately, the DNA of disease-free humans was never suitable, much to the chagrin of the researchers. However, the introduction of various strains of non-human DNA, once successfully integrated within the host’s structure, allowed for the errored genes to be removed, effectively curing the participant. And that would be a scientific breakthrough, worthy of a peace prize and changing the course of humanity itself. That was if the patient was able to remain human by the end of the procedure… 

In their rodent test subjects, the introduction of ape DNA was initially found to be successful in curing them of a variety of illnesses. Yet, no more than several hours later, the subjects started undergoing a gradual transformation, one so alarming that it ended up fatal in most cases. Their bodies, their DNA, and everything about them began changing into the species of the donor DNA. Yet, the physical transformation, despite the impossibility of such, was not the cause of their inevitable death. Rather, the rodents succumbed to heart failure from the panic at losing their natural bodies. In those that survived the process initially, crude tests had been performed on their intellect, and for all intents and purposes, it seemed the new beings possessed none of the instincts of their new forms. Their behaviors were rodent in nature, through and through, and the mental shock was enough that they didn’t last for more than a few days. 

Of course, as fascinating as Alex found this, there had to be some reason for them to present this. Much to his annoyance, Andrea seemed hesitant to reveal it. While the serum had not only been successful in changing a mouse into a monkey, it had been applied to greater effect on a human subject. In fact, they had tested its experimental properties on someone with a similarly terminal case of cancer to Alex’s own. As risky as the process was, the subject had agreed to undergo it in secret, even able to choose a suitable animal form as her own. After several hours, she had fully transitioned into that new body, and with it, eliminated every trace of her disease. Even with only a remote chance of working, in the end, her form, and her mind, were stable. The incident had been covered up, her disappearance marked as a potential suicide, and of course, her body never found. For several months, she had lived successfully as a resident of the facility, an eagle not able to head out on her own due to a previously failed attempt. And one that Alex knew well from his previous work there, never suspecting she was really human…

It was slowly beginning to dawn on Alex what was being offered to him. He had cherished his time at the sanctuary and loved working with the birds, after all. Not that an avian body had to be the form he took. Anything else would be an unknown when a transformation into an eagle had already been shown to be successful. And of course, he might not even want to, even with the reality that it was likely the only way to preserve his life. Naturally, Alex sat there feeling a mix of emotions, not the least of all disgust for being offered such a fantasy. Such wasn’t possible through any known science, and so what if it was? Would he welcome any chance to live if it meant becoming something like a bird? What kind of life would that be? And the fact they assured him not only had a woman undergone it successfully, but she had become the eagle he had enjoyed spending so much time with? It was beyond bizarre, and Alex couldn’t even begin to fathom their reasons to bring it to him. 

What he was not expecting was for the pair to bring him a series of video recordings, accurately detailing the progress of the woman’s changes from multiple angles over the course of several hours. It did not take the entirety of their film to convince him, as much as Alex was conflicted. Being filled with a myriad of different emotions left him wanting to be alone to come to peace with what they were offering. Yet, the moment his mind was convinced it was real, he already found he had an answer. 

In the end, it took him only till the next day to make his decision. There really was little other choice when the alternative was his death, though the truth of his interest was deeper than that. He had resigned himself to dying in this life, but to experience another one in a new body and species presented an opportunity so tempting he might have considered it even if he wasn’t terminally ill. It had not been the first time he’d thought of flight, and given that a successful conversation had been made from woman to eagle, the choice of his own form was obvious. He did stipulate he wanted to be free out in the wild when such was possible, though understood the difficulty that came with learning one’s new body without the advantage of birth or instincts. 

Asking when they would be ready for him to start the program, Alex was almost terrified to be told it would take less than a day. Being a Sunday, they would have the sanctuary to themselves, allowing Alex the time to change and settle into his new body. And come Monday, he could be introduced to the staff as a new rescue, one likely unable to return to the wild for some time. Alex felt some disdain for that last part, though relented in the end, figuring it made sense. A new eagle would be hard to explain away, after all. And he would need some time to train with his new body in safety, without the risk of being attacked or injured. Hell, there was every chance he would hurt himself learning to fly that he would actually need an extended stay at the sanctuary!

Of course, there was a part of him who wanted to wait, to think things over for the last few weeks he had. But in truth, he was already so tired. There was no guarantee he would have the energy to survive the change, and the longer he waited, the sicker he would become. Nothing was guaranteed, and there were a myriad of other things that might affect him even in the course of a week. Having already said his goodbyes, and having most of his affairs in order, Alex could think of no reason to put things off. None of his belongings would mean anything to an eagle, regardless. He would be seen as a missing person, though with only so long to live, he would not be looked at for long. In some ways, he was sparing his family from waiting for his passing and watching him fade in a hospital bed. So with that, he left a suicide note, generic enough without giving a trace of where he had gone or how he had ended his life. It felt disingenuous, but in the end, Alex had to do what was best for him. 

Naturally, he didn’t sleep a wink that night, though that was in part due to not being able to use his pain medications after weeks of dependence. Even without them, his thoughts were plagued with the finality of his situation and how drastic a shift it would be for his life going forward. Becoming an animal, for the rest of his life, no less, went well beyond anything he could imagine. Everything about his body, his anatomy, his diet, and a myriad of other things he could not prepare for came with it. Being so much smaller, persisting on raw meat, even his new digestion would be changed forever. Perhaps it was preferable to death, though the death of his physical body was still a death, albeit a lesser one. He would have his mind, his thoughts and memories, and his sense of self. That, in its own way perhaps might have been worse, not being comfortable in the body he possessed, having not been born into it. 

Even stranger still was the notion he would be able to fly, something that perhaps every kid had wondered about while looking at birds in the sky. To be able to do so under one’s own power…at least, he hoped. Without instinct, he was left to hope that flight could be learned through his new body. It seemed the female, whoever she had been, was not able to achieve it, having broken her wing in the attempt and extending her stay at the sanctuary. Upon reflection, her actions, demeanor, and intelligence all more sense from the standpoint she had been human. At least she seemed happy and well-adjusted, if not limited by her surroundings. There was every chance Alex would be in the same predicament, being capable of flight but unable to learn how without injuring himself. Still, that was another problem for another day. He was sure of the form he wanted, and not just because it was the only type of transformation known to have worked on a human. He loved the avian form and loved working with large birds of prey. And, as best he perceived, already had a bond with the female, something that maybe, just maybe, might make them amicable to each other in their new lives. 

Morning came all too soon, and even as exhausted as he was, Alex left his apartment for the last time. It was best not to leave with regrets, not wanting to fixate on things that no longer mattered. He did not bother with a last meal or the like, not sure how that would affect the change. That, and his medication made everything taste bland and disgusting regardless. Of all the things he was thankful for, Alex no longer needed his meds. Their absence would not be felt for long, especially since within the next hour he would be well on his way to turning into an eagle for the rest of his life. 

The final drive to the sanctuary was surreal, Alex unable to really comprehend how within the next few hours, his view of the world would entirely change. He did his best not to reflect on such things. He hadn’t really given himself over to thoughts of mortality, even with the very real chance the cancer treatments would prove ineffective. And given this was a new lease on life, as it were, Alex saw no reason to waste time wondering when he would find out soon enough. It was easier to put such notions out of his mind and focus on his single goal. After all, he would have all the time in the world for regrets once he had changed. The longer he put off the process, the greater the chance even this cure would be taken from his grasp. 

After parking his car for the last time, Alex figured the first order of business was to visit the eagle. Knowing what he knew about her now, there was some precedent to ask her what her life was like, even if she could only answer by nodding her head. That was better than nothing, even if he wouldn’t be able to talk to her now or even when he had changed. There was a part of him that wanted to know if she thought it was worth it, especially since her life seemed largely confined to the sanctuary. Not that he planned to have any regrets by this point, but having her approval would go a long way to alleviating his fears over the change to come. 

Moving his weaker body to sit beside her, the eagle looked up at him in expectation, as though she already understood what he was going to say. Alex didn’t want to take too much time, not wanting to leave any doubts or regrets to delay the treatment. Yet, as he started to speak, the words poured out of his mouth, and with it, the tears soon followed. He didn’t want to cry in front of someone who had things much worse, not that he could compare such things. But the numbness that had overtaken him in recent days was allowed to dissipate as he bared his soul to this eagle, once a woman like him. And he had to hope beyond anything that she still thought, all these months later, that it had been worth it. 

Obviously, she could not reply, even in her own tone which would have no meaning for him. But the fact that she moved even closer to him, rubbing her feathery neck against his body was a sign of her support. Looking into her golden eyes, the reflection was all he needed to feel she was of one mind. She had to have accepted the changes and had found some satisfaction in a new body when her old one would destined to expire in short order. And with that, Alex felt he could say goodbye to her, of sorts, only to promise he would soon see her in his new shape, and to express his excitement in joining her. He couldn’t be sure, of course, but a glow about her seemed to indicate she was not only amicable to him taking on the same species as she but would welcome it if that was what he chose to do.

Leaving the aviary, Andrea and Jack were there waiting for him, though were patient as he said his peace. They guided him toward the large barn, where much of the medical equipment was stored. There would be ample room for him to change, and for them to set up their equipment. Alex could feel a wave of fatigue flowing over him, as though the anticipation and fear of the change had worn off. It was all the more certainty Alex needed to do this now, in case tomorrow would be too late. Andrea was there to start explaining the process, though it was much the same as he had seen in the video. If he was being honest with himself, getting confirmation from his eagle friend was all he needed to know he was prepared to go through with it. 

While they were a little hesitant to ask him to strip, Alex had little trouble with that, having been naked in front of doctors for all the times his chemotherapy treatments required it. Much to his embarrassment, his body was already largely devoid of hair, though in retrospect that was for the best, given his eventual change in species. He might have been ashamed about his sickly appearance, though was assured he was to become a healthy specimen for his new species, and cancer-free. While painkillers were part of the serum, Alex found he didn’t care, having been through worse during the course of treatments. Not that he wanted the change to ache, and figured such a process would hurt beyond his ability to imagine. But seeing the former woman had not been in much pain from the video, Alex let himself trust his caretakers. And with that, he raised his arm, the serum being administered professionally as his fate and life were changed forever. 

As much as he had been told, the change was to take about two hours or so, at a generally steady pace though its course and progression were largely uncharted. Jack was prepared to take notes and pictures, as well as film the process. Alex had been uncomfortable with the idea of being recorded, not that it mattered for his life going forward. But with the promise that his change might be useful in helping others in the future, he agreed to it, figuring it would be worth it in the long run. And if he was honest with himself, his life would be far removed from such things, never even seeing the fruits of their labors. As best he knew, it was a one-way trip, and he figured if there was any way he could help this last time, who was he to say no?

Alex eventually sat down, adrenaline wearing off. There was an itching near the injection site, though otherwise nothing different he could tell. Insistently looking at the full-scale mirrors, Alex felt himself trembling from nervousness or excitement. Without really understanding it, Alex was at least sure it would take some time to safely convert one’s body to avian physiology. Hell, he wished he had more time to research what to expect before undergoing the process. Yet, he was sure to learn one way or the other very soon…

It had taken him some time to distinguish the prickling from the injection site to the skin over his arm, and with curious fingers, Alex reached down to rub the irritation. The lumps had hardly been noticeable at first, though he was quick to feel several dozen in the space around the site. And they were quick to spread, Alex tracing the span of the bumps toward his wrists, and up his shoulders. Even his sides and back were starting to pepper with the bumps, and there was little doubt of what was to come of them.

Not knowing what to expect from forming feathers, Alex continued to explore the skin around his arm, waiting for something more substantial to happen. It was akin to willing them into being, as much as he could figure. And as his rubbing became more insistent, the texture underneath revealed something sharper, pointed like something was preparing to poke through. They soon started doing just that, small pricks that peppered the skin, leaving reddened welts. There were already dozens now, hundreds, uncomfortably pushing at their confinement. At least there was no pain, no agony, but the discomfort went beyond his measure. Even if it was a small inconvenience compared to some of his previous treatments, Alex hated the sensation, knowing it was soon to ebb but hardly in a mindset to deal with it now. 

Taking some time to explore the grows as they started to poke through over his chest, Alex almost forgot that he was being watched and recorded. He looked up gingerly before a wave of dizziness hit him, and he braced his weaker body against the table he was sitting on. It took a few moments to realize what was happening, and even then, the process was so gradual and bizarre that it was hard to place. He was shrinking, and the disorientation was coming from his gradual decrease in stature. It seemed a little hard to believe his body could safely diminish, that his muscle and bones and organs could shrink all at once without harm. He had seen the video of the mice growing, after all, as well as the woman who had changed as he. Too late, he realized he forgot to ask her name, though decided better of it. It wouldn’t mean anything to him in his new body, unable to articulate it. And there was a part of him that had already committed to being an animal, not bothering to talk to his caretakers as he took on his new form. 

All the while, the quills that were forming over pierced the skin, irritating though far too numerous for him to scratch. And there was a part of him that didn’t want to damage them, knowing he would need them for his new life going forward. He didn’t want to literally ruffle his feathers as the quills continued to thicken all while stretching out another inch into the eventual shafts. Soon, the spear-like protrusions began forming minute barbs all the way up their surface, small for now but likely already carrying the eventual texture his feathers would take on. Though a fair quantity had begun to grow, the lumps around them were signs that little of his skin would show by the end of it. And as curious as he was to touch them, the fact he would never be able to do so once he’d changed made him hesitate. There was no point, was there? A bird never felt its own feathers, never having fingers, after all. And that was all he was meant to be. 

While most of his body was to be covered in feathers, his feet were destined to sprout yellow scales, at least below his stretched heel. Their development was something that hardly irritated him as much as his feathers growing in. It was more akin to his skin peeling apart to reveal the yellowed scales underneath. Moving from just above his ankles and slowly toward his toes, Alex watched with some fascination as the human skin made way for his avian covering. The scales were not quite uniform, though the patterns were rather fascinating nonetheless. The tingling of their spread seemed to be happening over both feet all at once, even down to the tips of his toes. With some curiosity, Alex lifted one foot, wanting to see the changes to even the most remote parts of his body. Their bottoms were not quite scaled in the same way as the rest, though they seemed firm, and likely needed to grip branches or catch prey. His toes, too, possessed longer, thicker plate-like scales, though his pinkie toes were not fated to have the same. He was sure they would be lost soon, and efforts to twitch them a final time proved just that. Yet, such was not disturbing, an inconsequential part of the change in the grand scheme of things. 

More and more of his skin was steadily being covered with feathers at this point, their color something akin to a mid-brown with gray undertones. It was fascinating to discover that most of the feathers were uniform in shade, though some of the forming protrusions seemed a little lighter along his arms. As best he could tell from the mirror, the feathers poking from the back of his skull were slightly lighter, as well, not white as perhaps the most well-known bird of his new family. He would be the same species as the female, though perhaps not simply because it was the only species that a human had been successfully changed into. How did she feel about that? He hoped he wasn’t being too presumptuous, but there was little to be done for it now. 

All the while, Alex was aware he was still shrinking, though at a rather gradual rate. He didn’t seem as bothered by the disorientation in the room, though he was still somewhat aware of its gradual spread. What did catch his notice was a slight barreling in his chest, his lean belly pulled taut as the skin adjusted before his internal organs could keep up. The contours of his chest and stomach continued to shift under more elastic skin, though he was sure it was a far cry from the bird anatomy he would soon possess. Of most note was the loss of his nipples, something he rubbed a few more times before they disappeared forever. Oh well. It was hardly an inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, just another interesting facet of anatomical differences to experience. 

An intense pressure in his chest prompted his continued rubbing, able to feel the bones shifting somewhat underneath. Thankful for the pain-numbing agents now, Alex was left to perceive the new alterations, in particular, his sternum enlarging. The force of it pushed his shoulders nearly out of joint, causing a pop that resonated in his ears. Alex was thankful he could still move them, at least, though barely. It was a little alarming to think how restricted the motions would be, though found it fascinating in equal measure. After all, it was a prelude to his ability to fly through the air, something he wasn’t entirely sure how would work. With a little sadness, he was reminded he would have the rest of his life to learn. And how long would that be, exactly? Would he have an eagle’s normal lifespan? Was that what, twenty years max? Yet, it was twenty years longer than he would have without the treatment, and Alex felt in the end he didn’t want to know. 

The soft cracks and pops within his neck and shoulders gave him awareness that he could turn his neck further back than he was used to. Not wanting to test the limits yet, Alex was nonetheless able to see behind his back, privy to the brownish feathers sprouting from it as much as those over his chest and upper legs. What he was not expecting was for white feathers to erupt from the skin above his asshole, or that a slight lump had formed over it, likely the start of a small tail. As much as he focused on it, he couldn’t yet move it, though figured that ability was soon to come. It was nice to see the contrast of having the few white feathers for which his species was named.

Without an obvious clock in the room, Alex had lost track of how long he had been changing. Yet, in the end, he figured there was little point worrying about such things. Birds hardly had concern for being on time, after all. The changes were still coming gradually, and as best as he understood, they wouldn’t hurt or kill him. He would likely have died in a few weeks anyway but such was moot as he had an entire new life waiting for him at the end of the procedure. For him, it was worth the risk!

The steady popping of his toes getting longer drew his attention downward, and Alex was compelled to try flexing them. It was difficult to move them in their hybrid state, though their steady growth had pushed them almost double their former length. By this point, his smallest toes were little more than lumps on the sides of his feet, and soon to shrink even further into nothing. And the steady itching of skin splitting for bright yellow scales was slowing down as they made up his new covering. It was bizarre their formation was largely missed, though understandable over the constant itching of his feathers developing. As the digits continued to shrink and extend, their yellow coloring became rather brilliant, something he took an odd sense of pride in. 

As much as the process reduced the otherwise agonizing pain, there was little Alex could do as his nails started to expand, becoming ingrown within the tips of each remaining toe. While it was bloodless, it still ached like hell to have newly formed pointed talons pushed forward against the skin around them. Alex reflexively clenched them a few times, digging them into the earthen floor of the barn. It was a rather impressive display of strength, something he was sure would come in handy in his new life. It also went to show the level of articulation each toe was granted, utilizing the same number of bones as his humanity. It was amazing how the skeletal structures were so similar across so many animals, yet repurposed from a common ancestry. Part of him wished he’d had more time to study his eventual structure, though it mattered little in the end, he figured.

With his ever-shrinking body, Alex was a little surprised at how thin his toes were becoming, leaving little of his foot to touch the ground. It was all he had to remain standing, though, with his current changes, Alex would never be able to sit down in the way he was accustomed to. Trying to balance himself made him well aware of the restrictions to his shoulders, forcing them forward and leaving him mourning their lack of human mobility. He didn’t want to fall over, though as his chest barreled outward, Alex felt his proportions stabilizing somewhat, at least enough to prevent him from keeling over. The change in stance left him aware of his altered perspective as well, close to half his former size as the two humans in the room towered over him. The barn was massive as well, that dizzying sensation returning in spades as he rotated his neck around. Focusing on his growing plumage helped a little, though as the barbs continued to blossom outward, he became frighteningly aware of how little skin remained. All the better for proper flight, though a rather stark reminder of how much he had changed…

An ache over his nose caused him to try to reach up and rub at it, at least thankful he still had the ability to. The skin was firmer, more solid than he was expecting. Alex was sure it was forming the beginnings of his beak, his nostrils moving to take their place within it. For now, his lips seemed normal enough, but he knew any moment they, too, would alter as part of his beak. Such was a little daunting, reminding him he was about to pass the halfway point of the process. But it was all part of the change and once the initial discomfort was over, Alex would be able to find some normalcy in the new state of his body. 

For now, the changes seemed fixated on his feet, and Alex was left to wince from the discomfort as his large toes started to pull back along the heel. They were rather long and ungainly already, though he was unable to move them in their moment of change. He could hear the bone and tendons within cracking and popping, a rather alarming sensation as his heels extended and his bone structure continued to adjust. It was all Alex could do to clench his remaining toes into the ground, trying to balance himself so as not to fall over. He was not expecting his toes to be forced out at a 90-degree angle, leaving disjointed talons to sit limply and Alex to wonder if perhaps something had gone wrong. It wasn’t until the digits continued to rotate backward that the shape became more obvious, their destination meant to stick directly out behind his heel. As small and as thin as the bones within his talons had become, Alex was once more aware of the power within, something that was a point of pride. While it was nothing compared to the human he had been, he was large by eagle standards. As the bones within pushed him upward somewhat, solidifying his stance, Alex was able to find some comfort in their purpose. They were far more effective than his human feet, after all, for perching and catching his prey. Something he was sure would be a significant facet of his new life going forward.

It wasn’t long after he’d played with his new talons that his anus started to tingle fiercely, making him wish to reach down and touch it. He couldn’t quite work his shoulders to do so, but that was only to be an inconvenience for a few more moments. He could almost perceive that his orifice was widening in comparison to the rest of his body, not quite willing to adjust himself to regard it in his reflection. With a bizarre gurgling within his intestines, Alex was sure it might be rotating forward for its new position on his humanity. Still, the tingling was a little concerning, at least until he experienced its eventual outcome. 

It was soon to get somewhat worse as a surge of blood flowed into his member, bringing him to a rather modest if not embarrassing erection. His shame must have been obvious on his features, his caretakers reassuring him that such was normal for this part of the change. In honesty, Alex couldn’t imagine anything about the change that was inherently arousing and was not in a position to touch himself. The novelty was not entirely lost on him, given he would never be able to do so again. But if he was being honest with himself, it had been many months since he’d even considered using his genitals for self-pleasure, and the loss of his human cock was hardly something he was inclined to miss. Still, with how long it was since he’d felt this kind of pleasure, it was all he had not to touch himself. Not for the embarrassment, though that was a prominent deterrent. Rather, there was little point in resisting the indulgence one last time in such circumstances. 

What he was not expecting was for the decision to be quite literally taken from his hands. A pulsating pressure in his loins left him to call out in a voice that was not his own, though there was no time to reflect on such. With a throbbing pleasure, Alex felt his testicles pump his load through his cock, and a sizable quantity of ejaculate escaped his cock head. Such was rather pleasant, even in the circumstances, and Alex felt his eyes flutter from the release. How long it had been since he’d experienced such was beyond his grasp. There was more than a small part of him that figured it was worthwhile to indulge. Not that he had a choice in the matter, his human sperm was destined to be expelled before the changes concluded. 

His erection was still sensitive, though its length was steadily waning, and Alex found himself fine with its loss. Rather, the swelling of his anus and the expansion of his piss head were of more interest. Alex had no idea what level of pleasure an animal felt from such sexual endeavors. But he held a curiosity to experience it firsthand, given he would have such sexual attributes for the rest of his life. Strangest still was the phantom hand reaching to grasp his testicles, pulling them inward as they shrank somewhat, even in relation to his smaller body. Knowing he was not to become female, Alex fought through the changes, figuring his testicles would need to sit within his insides as part of his avian physiology. Still, it was powerfully uncomfortable, Alex doing his best to resist touching it as his ballsack retreated into his bare flesh. All that remained was a singular hole, one that was steadily beginning to widen as his anus inched ever closer. 

While he couldn’t be sure, it seemed both his rectum and former sex were moving to meet each other, both holes quivering as they altered. No experience had ever matched the sensation of both his lower openings shifting, working their way closer together along with his insides. He was sure his guts were gurgling, though no severe harm came to him when he figured such would have killed him. It didn’t make the process any better, given that his intestines were shifting to coil around his sex, preparing to work from a singular vent. A cloaca, as much as Alex understood as the two openings finally touched with a bizarre tingling. Like two bubbles connecting over water, he could feel the holes linking, his insides leaking from various unknown fluids. Alex could barely suppress a whimper, the sensation more than he could bear. 

Before he had the inclination to stop himself, Alex felt his hand moving down to touch it, the foreign sensation almost too much for him to process. The sensitivity of his opening was like nothing he had ever experienced, some fusion of his pucker and cock head. And with the pleasure from such a simple touch, Alex was compelled to reach even lower, forcing his hand inside. It was difficult for him to reach with his shoulders hunched as they were. But he managed, feeling his fingers working their way inside. The texture was like nothing he had ever known, a curious sensation that left him rubbing frantically. The more he did so, the greater the pressure within his loins grew, and even if Alex could bring himself to stop, he was far too gone to resist. His body was being overcome not only by arousal but by the novelty of the situation, something no human had ever experienced. The fact he was being watched was hardly a deterrent, any notions of modesty no longer applicable for the bird he was becoming. 

Even though the lust drifted over his mind, his focus seemed to shift somewhere, as though seeking any source to extend his pleasure. It had been some time since he’d been with a woman or even partook in any pornographic material, and such a source was hard for him to muster. Yet, the more his focus shifted, the greater an image seemed to creep into his mind, one from recent memory. All the time he’d spent with the eagle, in her cage, feeding her, and best of all, sitting with her in his final moments of humanity. A desire persisted to be with her, and part of him was sad she wasn’t here for his change. He wanted, more than anything, to see her, perhaps be with her in a way that he didn’t fully understand but couldn’t deny the truth of…

Another cry, this time even more inhuman escaped his lips as his entire body went stiff. It seemed such would be too much his changing frame, that there was a chance he might break his very bones. Yet, the end result was a warm dampness coating his hand, and he pulled it out slowly, the smell of semen hitting his nose and bringing a modicum of shame. He wanted to rub it off, though there was no place to do so. Trying to work his arm over to the bench, he was a little surprised to see Andrea approaching with a tissue, something he gratefully accepted as she cleaned the cum from his hand. It seemed she might have offered to clean his underside as well, but even with all the nursing care he had received, Alex felt too proud to allow it. It would matter little, he figured as his body continued to shift and his avian anatomy took care of such functions. 

While he could still detect the scent of his cum since it had been so close to his nose, Alex was slowly becoming aware his sense of smell was muted. Even the odors of the barn had faded from him, though in the grand scheme of things, he found it didn’t really matter. By now, his nose had largely flattened, the cartilage fading as his nostrils were left to move toward his upper lips. Playing his tongue over them, Alex was met with a curiously firm sensation. He figured his beak might be forming within his mouth rather than from his lips, leaving them to fade with his new form. He was also privy to feeling his teeth under his tongue, finding them much smaller than they had been. Thankfully, they weren’t going to fall out, the fulfillment of almost everyone’s nightmares. But it was a little alarming to be losing them at a rather steady pace as they faded into his gumline. Even if he wasn’t going to need them in his life going forward, it was one of several differences in his anatomy that he hadn’t really contemplated before losing them forever. But he was still steadily changing and would have the rest of his life to come to terms with such drastic differences. 

Regarding his face in the mirror, Alex took the time to really draw a mental image of his humanity before he lost it forever. His ears were much smaller now, though perhaps the canals themselves were larger in relation to his face. The itching around his face had intensified, and it was obvious it was to become covered with the beginnings of shorter brown feathers. While the shape of his skull hadn’t altered too much, it was still smaller even compared with his diminishing body. With his more flexible neck, Alex was able to turn it all the way around without needing to move his body. While he could stand on his fully formed talons now, it was very likely he couldn’t move around easily, and was thankful for the ability to see behind him. 

Rubbing his face slowly for what he figured was the last time, a sudden stiffness in his fingers left him sure of their fate. Stanger still was the sensation of the skin knitting together, making it nearly impossible for him to separate them. As much as he knew it was inevitable, it was still impossible for him to hide the look of fear on his features. All he could do was lower both hands in tandem to gaze solemnly at them, waiting for their inevitable alteration.

The merger seemed not only to be happening on the surface but underneath as well if the slight aches within were any indication. His thumbs were spared, for better or for worse as the rest of the finger bones merged and extended just slightly. The skin continued to run together like wax, its color lighter pink and leaving the lumps of his fingertips to sit unevenly at the ends. His nails, his fingerprints, and even the sensation of touch were steadily being robbed from him forever. It took him all he had to resist the urge to flex them, ignoring the phantom sensations that were no longer part of his anatomy. It was terrifying to have his hands in such a limited state, devoid of feathers as the skin began to thin and turn baggy, almost akin to wearing sleeves. He wanted to wave them, though a couple of uncomfortable cracks within his chest and shoulders made him sure the motions were restricted beyond his desire to try. 

With that, a cry of panic escaped his lips, Alex feeling too scared to resist the urge to try to vocalize. Yet, the sound that escaped his lips was more frightening than even the loss of his hands. It was hardly human, more like the birds he had heard calling out in their cages. He wanted more than anything to reach over his mouth and hide the shame of his lost voice. Yet, looking out at his caregivers, only kind eyes greeted him, understanding he was struggling and willing to aid his acclimation to the process. All things considered, he was doing rather well, beyond the halfway point and moving closer and closer to the end of the transformation. 

Calming himself, Alex allowed himself awareness of the ongoing process, in particular the gradual shrinking that was a sign he was close to his eventual size. The walls were much higher around him, and he had to arch his gaze upward to see the room in full. A part of him was thankful for as gradual as it was, not being brought down to this new level all in one go. Seeing former humans towering over him was intimidating, though largely that was due to his place on the floor. Even without the changes being complete, it was obvious his body was not meant to be down on the ground where he would be inherently vulnerable. Hopefully, it won’t be the case for long!

By now, the intense prickling over his former hands had come to a head, and Alex was sure he was soon to possess the flight feathers that would be an integral part of his life going forward. While new massive feathers poked through the skin of his former hands, it seemed that the baggy skin of smaller arms was meant to possess three layers, each taking their place interlocking down their length. With some effort, Alex discovered the skin at their bases was able to twitch, allowing his growing plumage to move just slightly. It was more than a little intimidating to think of all the micro-adjustments he would need to make to fly properly, though that was neither here nor there for now. As his flattened arms continued to adjust, Alex was somewhat aware the length of the bones within were shifting, the humerus shorter as his radius and ulna thinned toward the remnants of his hands. To his surprise, a single finger remained, what had become of his thumb hitched upward from his wing. Perhaps in an eagle’s ancestors, it was meant to possess a claw, though it remained largely vestigial for his current form. 

As hard as his gums had already become, it was a prelude for what was to come, and Alex looked in the mirror, eager and terrified in equal measure. The new growth was gradually pushing back his lips, and it seemed they would no longer be needed for his body. It was bizarre to feel the growth sitting just within his lips as the firm keratin pushed outward to create the base of his beak. While the process was gradual, if Alex crossed his eyes he could see the swelling of keratin developing in real-time, deep orange with a pointed tip. With some effort, Alex was able to open it all the way, finding that his jaw had unhinged somewhat as well. The weight of it on his face felt a little too much, and all he could do was stare in the mirror as it slowly expanded, curving into a sharpened point. His tongue, too, thinned within his mouth, losing the fat and purpose of its human equivalent. With some surprise, he found it was unable to push out of his mouth any longer. Yet, it was a drop in the bucket to what was happening to him, and Alex let himself gaze in the mirror, wanting for the changes to take the last of his human visage. 

By now, his head was largely covered with feathers, though the primate shape of it was bizarre against the backdrop of his avian body. A series of sharp cracks started to resonate through his skull, difficult to see reshaping under his gaze. However, he could feel the changes, especially around his eyes. The compression was almost too much, and it took Alex a few moments to realize it wasn’t his skull shrinking but his eyes that were expanding too large in their sockets. Concerned, Alex shifted a panicked gaze toward Andrea before the ache became too much and he had to shut his eyes. Thankfully, the pressure started to ebb as he felt the sockets expanding, allowing more room for his changing orbs. A part of him was reluctant to open them, at least until the discomfort had abated. And he had to admit, there was a part of him worried about how different it would look to eagle eyes. 

But there was no use putting it off, and he was curious to see his new reflection regardless. Opening his eyes, a headache resonated through him, as though the contours of the world were dialed up too strongly for him to handle. Everything had such perfect clarity that it was almost impossible for a human mind to comprehend. The colors as he knew them were all present, though more vibrant than he could have hoped for. Even things in the corner of the room were made known to him with perfect clarity, a strange flicking over his eyelids responsible for his ability to better focus. While he was slow to realize it, it seemed extra lids had formed, and with some effort, he could open and close each, though their action was largely automatic. However, it was the sight of his golden eyes in the mirror that truly scared him. They were so starkly inhuman that he was taken aback, almost stumbling over himself as he took in his visage. Yet, there was no denying how familiar it seemed to be as well. The more he stared at it, the more comfortable he became with the reflection, knowing it would be his for life and finding it rather beautiful. 

By this point, so little of his humanity remained that the changes might as well have been finished. Little visible of his ears remained, save the tiny canals that would enhance his hearing. To his delight, the sounds from the sanctuary and the woods beyond were made known to him, likely a combination of his off-centered canals and his feather’s curvature designed to draw sounds toward them. And while his skull was still somewhat misshapen, it was gradually altering, compressing his brain, even though eagles were relatively intelligent as apex predators. As hard as it was for him to believe an eagle’s mind could contain all his human thoughts, life experiences, and who he was as a person, nothing fundamental seemed to have altered as the changes began to die down. For better or for worse, he was himself in mind, though nearly fully an eagle in his body. 

Yet, as the tingling within his body started to cease, the itching and compressing, and the odd aches and pains alleviated, Alex was left alone in his thoughts. Nothing about his body felt right or natural, and an attempt to move left him flapping his wings in a flurry, barely getting anywhere. Trying to take a step forward left him nearly falling over, and he had no idea how to properly flex his wings in order to attempt balance. A part of him might have wished for the instincts of the eagle he had become, the memories of being such all his life. He didn’t want to lose himself, as good as being dead and no better than expiring in his human body. But at least some assistance in guiding his new body would certainly have been appreciated!

It took him a few moments to calm down, but eventually, he was able to allow his caretakers to bring him to the aviary, where he would live for the next few weeks, possibly months. As much as Alex desired to leave, the reality of his situation was not lost on him. Barely able to walk, the power of flight seemed like an eternity away. And he was nervous about being in the presence of the female, who had been an eagle for much longer. She could easily jump from branch to branch, to flutter and flap her way within the enclosed space. But he knew that true flight was well beyond her abilities, especially since her wings were just now recovering from her earlier attempts. How could he be so confident to think he would find the challenge easy?

Of course, there were certain things he needed to allow for him to be part of the sanctuary’s patients. He had helped chip and ring many avian clients, and his caretakers were thankful he allowed them to do so without incident. Officially, his story was that he was brought here from someone’s backyard after days of observation. They didn’t want to injure him or make it look as though he was injured, after all, so he was listed as a special case under Andrea’s care. Perhaps a young male having left the nest and one who would be deceased otherwise, though he was already too old for that. Still, much to his chagrin, he would have to undergo a variety of procedures, some invasive, as much as any patient needing tests for parasites or other causes for his lack of flight. But such was the cost of his new life, and he would at least be able to live here and practice until the day he finally felt able to be rehabilitated. 

With that finished, Alex was privy to a variety of other annoyances, things more permanent for his new form and life. Human instincts were useless for operating an avian body, and even tasks like hopping from branch to branch were viewed as impossible. More often than not, he fell to the ground, wishing to all heaven he did not critically injure himself before he was able to fly. Thankfully his caretakers were often on hand to help him back up, Alex left to sit there on his branch with little to do and annoyed at his inability to even operate his body. Falling down was daunting, though at least by the end of the day he was at least able to learn to right himself. It was a small victory, though in the grand scheme of things, he was willing to consider it a win. 

Having a new body came with new dietary needs as well, ones that disgusted Alex at first. Nothing could have prepared him for the reality that his meals from now on would be raw meat and fish. He knew from experience such would be the case, but it was another thing when the food was presented to him, the prospect making him wish to vomit. Thankfully, such was not an ability his new body possessed, though it was little consolation. Before now, Alex might have hoped his instincts might make such food more palatable, yet without them, he was left to sit there, revolted by the prospect. As an eagle, fish would be a large part of his diet, his eyes designed to see them through the gleam of the water. As part of his rehabilitation, Andrea took him through a course on all the foods he could eat, some more palatable than others. Alex was sure he wouldn’t mind killing and eating fish, but some mammals that his new species hunted felt a little imposing. Not to mention the garbage and carrion that his species was inclined to take advantage of!

As much as the prospect was daunting, Andrea still insisted he be given meals like any other member of the sanctuary, in the form of chunks of raw fish that she sat out for him. Thankful she didn’t insist on staying there until he finished, Alex was left alone with a meal he couldn’t force himself to stomach. Thankfully, it didn’t stink to his limited senses, though the sight of the raw fish parts didn’t make the prospect any easier. It took hours before hunger won out, and he was prompted to reach down with his beak, grasping the fish with his talons and pulling up a chunk he forced himself to swallow whole. Thankfully, his strong beak was up to the task, and his tongue was able to push his food to the back of his throat. Mercifully, he didn’t choke, barely aware of possessing a glottis to allow added airflow when his esophagus was compromised. 

Still, his physiological adaptations were little reprieve with what he needed to eat as part of an eagle’s diet. Consuming a fish’s head, brains, and skeleton was disgusting, and part of him was worried it would make him sick from sitting out as it did. Thankfully, the taste wasn’t as repugnant as much as he might have assumed. He was thankful that birds didn’t have the level of taste buds that humans did. After the first few feedings, Alex found he was at least able to get over the taste and texture of what would be his meals for the rest of his life. Eating felt more akin to necessity rather than a luxury as was part of his humanity. It was difficult to acclimate to, though he figured with all the distractions to come, he would find it a minor inconvenience. 

Much to his surprise, Alex found he was fed far more frequently than he was expecting. Andrea imparted that he would need to eat up to a third of his body weight at a time, which went well beyond anything his human self had done. It was a fact he had to acclimate to sooner rather than later, as hungry as he was becoming. It would be a drop in the bucket for what he would need to eat beyond the sanctuary, especially with all the energy required for flight. To his surprise, he wasn’t really given much in the way of water, though he hardly felt compelled to drink. Alex had to figure he was getting most of it from his raw food but was thankful for the water to give him a sense of normality. Gradually getting used to eating, Andrea started increasing the amount for his meals, and Alex was surprised to discover a part of his throat became somewhat distended, as though it was all settling within. It was irritating, and eventually, Alex felt compelled to open his beak and force a swallow, finally alleviating that irritation. Eventually, the food moved into his stomach, and his hunger finally subsided, making him worried he might have eaten too much.  

With his eagle’s digestive system, Alex was able to dissolve much of a whole animal’s body, his acidic fluids more potent than any mammal. Yet, no matter how Andrea tried to prepare him for it, there was nothing in human experience that could compare to the need to expectorate one morning. As best he could tell, something within his throat was giving him intense irritation, what his studies made him assume was a gizzard. Against his human inclinations, Alex was compelled to force it up, not wanting to choke and worried he was dying. Hacking frantically, he eventually expelled what looked like a disgusting gray pellet. The process was highly uncomfortable, though not as bad as having to relieve himself from his cloaca. Of course, he did not have the privacy to do so, and even the female, having been human, did not ignore the urge to excrete. Thankfully his sense of smell was not as acute as a human’s, and his waste didn’t bother him, generally comprised of a paste with varying levels of fluidity depending on what he needed to relieve. At least he had some control over the functions, though, in the spirit of things, he figured there was little reason to hold back. 

Eating aside, there were other things about being a bird that, while hard to adapt to, were far more welcome. His senses, for one, were greatly enhanced save for his smell, something he was thankful for in lieu of his diet. Sight went well beyond the acuity that he could have expected, and it was difficult for him to really make sense of things at first. Distant sights seemed close up, and being in confined spaces gave him a semblance of a headache. The advantages were obvious, especially as he looked out the windows and doors, aware of things that were functionally miles away. It gave him more motivation for eventual flight, figuring he could easily see through grass, woods, and water. Colors were so much more vibrant, and while it took him some time to get used to the multi-layered eyelids he possessed, Alex was quick to determine their usefulness in certain scenarios. 

Thankfully, the time to truly fly would come sooner than he hoped. Andrea had a strict regimen for him to follow, and activities he had to do to get used to his body. Leaping from branch to branch, stretching his wings, and working his muscles each day was common practice, and with some effort, even Alex could see the improvements. Eventually, when it was time, Andrea encouraged him to try jumping to higher perches, practicing drawing air under his wings and raising upward before landing. Naturally, there were more than a few falls, though nothing serious that prevented his continued practice. Thankfully, his anatomy was meant for it, and using his body as felt natural allowed him to get the hang of short flights. There was nothing better than repeat action to ingrain the motions to muscle memory, and it was quickly evident that what he thought could take months was taking weeks instead. Each success prompted Alex to try harder, and soon, he was making short controlled flights outside the sanctuary. Eventually, he was doing so several times a day, working to improve both the duration and the height of his flights. 

While short flights were something he took to, the idea of hunting was something much more daunting. As much as he didn’t think he would be comfortable in the air for hours at a time, it was something he was steadily getting used to. Yet, Andrea insisted he would need to master hunting before he could safely leave the sanctuary. Alex didn’t deny that, as eager as he was to leave the monotony of his current circumstances. Thankfully, Andrea had some experience in coming up with a suitable program for testing his abilities. Using dummy rabbits, she was able to move a target along a track at a speed akin to what he might encounter from a prey item. Thinking it would be easy, Alex was disappointed at how far off he was, and how his many misses left him to stumble and nearly injure himself as he got up to try again. Such was almost enough for him to give up, especially since he was being fed his own meals every day. But with the importance of self-sufficiency on the line, he was determined to make the best of it, ignoring his failures and cherishing his successes, as limited as they were at first. 

One of his other duties was to educate himself on as much about eagle life as he could, through videos and text, and any other material Andrea could obtain for him. Thankfully, there was a wealth of information for his new species, everything from flight patterns to hunting techniques to courtship and mating. Some of it seemed a little redundant, Alex was not sure he was able to imagine himself in such situations. Mating with an eagle was particularly daunting, not something he could see himself doing. But without instincts to guide him, Alex figured it was in his best interest to work as hard as he could memorize everything presented to him. It was a rather busy regiment, and although it was jarring alongside everything Alex had to contend with in a new body, there was no denying his determination. Having gone straight from having no future to being given one of hope and promise was a chance he would not squander, after all!

As worried as Alex was about his progress, Andrea was often inclined to compliment him for moving up her timetable significantly. He had been determined, spending more time learning to fly and hunt than she had recommended. While it might have been taking a physical toll, Andrea and the team were there to make sure he was not overdoing it. After what had happened with their first patient, she didn’t think it would do Alex any good if he injured himself and had to extend his stay for extra months. While Alex was in agreement, he did his best, and even after multiple failed hunting attempts, Andrea congratulated him. After all, such a record was better than most observations about eagles in the wild, and as frustrated as Alex was, he allowed himself the pride of getting to this point without the benefit of instincts. 

It was soon after that when Andrea approached him to tell him it was time, and she was willing to authorize his release if Alex felt himself ready. As sudden as the opportunity was, Alex was inclined to nod yes, knowing she was taking significant time from her day for his training. Besides, the avary was rather cramped, and he was getting restless, loving the feeling of the wind under his wings and wanting to fly beyond the confines of the sanctuary. It was a daunting prospect, there was no denying, especially as he would need to be taken some distance from the sanctuary, given their overabundance of raptors in the area. Yet, it had to come for him sooner and later, and for better or for worse, Alex felt he was ready.

Eventually, he was transported to a nature reserve located outside the city, one that he was not familiar with but one he was assured would be close enough to all the habitat requirements the new species would require. It was bittersweet, of course, knowing it would be the last time he would see Andrea. He wanted to thank her for all her help, for literally saving his life and helping him forge a new one. He was sure flying away and living his life to the fullest was the best he could do to pay her back and was determined to use his second chance to the fullest of his ability. 

Of all the things he was not expecting, it was the presence of the female who had asked to come with them of her own accord. Andrea was happy to report her wing had recovered, and through her own training, she decided she would be ready to give the wilds a try as well. The fact she was here to join him was likely not a coincidence, something that excited and nerved Alex in equal measure. All through his training, she had stayed away from him, as though allowing him room to get used to his body first. And he had to admit, the fact she was larger than him was a little intimidating, if not normal for their new species. But there was no denying his anticipation in thinking she wanted to be released with him. He couldn’t ask her, of course, as much as he wished to. All he could do as she took to wing and left their caretakers behind was to follow her, and hope she was amicable to his presence. As he took off, Alex spared a cursory glance at Andrea, and could only assume she was glad he was able to meet the next stage of his life through her help. 

As much as he had learned about the day-to-day life of an eagle, being allowed to enter it blindly was a little daunting. While he was sure that she didn’t have any more experience than he did, Alex was still inclined to follow the female. Much to his relief, she didn’t seem to mind as much, even seeming happy about it as best he could tell. It was hard for his brain to interpret what their calls to each other meant, but she was making sure he was following, at least. Given the distance they could easily view, such didn’t require physical proximity, but having her in his line of sight was nonetheless comforting. 

Eventually, they had flown several kilometers from their site of release, and the pair came upon a large lake, surrounded by a forest of trees. Many were more than sufficient to hold them, and with that, the female descended, easily landing on an outstretched branch. Alex felt to follow, doing his best with limited experience. Yet, the particular day was rather windy, and while parts of his mind were able to reflexively adjust, his overall target was misjudged. Spinning past it, it was all Alex had to prevent himself from spiraling into the water, much to a rather panicked cry from the female. With some struggle, Alex was able to gain air, and as embarrassing as it had been, Alex attempted to land once more. Successfully, he landed on an under-hanging branch, finally able to leap up and stand beside her.

A cry of elation escaped her beak at his presence, and Alex did his best to replicate it. Naturally, his vocal cords had their own range, but they each had little ability to translate it in a way to made sense to their human minds. Alex felt himself disheartened that they couldn’t speak to each other, that they had to struggle to be understood. Yet, as she moved toward him, bodies touching, Alex was quickly reminded they had never been able to speak in the entire time he had known her. It would take some time to equate sounds and visual cues to wants and desires, but come hell or high water, he was determined to learn. Above all, he desired to stay with her. Both of them were new to this life and figured they needed each other, more than just to stave off inevitable loneliness. 

Several weeks into their freedom, the changing of the seasons was already evident. It was heading into fall, and many of the trees were losing their leaves. Such created a kaleidoscope of beauty the likes of which Alex couldn’t have imagined. Not only was its splendor beyond compare, but Alex was also able to view it from above, truly taking in the vast scope of what the world had to offer. And even with the onset of fall, shorter days, cooler temperatures, and limited food, Alex was not concerned. Eagles managed each year through harsh conditions, and even if they weren’t experienced in their current bodies, such was inevitable regardless. 

While it took some time to get used to hunting on their own, the two eagles managed it, even able to make up for the other’s failures. Fish was their preferred food source, and there was plenty within the lake to satiate them both. Unfortunately, they had to stick to shallow water to catch fish, and that often entailed sitting on a perch for hours at a time, waiting for prey to move within their limited range. Still, with the size of their prey, one or two was usually enough to provide for them. As unpalatable as it was for them at first, they were often forced to take other prey items, animals with more intelligence like waterfowl. It was more of a trying task, their avian forms less maneuverable than those of their prey. Such required them to use the element of surprise, to attack from under sunlight or to suddenly descend from a nearby perch. Such was one of the advantages of human intelligence, the ability to outsmart other birds and provide sufficient food to leave them full and healthy. 

Fall soon turned to winter, with less food for them to hunt. By this point, they had taken a roost together, something that was commonplace for mated pairs. They had found the perfect spot in the crevice of a hillside, with plenty of room for the two of them and out of reach of the elements. The closeness was welcome, though not something Alex wanted to jump to conclusions about. Even if they were the only humans-turned-eagles in the world, Alex didn’t want to make assumptions about what life with her would bring. Still, the more time they spent together, the less Alex could imagine life without her. 

Though he could never ask her, it seemed the female felt the same way, and they often acted as he understood a mated pair would. Preening each other, standing side by side, and sharing food were all commonplace. While there was little else in the way to show companionship for eagles, Alex felt, for him, that what they had was sufficient. What that meant for his future was unknown, even though it might have been obvious to naturally-born eagles. Then again, he was an eagle now, and regardless of what he thought about the repercussions of their actions, he understood it was simply part of his new life and would make the best of it. 

It seemed impossible they had been birds for several months by the time spring arrived. Still, it was becoming harder and harder for Alex to recall his daily routine as a human. Things were never boring in his new life, often even more dynamic, even for periods when survival took priority. And in many ways, there was some solace in it, Alex more fascinated by his new view of the world rather than lamenting all he had lost. He would surely have been dead before now with his cancer, and every new day carried its own delights, even when they struggled. Their territory was vast by human standards and carried within it a myriad of living ecosystems even beyond what their eagle lives encountered.

As spring approached, however, Alex felt a choice coming with it, one that had been weighing on his mind for some months. He wasn’t sure she would feel the same way, and could never ask. But it was the way of his species to procreate, and without the burdens that came with human birth, there was no reason not to give back as his species was inclined to do. And if he was being honest with himself, he did have feelings for her that went beyond the pair bonding that eagles enjoyed. Wait, did he? Who was he to make assumptions about the feelings animals shared with each other? It was something he could never know, but it didn’t matter in the end. All that mattered was what he wanted with his potential mate, and in working to court her as eagles did, he would have his answer. 

Recalling what he could of the aerial courtship rituals, Alex did his best to give it a try, showing off his flying skills. She watched, seemingly fascinated as he did so, though once more, he wished they could speak in human words. It seemed to be getting the message across as she came out to greet him, each doing their best to replicate what they had learned from their studies. Though likely awkward, it was at least a passable display as they soared, danced, and called to each other. While their cries were not quite those of their naturally born avian brethren, something akin to his cry of, “krau-krau-krau-uik-ik-ik” was answered with her lower-pitched, “ra-rack-rack-rack-rack”. Even if it wasn’t obvious what they were saying, the sentiment was shared, and the two of them flew together, weaving and ducking around each other like practiced aerial acrobats. At one point, their talons touched, and the pair locked them together, almost falling from the awkward contact. Yeah, they maintained their grip as they descended, only to break the lock above the water and raise themselves to a more natural height. 

Even knowing it was a courtship flight, Alex was a little shocked when later that evening, he could feel a strange build-up in his loins, something he had not experienced since that first day of change. In truth, the experience was embarrassing, though he was quick to discover he was not the only one who felt that way. Rubbing against him all the while, she soon moved in front of him, taking a strange stance that he quickly assumed was a mating posture. If he wasn’t already certain, the twitching in her backside was reminiscent of what he was doing as well, a sign she was in need. And wanted him, specifically, to help…

Hesitating for a moment, Alex knew there was no going back from their actions. Yet, like the bird he had become, there was no reason not to act on desires or the heat of the moment. His cloaca was demanding attention, and eventually, he hopped on, worried she would not be able to take his weight. The position felt natural, though his efforts to lower his cloaca were in vain as he rubbed around it, feeling some frustration. While they had both watched eagle mating videos, performing the act was something much different. Lifting his wings several times for balance, it was almost a miracle when his cloaca rubbed against something moist and leaking like his own. It was time. 

Rubbing frantically, Alex felt a strange pleasure building through his body, rather rapidly and far removed even from what he was accustomed to from his previous masturbation. While the physical pleasure was muted somewhat, it was surpassed by a budding sensation of purpose, one that urged his rapid actions. Continuous flapping of his wings caused him to reflexively call out, and the female stayed still and steady for him. His female, Alex was starting to realize. 

While the mating act seemed to carry on longer than he might have expected, in reality, it was only seconds from their cloaca connecting for him to rub them into orgasm.

With her tail pushed to the side, the persistent contact between their orifices was exactly the thing to quell the persistent itch in his sex. Much too rapidly, an intense quivering overcame his cloaca, and Alex was somewhat aware that a small amount of semen had been ejected, likely entering his receptive mate. Feeling her own cloaca quiver and a thrust from her backside, Alex stayed quiet for a moment, his body not providing much of an orgasmic afterglow. Still, he was stunned, having performed the act successfully, and in some ways, cemented their bonds as mates. In human terms, they had taken the next step and there were repercussions to consider. Yet, from an avian perspective…they had simply mated hadn’t they? Such happened between mated pairs, and there was little to think beyond the urges of his body and the actions of his species.

To his surprise, not twenty minutes later the female was presenting again, and this time Alex did not hesitate. His body was not as fatigued from the mating as he might have assumed, and from what he recalled from his studies, such rapid copulation was common for eagles. So Alex was determined to enjoy it, more aware of the sensations before the pair finished once more. And it continued, five more times before exhaustion came for them. This time, nuzzling his mate to sleep, Alex felt a very human companionship between the pair, something that was largely unnecessary for their new lives. Yet, such romance was welcome, a tie to their humanity and something to be cherished within their unique circumstances.

Soon, their desire for courtship was finished, and as much as the human side of him might have worried about that, Alex had much more pressing concerns. There was a part of him embarrassed that he had needed to learn so much specific detail about eagle reproduction. But in hindsight, such was thankful. Now that his mate was no longer in heat, he had to be sure she would lay soon, and he would need to provide for the two of them. As best he could, Alex brought back full prey items for her to eat, something she seemed to appreciate. She did not go out with him, and that was for the best, given her pregnancy. Already, he could tell her lower body was distended, and that she would lay any day. 

Much to his disappointment, Alex was not able to be there for the actual event. He figured his mate might have preferred that not wanting to be seen in such a compromising position. Still, he was a little shocked to return one day from hunting to find their nest contained three large eggs and a very tired mother. Filled with a surprising amount of elation over his brood, Alex rubbed against her affectionately, hearing a cooing from her beak in a sign of companionship. Of all the things he figured he might do with his life, Alex had not expected to become a father. But now that the moment was here, he couldn’t help but be overcome with a combination of excitement of terror. Likely something every father had to contend with, though more so without a set of instincts to guide him!

While his mate was largely in charge of incubating the eggs, the two of them took turns, Alex unsure if it was a natural occurrence or if the pair was doing something unique with their circumstances. He didn’t mind it, feeling nervous about crushing one but somewhat happy for the reprieve. It was a different sort of day when he was left to the nest, something that gave him more time to contemplate his new life. It had been a few months by now since he’d been human, but time seemed to matter little, save for the changing of the seasons and the desire to mate and procreate at certain stages. As much as he figured he would be bored, or perhaps despair for his old life, Alex could find no fault with his current circumstances. 

Of course, incubation soon came with the inevitable hatching. Things did not go as planned, however, much as was the way of nature. One of their eggs, while hatched, died soon after, even under Alex’s best efforts. The pair were sad, perhaps more so than eagles in the wild might have been. There was little time for lament, however, as their two surviving chicks required much of their attention. They were insatiable, and it was all Alex had to make sure to hunt enough to feed his brood. As much as he recalled from his studies, it was primarily his job to provide them food while his partner broke it into smaller pieces that the chicks could handle. It was a tedious task, but one that kept them rather busy. Both parents noticed some level of weight loss from their efforts, though it all came as part of the job of being a parent. Their chicks needed to be fed upward of 11 times a day, and barely slept, though, to their delight, were growing rapidly as the months went by.

And so it happened that after several months of raising their young, the time was soon coming to let them go. While the pair were fatigued, there was something bittersweet about allowing them to leave into the wild to fend for themselves. Even though they were still being fed by their parents, each was trying to leave the nest of their own accord, as though determined to kill themselves. As much as it pained him, Alex knew he needed to let nature take its course, and curiosity was part of their development. Each time they fell and were able to flap their way back up, Alex felt a swelling of pride for their success. It was akin to his own struggles of learning to fly, even without the benefit of avian instincts.  Soon, as they achieved their ability to fly, Alex knew he and his mate would be there to teach them to hunt, having the benefits of their own learning and human relatability to make things work. 

With all the busyness of being a new parent, Alex had little time to reflect on his past, the events that brought him here, and all that he missed from his humanity. Yet, the truth was none of that even mattered. This was his life now, and if he was being honest with himself, it was as rich and as fulfilling as anything his humanity might have provided. More so, given his eagle body was vibrant and healthy and able to experience so much more of the world than his sickly humanity had been. There was a true freedom of flight, and in some ways, even some missing facets of his human life had been found as an eagle. Purpose, a loving mate, offspring…and the certainty he would be with his love for life, raising several broods, or simply living in the now. For a man who once had no future to look forward to, nothing he could imagine could be more fulfilling than all eagle life had to offer…