Leaf's heart was as hot as a pot of oil.
His brain, however, seemed to be filled with ice. It was sharp and calm.
The little people that he had found on the murals in the cave seemed to be jumping around in front of his eyes, giving him advice.
Soon, the little people gathered into the shape of his brother.
"Leaf, we are rat people. Our strength is destined to be weaker than that of the clan's warriors."
His elder brother said, "Moreover, even if we train our brute strength a hundred times, how many warriors of the clan can we defeat? Five, ten, or twenty?
"Without the power of totems, a body of flesh and blood has limited strength.
"But as long as we learn to use our brains, the power of wisdom will be unlimited."
His brother was right.
Leaf lay in the rotten sewage, quietly observing and thinking.
He remembered a dangerous game that the teenagers often played when they were in Half Mountain Village.