"Acamilla Apparaus?" Professor Owen's thought that he kind of knew what the girl was talking about. "You don't mean the plant that was stolen by the master thief right?"

"God professor you know about it?" Xhemin gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

​​

"Of course I know about it" He said and Xhemin realized that a seasoned botanist like Professor Owen's should know different kinds of plants—even those plants that were kept confidential. "What do you need it for?

"The Diamond Prince got caught up in an explosion," Her face dimmed and her chest tightened as she recalled what happened. She told the professor about what she learned about the plant and her plans of developing it to help Huzey get on his feet again.

Hearing her story, Professor Owen's features fell "I'm sorry about that dear. As for the Acamilla Apparaus, just like you, there was a time in my life that I wished to take a sample of it for my study but finding it was just impossible…"

"But professor you drew it on this book" Xhemin said "It means you have seen it somewhere round the island"

"I certainly did but I'm not sure if it was the Acamilla Apparaus. You see, no one had seen the plant before except from the master thief and its previous owners. I had only seen the plant in pictures"

"How about this plant that you drew? Where did you find it?"

Professor Owen's thought for a moment and then spoke "If I do remember correctly, I saw it drifted in the river last year during the rainy season. I probably thought it looked familiar so I went to pick it up"

"You mean you didn't know where it came from?"

"I'm sorry to say dear but yes," Professor Owens shrugged "But since it was drifted in the river, chances were it grew somewhere in the mountain and got caught up when the water from the river rose up. It probably grows near the riverbank"

"Where does the water from the river comes from?"

"The Tres Marias"

"Tres Marias?" Xhemin repeated the name but in a form of question.

"The three mountains in this island. Those mountains are heaven, they were full of wonderful things. I go there all the time to gather some herbs and plants. Perhaps this flower grows somewhere right there"

"Perhaps…"Xhemin heaved a heavy sigh. She almost got killed for nothing, but at least there's still some chances. This is not the time to be negative about things she hoped for—maybe as professor Owens said, the healing pant was rooting somewhere in this island and she'll find one before she knows it. "We should go and find one"

"Ai ou, dear you cannot still leave this place at the moment," Professor Owens dismissed her sudden plans.

"Because I haven't fully recovered yet?" she knew the professor would say so.

"Yes and also" The old man wanted to expressed something, thought for a moment before he opted to tell the girl the greatest concern he had for now "You came to the island at the wrong time"

"Came at the wrong time?" Xhemin wondered before the old professor "What are you talking about?"

Professor Owen was about to tell Xhemin something that bothered him for the past few months after she arrived, but even before he can narrate to her everything, a boy, probably around ten or eleven went in and caught the attention of the two.

"The Baruk calls for you Aki," The boy called in the Manngan tribe's mother toungue.

"The Baruk?" He asked surprised with the village leader's sudden visit. "Come Xhemin, let's pay our respects"

The professor hastily went out to welcome the unexpected visitor. Xhemin on the other hand followed behind slowly as her knees was not that strong enough to get her into running again. When she came out, everyone's face was on her.

"We had met again healer," The Baruk welcomed her. It was the same Baruk who lead the group of tribesmen previously, the one she meet on the Hampshire woods.

"You can speak English now?" She was surprised to have heard him speak the language at the other side of the ocean.

"The blue blooded can speak English" Professor Owens revealed. Xhemin only gave the professor a look. "By the way dear, I have to go to the central village"

"You are going to leave me all alone?"

"It is important that the Aki comes with us," The Baruk intervened "After all, the meeting we are going to attend involves you"

"Me?" Xhemin frowned.

"I'll explain to you when I come back" Professor Owens told the girl before he went inside his hut to get something before he joined the company of Baruk as they went off.

Alone outside as she watched the group left, Xhemin then observed the place. Where she's at was a small community near the shore. She saw fishes being dried up, hung outside almost each houses and fishing nets scattered off everywhere. Not long, she noticed that everyone's eyes were on her and the fact gives her creeps. They stared at her in an expression that she could not comprehend and that alone terrified her. How could Professor Owens leave her all alone?

Xhemin stepped back, wanting to go back and probably stay inside until the professor comes back. She was about to close the door when a little girl came on her line of sight.

"Healer," She said gently but her eyes looked up on her the way everyone did.

"Yes?" Xhemin's voice was a little shaky. She tried her best to speak in the island's language "Do you need some—

Right then, the girl extended something to her. It was a small basket full of something that was covered by banana leaf.

"These are herbs," She said. "We gathered it for you because you were sick,"

The little girl's words touched Xhemin's heart. She tore her gaze from the little girl and back to the people who gave her a weird look earlier and right then she understood them—they were worried about her and they meant no harm. With that, instead of closing her door, Xhemin stepped out and went to greet everyone.

She was after all their healer. Didn't Professor Owen say they adored the healer very much?

***

Aki — means teacher or mentor

Blue blood — refers to the family of leaders in the tribesmen