John grinned. "Well, I have always loved dolphins. Do they count?"
The girl smiled broadly. "Oh, yes! Poseidon will be very pleased! Hardly anyone asked for sea creatures."
"Poseidon? The god of the ocean?" John was puzzled. "You have someone playing him here?"
"Not exactly." A pleasant male voice came from behind and John turned to see a slender, muscular young man approaching, dressed in a short toga. "You like dolphins?"
John nodded, somewhat confused. "Um, yes. Is there some sort of training that involves them?
The youth nodded. "Oh, yes! Come with me." He strode through a door on the side, and after a moment, John grinned and followed he. He was startled when he emerged on the beach of a beautiful lagoon. Confused, he looked back and saw he had come out of a dark and natural-looking cave.
"Come on, then!" The young man grinned as he stripped off his toga to reveal a body that made John flush with embarrassment. The youth shook his head. "Don't be ashamed. In a very short time I promise you will have a body to be proud of."
No one else was around, so John stripped off and stepped cautiously into the water. It was warm and crystal clear, and he had to smile as he dove in and tried some swimming. The young man followed and was soon beside him, matching John stroke for stroke. John was starting to relax when a dark shape rocketed by them, and followed by another. John jerked to a stop and looked around in a panic. "What was that!?"
The young man chuckled as he treaded water by John. "You don't recognize them?"
The shapes cruised by again, and this time John reacted with a broad smile. "Dolphins! I get to swim with dolphins!?"
"Definitely!" said the young man.
John watched the two sleek gray animals a moment, then started swimming forward. After just a few strokes, one of the dolphins slid beside him, the hide surprisingly soft as it brushed against him. The other chittered and came up on his other side, sandwiching him between the two. They chittered back and forth, staying pressed against the human's sides. John was thrilled, moving faster through the water as they carried him along.
Poseidon watched the trio with a grin. John's skin was already turning gray, and his head had started to sink back into his shoulders. His arms, pinned to his sides by the dolphins, were merging into his body even as his legs fused together. The question now would be which of the dolphins would actually claim him - the male or the female.