The metallic scent of arterial blood stings the afternoon tranquillity. Man's blood, the scent of ape, and sweat, and the stink of panic. Drips of red glisten on the bases of the grasses, and as the cheetah ventures further into them, the scent grows stronger. Damp dirt and thick mud are upturned here. Something's half-buried in the soft ground, nearly hidden in the grass.
Several paw prints mark the ground.
Fireborn sniffs at the ground, following the scent of blood. That scent is very familiar, in the sense that he's killed men before, and it's not new. The cheetah's head comes up to scan the grasses, then lowers down to sniff the paw prints. Those are not regular paw prints he's seen on the savannah. The cheetah proceeds to dig up the ground that was just upturned when he reaches it, ears up and tailtip twitching with anticipation.