Upon an island covered by a thick, old-growth oak forest lay a palace populated by all manner of creatures presided over by the daughter of Helios and Perse, the intoxicating Circe. It was she who had ensnared Odysseus' crew and went on to have three sons with Odysseus himself. Circe had been the one who had turned the sea nymph Scylla into a rooted sea creature within the Strait of Messina, simply for being the unknowing rival of a man's attention. As she looked out from the palace over the Isle of Aeaea she found herself bored, it had been too long since she'd had the warmth of a man in her bed, or at the least some mischief to play upon unsuspecting sailors.
A smirk came to her face as gaze settled upon the sight before her, the animals roaming the fields and gardens around the palace. That the animals had once been humans always gave her a bit of amusement and it was her favorite trick to play on lost sailors. The species of animal varied depending on her mood and their actions, last group of sailors had shown a real nasty streak so they became donkeys.
Alas the amusement from her last set of escapades was wearing off and she was finding herself bored of reminiscing about the horror on their faces. It was long past time for her to find some new playmates and so she hastily made her way towards the Strait of Messina in hopes that her trap had turned something up. When she discovered that the ship wrecking rock lying in wait had not found any new victims, she sighed and turned to walk along the beach dejected.
On the verge of giving up her hopes for the day, she spots a pile of debris washed up on the beach a couple of hundred yards in front of her. Lips split her face into a grin as her hopes rose for a little reprieve of her boredom. Cautiously she approached the debris, looking around for survivors and being wary in general. Survivors, she'd found before, tended to be desperate and often starving and dehydrated, making them very unpredictable.
Finding the ones that were strewn out on the sand were still unconscious she giggled with glee and set about getting a small table with food setup near the beach. Upon the table was a note for the sailors, inviting them to come to the palace towards the center of the island. From there they were welcome to be guests of the owner of the palace, with sleeping accommodations and food to help them regain their strength. With the first part of the trap laid, Circe slipped away to begin preparations for their arrival.
Back in her palace, Circe began to prepare a lavish feast, one fit for a festival. It was one of her favorite tactics, finding that a full belly tended to soothe suspicions and lulling her prey into a sense of security. While working on the feast, she mulled over how to play with her prey, grinning as various thoughts went through her head and nodding her head as she settled upon one, "Yes, that will do quite nicely indeed."
Meanwhile, on the beach, the crew was slowly coming to and realizing that they had actually reached land. Thanking Poseidon for sparing their lives and allowing them to reach land after his fury had subsided, the smell of the laid out food caught their attention. Several of the crew ran straight for the table, wolfing down the offerings while the more senior members warily approached, waiting till they found the note. Taking their luck as a blessing from the gods for the ordeal they had been through, and noting that their companions appeared in good stead, eventually the senior personnel joined in at the table.
The sailors, full of food and wine, took a several hour nap on the sand, reveling in their apparent safety and the generosity of their unknown benefactor. Upon awakening, the senior sailors raised their compatriots from their slumber and began a slow walk to the waiting palace. The captain and his first mate were eager to thank the anonymous benefactor while the rest of the crew held dreams of more wine and filling their bellies again.
The men piled wandered onto the palace grounds, marveling at the structure and taking in the sight of the vast number of animals wandering the property. What they didn't note was the lack of servants one would normally have expected at a palace of this size. Instead the smells of a waiting feast distracted the sailors. Guided by their noses, they quickly made their way to the dining hall, finding a lavish feast laid out for them with a stunning woman standing at the head of the table.
"Greetings weary travelers and welcome to my home. I hope you will choose to dine upon the small meal I have prepared and rest yourselves after facing such peril as Poseidon is want to offer. If you find anything lacking, please do let me know." With that she disappeared from the room, leaving them to the lavish feast.