An Encounter

Tirion Fordring, who was teasing his son, had no idea that this was the effect of the affinity granted by the awakening of the Power of Nephalem. Taelan Fordring, of course, didn't dare tell him.

Taelan gazed up at Archmage Krasus's Magic Tower, taking in its lofty spire and the beautiful enchanted gems set into it. He wondered how he could get close to the Archmage and, through him, make contact with the Dragon Aspects.

Just then, Tirion Fordring said, "I think I've run into an old friend! I need to say hello, but first I have to see whether he's alone. Wait here a moment!" Tirion trusted Taelan completely. For one thing, his son was mature beyond his years. For another, those few skills of his were downright unusual. He might not be able to win a fight, but it would be hard to hurt him in a short time.

"Alright, Father. Go ahead. I'll wait here!" Taelan Fordring replied. After Tirion Fordring walked off, Taelan looked around, admiring Dalaran's beautiful scenery. Just then, he felt a chill run down his back! Humans already had a strong natural Perception, and his enhanced Perception made his senses even sharper.

So he let out a "meow"—Malicious Polymorph! He had just turned around when he saw a Gnome. The purple glow around the Gnome's hand had just faded, and Taelan Fordring felt a wave of dread. Damn it! Someone was causing trouble in the place with the second-highest concentration of mages in the world! He braced himself. As soon as Polymorph wore off, he would use Mortal Strike, hoping he could withstand the "Great Apology Spell" that was sure to follow!

But nothing happened! The Gnome just made a face at him, then vanished in a flash! Damn it, how had he forgotten? Dalaran had a Gnome who turned people into sheep—no, a Gnome who turned them into cats!

That little Gnome was called Little Goblin. Magic Wand! He often played pranks around Dalaran, and plenty of players had been turned into sheep by him. Now it seemed he was even better at turning people into cats! Taelan Fordring stared at his furry front paws, on the verge of tears!

Just you wait until I turn back. I'll treat you to a taste of Big Brick!

Just then, he heard a pleasant voice say, "What a beautiful cat! Wow, a Ragdoll! This is the prettiest cat I've ever seen!" Then Taelan felt himself being lifted by a pair of chubby little hands!

The huge change in his size left him feeling a little uncomfortable. Then he was raised into the air, and a little girl came into view. She had a pretty little face, long blond hair, and a cute, pert nose. She wore a princess dress that made her look like a doll. A sweet scent drifted into Taelan's nose.

The little girl holding the white Ragdoll shifted her grip, letting the cat rest in her arms. She stroked its fur with her chubby little hand, then rubbed her cheek against it! Taelan Fordring was mortified. He cursed Little Goblin nonstop in his mind. No wonder you don't have any friends! Did you learn Polymorph: Cat from a Nephalem? Does it really have to last five minutes?

Looking at the little girl's face, Taelan Fordring froze. She seemed familiar! Wasn't this Jaina, the Daughter of the Sea? What was she doing here? Wasn't she supposed to come to Dalaran to study magic at eleven? She should be only a little over eight, just like him! Why was she here?

Taelan Fordring cursed Jaina under his breath. Then he suddenly remembered: his father had said he'd spotted an old friend and wanted to see whether he was alone.

Wait. Taelan Fordring suddenly realized why Jaina was here! The man his father was meeting was Daelin Proudmoore! He was Kul Tiras's Grand Admiral! And when he was younger, he'd had a romantic affair. He had fallen in love with a High Elf mage named Gina Goldsword, and they'd had a child named Fenna Goldsword!

Daelin had come here to meet his High Elf mage friend! But was it really a good idea to meet the mother of his illegitimate child while bringing his legitimate daughter along? If that was what was happening, Daelin, you were way out of line! And this was just too awkward!

Perhaps the Holy Light within Taelan had brought warmth to young Jaina. Perhaps Nephalem Affinity had taken effect. More likely, the Ragdoll's beauty had won Jaina over. The Daughter of the Sea had decided to take Taelan home!

She carried Taelan down a side path. Suddenly, he sensed a hot, dark presence approaching Jaina. A dagger appeared at her neck, its gleaming tip pressed against her skin. At the same time, a hoarse voice rang out: "Don't move, sweet Princess! Or I'll kill you right now!"

Taelan was utterly baffled in his cat form! Jaina had gone through this too? I had no idea! And who was this guy? Was it really a good idea to kidnap Kul Tiras's Princess on the streets of Dalaran, the kingdom of magic?

Just then, an enormous fireball shot into the sky! Judging by its size, it had to be a "Great Apology Spell!" Taelan Fordring saw the guards by the roadside and an uncommon Spellbreaker rush toward the Horse-faced Mage who had cast Pyroblast! That wasn't all. Everyone nearby turned to look. Dalaran forbade the use of magic in public! Anyone who broke that rule would be sent to Violet Hold to work a sewing machine!

But Taelan Fordring knew something was terribly wrong. The Horse-faced Mage was probably an accomplice of the one holding Jaina hostage! His Pyroblast had drawn everyone's attention away!

The Polymorph: Cat was about to wear off! Its five-minute duration had lasted four minutes. It seemed the Power of Nephalem had granted him extra resistance.

Taelan Fordring had two options:

The first was to wait until Polymorph: Cat wore off, then jump straight out of Jaina's arms and hit the man behind her with Hammer of Justice! He'd have five seconds to run to the entrance of Krasus's Magic Tower. Even Gul'dan, the Warlock King, would run as far away as possible from an Archmage in his own Magic Tower! A Magic Tower not only provided its master with powerful protection, but also supplied him with plenty of mana. The towers of some Archmages were even fortified with all kinds of bizarre spells designed to kill anyone who wandered in, such as Spatial Lock, a spell few could cast! If he reached the tower, he might be rescued. More importantly, he wasn't the kidnapper's target. Of course, he'd have to bet that the Archmage was home!

His advantage was that no one would expect the hostage to be holding a Paladin transformed into a cat! But if he did that, the man would take Jaina away, while he might escape unscathed!

The second option was to wait until Polymorph: Cat wore off, then use his divine skill, Mortal Strike, to attack the kidnapper with his shield. The skill never missed! That would let him test the man's strength. If he turned out to be powerful, Taelan could use Blessing of Tirion Fordring, activate its Precision effect, and knock him unconscious with Big Brick! Then he could escape with Jaina! But this was already a side path. There were few people around, and with a nonmagical deadweight in tow, he might get caught once the man recovered from the stun. The kidnapper might also have other accomplices.

And this man certainly wouldn't go easy on him!

Anyone who dared take hostages here had to be either exceptionally powerful or not right in the head. He'd even arranged for someone to back him up. He definitely wasn't crazy. Which could only mean he was extremely dangerous—and had a clear objective!

What should I do?

Posting first, revising later! Two chapters in a row! Everyone's welcome to share their thoughts! Happy Lunar New Year!

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