text: [Themes: edutainment, historical]
  
  The scene you witness as you enter Circe's dining hall is... weird to say the least. The hall is magnificently decorated: the walls are covered with fresco's depicting pastoral scene, much like the ones that decorate the outside walls. The marble columns that support the roof are chiseled in a way that makes them look like they are revolving around their own axis, grape branches have winded themselves around their tops. A giant loom is tucked away in a corner. The dining tables are placed in a circle in the middle of the room, filled with delicacies from all over the known world: dates from the east, flamingo from Aegyptos, olives from Syracuse and more seafood than you can name, all served in Carthaginian glassware and Roman pottery. In the middle of the circle burns a great fire that fills the room with a warm glow.
  
  The strange thing, however, is that Circe is sitting all alone at one of the dinner tables, surrounded by a herd of pigs. Half emptied plates and spilled cups of wine diminish the otherwise superb setting. You approach her as if you are unaware of her malignant intentions. 'My graceful hostess, I hope I am not too late to attend to your dinner. I am feeling better after a quick rest and I would hate to leave without seeing you again. The rest of my men are tending to chores on board of my ship but they will join us in a while.'
  
  She looks at you suspiciously, trying to gauge your intention, but you manage to fool her. 'Very well my noble guest, please join me at my table. Your companions are resting upstairs, I'm afraid that they have eaten a little but too much. but who can blame them, the food is delicious. Please, try some, I'll fill a plate for you if it pleases you. But first, let us drink to your health.'
  
  She gives you a cup of wine. You accept it gracefully, acting as if you didn't catch her sly smile. As you raise your glass you proclaim: 'And to your health as well, fair hostess, that we may drink to your good intentions.'
  
  After these words you drain your cup. The wine is the sweetest, most delicious drink you have ever tasted. The honey that is made painstakingly by the smallest bees and is the sweetest thing known in the Greek world, and when one eats it one cannot but forget his troubles for a brief while. Even that cannot match the wine you are tasting right now. However, the sweetness of the wine cannot completely hide the taste of unknown herbs.
  
  Circe speaks to you with a sweet voice: 'Do you like the wine, my noble guest? Isn't it the sweetest thing you have ever tasted? I keep it specifically for my most valued guests. Too bad though that it bewitches the senses, making one unable to fight off the winged sleep. Unable to defend oneself.'
  
  She rises from her seat and walks towards you, holding a wooden wand in her hand. She taps your head gently with her wand and backs away, awaiting the effects of her magic powers. When nothing happens she raises her hands to the heavens and speaks to you in an astonished voice: 'How is this possible? Why are you still a human?' she suddenly stops speaking, you can see comprehension in her eyes,'of course I should have known, it's HIM all over again.'
  
  When you try to ask her who she means she interrupts you, paying no attention to your presence whatsoever she continues her furious contemplation: 'A whole year he and his men stayed at my house. A whole year he passed with me, but he had to leave because he missed his home and his wife! His MORTAL wife! I would have given him anything, I would have even made him immortal! But he left me, taking my heart with him.'
  
  When you once more try to ask who she is talking about she sneers at you: 'Like you don't know him: that Ithacan, who stranded here when he sailed from Troy. The one cursed by the earthshaking Poseidon.' She bursts into tears. 'But you remind me of him, yes, you even look a but like him.'
  
  She walks towards you, having a strange look in your eyes. You quickly stand up from your seat and walk away from her, keeping her inside your vision at all times. Circe extends her arms towards you. 'Please noble hero, please let me embrace you. I have just felt so lonely, all alone here on my island, with only these pigs to keep me company. Could you at least do me this honour? I promise I'll turn your men back to their human forms.'
  
  > Still don't trust her. She still remains a witch after all. On the other hand: you need to rescue your men. You decide to embrace her, after she swears by the immortal gods she won't harm you or your men.
  She smirks at you. 'Hmpf, I guess you're not that foolish after all.' you see a bronze knife falling from her hand. 'You really are like him. But I guess you have to go too, huh? Why are the gods so cruel? But I'll keep my promise, I'll turn your friends back to their human forms. Although, to be honest: I like them more as pigs.'
  
  The next half hour she goes through the big hall, tapping each and every pig on their heads with her wand and muttering incantations. Finally, all your companions are returned to their original selves. Afterwards, Circe approaches you. 'My noble hero I understand I've caused you and your friends a lot of trouble, and I am deeply sorry for it. Please, let me make it up to you by letting you stay here for a while, to rest and to regain your strength for the rest of your journey. I promise by the immortal gods that I won't harm any of you, else they may take my soul and lock it away in the Tartaros, the deepest pit of the underworld.
  
  After a quick decision with your men you decide to accept Circe's offer and spend some time on her island to regain your strength. Your men each get spacious rooms assigned, but you sleep in Circe's own chambers. You dine exquisitely each day (although you are never served pork) and Circe is the perfect host, with no intentions whatsoever of hurting anyone. The time between meals you spend with Circe, walking on her beautiful island, playing games beneath a pergola while enjoying the cool breeze from the sea or take a swim in the beautiful blue waves. Everything is just so perfect, you never want to leave.
  
  However, eventually the time comes when the gods have grown tired of waiting for you to resume your journey and they send Hermes to command you so. As you and Circe reach the top of the marble staircase that leads to her mansion you see the keen-eyed messenger of the gods standing before you. 'Noble bard, the immortal gods have sent me to bring you a message. You must continue your journey to Sparta or Greece will be destroyed by the flames of war. I advice you to do as they say.'
  
  You look to Circe, ready to say goodbye, but when you see her sad but beautiful face you hesitate. Seeing the hesitation in your eyes she speaks to you despairingly: 'Please, my noble hero, you do not have to leave me. Stay here and live here with me until the end of days. You like it here, you said so yourself during one of our walks. Please... please consider it.'
  
  Hermes speaks sternly to you: 'Remember your journey, mortal. Remember those who depend on you. You have to leave, now!'
  
  Torn between your duty and your newly found love for Circe you decide...
  
  > To stay with Circe
  You are standing on top of the marble stairs, watching your ship sail away in the distance. With a sad heart you said goodbye to the men you've experienced so much together with. Circe offered them to stay, but they declined. Like Cyrus told you before they left: 'However you put it, we remain mercenaries. The seas and the battle are our homes, we weren't made to stay put in one place.' Circe left you alone, to say your goodbyes and to reminisce about your past adventures, but now she walks towards you. 'Come, my love, please let happiness drive the sadness from your heart.'
  
  You follow her advice and try to forget the sad goodbye. You are happy here, on this beautiful island with the woman you love, yet you keep this doubt hidden into the deepest parts of your heart that you should have continued your journey.
  
  Years go by and you and Circe still live happily together on the island. One more time Hermes has come to you, pleading you to continue the task given to you by the gods but you just dismissed him. Athena visited you in your dreams once, telling you the largest part of the Greek States were engulfed by war, but wishing you good luck and much happiness none the less. Life has been blissful to you, you can't even remember the last time you were sad. You've truly left your past life behind you and you and Circe live happily together until the end of time itself.