He turned and ran.
The bears naturally followed, their roars of displeasure accompanied only by the sound of loudly crashing foliage. He deftly maintained his lead, slipping between the close trunks his pursuers were forced to topple or circumnavigate. Eventually, the chase found him bursting into a small clearing of a few hundred feet. Now without the advantage of terrain, he summoned his stamina and began a last desperate sprint.
He skidded to a halt in the center of the space, reserves spent. Surveying the bears as they filed into the clearing, he noted their sudden quietness as they encircled his position.
He waited.
The beasts had surrounded him.
He still waited, eying their progress .
They were slowly closing the circle with predatory patience.
One more moment…
He dropped to a crouch, eyelids snapping shut and as fingers plugged ears. Microseconds later, a blast of sound and light erupted with a potency that still pressured his protected senses. He heard pained yelps, and opened an eye.
Success.