Healer Xi looked at his companion, who was still trying to persuade him to stop protecting the Red Spirit Flowers and think of himself.
"You have such a bright future. The Elders told me they think very highly of you. They were originally planning to have you work on the central island, but now you're still so stubbornly misguided…"
Listening to his companion, Healer Xi felt even more guilty.
'It seems I really am the one who's sick...'
He looked out at the Red Spirit Flowers blanketing the hills and asked, "You've been deceiving me all this time, haven't you? You're just using me to reproduce, right?"
The Red Spirit Flowers didn't respond. They just continued to sway, affectionately calling him "Father."
A gentle breeze swept by, sending countless motes of red pollen into the air…
