Derrick woke. That was a surprise in itself. The tearing pain was still fresh in his memory, and he gasped and kicked out, his body feeling all wrong. Where were his hooves, his powerful legs?
"You are unhurt, boy." A familiar voice made him force the panic back down, and he lifted his head to see a human female. His mind struggled. Circe. The woman from so long ago. "And you are human again. It will take a little time to adjust."
He tried to speak, but all that came from his throat was a grunt. She smiled. "Also something that will take a few minutes. You spent a lifetime as a wildebeest - the differences in form are difficult to adjust for."
Derrick lay back, panting, slowly getting control of this strange form. Fingers and toes curled where hooves had been, and his forelegs bent the wrong way. His face was flat, his senses dulled. No fur protected his bare skin. Human. He had been human a long time ago. Memories became clearer, and he struggled up to a sitting position. "A.. dream?" He could make words now, though his mouth felt all wrong.
That made Circe laugh. "How could you possibly believe that to be a dream? You know better, don't you?"
After a moment, Derrick nodded. It was too real, too complete. He had spend sixteen years as a wildebeest, and died as one. "But... the lions?"
"The lions killed and ate the wildebeest you were. However, I promised none of my animals would harm you, and while it may be a technicality, they killed a wildebeest, not the boy you are now."
"I saw my parents! My sister! They watched me die!"
"Yes, they thought that was quite a dramatic show." Circe walked around him. "So, what would you like to do now? I am impressed by how well you survived as a wildebeest. You made a difference to the herd, and lived far longer than most. You were really quite magnificent, especially in your prime."
It was still too hard to make his body work right, so Derrick remained sitting. His mind was clearing quickly, though. "It felt right. Being the wildebeest, I mean. I remembered being human sometimes, but mostly I was content as the animal."
She grinned and gestured with one hand. Derricks head suddenly felt heavy, and he reached up to find the curved horns of a wildebeest spreading out from his skull. "Would you like to return to the herd? Another lifetime as a wildebeest? It could last another 16 years, or 16 hours. Or perhaps some other prey animal? A gazelle, or a zebra?"
Derrick stared at her as he felt the massive horns. "And I'll come back to the present, to our vacation no matter how long I live as a beast?"
Circe nodded. "I am impressed - you know the hardships, the pain, the risk of those lives and still you consider them." She tilted her head. "Perhaps something less risky? A baboon or chimpanzee? An elephant? Back to the plains as prey? Or you can return to the villa and waste some time as a human. Only the time spent as a beast can be restored." Another gesture and the horns vanished.
The memories of his life as a wildebeest were still strong, and even now that form seemed right. But the others offered new possibilities. He thought a bit longer, and finally nodded. "I will not waste my time as a human. Please give me the life of a …."