'They were going to sell me.'

I sat huddled in the corner of this filthy cage, my heart pounding loudly.

I tried to make myself as small as possible, squeezing into the shadows like I used to do when I played hide-and-seek with my siblings. But I knew no one was coming to find me this time.

The air was heavy with the smell of sweat and leather, and something else—something bad. I didn’t know what it was, but it made me feel sick to my stomach.

I could hear the man that had kidnapped me, his voice loud and mean, ordering the others around like they were nothing.

I watched with wide eyes as he shoved people out of their cages, one by one, and sold them off like they were things. Just things.

'And now, it was my turn.'

The merchant’s rough hand reached in and grabbed me, his grip so tight it almost choked me.

I squirmed and tried to pull away, but he was too strong, too big. My tiny feet dangled in the air as he lifted me up, holding me out for everyone to see.

“Next up! A rare find indeed!” he shouted, making my ears ring.

“A genuine gnome! Small but sharp, with the ability to find anything you desire. Perfect for dungeons, treasure hunts, or whatever else you have in mind!”

I wanted to cry, how could I not be? They were talking about me like I was just a thing, like I didn’t matter at all.

“How much for the little thing?” a voice cut through the noise, making my whole body stiffen. I looked up and saw him—a big, scary man with a scar running down his face.

He didn’t look nice at all. His eyes were somewhat perverted as he stared at me.

The merchant’s smile got even bigger, and it made my skin crawl. “For you, my friend, a special price. Three hundred credit. She’s one of a kind, and well worth every coin.”

Three hundred? That sounded like a lot, but I didn’t really know. I didn’t understand how currency operated in the human world.

The scarred man scoffed, crossing his arms. “Three hundred? For a runt like that? You must be out of your damn mind.”

'Heek!' I flinched at his words.

I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to go home, but i was trapped.

“She’s got the [Pathfinder] inheritance.” the merchant snapped back, giving me a little shake that made my head spin.

“You know what that means. She can find you hidden paths, secret treasures—things you wouldn’t dream of getting your hands on without her.”

I didn’t know what to do. My head was spinning, and I felt like I might just pass out. They kept talking about me like I was some kind of... of treasure map or something.

I didn’t want to find paths or treasures for them. I just wanted to go back home.

Another man stepped forward, thinner than the first, with a creepy grin. He had a dagger at his side, and the way he looked at me made me want to shrink back even more.

“Even with that, she’s a liability. Look at her—she’s terrified. She’ll be more trouble than she’s worth. We’re risking our necks for a tiny creature that might just bolt at the first sign of danger.”

He was right. I was terrified. I didn’t want to go with them. I didn’t want to be their tool. But what choice did I have? They were bigger, stronger, and I was... I was just me.

The merchant’s face twisted with anger. "One hundred and fifty, then. But the slave contract isn't part of the deal. That's my final offer. I promise you won't find another like her. As adventurers, you know the value a gnome brings in a dungeon."

My heart sank. They were going to buy me. I could feel it in the way they looked at me, in the way they talked. They didn’t care about me. They just wanted what I could do.

The last man, the one with the staff, finally spoke. “We’ll take her. A hundred and fifty credit.”

“Wise decision,” the merchant said, sounding so smug I wanted to hit him.

“She’ll serve you well if you keep a tight leash on her. Just remember, she’s got a mind of her own. Break her spirit if you must, but don’t let her out of your sight.”

'Gah!'

The scarred man grabbed hold of me, his fingers wrapping around my tiny body like a vice. I struggled to breathe, but he didn’t care. He didn’t loosen his grip.

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“We’ll keep that in mind,” the man said, his voice cold as he pulled me away from the market.

Time slipped away, and I lost all sense of it long ago.

Days? Weeks? It didn’t matter. All I craved was freedom.

The dark, damp corridors of the dungeon became my new home, and I hated every second of it.

I wasn’t built for this. Gnomes like me, we were supposed to be free, not locked in cages, not used for someone else’s gain.

The scarred man, who seemed to be the leader, barked orders at the others as they fought off a group of slimes. Their weapons clashed against the creatures, splattering goo everywhere. I watched from inside my tiny cage, trembling.

“Let's get rid of them quickly and have that runt use her inheritance!” the leader shouted, swinging his sword to slice through a slime that lunged at him.

“Quit yelling! We know what to do!” the man with the dagger snapped back, dodging a glob of slime that splattered near him.

The fight was chaotic, their movements frenzied as the slimes seemed to multiply around them. It was then that a mistake was made.

The one with the staff, in his haste to cast a spell, knocked my cage off the rock it had been set on. It hit the ground hard, and the flimsy lock snapped open.

My heart skipped a beat. This was it—my chance!

“Get her!” the leader yelled, realizing what had happened.

Before they could react, I scrambled out of the broken cage. My legs felt weak, my tiny body shaking with fear and adrenaline, but I forced myself to move. I had to run, had to escape, before they caught me again.

“Guide me towards freedom!” I whispered desperately, calling on my inheritance.

The air around me shimmered, and a faint mist formed in front of me, visible only to my eyes.

It swirled and twisted, pointing me toward a path deeper into the dungeon.

https://i.imgur.com/tBPRVjq.jpeg [https://i.imgur.com/tBPRVjq.jpeg]

[Pathfinder - Inheritance]

[Pathfinder allows the user to instinctively locate and follow a desired path or objective. This innate ability manifests as a faint, visible mist or trail, perceptible only to the user, which guides them toward their chosen destination.]

[This inheritance is unique to the Gnome species and provides unparalleled navigation abilities. The path can be directed towards a wide range of objectives, such as locating food, shelter, hidden passages, evading danger and many more.]

[The pathfinder mist adapts to the user's immediate needs, adjusting course as necessary to lead them towards their desired location. However, it does not provide direct protection or combat advantages.]

[Usage: Primarily used for navigating environments.]

I didn’t hesitate. I ran as fast as my little legs could carry me, following the mist, trusting it to lead me to safety.

But I could hear them behind me, their heavy footsteps and angry shouts echoing through the corridors.

They were faster, stronger, and I knew they wouldn’t stop until they had me back in their clutches.

“She’s getting away!” the staff-wielder cursed, his voice filled with frustration. “We need her, damn it!”

“Don’t let her out of your sight!” the leader growled, his voice laced with fury.

My heart pounded in my chest as I darted around corners, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

The mist was my only guide, weaving through the labyrinth of the dungeon. I could feel my stamina waning, my legs burning with each step.

But they were closing in. I could hear their footsteps getting louder, their voices growing clearer.

They were so close, too close. Panic surged through me, and I almost stumbled as I turned another corner.

And that’s when I saw him.

A man, standing alone in the middle of the path. The mist swirled around him, guiding me straight to him.

My heart skipped a beat, fear clawing at my chest.

He was a human, just like the ones chasing me.

What if he was like them? What if he was going to hurt me too?

But I had no time to think, no time to question. My inheritance had never failed me before. If it led me to him, there had to be a reason. I just had to trust it.

I ran to him, my tiny legs shaking with exhaustion. “Please… please help me!” I cried out, my voice trembling with fear and desperation. I hid behind him, clutching his leg as if he was my last hope.

The footsteps of my pursuers grew louder, and I could feel their anger, their determination to take me back. But I couldn’t go back. I wouldn’t go back. This was my only chance at freedom, and I wasn’t going to lose it.

“Please…” I whispered again, my voice barely audible as I clung to the stranger. I didn’t know who he was, didn’t know if he would help me or betray me. But I had no choice. I had to trust him, because right now, he was all I had.

The man looked down at me, his eyes filled with something I couldn't quite understand.

"Hand her over," the leader demanded, his voice rough and threatening. "Or you'll regret it."

I trembled, clutching the man’s leg tighter, too scared to move, too scared to breathe. What would he do? Would he hand me over, just like they wanted? Would he betray me?

But instead of fear, the man’s expression remained calm, almost serene.

He looked at the adventurers with a kind of indifference that made my heart race even faster.

Then, he acted.

It happened so suddenly that I could barely register it. The man blocked the leader’s flaming sword with a shield that seemed to made out of mud, then countered with a brutal strike that sent the leader reeling.

The one with the dagger lunged at him, his speed enhanced by some sort of spell, but the man anticipated the move, parrying the attack effortlessly.

Then, with a chilling calmness, he ordered something to attack—something that I couldn’t see until it was too late.

Suddenly, green spikes pierced through the air, striking down the adventurers one by one.

The mage didn’t even have time to scream before he was impaled, his body lifted off the ground by the sheer force of the attack as blood sprayed every where.

I watched in horror as the man dismantled them with brutal efficiency.

The leader, the one who had barked orders and terrorized me, was left gasping for breath, his body trembling as he fell to the ground.

And then it was over.

The man turned back to me, the same calm expression on his face, as if nothing had happened.

But I could see the blood splattered on his clothes, the lifeless bodies lying around us.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. My legs were frozen in place, my mind struggling to comprehend what I had just witnessed.

Who was this man?

He knelt down beside me, a gentle smile forming on his lips.

It was the kind of smile that might have reassured me if I hadn’t just seen him brutally destroy those who had kept me captive.

"Are you okay?"