Our first time encountering something. The first time we enter school and meet new people, the first love, the first time we see someone we know die. It’s always the first time that hits the most. We get used to most things, no matter how impossible they seem at first.

A tree, a shade, a human and a few underwater creatures – I didn’t count how many forms I'd had, and it would be too late to set a counter now. I didn’t become stronger with each iteration, it appeared that a school of small carnivorous creatures was enough to bring what I deemed as a rather powerful lifeform to its demise.

I felt that a lot of time had passed but I couldn’t be so sure of it. They say sometimes time flies like a bird. Well, when I only appeared under the water surface it might have been the case. But I got used to it. From time to time I’d face phantasmagorical creatures but now even they won’t be enough to surprise me, at least not to the extent they once did.

The dream world started to melt. It seems like the expiration date of my new form - a creature of a smaller but deadly category resembling a fish finally came. I wasn’t even sure what killed ‘me’. I will know soon though: from what I have established, I will turn into whatever tried to wrong me.

I concentrated onto sensations my new body possessed. A very specific smell which is typical to a seaside. I could smell. The sound of waves hitting a shore. I could hear. I opened my eyes – I indeed have finally left those waters and, more importantly, I could see.

I looked at my paws, each one of them had five fingers. No, unlike what I have expected I didn’t have just ‘paws’. They were human hands. After a long time changing from one body to another, I was back to being a human. For long though? I tensed up. One of the most important lessons I learned is that it’s better to stay cautious and expect for danger to appear at any moment. At least, if you aren’t very insistent on changing your current lifeform to another one. Because if you do, it’s reasonable to dash wherever your feet take you. Or your tail and fins, depending on what you are.

I looked at my body’s belongings. Aside from clothes I only had a fishing kit on my person. Well, I guess the mystery of my previous body's sudden death is officially solved. On the other note, the detail that my current host possessed only a fishing kit testified that most likely the man had some other belongings not so far away.

Clothes the man wore were rather plain as the only detail that caught my eye was a trinket – a small metal badge with a sheep engraved that was attached to his, or as of now my, shirt.

I looked at the water surface. A youth, brimming with energy, was looking back at me. This seemed like a good container. Hopefully, it would be able to last for a while.

There was no reason to stay, so I started to walk right away. I wasn’t in a rush, always keeping an eye on my surroundings. I had a feeling that danger was creeping somewhere nearby.

Soon I reached a paved road. Roads are good. You see, the thing with a road is: you simply have to follow it. The tiny catch is which way to go? I couldn’t see neither where it begins nor where it ends. Without pondering much I went to find where it ends.

I didn’t walk long as soon I stumbled into a group of young people. It seems like my host knew them as one of those youths smiled and waved towards me, “You are a bit late. We were about to start walking without you. We should be close to our destination. It’s not the time to fall back.”

It seemed like the group wasn’t wandering without any purpose. I looked at my newfound acquaintances, deciding on what to do.

None of the youths seemed like they meant any harm. I waved back and approached them, still ready for any sudden shenanigans on their part. They however, seeing that I was close enough, lifted their belongings and continued walking on the road.

When I caught up to them I was finally able to familiarize myself with my soon-to-be companions. All of them were wearing rather plain clothes, the only distinct part being badges depicting various animals that were attached to their clothes.

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A comely girl with a hummingbird badge, that looked away the moment our eyes met, a gaunt young man with glasses and a turtle, a youth with shifty eyes and a dormouse, a slightly pale girl with a furrowed brow and a cat and finally the one that waved to me was wearing a lion badge.

Lion smiled(with a mild displease I found myself identifying humans I haven’t seen for so long as animals), “It seems like your fishing didn’t bring much to the table? I told you that fishing in those waters is a bad idea. Risk outweighs the possible benefits. Well, whatever. It’s good to see you back, my friend.”

I nodded with a sense of deja vu. My line of sight caught the fishing rod I still was holding in my hand. Most likely Sheep separated himself from the group with an intention to catch some fish but due to his luck he caught my previous host.

To my chagrin we moved in silence. I felt hesitant to start a conversation as I was unsure of what the group would do if they knew I wasn’t the friend they were waiting for. I wanted to get to know them a bit better before I attempt anything. Moreover I might be able to find answers in my dreamland. One step at a time.

“I can see it, we are finally about to reach it.” Cat’s facial expression finally smoothed out, her voice intoxicated with excitement.

“It was closer than I thought it would be.” Lion also looked thrilled by their target being found, but his expression also contained some wariness and surprise.

I looked in the distance where some large construct was towering. My companions’ pace turned into a jog, evidently they were ready for a final push in order to reach the construct.

When we got closer, much, much closer, I felt a doubt growing in me. Was it really a good idea to join the group? A few reticent youths with an unclear purpose, wearing metal animals on their clothes. Before I thought it would be fine to gather information slowly, at my own pace, but do I really have the time?

The construct towering towards the sky was an abomination sitting on an ebony throne, its entire body covered with massive chains. It was motionless, perhaps it was a statue, but the aura it gave off told me better than to approach recklessly. That’s if I valued my life.

Incidentally, the group looked rather happy, exhilarated even. They didn’t seem to mind the statue's bizarre appearance but they looked at it as if it was the deity they worship. Did I really get myself into a cult? Gears turned in my head in search of a solution. Perhaps if it was me from the past, I would run away as soon as I could distinguish the statue's features but not now. Maybe I’ve seen too much but the statue didn’t scare me. Instead I found myself wondering if it’s possible for the statue to become my new host.

We moved closer. If I don’t mind losing my current body that much, why was I so careful around the group – I caught a discrepancy in my own way of thought. But then it dawned on me that I liked the company. It’s fun to hang around with people seeing what they do and how they would react. I didn’t really want to lose them. Unless there would be no other way.

When we were almost at the foot of the statue, reality shook. The next moment I found myself plastered on the ground, within the corner of my eyes, I noticed Lion and Dormouse falling down as well. Everything swayed and the darkness welcomed me.

I was in the dreamland again. So, it seemed like I had died once again. I glanced at the side. Sheep was hovering not far away from me. Still asleep. A pity. From what I knew from my iterations whenever I met someone in my dreamland for more than one time, they would be awake. This also was a part of the reason I didn’t push with information gathering while in the group.

When the dream world finally started to dissipate I couldn’t get a hold on my excitement. I became quaint creatures during my past iterations, but it was the first time for me that I would be able to become a statue. Actually, I wasn’t even sure that it was the statue that killed me. And the way I died was pretty strange. From what I saw Lion and Dormouse weren’t hit with anything tangible. They simply fell down without any sort of prior sign or notice.

I felt someone shaking my body. More forcefully than I would prefer them to. I opened my eyes, half-awake.

“Finally. And here I thought that your case was a failure. Get up, you’ll have a chance to dawdle later,” the one who forced me awake was Lion, but his mouth with its ends usually slightly curled up was forming an unnatural scowl. Intonations in his voice also felt off. As if he got a cold or something.

Still muddleheaded I got up. It didn’t seem as if I changed my host, my hand caught sheep’s engraving on my shirt. Seeing my actions Lion curtly nodded, “Those bodies are total trash. The only silver lining, no matter how miniscule it is, is that all of us have those badges which will simplify the matter of names. I don’t care how you were called before, but from now on you are Sheep. I,” he pointed at his badge, “Am a Lion.”