Ink wrote:See... I dislike the idea of self transformation entirely. Somehow it seems that contorting myself would be unpleasant - hence I am human in mentality and construct (but as an anthropologist well aware of its founding, thanks much).
If I had to find something it'd probably be the extinct Short-Faced Bear, also known as Arctodus. Note: It's extinction happened while humankind was present, only about 12,000-14,000 years ago.
Heh, some years ago, with friends, found the complete and articulated skeleton of a Short Faced Bear. Didn't know what it was at first, but certainly found out soon enough. Oh, we knew it was some sort of a Bear, but just did not realize how long it had been laying where we found it.
Now, as for what I would choose:
A lizard bird, which folks tend to want to call a dragon.
With a core body size similar to that of a cheetah.
Able to fly, hunt and grow its own nest building material
The change, does it wrack the bones and rend the flesh ? Yes, indeed it does. But is this pain and agony alone ? No, in fact hardly at all. It is the Sacrament of the Moon. The flesh flows and so do the endorphins. It is, in truth, the agony ecstatic; The Pain That Is Pleasure