First, I would want to give a shoutout to my dear friend from steem-comic @rehanrhapsody for the lovely picture that he has drawn and given me the right to use it for this story writing challenge.
Those who are interested in his work can click on this.
For this contest, I use the image as a prompt for the story and I stick to the title 'Nature2'. Thank you @xpilar for giving me an opportunity to participate.
The legend has it that he lives in the Lake of Kenyir, feeding on frogs and fishes. Two days ago some boys has gone missing after a fishing trip and a large scale search and rescue has been organised. The prospect looks bleak. Many believed that the creature of the deep swamp, the locals call him ‘Dedaun’ could have been involved.
According to folklore Dedaun was a village boy, a mischievious one. He was fondly known as Budak. He would use his catapult, to aim at birds in their nest or pelt the squirrels with pebbles. He could not get along with the other kids because he has a sadistic tendency and the kids are frightened by him. He would tie a kitten on one leg to a tree and splash water at the poor creature as he laughs away. The kitten would be crying while trying to free itself. He was caught by the village headman when he released a python into the chicken coop.
The villagers didn’t know what to do with him, he is as mischievous as he can get. They pitied him because he is an orphan and he has lost both his parents when a mysterious plague hit the village 10 years ago. But again this has to stop. No matter how he was punished each time he was caught, that never deter him from his next notorious crime.
It wasn’t until one day, when he ventured into the forest armed with his catapult and a cage made of bamboo, hoping to catch a white owl. The white owl is particularly sacred to the village. It is not common to find one, but it is fabled to be the protector for the village. The village is kept from harm’s way for as long as the white owl is present.
Source
It has been 8 hours since Budak ventured into the woods. The hoots of the owl can be heard from far, his feet is wet and he entering into the swampy part of the forest. This looks like a perfect spot for an owl to hunt. It wasn’t long before he sighted the owl. It was cotton white and its feathers were almost glowing as it captured the moonlight.
He used the bait of a live frog and he hooked it to the mangrove tree waiting patiently for the owl to take the bait. While waiting, he fell asleep. He dreamt that he was approached by a shaman, dressed in black but with a white cloak of feathers holding a long walking stick and on his shoulder was the owl! He couldn’t hold his excitement.
Before he could say anything, the shaman chanted some incantation and he was frozen, his legs was rooted to the ground just like the mangrove plants. His legs turned into trunks. For the first time in his life, he was frightened. The shaman did not speak but somehow the words were conveyed telepathically.
‘You have been offending the spirits and you are unremorseful for your conduct. I have to teach you a lesson, because you deserve one. I summon upon the spirits of the deep, that till the day you show compassion and perform 1000 kind deeds and save 100 lives you are banished to a cursed life and you shall live like one of us, look like one of us and eat like one of us…. I now shall call you Dedaun which means leaves (Malay Language) and this curse shall not be broken until your task is complete and your lesson is learnt’
He opened his eyes and the first thing he did was look at his feet, he could not see flesh and skin. All he saw was roots and barks. Some leaves were growing out from his limbs. He realised the curse was real.
The local search party stopped the search as the sunsets. They didn’t want to run the risk of bumping into Dedaun. The boys were in fact saved by Dedaun, they boat capsized in the lake when there was a heavy downpour. This is the 95th and 96th live that he has saved, another 4 more and he will break this wretched curse that he has been living with for the past 15 years. He regretted but it is a lesson that he must learn.
It wasn’t before long when the dawn broke and the boys were finally reunited with their family. They couldn’t remember a thing but they knew they were saved.
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