Zero to Hero

Chapter 2. Winds of Change

The meager light artifact flickered erratically, casting eerie shadows within the hut that trembled against the ferocious winds. The winged wolf, the girl and the cramped space made me acutely aware of my tiny cabin's limitations.

"You're saying I'm halfway across the world from home, and it'd take over a year to get back?" Candace's incredulous shout reverberated, accompanied by a disapproving growl from the wolf. Meanwhile, I struggled to piece together how this bizarre scenario unfolded.

Handing her a steaming cup of herbal tea, I attempted to soothe Candace to a state where she could explain her inexplicable presence on the other side of the world.

"My village elder tasked me to hire help, right? But I was penniless. So, I did the only thing I knew to make money. I ventured into the remote forest near my village, known for its magical wolf population, just like I did years ago. I tried to capture a litter of pups to take to Darrumburgh and sell for gold to get help," Candace revealed loudly, as I sipped the hot tea.

"Phrased that way, aren't you just a terrible poacher? Now I feel sorry for this pup and the ones Ava bought from you years ago," I remarked, gently petting the content wolf that seemed to relish my company.

"What did you expect me to do? Sell my body? My entire village barely scraped by; none of us could conjure gold out of thin air like you! The wolf pups were my only means to secure money and help my people," Candace retorted heatedly, her hair starting to rise, embers forming around her.

"Hey, hey, calm down. I don't need you torching my hut."

"I'm stuck halfway across the world from home, in this bone-chilling cold. Nearly mauled to death by some monstrous bear thing. The guy I admired for so long turned into someone completely different, and I'm branded a terrible person! My day's been a disaster, and I'm on the verge of a breakdown," Candace continued, her voice quivering, eyes welling with tears.

"Sorry, Candace. You did what you had to, and I'm in no position to judge."

"I'll forgive you if you get me back home. This gloomy, depressed vibe doesn't suit you!" Candace replied, her demeanor suddenly flipping, her trembling ceasing and tears evaporating.

Witnessing such a swift and extreme shift in the girl's emotions wasn't something I'd anticipated. But rather than feeling duped or irritated, her personality only intrigued and charmed me more and weakened my resolve.

"Come on, Candace. We've strayed so far off course, and I still have no clue how you landed here."

"It's the wolf's fault! I thought she was an ordinary winged wolf with fire and water because of her mane and tail. But when I tried to capture her, she conjured an earth shield out of nowhere! Then, bam! She shot an air blast at me before teleporting us right in front of that monstrous bear!" Candace recounted animatedly, gesticulating wildly as she narrated her tale, captivating my attention with her charm and beauty.

"Even if this pup was born with all five elements, I don't see how she could teleport you across the world. It takes a holy-level space magic user hours to fill up an artifact for teleportation over such distances. I've never seen or heard of anyone teleporting more than a few miles without an artifact or magic circle as a medium," I said, disbelief laced in my voice.

Given my knowledge of the world and magic, the concept of someone teleporting thousands of miles seemed implausible. I had been regarded as the next big thing just five years ago and had limitations in teleportation confined to a mere five-mile radius.

"Ken, I might be a country bumpkin, but you're like a caveman who knows nothing about the current world. For us fire fairies, our connection with the fire element is primal. My race's mastery with fire magic was unmatched, my elder called it awakened.