Which Way Is North?

Huh? What just happened.

Arsh looked up at the blue sky, but his vision was blurry. It slowly became clear. He could hear the chirping of birds, and the creaking noises of insects. He urged himself up, and scoured his surroundings.

"What is this place" He thought. "Is this another world that bitch was talking about?"

He found himself in the middle of a grassy field where the grass blades swayed from side to side with the cool breeze that caressed the land. The green field stretched as far as his eyes could see, possibly even further.

"What is this place?" His gaze darted everywhere. The atmosphere was serene, peaceful, and perfect to relax on a cool summer's day.

At a distance, he spotted a giant tree. It's bark was rather thick, and dense, and it accommodated for the size of nearly 20-30 trees combined. He sauntered towards it.

"Damn, it's huge," He said as he looked up at the tree. He suddenly remembered that a strange beam hit his pivot area earlier. So, he quickly peeked into his pants to check if the goods were in order, and unharmed.

"Phew!" He sighed. "It's good that everything is okay."

But he noticed that his mamba had changed in colour, size and even width. It was lighter in shade, smaller and thinner than before. A nightmare. A disgrace!

"Wait, is this mine?" He thought, confused. It didn't seem like his own at all.

He doubted that his physical appearance had also changed. He touched his face with his hands, and noticed that his skin had become a lot smoother. His beard was also gone.

"What the fuck happened to me?"

He then lifted the T-Shirt he wore, and looked at his belly.

"Damn, where are my abs?" He demanded with disbelief. How could this have happened to him?

He moved his head to look at his arms.

"What is with this skinny body?" He became tensed.

"You bitch! What did you do to me!?" He shouted as he looked up at the sky.

"Hey, why are you shouting?" He heard a voice. It sounded like it came from above the tree. Whoever spoke was not visible. But what got his attention was the voice. A female's voice, to be precise.

"Where are you?" He said, his gaze searched all over the tree.

Suddenly, someone jumped down from one of the long branches. It was a... what? A small girl with bunny teeth, brown squirrel ears, and a thick bushy tail.

Arsh was confused after he examined her appearance.

"What is this creature? A girl? An animal? A hybrid?" He thought.

She suddenly bit his butt. Arsh jolted from the sharp sting of pain.

"Ah, ah, ouch! What is the meaning of this?" He demanded.

She pouted in anger. "Why did you shout? I might have gotten a heart attack."

"Ah, I am really sorry," He said. He awkwardly touched his hand to the back of his head while his other hand rubbed at his but.

"If I look closely, isn't she cute?" He thought while he scanned her.

She was... ahem... a loli. Don't call the FBI, please. She was wore an old white shirt of some sort, and a blue skirt.

"Jeez, are you a human?" She asked as she set her hands on her waist.

"Huh?" He sounded a bit confused. "Do I not look like a human? And what is she? She is the one who does not look like a human."

"Oye, mister? I asked you something," She frowned, irritated by his lack of ability to pay attention.

"Ah, yeah... yeah, I am a human," He said.

"Jeez, you humans won't let us live even here," She said. "You have taken everything from us. What else do you want?" She sounded a bit annoyed. What was she talking about?

He got puzzled. "What is she talking about?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," He said.

"Trying to play innocent? It won't work," She crossed her arms.

"Huh? But I really don't know what you are talking about," He tried to convince her. "I have just arrived here."

"Arrived from where?" She asked.

He found it a bit difficult to explain. It was not as if he could tell her he was seduced by a gorgeous girl, and died because of a boner when he discovered she was a trap and also had a boner. That would be the most humiliating explanation he would ever give anyone.

"Uh, how should I explain?" He averted his gaze as he scratched his cheek. "I died, and met someone named Nattara and..."

She was surprised when he mentioned the name 'Nattara'.

"...and she threw me here."

"Hey, mister, what did you say? You met Goddess Nattara?" She found it difficult to believe a single word he said. He could have been deceiving her right from the beginning.

"A bitch, not a goddess."

"Hey, don't insult our holy deities," She warned with a bitter scowl.

"Holy deities, my ass," He said as he tapped his but lightly. "She was a bitch."

"Jeez, leave it. But how did you meet her? She is a goddess after all."

"I don't know... I just... Why should I tell you all this?" He raised a brow. "You haven't told me about yourself yet."

"Ah, I am Pako," She introduced. "As you can see, I belong to Hurrel race."

"Hurrel?" He said, confused. He never heard this word in his life.

"Yes, a hybrid race of squirrels and humans."

"Did humans put it inside squirrels or the squirrels did it?"

She did not understand. "Huh?"

"Nothing," He said. "By the way, how old are you?"

"I am 800 years old," She said.

"800?" Did he hear correctly or was his ears playing tricks on him?. "It means she is a... she is a Legal Loli!" He thought.

Please don't call the FBI.

"But you don't look like you are 800 years old," His brows furrowed.

"Yes, they all say I look a lot older," She sighed.

"She looks older?" He thought, confused.

"Now tell me, how did you meet Goddess Nattara?" She asked. It seemed as if she was a devotee of Nattara.

"Umm, I died and I woke up in a place called 'The Void'. There I met that bitch. She threw me here. I don't remember anything after that. When I opened my eyes, I was already here."

Of course, he did not want to tell anyone how he died. He would be the laughing stock of the century in a new world he did not even make a life for himself as yet. It was better off left unspoken. No one needed to know, did they?

"You are a crosser?" She said as she examined him closer.

"Crosser?" Again a word he never heard before.

"One who is sent from another world," She said. "They are respected people."

"I see."

"But the last time I heard about a crosser was more than a hundred years ago," She said as she put her finger on her chin.

"You are the first one after so many years. According to my knowledge."

"Does it mean that I am special?" He questioned.

"You sure are," She said. "Humans from this world respect crossers. But..."

"But?"

"But they are equally hated by other races."

"Why?" He wondered if the previous crossers had done something awful to the other races. Or did they commit some heinous crime for which they were despised? Did they break a rule or regulation of some sort?

"Jeez, you ask so many questions," She said with a frown. "Go to the town, you will come to know everything."

"But... where is the town?"

"Uff, what a hassle!" She fumed in irritation. "Walk ten kilometres North from here, you will reach a street. Follow that street in whatever direction it leads, you will reach a town."

"I have to walk ten kilometres?" He said, with his eyes open wide.

"You can't?" She said and regarded him with a sideways glance.

"Why do you think so? I can walk even hundred kilometres in one go," He tried to act cool.

He started walking. Pako yawned.

"I should head to sleep now," She said, and climbed the tree.

"Hey!" She heard a voice. It was him again.

"Ah, what happened now?" She said, irritated again.

"Which way is North?" He asked as he scratched the back of his head.