Damon hopped away in the grass frantically. The sky overhead was grey, with dark clouds and sure enough, thunder rumbled and little drops started splattering all around him. And upon his warty skin, which, actually, felt very much agreeable. It was a relief, in fact. Damon was not avoiding the rain and scowling at it anymore. Quite the opposite, he was welcoming it. He figured that as a toad, water and humidity were incredibly pleasant on his skin now. Even hopping away, if clumsily, was getting more natural with each leap. Though he pondered that eating insects was still off the table. Swallowing spiders, wood lice, worms and other invertebrates remained vile in his mind. He was still human, after all! Yet, the more he leaped and jumped, going through tall grasses, reeds and branches, the more he reflected that escaping was maybe not the best plan ever. Escaping, yes. But as a toad? He was unlikely to reach help, let alone make his croaks comprehensible. he had no opposable thumbs to hold a pen anymore! If he got out of Circe's gardens, a car could very well hit him. Not to mention other animals, like herons or toothy predators... Damon stopped. Maybe he shouldn't have acted so hastily. But he did not have to reflect upon that too much, as in a puff of smoke, he found himself in the grasp of the sorceress Circe. With a spell, she had retrieved her missing new captive. And she was fuming with rage.
"You ingrate!" she hissed. "I return to collect hair and warts for my potions and I find you gone! When I had provided you with all you could wish for as a toad! And you leave at the first chance you get?!!? Thinking you could escape me, what's more?!!? You don't deserve to be a toad! Let me punish you accordingly!"
Eyes flashing, Circe started uttering a spell. Completely terrified, Damon the toad dared not move a muscle, and all the other captives waited themselves with bated breath.