My journey continues (book 10)

I continued my story and Alkinoos continued to listen...

We next made landfall on Aiolia island, the home of Aiolos Hippotades, king of the wind and dear to the gods. We lodged in the town and the palace where Aiolos was my  host. He kept me on the island one full month to hear my telling of the battle of Troy. I told him the story point by point in great detail and when I asked his leave to sail and for provisioning, he did not hesitate. He kept nothing from us and we were soon sent out to sea, but not before he gave me his most precious gift. He bottled the storm winds in a mighty bag and stored it under the afterdeck. We sailed for nine days without event and on the tenth we came across an island where men were building fires along the shore. Being exhausted, I fell into a deep sleep. Temptation got the better of my crew and they decided to untie the bag and see what great treasures lay inside. When they did, the great winds turned to hurricanes and we were blown all the way back to Aiolia and we lost our land. When I returned to Aiolos he was confused. When he learned what had happened, he had no pity and sent us away. There was no more help he could give to us. It was six long days before we spotted the Laistrygonian heights, the far stronghold of Lamos. While the other ships moored inland, I chose to moor my ship along the sea side. I then sent three men inland to find out what type of people inhabited the island. When they reached the lodge, the leader of the tribe ripped one man in two on the spot, making him his meal. The other two fled for the ships. Many men there were in the tribe and it looked like an even greater number when they stood on the hilltop launching rocks towards the ships. While many men and many ships were obliterated, my crew pulled away quickly and we only stopped when we were sure we were far enough off shore. After stopping to grieve for our lost companions, we headed on and we soon came across Aiaia, island of Kirke. We came up on shore and rested there for two days and nights. After climbing up to a rocky point, I saw smoke rising from the center of the island. I returned and gave my men breakfast before sending them to explore. Eurylokhos and his twenty-two man crew soon set off to the center of the island. When they arrived at Kirke's house, she invited them in promptly and all followed aside from the cautious Eurylokhos. She seated them on thrones and fed them and gave them drinks but to the drinks she added her vile potion. Little had the men to drink before they turned into pigs in every way and Kirke hearded them into her pig pen. Eurylokhos came running with news of such tale and my crew and I were shocked. I went back to retrieve my men even as Eurylokhos begged me not to. As I made my way towards the center of the island, Hermes came to me. He instructed me to eat a plant that would keep from Kirke's magic. He then gave me a course of action and sent me on my way. When I arrived she invited me in and sat me down to a meal and wine. When I did not become sluggish to her wine she was shocked and confused. The next day, I convinced her to free the men turned to swine and I went to retrieve my other men from the shore. We hauled the ship in before heading back to Kirke's house. Day after day, we spent feasting in Kirke's hall and night after night we had a good sleep, but soon a year passed and my men began to come to me telling me that we would soon need to leave. I went to Kirke and told her my request to sail home. When she heard it, she agreed to help us sail, but not for home but to the home of the dead. When I woke my crew on the day we were to sail they were excited to finally head to Ithika, and they were shocked when i informed them where we were heading, but they followed my lead all the same.