ATLA - The hunter

I awoke to the sun bombarding my face. Groggily, I sat up and rubbed my eyes with my fists. As my vision cleared, I took in my surroundings. I was in some kind of cave, with a small fire burning in the center. My pack was next to me, along with my bow and arrows.

I got to my feet and stretched, trying to work the kinks out of my body. I looked around the cave again, trying to remember how I got here. The last thing I remembered was being on my boat, sailing through the rough seas. Then, I was hit by a freak wave and knocked unconscious. When I came to, I was here.

I walked over to my pack and rummaged through it, looking for something to eat. I hadn't eaten in hours, and my stomach was growling. I found a few dried meats and some hard bread. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

As I ate, I tried to piece together what had happened. The last thing I remembered was being on my boat, in the middle of a storm. I must have been washed ashore. But where was I?

I got to my feet and walked to the entrance of the cave. I squinted against the bright sunlight and looked around. I appeared to be on some kind of island. There were palm trees and sandy beaches as far as the eye could see.

I walked back into the cave and grabbed my things. I didn't know how long I was going to be stranded on this island, but I might as well make myself comfortable. I set up my bedroll and started a small fire. Then, I sat down and leaned against the cave wall, letting out a sigh.

I was just starting to drift off to sleep when I heard a noise outside. I sat up and grabbed my bow, nocking an arrow. I crept to the entrance of the cave and peeked out.

There, on the beach, was a small group of people. They were talking and laughing, seemingly unaware of my presence. I watched them for a moment before stepping out of the cave.

"Hello!" I called out, walking towards them.

The group turned to look at me. They were all wearing strange clothes and had strange tattoos on their faces. I stopped a few feet from them, not wanting to seem threatening.

"Who are you?" one of them asked.

"My name is John. I'm...stranded on this island. I was hoping you could help me."

The group exchanged glances. Then, the one who had spoken stepped forward. "We can help you," he said. "But first, you must pass a test."

"A test?" I asked, confused.

"Yes. We need to know that you're worthy of our help."

"And how do I do that?"

"You must complete a series of tasks. If you succeed, we will help you."

"And if I fail?"

"Then you will be banished from this island forever."

I thought about it for a moment. It didn't seem like I had much of a choice. "All right," I said. "I'll do it."

"Good," the man said. "Follow me."

He led me away from the group and down to the water's edge. There, he pointed to an object floating in the distance.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It's a bison. Your first task is to catch it."

"Catch it? How am I supposed to do that?"

"You'll figure it out," the man said. "Good luck."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone. I stared at the bison for a moment, wondering how in the world I was supposed to catch it. Then, I had an idea.

I ran back to the cave and grabbed my bow and arrows. I sprinted back to the water's edge and aimed my arrow. I let it fly, watching as it sunk into the bison's side.

The bison bellowed in pain and tried to swim away, but the arrow had punctured its lung. It eventually succumbed to its injuries and floated lifelessly in the water.

I waded out to the bison and dragged it back to shore. The man was waiting for me when I returned.

"Well done," he said. "Your second task is to skin the bison and cure the hide."

"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked.

"You'll figure it out," the man said. "Good luck."

He walked away, leaving me alone once again. I looked down at the bison and sighed. This was going to be a lot of work.