Morning, or at least as best as I could tell. Sammie had woke up first and helped herself to our supplies to recover and Nelson while sympathetic was a bit annoyed by just how much she had eaten with are situation. Either way it didn't matter if we didn't figure something out soon. Nelson handed me some bread as he ate some and thought on the situation.

“Realistically against a bear this size we have no real hope,” Nelson explained, “Our best bet is to sneak around it and hopefully regroup and escape but well there seems to be no sign of the others so they might have been sent far away on the attack,”

“Shame it isn't smaller would have been good fun otherwise,” Sammie commented sneaking into a rucksacks for more food.

“You have had enough,” Nelson ordered catching her just before she managed to bite into some cheese. She was a bit annoyed but put it away. How she ate so much was beyond me.

After that it was a case of simple keeping watch on the cave entrance and often a claw was leaving large gouges in the rock.

“Seems it won't get in enough to endanger us but we can't get out. Might need to count on outside events to escape or till the bear sleeps,” Nelson commented not liking be trapped but then again neither did I. We waited generally keeping back. With minimal light and no fire we couldn't do much but Sammie managed to get us sparring a fair bit.

It was often just her against both of us and she was struggling a little with countering but when she had an opening she struck hard and fast. It was still fairly one sided till Nelson managed to impale her leg and she had to hop around then it was very much him pulling out and leaving me to fight her. Even on one leg she knew how to defend herself by attacking the arm rather than blocking the weapon or dodging it. Her movement speed had been reduced considerably so there wasn't any other option. It was interesting to see how amazing her balance was. She would actually hop then launch an attack, if she missed was a bit harder for her to recover and she sort of cartwheeled onto her stable leg but if she hit the force let her remain standing. She still managed to push me to surrender but I put up a bit of a fight. It was fun but out supplies were dropping rapidly from recovering after. Finally as the day went on Nelson ordered us to stop to spare enough supplies for a night escape and journey back. If the others were without supplies and we found them it would be near impossible to get back without a bit of suffering but if they had kept their supplies in a decent shape then it would be easy enough if we could escape the bear.

It was strange how things had turned out, the ground was at least soft enough to make holes for burying our leavings. I tried to give everyone privacy but Sammie was mocking me as she went and I snapped, turning around to face her. The thing is I saw nothing, it was almost like a toy with her private parts not showing and while the ground was wet where she went, there was no signs of a trail connecting her to it as it built.

“Umm?” I was confused and that was all I managed.

“What you thought people could see that sort of thing?” Sammie laughed as she moved her foot to cover the ground with dirt after finishing.

“It is another of the good points of the system, to others you just look like well like you have nothing there. What better way to have privacy than it being covered. It seemed it is a complete graphical rewrite also so mirrors still see the same. If you want you can even do the same to yourself,” Nelson explained.

“Yourself?” I asked.

“As in you can become like a doll without seeing your own stuff,” Sammie mocked, “However from what I heard are settings to allow a bit more fun stuff with others...” I quickly changed the subject embarrassed and face likely red. Sammie was good at unsettling me and having some fun with my reactions. At least I wouldn't have to worry as much about privacy but I still liked the habit of hiding away.

It was nearly night when our hopes were crushed. The bear went to sleep but it was completely blocking the cave entrance so any hope of getting past were near impossible.

“Well guess that solves that,” Sammie said in the pitch black. We were lucky Nelson had prepared for the worst setting up the resting arrangements before we couldn't see and with a lot of feeling around and communication we managed to settle down without bumping into each other or the walls too much.

It was hard for me to sleep, I was worried about what was to come. I just lay their in the darkness, I didn't mind the darkness but the bear was loud with its snoring and it echoed inside the cave. Someone else was already sleeping but I couldn't really tell who it was. I didn't feel like talking to whoever was awake either and just lay there for likely a few hours without much to fill my thoughts. Mostly I hoped the others were doing better than us, maybe they had escaped and were getting help. I think that helped improve my mood to think of them coming back with a large group and saving us. I was thinking about how amazing it would be if that was the case when I heard movement.

“Did you hear that?” commented Sammie.

“Something is happening out their, pack up quickly this could be our chance,” Nelson ordered as I heard the rustle of blankets and bags. I followed suit not sure how well I was packing up and the rucksack seemed a bit uneven on my back.

“Follow my lead either way I hope you got some rest we will needed to move through the whole night if we are to escape and maybe more,” he instructed.

While it was true the bear had moved it was still very near to the cave and very much awake.

“Fire in the distance, could be good for us but that doesn't mean that whoever it is won't attack us after,” Nelson commented making sure we were all outside of the range of the bear in case it attacked us again.

“Seems flares are being sent up,” Sammie pointed. Even with squinting as much as I could I only just saw some tiny glow.

“Think someone is trying to lure the bear towards them?” Nelson asked.

“Hard to say, could be a group got split up and they are trying to reconnect not aware of the dangers,” Sammie reasoned. I was really wondering how the flares were done but decided now was not the time, I doubted they would answer me anyway. As if to confirm it was a challenge to the bear a directed shock wave was sent towards it. It roared in response and charged forwards.

“Can we go watch the fight?” Sammie asked. Was she insane we finally had an opening to escape and she wanted to go watch.

“Might be an idea, they could need help with this and it would be the right thing to do,” Nelson commented as he slowly lead us forwards making sure the bear didn't see us as it rushed forwards, soon we were sprinting after it.

“AGAIN!” a voice ordered and I saw the flare launch up before something hit it and made it explode into a small glimmer of shards that burnt briefly.

The bear was almost on them when it suddenly roared in pain and limped back left paw raised, clearly injured. It wasn't a large group, it wasn't even really a group just two figure silhouette in front of a large fire. Both feminine in shape. Sarah and Victoria? Were they crazy challenging the bear?

“Nelson, you there?” called Sarah.

“Here,” he called back.

“Injured the bear so it can't chase us fast enough lets regroup a bit ahead then get away from it. We started to move but Sammie wasn't coming.

“No,” was all she said. She was already in a combat stance.

“Sammie, I know you want to fight but this is the best chance we have for an escape,” Nelson ordered trying to get her to pull back.

“I can do this,” Sammie confirmed.

“You want us to take battle positions?”

“No I can do this, just hand me your spear,” she ordered, it was insane the level of confidence she had. Her alone against a bear that towered so high over her. Nelson considered a split second before throwing his spear to her. She caught it and hooked it into a small weapon hoister on her back I hadn't even noticed due to it being a slight hook of cloth blended in. I wanted to help out at least fight as a team but Sammie was having none of it as she stepped forwards as if to certain victory but I think she was still afraid and unsure on the outcome.

Then she did something completely unexpected. She roared AT the bear as if to meet its challenge. I think even the bear was confused but with a bit of shuffling it stood on its hind legs and roared back. I was shaking from just that it was just insane to see such a large bear against a small person.

Sammie made the first move rapidly closing the gap, spear still on her back. She got under it and attacked one of the rear legs with punches and kicks. It didn't seem to have much effect but the bear was struggling to shift against the smaller target under it. I think everyone was just unable to take their eyes away from the girl who roared at a bear so much larger than her. I think as a sign of respect even Victoria and Sarah, who were likely unable to hear the exchange, were holding back letting Sammie fight.

I still couldn't see too well how they had manage to injury the bear enough to get it limping but I couldn't take my eyes of Sammie who kept attacking from underneath the bear. Finally the bear had had enough and stood upright taking a swing with its right uninjured paw. Sammie didn't dive out the way but instead when it made impact with the ground she grabbed onto it and rose with it. The bear seemed confused as it swung again to try and crush her but she had already jumped towards the injured paw and was landing leg first to kick it. It hit and the bear roared in pain. She managed to grip it sliding down the leg and with spear drawn slammed into the leg on the same side impaling deeply. The bear lost balance and fell. I couldn't see Sammie, had she been crushed?

Finally movement, the bear was trying to stand but with one side unable to support it, it was more of a tragic struggle.

“This better make some waves,” Sammie announced as she finally came into view, walking up the injured side till she stopped at the neck, spear in hand. She slammed it down into the neck. It wasn't deep but she stepped back a bit then did a running jump, kicking the spear downwards till it disappeared into it. The bear struggled with a roar before a final shake and stiffened.

She had won. Not only won but completely controlled the fight to the finish. I saw her fiddling with a menu that appeared, seems there were sliders unlike menus I had really used. The others joined us as Sammie focused on her menu.

“That was an unexpected outcome,” Sarah admitted, shaken from it but almost together we burst into laughter. Such a shocking turn around from almost no hope to victory, I think no one couldn't hold back the laughter from such shock. Sammie finally dropped down menu closing and the bear changed into a pile of rucksacks containing whatever loot she had earnt.

“What did you get?” Nelson asked finally acknowledging her victory.

“As much of the best meat I could then when I couldn't get any more and there was still loot to selected the fur and hides.” Sammie commented opening one of the rucksacks. She pulled out what might have been the largest steak I had ever seen.

“Well come on everyone grab some meat and lets feast,” she ordered as she place it on a large thin rock and set it on the fire to cook Nelson followed suit and when it was clear we weren't sure how to react he grabbed two and took charge of making a stew. We filled a pot from his bag with water and he sliced up the meat dropping them in carefully keeping an eye on the water not letting it boil yet.

“I will gather some roots and whatever herbs I can,” Sarah explained as she went into the darkness with a small torch in hand. Victoria decided to go with her and that just left myself to help Nelson with whatever I was told to do. Sammie was keeping an eye on her steak, turning it over fairly often to make sure it fully cooked. She must like her steak well done, I preferred my meat cooked through also but how she was planning to eat all that was beyond me.

The others returned with with a selection and Nelson divided it up taking care to add them selectively and finely sliced. The roots seemed a bit like carrots in texture which some of the other things they gathered seemed like other vegetables. A few things he ground up, likely for seasoning.

“We got any salt?” called back Sammie as she flipped her food again, she must be burning her hands the careless way she was doing it. Victoria just threw a rock towards her.

“Salt rock? Nice,” Sammie replied crushing the outer layers spreading some over the meat that seemed basically done before she tossed it back.

The smell of the stew was filling the air. I couldn't wait till it was finished and the bowls were handed out full to the brim with the brown liquid. Sammie was already eating, both hands on the steak and tearing parts off by the mouth full.

“Your table manners are awful,” I commented.

“Good thing I am not at a table,” was the reply and I have to admit she had got me there. Compared to the stew we had had on contract work this was in another league, the extras were a bit dull but the meat was potent and the flavour was in every mouthful. We were actually struggling to finish the contents of the pot with how filling it was. It wasn't until Sammie was done with hers that she managed to help empty it. She had a bottomless stomach, it just devoured everything. When we had washed up the sun was rising.

“Lets move this load to the cave and rest up before we make our way back, with all this it will be slow,” Nelson instructed. I didn't know how we were going to move all these bags to the cave let alone the hub but Nelson took charge and spread multiple bags between large sticks so we would each be carrying six or eight between two on each side. They were brutally heavy but I guessed this stuff must be valuable and to be fair it was all Sammie's. We reached the cave but it took around four times as long as getting here from it. Nelson had found his spear at the bottom of the pile having completely forgotten about it and while it was worse for wear he was happy to see it in one piece. We packed into the back setting up to rest. Sammie offered to take the first watch and Nelson would take the next it seemed. Sammie must be wide awake after such a fight so it was nice to see I could finally rest, I was ready collapse any moment and the second I was on my back I fell asleep.

Dreamless, that's the only way to describe it. I had been dead to the world until I was woken around midday by Sarah.

Most of us didn't really feel like eating much so it was just a case of waiting for Sammie to eat and we set off with the heavy load back towards the hub. It was slow and when the storms happened we would often just use that as a time to rest and travel partly at night. The wolves hadn't really returned but according to the others that was to be expected for at least a short while. It was around the ninth day that we set out to hide that we finally were back. The others would likely be bored at the inn and as to be expected that was exactly it. They were excited to see us also having their fill of adventures. They were shocked with how much loot we were carrying. Sarah went into detail explaining how they had prepared a large area of sharpened stakes to injury the bear and how she used a special kind of plant to create the flares. First she would attach it to an arrow before lighting the slow burning part and then firing it almost straight up. It would then rapidly light and a directed shock wave from Victoria would make it explode covering a large area in burning embers. However when the fight of Sammie against the bear was explained I think Matt's heart broke a little to miss it. He actually cried hearing the outcome. When it was their turn to share stories, Lance had to give the details instead of Matt. It seems they were hired as mercenaries for armed guard of some spaceship that was in a war zone. They had seen loads of action, Matt and Lance had taken more front-line roles. With Emily being a more specialised role as a sniper and trapper. Matt when he finally recovered explained in great detail how he with a sub-machine gun had often led counter attacks to boarding parties. Lance had taken a heavier weapon a mini-gun tearing through the enemies' cover while Matt advanced. With Emily offering support and the other members they were teamed with it seems they were helpful enough to make a bit of a name for themselves and almost permanent positions if they wanted it but the declined to return. Matt even commented how Emily has gone out the airlock with no protective gear to fire a shot with pinpoint accuracy to disable a boarding ship. She had naturally died but taken out a sizeable force that they likely wouldn't have managed to repel. Considering how we were all trying to hide we had likely made bigger names for ourselves.

When the stories were finished Storm came to greet us happy about the rise in business but missing us regulars. We told him about the current events and he had a good laugh with us joining the conversation and offering us a free round of drinks to welcome us back. No one doubted it was anyone's but Sammie's loot and finally she made her move.

“Consider this a payment towards buying a room room,” Sammie told Storm and when he went to inspect it all he shook his head.

“Just towards? With all this you can have the room, heck with this quality of meat I would offer you a thirty percent share of all the profits from it since I can really host a few events and make a fortune,” he replied as he fiddled with a large menu granting her the room. Seems everyone would walk away from this happy, while Storm prepared to clear the bags away he offered us heavy discounts for the next week for all the meat and other items. Seemed this place was going to get a lot busier over the next few days...