The room was great, but Derrick was not about to lay around in bed or go sun himself at a beach. That was stuff you could do anywhere. This was Circe's Island! He had read old Greek myths about this place - the best known was about Ulysses' men being turned to pigs, but there were way more kinds of animals than just pigs here. And Circe had said it was safe to go anywhere. He was pretty sure his parents and sister did not know the legends, or care about them. They could sit around and sleep like it was some stupid holiday Inn. He was going to explore!
The villa was huge, and had fancy gardens and what looked like broad pastures. Derrick was more interested in the thick woods that bordered the property on all but the ocean side. The trees formed a dark wall that rose up on a craggy mountain directly opposite the ocean side, and spread out to the other ends of the island.
He dressed lightly in shorts and sneakers, not even wearing underpants, and started off for the woods. It was warm and pleasant out, but he saw no one else around. Just animals. Some beautiful horses were grazing alongside sheep, goats, and what might be llamas. They watched him head for the woods, but did not approach.
Once he reached the trees, he found a path that led through the forest. The ground was covered with soft pine straw and leaves, and after a short distance he took off his sneakers. He had only walked a few minutes when he realized that he was not feeling the occasional twig or broken branch. Looking down, he discovered that his feet were now dark and calloused as if he had never worn shoes in his life! He dropped his shoes and continued on, then grinned and pulled off his shorts. As with his feet, a few minutes more of walking and his skin had tanned and toughened as if he had roamed the island woods naked for years. Branches and brush no longer scratched his legs, and he seemed a little leaner, trimmer. He picked up the pace, jogging through the trees, alert for sounds and smells. He brushed a lock of long, matted hair from his eyes and blinked. A quick look confirmed he was now unwashed, a wild version of himself with hair hanging past his shoulders. His nose found a clear pool nearby, and he grinned at his reflection.
It was still Derrick, but the boy he might have grown up as if he had been abandoned in the forest for years. He was filthy, his teeth scummy, twigs and leaves in the coarse matted hair that kept flopping in his face. But he felt wonderful! Stronger, faster, lighter - he was sure he would be an amazing athlete. His senses had become far stronger, and he could pick out various animals and tell where they were.
There were lions to the east, a bear close by to the south, some elk and moose west, and something like horses - unicorns! North. And they were just the closest. He could smell wolves, mountain goats, panthers, and possibly centaurs and minotaurs, or something like them. Not to mention bunches of smaller animals like rabbits and squirrels.
None would harm him. He was sure of that. Would they be friendly? Or perhaps even change him to be one of them? He decided to follow the scent that would lead him to...