Dan was sitting in his boat, fishing as he usually did every day. He was a human man, of course, with broad shoulders and a rock solid physique.
Dan hailed from a quiet fishing community and had a love of fish ever since he was a little kid. Carrying on the family tradition, he decided to remain in his small town and fish near his home instead of going into the city and getting a job in something else. Dan wasn't that kind of urban guy, he was a quiet man who liked to be alone to a fault.
He was a grown man for quite some time and didn't have much to show for it. Dan didn't have a wife or a kid, all he had was his home, his boat, and his trusty fishing rod.
Admittedly, what likely got him to not think about having a family was his love of fish. He admired the beautiful scales and calm lifestyle of the piscine creatures. What made Dan admire fish the most was their ability to live underwater without any need of any air devices or scuba suit.
Even in his small fishing community, Dan disliked the noise and stresses that came with human life. He disliked the politics, bills, and drama that came with being a a dweller on the land. To him, the sea seemed like such a calmer yet more wondrous place.
The love for the sea would be further imprinted in his mind when he once caught a fish as large a fat house cat. The beautiful azure blue scales and the charming white belly of the large fish would lead Dan to not eat the fish, but rather to keep it as a pet of sorts out of respect for such a lovely creature.
The fish currently laid by his side in a small tank and, taking a break from fishing, Dan pet his aquatic friend on the head like how one would pet a dog. The fisherman cooed at his scaly pet and grinned when he stroked the fish's smooth white belly.
"Such a beautiful creature you are. I wish I could become one with the sea and swim with the fishes." The main sighed in longing.
"I could help you with that."
"Ah!'" The voice startled the fisherman to the point of him almost falling off his boat. "Who said that?"
Suddenly a woman with the upper body of a light green skinned human but with the lower body of a forest green octopus jumped on Dan's boat.
"That would be me." The woman said. Her slick tentacles slithered around the boat, occasionally touching the fisherman's toes.
Dan looked at the creature in shock. "Who are you? Are you going to drown me?!"
The woman chuckled. "No, silly human. My name is Alora, I'm a sea witch and I came to help."
Dan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
“You want to become one with the sea, correct? What if I could make that happen?”
Dan looked at his pet fish and then back at the sea witch. "I'm listening…"
Alora grinned. "Good. I have a solution to your little dilemma."
The sea witch took out a contract with a pen. "All you have to do is to sign this contract and you'll become a merman."
He gasped at her. “You can transform me into a merman? A fisherman to a fish?!”
“But of course. I have a little gift with magic.” She said with a slight chuckle. “But just so you know… There is a catch.”
Dan gulped. "What is it?"
"Signing the contract will turn you into a merman for three days. During that time, you have to kiss a mermaid. If you do, you'll become a merman forever." Alora's expression then turned into a more mischievous grin. "But if you don't… You'll belong to me as a polyp. What do you say?"
Dan looked and the contract and thought of it for a bit. At one hand, if he failed to kiss a mermaid he'd be trapped with a sea witch for the rest of his life. But if he did, he'd not only be a merman forever but also have a wife and kids underwater. He'd be a legendary being of the sea rather than just a human that fished all day.
Plus, he'd be able to be with the fish that he loved so much as a kid.
This was a chance to make his childhood dreams come true. If he failed, at least he had one shot at becoming a merman.
Without much hesitation, Dan took the contract and eagerly signed his name.