[i]No doubt Ruby had entered the decrepit halls of the dojo to avoid being seen. However, the headhunter's spotter was a creature of many talents. Vultures have not only sight that is among the best in the animal kingdom, but a sense of smell without equal. A mature one can detect a scent in concentrations as tiny as a few parts per billion in the air. Contrary to popular belief, the famous circling of vultures was not a result of them waiting for prey to die. They circle to determine the exact location of food.

Zande's vulture would drift lazily down in tightening rings above the location where the most obvious threat to its master hid, just as it had been trained to passively do. The initial squawk had alerted the headhunter, and now he knew to keep the corner of his eye focused upon where his pet hovered. 

Another animal fact. Many predators, when engaged in open combat, would void their bowels to reduce body weight. Fighting bears shat themselves. Big cats too. Zande had done so for the same reason. A glimmer, a pop. A fast moving object had entered his peripheral vision. A giant arrow? A silent cannonball? Not enough time to evade. He had to block. He twisted his back in the direction of where the vulture had singled out its target, the grappling hook banging harshly against the thick blades of the axes harnessed to Zande's back. 

Assuming it didn't explode or anything, the cannibal would shoot out from his crouch and sprint in the direction of the rope with blistering impetus, the long claws of his boots gouging grooves in the floor. The sound of his top speed was comparable to several kitchen knives being repeatedly dashed against a wall. He knew what it was in a fraction of a second. He had seen grappling hooks before, used to scale castle walls. In a moment he would have been able to close half the distance, aiming to get as close as possible before swooping low and whisking a wicked skinning knife from his belt to ram through the rope of the grappling hook and deep into the ground as it began to contract. He knew that if it were of metal cord, he'd have to stab it rather than slice it. And besides, this way it wouldn't hit him in the back of the head. [/i]