As Odysseus stands on the beach of the island he and his crew had arrived at, he looks out towards the sea, wondering what they're going to do, and how they'll get home. Eurylochus approaches him, and begins to speak. "Captain... I have something that I must confess... Something that I must get off my chest... Until it is said, I cannot rest." He says, a nervous expression on his face, as though he has something weighing down his heart and mind. "Captain?" Eurylochus asks, worried that Odysseus hasn't responded at all, and is just staring at the ocean. Odysseus suddenly speaks. "Eurylochus, go make sure this island is secure." He says, not turning to face Eurylochus. Eurylochus, confused, tries to speak. "But Captain-" Before he can continue, Odysseus interrupts him. "There's only so much left we can endure. Whatever you need to say can wait some more. Of that I'm sure." He says, as Eurylochus sighs slightly, nodding. "Okay..." He quietly replies, going off with a large part of the crew. Time passes, and Eurylochus returns. He's completely alone, a terrified, crazed expression on his face. He runs over to Odysseus, who had moved away from staring at the ocean and had been helping the few members of the crew that Eurylochus hadn't taken with him repair their ship. Seeing Eurylochus alone, Odysseus becomes worried, and walks over.
"Eurylochus, back so soon? Where's the rest of your crew? And by the Gods, what happened to you?" He asks, looking at Eurylochus, who's covered in debris, sweat, and some cuts from running through the forest to return. Eurylochus takes a deep breath, calming himself, and he speaks, explaining what happened. "We came across a palace." He says, the scene changing to show Eurylochus and his men finding a palace deep inside the forest they'd been wandering in. Eurylochus continues his explanation. "Inside we heard a voice. It seemed to show no malice. To greet it was our choice, but nothing could prepare us for the power that awaited inside." Odysseus, concerned, asks Eurylochus a simple question, gently grasping his friends arm, leading him to a place he can rest and continue talking. "What did this palace hide?" Was Odysseus' question, and Eurylochus answers, a serious expression on his face. "Sir. Since we left home, we've faced a variety of foes from a wide range of places. Gods, monsters, you know the roster. Hostile creatures that we could resist, but this was a hell of a twist, 'cause we are weak to a power like this!" Eurylochus states, Odysseus' concern growing. "What was it?" He asks, fearing that he may have accidentally caused his crew a worse fate than had they let Poseidon end their lives. Eurylochus answers Odysseus' question with two simple words. "A woman." He says, an utterly confused look appearing on Odysseus' face. "What?" He says, making a gesture to let Eurylochus know he can continue.
Eurylochus shakes his head, sighing slightly, frustration at his foolishness showing on his face. "She had us in just two words!" He says, as the scene shifts once more, showing a beautiful woman walk out of the palace, her arms wide open, a kind smile on her face. "Come inside!" She says, walking closer to the crew, offering them an invitation to enter the palace. "Damn." Odysseus quietly says, slightly surprised at how easy it was for Eurylochus and his crew to get tricked, but understanding it entirely, as they were all exhausted. The scene continues to show Circe talking to the crew. "Welcome to the best part of your lives. Go ahead and rest wherever you like." She says, showing them how the palace has multiple rooms they could rest in, as she continues to talk to them. "I've got you. Don't worry, Circe's got you now." She says kindly. Eurylochus is shown smiling kindly, but refusing the offer, while the other soldiers do. "Only I stayed outside, but the rest all went in!" Eurylochus says, slight annoyance entering his voice, as if he regrets letting his crew go without him. Circe is shown leading the soldiers to a large table. "Take a seat!" She says, gesturing for the crew to sit down and relax. "Aye!" The crew says, all of them smiling as they sit. "Let me get something for you to eat!" Circe states, going and grabbing some food, placing it in front of the weary crew. "Aye!" The soldiers say, excited to finally get the opportunity to eat and rest. "I bet you're tired from the years spent on your feat!" Circe says. This should be a worrying phrase to heat for the crew, after all, how could she know of their journey, but they're all too happy to get the chance to eat to care. Circe continues to speak as the men begin to eat. "I've got you! Don't worry, Circe's got you now!" She says, her kind smile becoming one of wicked trickery.
Suddenly, the men fall out of their seats and onto the ground, beginning to transform. "By the time they ate, it was far too late!" Eurylochus cries out, the scene shifting to show how he was standing close, watching in horror. He and Circe speak at the same time, though Eurylochus is merely saying what he saw, while it shows Circe talking to the men who were transforming. "For inside the meal, she had cast her spell!" Eurylochus states, as Circe glares down at the crew. "Think of your past and your mistakes!" She says, as she walks towards them. Eurylochus once more continues his explanation. "They began to squeal and grow snouts and tails! She changed them!" He says, the scene showing him standing outside the temple, shocked at what he's seeing. Circe speaks, now smirking. "They'll be the last mistakes you'll make!" She says, before looking down at the crew, slowly transforming. "I've got all the power, yeah, I've got all the power! No, I'm not a player, I'm a puppeteer. No, I don't play I puppeteer, yeah!" She says, before once more, she and Eurylochus talk at the same time.
Eurylochus shivers, as if terrified by the memory of what he just saw, as he continues explaining what happened to the crew. "They transformed, and it wasn't quick!" He states, Circe's smirk seeming to grow. "This is the price we pay to live!" She says, continuing to glare down at the men. "She turned our men from men to pigs!" Eurylochus says, showing how, seeing this, he dived into a bush to hide, and ensure Circe didn't see him. "The world does not tend to forgive!" She states, using magic to make the men, now pigs, move outside as she takes a seat. "She changed them!" Eurylochus says once more, horrified. "I've got all the power, yeah, I've got all the power. No, I'm not a player, I'm a puppeteer. No, I don't play I puppeteer, yeah!" Circe states, the scene changing back to Eurylochus and Odysseus in the present. "We have to go save them." Odysseus says, as Eurylochus shakes his head, surprising Odysseus.
"No, we don't!" He states, a tired, hurt look appearing on his face. "Look at all we've lost, and all we've learned! Every single cost is so much more than what we've earned! Think about the men we have left before there are none. Let's just cut our losses, you and I, and let's run!" Eurylochus says, slightly upset at how willing Odysseus is to continue risking the lives of not just himself, but those around him, even after all they've lost. Odysseus angrily looks at him, glaring at Eurylochus. "Of course I'd like to leave now. Of course I'd like to run! But I can hardly sleep now knowing everything we've done. There's no length I wouldn't go if it was you I had to save. I can only hope you'd do the same." He says, standing and turning to leave. Eurylochus winces slightly, but decides to follow him, talking once more, hoping he can help his friend come up with a plan, or perhaps dissuade him from this course of action.
"I can hear her still..." He states, remembering how Circe had continued talking to the transformed men. "No one will find-" As she talks in his memory, Eurylochus interrupts her in the present. "And her voice deceives!" Eurylochus says. "Their way between-" Once more, Eurylochus interrupts his memory of her, asking Odysseus a question. "What if she can't be killed?" He asks, his memory of Circe talking still vivid. "My nymphs and I-" She states, as Eurylochus asks another question to Odysseus in the present. "Will you choose to leave?" He asks, hoping Odysseus will answer with yes. "Their loving queen!" Circe states, and this time, it's Odysseus who temporarily interrupts her. "I don't know." He says, before Eurylochus' memory of Circe finishes talking, saying a few last sentences. "I've got all the power, yeah, I've got all the power. No, I'm not a player, I'm a puppeteer. No, I don't play I puppeteer, yeah!" She says.
The scene shifts to the past, with Eurylochus beginning to run from Circe, having spotted his chance to do so, as he can still hear her. He explains to Odysseus how Circe acts as best he can, knowing he can no longer stop Odysseus from going to rescue the crew mates Circe had captured. "She's a clever witch!" He says, warning Odysseus, as the scene remains, showing the past as Eurylochus keeps running. "This is the price-" She says, current Eurylochus once more interrupting his memory of running from her. "And she's hard to slay!" He says, remembering how one crew mate had tried to kill her before transforming, only to be turned into a 3 legged pig for trying to do so, his arm having been sliced off by his own blade shortly before his transformation, his own body having betrayed him. The memory of Circe continues to speak. "We pay to love!" She states, Eurylochus speaking again. "It's a game of wits-" He says, this time being interrupted by his own memory of Circe. "We draw the line-" She says, being interrupted by Eurylochus again, who has started to try to control his emotions as he tries to dissuade Odysseus yet again. "But you don't have to play!" He says, as his memory of Circe speaks once more. "Watch from above!" She says, the scene shifting back to the current moment, as Odysseus turns and faces Eurylochus one last time before entering the forest. "I have to try." Odysseus says, walking into the forest as Eurylochus remembers the last words he had heard Circe say before escaping her. "I've got all the power, yeah, I've got all the power. No, I'm not a player, I'm a puppeteer. No, I don't play I puppeteer, yeah!" She states, as the scene ends with Eurylochus losing sight of Odysseus as his captain walks deeper into the forest.