Ixion laughs. "It is good! We are as one with nature. We do not spoil the earth. That is what you halflings do. But - come - let those who were once two-legged tell you what our life is like."
He gestures for the two watching centaurs to join your party. One is a grown-up colt - a twenty-something, black man by the name of Theo; and the stallion is a man in his forties, called Stephen. In turn, Theo and Stephen confirm that they were human before they came to the island. Theo saw all of the various creatures on the island, before he reluctantly returned home, after a fortnight's holiday. On his return, he found that everyone had trouble remembering him, and that some of his possessions were missing at first - before mysteriously appearing again. His official records - for example, his doctor's records of him - disappeared for a while, too.
Theo tells you that, despite this, he couldn't wait to get back to the island. "I felt like I belonged here, more so than at home," he says. Unable to persuade his girlfriend to come with him, he finally decided to leave his old life behind. "I wanted to be changed." He smiles, brushing his hand along the glossy coat of fur below his human waist. "And I've never regretted it."
Stephen, meanwhile, never left the island - he discovered the centaurs by chance, and fell in love with one of the original fillies of the haras. "My wife is over 2000 years old, and incredibly wise." He beams with pride. "I joined the haras - the herd - and we married. Now, I hope to become as versed in philosophy and herb lore as she is. In time, we'll try to bring forth young foals."
Rachel manages to take this in. "Okay... Where is your wife?"
"Right here," Themis grins and walks over to lovingly place her hand on Stephen's shoulder, even as he wraps his arm around her.
*****
Not long afterwards, you and Rachel are walking through the forest again - following the directions the centaurs gave you to get back to the hotel safely.
"Rachel... You told the satyrs that you were...HIV-positive..."
She bows her head. "I lied, Ben. I wanted to save our skins. I've... I've never..." She looks you in the eye. "I'm a virgin, Ben."
You sigh in relief. "Me, too," you tell her.
She smiles and is about to say something else, when a faint noise distracts you both. Glancing back to a thicket of trees, you catch a glimpse of two skulking, humanoid figures disappearing behind cover. One of them had waist-long hair...
"They weren't footsteps..."
"No - more like hoof-steps," you reply. Rachel grabs your offered hand, and you hurry away from the scene.