DRIP... DRIP...
Icy water dripped from the dark, vaulted ceiling, landing among a group of whispering figures.
They held flutes made of bone and whips crafted from beast hide and iron nails. Swarms of giant rats milled around them, restless and agitated, as if ready to devour someone at any moment.
"That outsider has reached the Worm Tribe. Those fools who only know how to raise bugs have probably all been slaughtered."
"Perfect. And the outsider has a gun! A gun! If we get our hands on that gun, we Rat Speakers will be able to rule the entire Iron Country!"
"A gun isn't so scary. In the face of a rat swarm, even a gun is useless! That gun will be ours..."
"The scout rats say the woman seems to be a Night Woman. Shouldn't we be more careful?"
"So what if she's a Night Woman? Once we have the gun and the help of our rat swarms, the Night Woman Tribe will be just another ordinary tribe..."
