The earliest thing he could remember was the book. No, that wasn't quite it, but Kenneth had difficulty recalling. He gave himself a minute, and then it came to him clearly.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYFigzTu5Z
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3HidkV8J3
Kenneth remembered a building, a grand one in the middle of his home village. It was a church, the Church of the Buffalo. It was on an elevation of two-hundred feet and was five miles from the shore– hardly anything, he's come to realize. He remembered the town having abundant greenery and a gorgeous forest nearby. Of course, how could he forget the forest?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4KpuhX03k
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjsiRLQm3U
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLv8IRViK4i
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhaT9jbTVh
He had just turned three years old. Kenneth was about thirty-two inches tall, which was considerably short for his age. Kenneth was wearing a black robe, akin to that of the priest's. He was standing next to said priest, who was giving a speech Kenneth couldn't remember. After the speech, his head was doused in warm, relaxing water, and then the attendees of the ceremony clapped. Kenneth was just officially declared a toddler. It may seem silly, but his village was small, so ceremonies for the young were held like this quite often. It was Kenneth's third birthday, he remembered. He ran over to his father and mother, and that was the first memory Kenneth could retain of them. His father looked sick, his mother looked guilty.
From this point on, Kenneth could recall it effortlessly.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnZHdnkdxB
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmZzsxZOsn
When Kenneth returned home, he was treated to a dish of kind words and a refreshing meal. He was only three, but he had such a big appetite already. His father was away from the table. Kenneth just sat with his mom.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20WaPNGYFO
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"Happy birthday, Kenny."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxzKXE1hbz
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7cAm1b43v
"Mm?" Kenny hummed with a slice of bread stuffed into his mouth. "Mm! Thank you!" Though it was hard to hear, her mother smiled. She was a nice lady, brown hair and green eyes. Kenneth loved her. He loved how her mother made great food. But Kenneth always thought that she looked too old to be his mom, maybe his grandmother.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMk30nVFyb
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUd4A22TJR
Dad came back to them. He had a glass bottle in his hand. He looked tired, but Kenneth was smiling vigorously at him. He still didn't change out of his church robes. He sat at the table, slamming his empty bottle on it. He stared at Kenneth's mother, and then at Kenneth. He burped and said, "Happy birthday boy," and passed out on the spot.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCXlmwqQj3
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMXJFLE4bI
Those words were a lot coming from his father. Kenneth was told to rush to bed, and he did so cheerily. He did it so.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqu65wIlh02
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That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlvGk1Ey7v
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Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeWwjoQGXy
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdGvQgwXV3
Customary to the tradition, Kenneth learned how to read and write now that he was a toddler. And he was quite good at it, he soon found. By this time, he was already writing cohesive sentences, and he read every bedtime story in the big folklore book in just a day. Kenneth loved to read, but he loved another thing more: the forest.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBC599jR0hT
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTy1kjvbQR9
Kenneth's house was closest to the Blooming Biomes, a gorgeous forest near the village. Kenneth's room had a window placed perfectly for him to gawk at the forest. It wasn't a dense forest either, so he could see the magical plant life there too. Some of it moved, and some of it released spores, but Kenny marveled at it all the same. Kenneth loved looking at that forest so much that his dad forbade him from going to his room throughout the day. So Kenneth, the smart child that he was, went to the forest.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQehci3LtQQ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLOry8wbIe
His mother stopped him immediately during his first attempt. He couldn't even make it ten feet out the door. Kenneth protested, but his mother explained that the forest was "dangerous and filled with wild beasts." Kenneth didn't believe her, of course. Kenneth spent all day looking at that forest, and he knew wild beasts weren't there.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPPAcPIxQP
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEazRrpi8PF
On his second attempt, Kenneth made it past the rickety fence surrounding the house. His dad picked him up this time, and he fiercely slapped Kenneth. That was the first time that Kenneth could remember himself crying. His mother was furious, but his father apologized and hugged Kenny. Of course, Kenny was satisfied with that, but he was a smart child, and he knew he could get more out of it. So Kenneth tried to pressure his father to let him into the forest. His father almost slapped him again. Kenneth thought of it as progress.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBS28WtmxEh
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3R72tAOuts
Kenneth's third attempt was much more successful. His father caught him trying to jump out the window. Kenneth didn't account for the fall, and he plummeted with teary eyes, but his father was right there, frowning.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOc5VicQNI
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJSgctgrHe
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOksqQLlfaK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHQyYFLt1f
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5M17fMkGl6
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEjo4o4WfK
Kenneth's fourth attempt wasn't interrupted by anybody. He managed to do it, to finally do it; he was in the woods. Kenneth frolicked around and gazed at the scenery like a dumb drooling moron. He hugged the trees, tickled the flowers, and even pulled one out of its stock before he was hit with a spore that made him cough and wheeze. Kenneth decided against randomly pulling on plants. Kenneth ventured further into the forest, and he swore that it grew more and more beautiful with each step. Even the grass had a sparkly tint to it. Kenneth loved it. But something went awry.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMWaE0ZQxd
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yNnCOynxF
Kenneth tripped on a large root he didn't see. He scraped his knee, but Kenneth managed to suppress his tears. His father's given him worse after all. He rested against the nearby tree. Though it hurt, once he raised his head from the wound, his joy washed the pain away. The forest was that majestic.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGxpaL7zRt
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcp5SPigMF8
Then out came an animal. It wasn't very big. In fact, Kenneth thought it looked familiar. It was like one of the farm animals his neighbor kept around, but it had long curvy teeth coming from its mouth that pointed to the sky, and it had a lot of brown furs. It looked at Kenneth, and Kenneth smiled. And then Kenneth was forced to roll away.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTqJ9pqJX6
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpEmjrmew0
The boar hit his snout on the tree, dazing the beast for just long enough for Kenneth to get on his feet and haul ass. But he tripped again on a different root. This time, Kenneth cried. The beast inched nearer and nearer and Kenneth's scratch grew to a disgusting flow of blood. Kenneth crawled away screaming but the beast kept approaching. Kenneth's pants became damp. But a miracle happened. The boar stepped forward and forward, and after hearing a snap of a branch, a great purple something emerged from the ground. It resembled the maw of a great dragon, but its eyes were missing and it was roughly the size of Kenneth himself. The boar stepped back in shock, but before it could make any distance, the boar's head had been bitten off. The maw retracted into the ground. Kenneth couldn't move. Ten minutes later he slowly crawled to the hole that was made. It wasn't a hole, he realized. It was a set of four large leaves, parallel and perpendicular to one another, and in the middle of these leaves were blue sparkles. Kenneth knew better than not to touch it. Kenneth smiled with glee, got up, and ran home.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqchmCGJT4
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PAcg8Ld55
Two things happened that day. Kenneth discovered mana, and Kenneth discovered magical plants. He was running back home excited, but a loud ruckus coming from the home prevented him from entering the front door. It was his mother and father. They were screaming and crying. Kenneth waited until they stopped, and it did when he heard a slap. He didn't know who it was from.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8m252oRSid
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXca9wBgZi
The next instance Kenneth cared to remember was when he turned four. Kenneth somehow hadn't been caught sneaking out into the woods, but something of his had been found. His mother was in his room, holding a notebook in her hand that Kenneth was all too familiar with. He turned to run away but was grabbed by the back of his shirt before he could.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCWXLPEBH2
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"What is this, Kenny?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvsT0Akmza
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnC2l0Z5hU
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jizjikd74
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHMSbwoekD
Kenneth decided to tell his mom a half-truth. Maybe he could escape a beating that way, he thought. His mother opened the book and flipped straight to the crummy illustration of the purple plant that killed the boar.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjheEOwP851
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgkPCaGSSo
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCx7yCNr79g
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQM9aI624Y
It was no use avoiding it now. Kenneth told his mother that, for the past six months, he has been going into the Blooming Biome and studying the magical plant life there. As well as a kid his age could, anyway. Though Kenny expected to be slapped, that didn't happen.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLem6LdWl0
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneZ5EPkRhU
"Christina, do you know what this means?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgzf61cPT4
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2OYDZ7Elb
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm7GzVzX3Q
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2gHQxYVNO
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblPDCSfUhx
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWYHBWkVre
Kenneth's mom nodded. Kenneth didn't understand what was going on, but the two of them were smiling and that had to be good.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx45WYbMYKf
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It was.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5edW0oQawK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPfScisdr2
A week later, Kenneth's father presented him with what could best be described as a tome. Kenneth didn't ask where they got it, because he was having a hard time even lifting the thing. His father explained to him that it was a book of magical plants and alchemy. Kenneth had no idea what the second word meant but he didn't care. He just received a big new book to read.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyIG5W80GK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWUOEgKtZ2
It took Kenneth a month to read the book. Another month was spent reading it again. Kenneth tried to sneak out again but his parents had been keeping an exceptionally watchful eye, so it was impossible. Kenneth didn't mind though, because this book was the greatest thing that has ever happened to him. He didn't know any of this 'alchemy' stuff, but the plants, oh the plants. He recognized the few he's seen in the woods, like the spore one, or the purple one, or the one that occasionally shoots out blazing beams of light, or the ones that make him vomit. But there were so, so many that Kenneth didn't know about, or could've even dreamt about. Most of them were at much higher elevations, but that was fine because King's Peak was easy to traverse anyway. He saw gorgeous illustrations resembling beasts more than plants, and each picture carried an ungodly amount of information. Uses, known habitats, behaviors if they had any, risks, stories of their discovery. Kenny spent all day in his room, just reading about this stuff, over and over. His parents had to take away the book for a week.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChy2qVwjJx
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7O9clG1PwH
During that week though Kenny managed to sneak out of the house. It seemed that all the time he spent in his room reading made his parent's security lax. He ventured into the forest with his journal, now filled with plagiarisation from the book both text and picture, and attempted to connect each plant he saw with an illustration. Now that he was older traveling the forest was much easier, and Kenneth learned to bring a weapon with him this time. He had a small hunting knife in a sheath in his pocket. He discovered that he could also use the knife to take some of the plants he saw with him, but he made sure they didn't shoot out any spores before he did. He kept the retrieved plants in his other pocket. It was fine for a while until his pants became wet. Not from himself this time, but from the plants. He took them out and they were all leaking a clear fluid. It was clear but it was sparkly, much like the rest of the forest. Kenneth didn't have any cup with him, so he improvised and took the knife out of its sheath and used that to store the liquid. He ran home, forsaking the plants and the knife, and snuck in.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVPVoAU4rc
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvIvE8Z2ze
His parents still weren't home though. Kenneth usually wouldn't pay that any heed, but there was broken glass in the kitchen and small red liquid on the floor.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqfbgnyXxb
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"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgDRVzSbXc
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Kenneth ran upstairs.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVywRjeOHm9
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Kenneth spent the next week experimenting with the liquid. He relocated it to a small glass cup and tested it out. He didn't want to taste it quite yet since he knew that was dangerous, but he did touch it. It felt cold, even after being in his room for so long. It amazed Kenneth. Kenneth then spent time putting different things into the cup. Grass, food, a few of his clothes, sometimes his own urine, metal, and by some miracle, fire. Nothing ever came of it though. It satisfied Kenneth for a while, but ultimately, he thought it was a dud. He kept the glass around. It made him feel nice.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEr79BH5Osv
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBdLAuHXvt
In a month's time, something exciting happened to Kenneth. His birthday was just a few days away but before any celebration or presents, his father sat him down outside. This had never happened before, so it made Kenny die with anticipation.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjcPRUJr7u
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"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2WXqUFb84
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OM9XQsXPw
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhS4ITPhvKu
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Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4UoXyd6Q0
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"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw47l8450yk
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPeFUpuJsU
That was when Kenneth's life began.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioEf24lMYZ
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His father taught him the basics: how mana was the essence creatures manipulated to conjure objects and tinker with the world. Fire, water, earth, and wind would all be conjured, and in the right circumstances, they could be manipulated as well. His father also explained how combinations could occur but he glossed over it. His father told him alchemy was the mana manipulation of chemicals, magical or not, and that it took a very skilled user of mana to achieve success in alchemy.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pSyy80VYR
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKOs3U3Xbu
It was all Kenneth needed to hear before constantly nagging his dad about lessons. His fifth birthday rolled around and his father had bought him a basic alchemy kit, consisting of flasks, cylinders, syringes, and dropper bottles. Kenneth was unbelievably grateful that he practically ignored the new clothes his mother had bought for him. It was a white shirt with a grayish-blue vest, and a nice pair of gloves to go with it. It was meant for his alchemy, his mother explained. Kenneth loved his parents dearly that day.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXS8lXxU66
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FdQ1yLZnE
His lessons on mana manipulation were coming along steadily. Sometimes he would be beaten for failure, but Kenneth didn't care if it meant getting better. Three months passed, and after numerous bruises and fights between his parents later did Kenneth "graduate" from his father's lessons. The whole time though, Kenneth messed with alchemy, and really, he only needed his lessons for a few weeks. It mattered not though.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1Wy6cGqNs
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WU9gQaTeo
Kenneth was an auspicious child. He mastered basic alchemy like matter state manipulation and chemical changing, but to him, that was all just chemistry. No, what Kenneth really, really wanted to mess around with were the plants in the forest. His parents didn't care if he was out and about anymore, so Kenneth took advantage of it. What was probably his hundredth trip was taken with new knowledge, his new clothes, and a new passion.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkN6CCuztOH
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45ZkSjTd0d
Kenneth brought bags with him, as well as a flask and a syringe. He had a belt where he could hook the flask and syringe and a cork lid to make sure the flask was shut. He put plants in the bag and any leak was put straight into the flask. He regretted only bringing one. He wanted the purest sample possible, after all. He still did have that syringe though, and since it was going to be such a small sample, he knew it had to come from a special plant.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6e3MYN4PY2
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrtLO7MiWy
Kenneth smiled. He knew that there was a special plant here, alright. He ventured further into the forest until he found four familiar leaves. The sparkles from all that time ago were gone now, but that didn't deter him. He crouched down and stuck his syringe into the middle. And all of a sudden, out popped the purple plant.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhhR5HR8oe
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLe90bljlFo
But Kenneth was ready for it. He reached for his knife holstered on his belt and cut the stem effortlessly. The maw fell to the ground, motionless, and Kenneth stuck its syringe into it. He also decided to take the head and one leaf for good measure.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7pWV2JMtR
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zHjHduCTz
It was a haul, and Kenneth couldn't be happier. He returned home ready to tell his parents of his discoveries. That didn't happen quite like how it should've. His mom stepped outside as he was five feet away. Kenneth opened his mouth to say hi, but she looked at him with ferocity. It was a face Kenneth never knew her mother could make.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5exIwqWg7P
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPt17Cwhd5Z
"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNXHAZ0RkF
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6sz2PqE5i
Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zWlRCjmg0
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"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkzCx5Nm70
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIUARWNAsa
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidKSA1Azur
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrwcLgbSt0
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNX7iTQLO0
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWE9mebrvU
Kenneth gulped. He let go of the bag and waddled towards his father. What he got was a soft pat on his head. Kenneth blushed in surprise.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYV9XC5XadJ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyGaYLOfwg
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0yNj083Fm
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF93eFfiFnx
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ym6iIZMEK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiCVpmfCnZ
Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPltQ5RJnQ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddUbvidyYN
It was in that laboratory where Kenny would enhance his skills for the next two years. The time flew by fast. Astonishingly fast, but Kenneth's growth showed it. According to his father, Kenneth had already become a grade-four alchemist. Kenneth had no idea what that meant but it made him happy, and it drove him to keep improving.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyZrUxtoIC
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWqFfLYd2X
Usually, Kenneth would follow the book. He learned the mixtures and followed the instructions listed there, and after hours of practice, the results he received were even better than what the book described. He managed to make a fertility potion to grow the newly planted tree in an instant. He managed to create a healing potion which, according to his mother, healed a boy's broken arm instantly. He managed to even reconnect one of the cut plants he brought back to the soil, and now a spore-bloom was in his backyard. His father punched him for it and removed it, since it was making him sneeze.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTTk2CXvVf
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkVHGDLEoO
But, after a while, Kenneth ran out of instructions to follow in the book, and he already perfected each and every recipe. He asked his parents for a new one but they claimed the books were "too expensive these days". Kenneth was upset but he didn't protest, he just thought of new things to do. A night in his laboratory made him realize just how potent his mana manipulation had become, so much so that he could do it without thinking. He thought maybe to learn proper spells, such as those related to the four core elements but decided against it. He decided on something new entirely.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKlBsIXpDh
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What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgzdLPXTAB
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The next year Kenneth would learn to do just that. He mixed his alchemy and mana manipulation with the plants he would find in the wild. He made roots grow and shrivel just with mana, and he could even accelerate the growth and decay of plants. He soon learned to amplify the effects of the plants, such as how potent the spores were, or just how large and hot the light beams from the Light-Beam-Blossoms became. Ultimately though, he returned to alchemy, and that was because of one thing: the purple dragon-maw plant. He planted it back using one of his plant-revival potions but did it in a more remote location. The maw, for whatever reason, didn't react negatively to Kenneth. In fact, the maw begged for his attention. It would lick Kenneth from time to time, much like a dog did. Kenneth grew to cherish it.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXClqunkjj5
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNYnBbTZHg
The plant itself seemed to be rare, as, according to the textbook, it was an "ancient species likely to be extinct." Obviously that wasn't the case, but Kenny didn't mind. That was because there were no alchemical procedures listed with the plant. All of it was free reign, like a sandbox, and Kenny took advantage of it. He mixed and matched substances and potions with the essence of the dragon-maw plant, all to varying degrees of effects. Sadly, Kenny burned through possible combinations too quickly. He had to leave the maw for the time being; he said his goodbyes.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4JFWOU0LP
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcEAkEuf9r
Kenny returned to the forest again to gather more plants. This time he ventured deeper than ever, hoping to find a species he hadn't encountered yet. It didn't happen. Instead, Kenny found another boar, but it was smaller than last time, most likely a child. Kenny left it alone, afraid that it might hurt him, and continued to go deeper into the woods. He turned back once the sun began to set. On his way back though, Kenny found an interesting sight.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4otbZ0It6
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOXjwzP8KC
"...It's dead."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoMn38pzrv
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPwNiYc3kf
The boar was lying on the ground, not in one piece, but in several. Its insides, few in quantity, were sprawled around the grass. The boar was practically hollow. All that was inside of its skin were bones. But for whatever reason, a single part of the boar was left out completely untouched: its heart.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVtIM4Prju
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZZaOvIuMq
Kenny didn't know what overcame him, but he reached for that heart and put it in the bag. He ran straight to his room and took out the syringe containing the essence of the dragon-maw plant. He stuck it into the heart. Nothing happened until he used mana manipulation.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhCi6ugk5X
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1F7XbAq7f
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHjadD90h2
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAY0OnG7al
A month passed and Kenneth continued to mess with the dragon-maw's substances. He inject it into other plants, even into a live pig at one point, and used varying levels of mana manipulation just to see what would happen. The pig oozed out the liquid, but was fine. As for the plants though, nothing happened. Kenneth came to the conclusion that only flesh and bone were affected by the ooze.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ40Z2dzowl
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8P9Px5ioyh
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCUmMBvbGt
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2btVeBiq3d
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLS8ccTDgv
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtmtODLf2N
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJ0KLq0V67
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2KQagfd5V
That was the first time she ever said that. It made Kenneth happy, so he explained his process and findings, how he used the ooze and injected it into organisms. He told her of the pig, and how–284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5hTXBxGwT
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEvyb36V6z
**THUD**284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogi9vbWnCz
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQY6mKXFQqx
A fist flew right into Kenneth's stomach. He was launched to the wall and slowly slid down. He looked up at his mother, who was making a face of pure terror.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI9MeWdQlz
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQs7b59OsUM
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXattb5lay
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20srOwMSQF
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChiCJZN9lo
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EYIa7vNGY
Three months passed. Kenneth's focus returned to manipulating plants with mana. He quickly grew more and more efficient, to the point where hardly any nutrients from the soil were used to manipulate plants. His raw skill in mana manipulation grew, too. His father told him how splendid of a mage Kenneth could become, but Kenneth didn't care for that. Kenneth's greatest achievement was growing an entire tree in his backyard, just using his mana. The tree was nearly twice the size of any tree in the Blooming Biome, so it attracted a lot of attention from the neighbors, and Kenny got a good beating because of it. Kenny didn't care though, he was improving, he was growing better and better. But it didn't feel as fulfilling. He returned to alchemy and improved his potion-making abilities, and through connections with his father, he even managed to sell them to outsiders of the village. Having a sudden income was pleasant, but the process of making potions became repetitive.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsfM2iMPZU
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxMVfVgD9Q
Kenny had the itch to return to the dragon-maw. But it wouldn't amount to anything. After all, he had no flesh he could use.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKol5ymnae
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnIMFeNnh4
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7G2IVde2N7
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbO7tfyZEU2
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTkihSToNM
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbU1cGezE6
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDVd81xWiu
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRxD7Y43Se
He used his body to test the effects. He started small of course, just a quarter of a syringe's worth of essence, and the effects were immediate. Kenny received a deal of discomfort, and his face scrunched terribly. But something worried him. Unlike the pig, the ooze never left his body.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpDbzl4eIF
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxqnrfZVsG
His curiosity grew. He returned home that day, hoping to continue his fiddling in his room, but when he walked through that front door, he was met with a thrashed kitchen.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIPKC2WKDW
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpTAaSCFmm
His mother was on the floor, sobbing. It was so distinct to him, that sobbing. The house had disappeared. The hallway, the broken kitchen, everything was gone. All he could see was his sobbing mother.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbtE02WEn3
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2qg7eHn0q
Kenny had no idea what to do, because now he wasn't playing with his plants. Now, he was in his home, and his mother was sobbing on the floor, and his mother was sobbing on the floor and Kenny had no idea why.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy289T70Alt
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUWMymDqb1
He scuttled upstairs and burst into his room. He rummaged frantically, glancing at potions and doing double-takes, making sure he would grab the right one. He eventually found a healing potion. Keny ran back down and offered it to her, wordlessly. His mother slapped it away, claiming that "she was fine" but Kenny knew it was a lie.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jNr0kbYoN
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYNNSotgXA
And yet, Kenny believed it. He nodded at her assertation and simply walked back to his room. He lied down on his bed, and with a little trouble, fell asleep. Why did he do that?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsFyBzvkaM
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDTX1F20sc
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVuHzAqMra
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC11jzXfU29
He returned to his experiments the next day. Kenneth had no interest experiencing such discomfort for results, so he changed his strategy. He drank some of the essence. It tasted like crap, so he spat it out. He tried mixing the essence with fruit and bread, but it tasted like crap so he spat it out. He was nearly out of options until his father brought home a bag of seeds. It was for the garden they were going to supposedly make. Kenneth found a new food item to try, so he injected the tiny seed with the essence– only a fraction of the syringe went in –and ate it.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHfU8Qy26m
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NUgUYxS4o
It tasted like nothing. He tried a few more, still, nothing. The dosage must've been too small he thought, but then he realized that didn't make sense. It didn't matter how small the dosage was, it was always going to taste the same. But he didn't taste anything, just the grimy seed.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSNPmCNrDs
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexrzY16jF7
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGrQ6P818y
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPE5tSfq2Xd
He concluded that nothing would happen once his ninth birthday rolled around, since it was four months later. His parents didn't bring him any gifts for this one. In fact, they weren't even at the house.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVEAKt7hyC
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYOqbmLYFo
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEak47Ps0r
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHkUZ4XsA0
Kenny didn't mind. He went back to the dragon-maw plant. The plant was excited to see him and repeated the same licking routine it had been doing for a long time. Kenneth was excited to see it too, of course. It became a great close friend of his.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6TRNuOkcr
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8dg4a3K4v
It was while caressing the plant that Kenneth noticed something strange about himself. For whatever reason, his shirt was bulging at his chest, and he felt something cold and hard rub against his right arm. He pulled back and stared at it. He couldn't believe his eyes. He pulled back his sleeve. Still, he was shocked. He took off his shirt and now Kenneth became worried.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22jPEp53HV
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRQDmbeDZT
A bundle of roots about as thick as his father's arm was protruding from the left side of his chest. It wrapped around Kenny's right arm and stopped right above his hand.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgE2vgjKzk
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbDcXejDqX
Kenny fainted.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoutPCSbQdv
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifKtY3xufy
Kenny woke up an hour later and the bundle of roots was still there. Kenny tried to move it with his other hand but it wouldn't budge. He tried ripping and tearing at it, but it just grew back. This tendril of wood was seemingly stuck with him now. Kenneth panicked and asked himself, "What could've caused this?" He kept asking this question to himself while flailing his arms, trying desperately to shake the wood off.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6His12ezK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIlvMlNBrW
He thought of all the plants he'd been tinkering with until this day. Was this revenge? Was this way of getting back at him? He knew it was silly but he couldn't think of anything else. He almost fainted again until the striking image of the spore plant came to his mind, and all of a sudden, the tip of the tendril blossomed that very plant.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8h6fR86tBY
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1dO9wVft6
"...What in the world?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrdzlKvEoU
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpGXtAeLGh
It was much smaller than the normal plant. Half the size, just about. Kenneth didn't understand how this was possible, but he kept messing with it. Next was the light beam plant, and it blossomed at half the size. Next was the dragon maw plant, then the poison one, then the one with the sparkly liquid, and all of them came out perfectly. Just at half the normal size.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkicAQd7yU
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFi7oLNBivk
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXo3Yhwerz
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQt6zT8MFc
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4cehkChLq
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LoNT6cKKT
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ25u4qVwNs
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlc5U1ZOvTb
That didn't work, so Kenneth thought about bringing the tendril forth. It came out and wrapped around his right arm without him even uttering anything.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaW72EOCbgz
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIL9rDCC2e7
"So that's what it is..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJdggasFtb
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AqYlmXJUO
Though Kenneth was skeptical, and frankly, disturbed, something about this was incredible. He jumped for joy and ran back home. He couldn't wait until he showed his parents.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nuZB6AH2X
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKpfEYPw9o
Sure, they might've been out when he awoke, but they had to be back by now. Kenny did pass out after all, didn't he? He ran to the front door and slammed it open. He was so excited he could barely see in front of him. He suddenly stopped, because he realized that if he showed a wooden tendril the size of his father's arm coming out of his chest, he was sure to see the priest or something. So he tiptoed in instead.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWoWmlgzqK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKY53q1gkb4
He heard some noise coming from the kitchen. How exciting! Even if he wasn't going to show them his tendril, he was sure that at the very least, he would receive a present. Kenneth turned the corner and entered the kitchen.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujHTIcWovB
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnd0gbBZEWw
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZ84zZsbg0
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TH9Zg4BYO
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CPioyNgyy
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVE7IdPmiR
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKZlP3zOV6
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpWi5pkh64
Kenny was sure, for a moment, that he was still passed out, because this made no sense. Of course, that had to be it. A tendril from his chest should've been a good enough indicator, but this practically confirmed it.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMAy9Ox44o
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvZGA8FKHc
His mother was standing there with a knife in her hand. It was wet, and the liquid was dripping onto the floor, making a great big red puddle. Kenneth looked aside, and saw his father with his head laid down, and covered in that same red liquid.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYucWNYX6Dg
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6DMLaMPtM
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyP6oFJbKSc
"...Dad–"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9lBUrg6tF
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFw1wZDo8i
"Huh?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ10soFBaL8
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaQqGLQcV7
His mother turned around. When she saw Kenneth, she looked terrified. It made no sense. If she was terrified, then what was Kenneth supposed to feel?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYrALExzgF
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡME3V7HFBAf
His mother fell to the floor. She dropped the knife. She scurried away from the boy as if he was the one who killed the man she loved.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sVnsbv99r
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPcgggK6W6
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPF2TLqRdkN
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF2yG5ovzs
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAuuvbQYZ1
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBElfHNMt1
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6a9PtTwv09
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ11uhAtgsM
Kenny just didn't understand why.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BImUxFtaX
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHea98Idlbg
Kenny yelled. He didn't know what was happening but the tendril stretched and pushed his mother against the wall. Kenny kept screaming and screaming, and then he too began to cry, and he kept crying all while the tendril held up his mother. Soon, a neighbor came by. Then another.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmUAR4qmmC
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJN478FxJZ
Mother was arrested that day.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfo7Wi2bXSJ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvbUzRlpu3
–
–
–
Nobody questioned Kenny's strange new limb. Nobody had the heart to. "What kind of soulless bastard would ask him that now?" Stuff like that. It made sense.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7GrZcv1oO
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31J0SZRYpz
He was back in the church. He sat alone, wearing his church garbs. It was the first time he wore something other than his mother's gift. He couldn't possibly imagine doing it now.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvAsZDa5AV
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6V3xuVdDWG
Kenny's mother was under trial. The whole town and the priest served as the jury. At one point Kenny was asked to testify but he couldn't move a muscle. He just couldn't.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaZrMw14nw
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEo9gNYSRKZ
It was a pitiful trial. Kenny's mother didn't utter anything, and in the end, she was sentenced to death. Kenny was forbidden to watch the execution, but he somehow weaseled his way in as he tends to.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNJNLQB6Zx
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBS3vmJRNo
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDYsvvj420
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7aUmYMtyA
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWicv0dSP5
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelxyy7AsRV
The trial didn't even last half the day. Her guilt was just that easy to tell. "But what did that mean for Kenny?" everyone asked. Of course, he was famous in the village. He served excellent potions and has made spectacles for the entire town to see. But nobody knew the type of person Kenny was.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaZ7NwtJWZ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pMHGPGiiL
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKy7yvkXMjQ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV07fOoZ3Hr
A decision was eventually reached. A family with the surname "Somber" would take custody of the boy. Kenny was asked if he would've liked to keep his old surname but he didn't say anything.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vjOAccaKW
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wyI3APMmj
Kenny was taken to their home. Kenny didn't know what became of his old residence. He was fed at his new home, and he even had a little brother now.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpqM3P70dF
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0D8OoZzjp
For the first month Kenny didn't leave the house. It was excused at the time but eventually, his talents were needed too much. So Kenny, who got his equipment back, returned to alchemy, potion brewing, and the selling of his potions. He did it as well as he ever did, but it was different this time. It was wrong. Sometimes now, Kenny would slip up and make faulty products, and those times he didn't receive a beating, just a scolding. Some part of him wished he did receive a beating though.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU37XAH9baK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbInQezDFEI
It went on for another month.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsiFCWpaKv
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAnGOSUcIw
Then another.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSGsyhqERb
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGbQZIugeO
Then another.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyLC3fL65P
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdrXKg80fr
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYEkYRqhrL
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17HbTn0efv
The blood. It was slathered on the knife as if she was going to apply it to bread. And she was just standing there. Kenny didn't see her face but he knew she was smiling. And then her face after. Why was she so scared? Why? Why?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTUA93cXD6
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDN6K3mefia
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixePcGRDrq
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1U274me9lj
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsoq8SsfvH
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJYaDdUpsv
Kenny didn't understand what compelled her. Why did she have to kill his father? Kenny didn't understand. He asked himself and he didn't have an answer.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoi9yBgvib
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4W7C6Et36
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWfuGr3DAY
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSXzDf6GCA
They hated each other, didn't they? The "why" didn't matter, because look at what it amounted to. And all the while, Kenny was out of the house or in his room, playing with his plants like they were toys. He was at peace. They were not.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKV4gIgklMW
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCepx3gvPHp
And Kenny reminded himself of this.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3SreeiqFa
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFj5NHBnVeM
Over and over.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLraa8htM1
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡft8UAQJzIT
Over and over.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ838m9ABogc
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMAjNjp2Yx
Over and over.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YccFpSb5Q
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoADjrzCVq
Over and over.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazaTOTWXkp
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxngOuqj6z
Over and over.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxGs6f6K2G
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfVVsIy6dm
Over and over.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1glRiNNgy
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1JmvRdETc
Over and over.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EEvQ6lyMe
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8G1DcML3bF
Over and over.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCtf9Fy4ci
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZeNBqGzRo
He left the house. He turned ten already, somehow, he couldn't fathom how but he didn't care. He returned to the dragon-maw. It was called a Viscous plant, he recalled. But he hated that name. It was Dragon-Maw and that was final.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmvPuJtuAE
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFWqfQtLTZ
Dragon-maw was excited to see him. He licked Kenny's face and even ticked him with his snout. Kenny appreciated it but wasn't here for that. He took out his syringe and took a sample of Dragon-maw's essence.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSLjo1zYV2
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP82NBKIjR4
–
–
–
Kenny received a present for his eleventh birthday. It was like a coat. A large puffy white one with brown outlining. But it also came with a stylish shirt and a pair of brown, skinny pants.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWoPUNC5V8
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDqXmiZAfM
His new mother, Anabelle, said that the coat was there to compensate for the bulge whenever his tendril came out. Kenny smiled and thanked her. It had been a while since he'd done such a thing.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxycYgqLUK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCVX6kOYr7
After the pleasant event, Kenny returned to alchemy and mana manipulation. He hardly improved though. Kenny lost a lot more than his family during the incident. Kenny tried to stay in good touch with the whole village. He tried to put on smiles and talk politely, but all the words he and other spewed never sat right with Kenny. Nothing ever sat right.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AYmAwJPZo
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBKvkZlbs2
Then there was Dragon-Maw. Kenny saw him every day. Kenny used to love the greeting he received from the plant but he's stopped being licked altogether. Today in particular, Kenny received a face akin to disgust, though it was hard to tell because the plant lacked eyes.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FnqGNdL2D
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK94B7XPfZa
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVltwN2eSX
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYtl8iWJx1
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XO4Grej1b
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHBrBqRrJO
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDPXq4NlDO
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2L2ZvTK8a
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzahdkGZNbL
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF9qzJE1oq
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0u1pBeUtqQ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxK6OZ5nUQ
He was getting agitated. Still, the plant continued to flail and yell. Kenny rushed in and tried to pin it down but he was knocked away. Kenny grew annoyed and used his tendril. He wrapped it around the maw and shut it tight.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3zyYIsXaa
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FAlagKIk5
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSfrjfTknT
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKcPAodklm
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZMNUEFV66
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSh1svdSCl
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AD4VV7LcV
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZil7LSG9Gr
Anabelle approached Kenny before he entered the house. She carried him inside hurriedly. She asked Kenny to sit down and he did. He waited for a few minutes before she returned with a letter. Kenny was handed it and he began to read.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3YTYaznFL
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqabm92slzO
It was an invitation.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4rC8Jeumb
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpjVjLn08n
Somehow, a scout from a prestigious school of alchemists saw the things Kenny had been doing, and considering his incredibly young age, thought it fit to enroll him there. Apparently, tuition was free, but the school was an extensive journey away. It would take four months on a carriage.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fe57OcSsJ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGPwLOF6Z3
Kenny did not know how to react, nor did he know what to say. He politely told Anabelle that he'd consider it and returned to his room. He continued doing his regular alchemy business but the invitation continued to nag him. He sighed and put down the flask.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4cPdCiDet
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppW4JsByue
"What am I supposed to do?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bhuL6kFKN
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHUm7vvcrz
It was a tempting offer. Kenny did love his plants, after all. Alchemy was profitable and enjoyable, and he was very skilled at mana manipulation. The selling of his potions probably caught the eye of the university. But why should he go? He was already exceptional in his field. He was fine here, wasn't he?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OMELv9X66
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFGenWeClO
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahFQGSpyPY
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI6pQe9Sxk
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9G9dB5Cwv
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktzRvlDdTY
All of a sudden, Kenny's mind began to hurt. This is something he'd typically avoid thinking about. He sighed, thinking it was time to clear the haze in his mind.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUohkWbK8S9
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Dl8fJiKOP
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2V9ojFAdF
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8WPPSAsVQ
The stationary plant went missing.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpWTxGUg48
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzchuNXOsn
He had no way of making a new one. The one in his tendril would simply produce blood– it was something he discovered months ago.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NVOBqDVA8
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTxVVrem8n
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzXxIeQoaV
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvskxeBeZN
Dragon-Maw went missing.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUIP7UFNPB
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLXYplDVgC
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6IGbEPeQi
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdL51dMig1s
"...Why?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5G1z99QGah
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeF3cEoV8LX
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJog5Jr2EZ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KSVe6mcT8
And still, Kenny took his essence.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvBh2eNsug
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0m9shZO3sS
Of course he would leave.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1ZVCUlyOX
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVszWdTTxb
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkffQmSuSU
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOzmeryS3u
–
–
–
Seven months passed since Dragon-Maw went missing. Kenny didn't move much since then. He grew a little bit of belly fat. It relieved him.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaoy1KdWAY
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HY05P5nTX
Kenny was still doing what he did best, brewing potions for the village. That's all he ever did, people say, just stay holed up in his room and do alchemy. It wasn't a lie, but sometimes, Kenny felt like he wasn't even doing that–284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyi92uQgZWi
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZcIuSlfEK
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2buYxuJq3i
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyqRIxaxcv
"Kenny. Come out here."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBBVlSUpgV
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6kuvLcSCt
But that was a man's voice who just spoke. He stood up and begrudgingly opened the door. His wrist was taken and he was pulled.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAP3LPSt4QN
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUdxRYeZ63
"W-Woah!"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5fRVTiq0Q
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhilhVk6EP
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaK9XP8ALS
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLFXH19SFG
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0ieODvIsD
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNG1L3gyJc5
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpvYaVC61s
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aEgUPVbdr
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZmtGgVJNa
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFF6lnqVH3
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAP70MFjOQ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhoaoc5KDs
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FbM4kpWwR
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlwoiSYV0W
The sun was bright outside. Kenny had a hard time seeing so he covered his eyes. He tried to re-enter the building but his turning of the doorknob was met with a kick at the door. He'd rather not get hurt, so he decided to just roam the village.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVMFmxMRcv
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iG0heo1VT
It was... strange though. Not because something truly strange was happening, but because the mood was different. People were out and about, doing their work, and children were playing and having fun.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXW93FaMKug
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZs13pvvzm
Kenny didn't get it.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpQC0fNlD8
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UcS08b8Te
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2TIPJ2qXo
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDMjZUvzvF
"Ah, Kenny! Look at you!" A random woman said with a gleeful smile on her face, "You're finally outside, about damn time you recluse! Hahaha!"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfpHF8clH8
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLbz7UMXQp
"I... whaa?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyru5nzzNj
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkh5fe9Ms3n
Kenny couldn't formulate a sentence. The woman just waved at him and went away. Kenny didn't understand. Why was she so... rude to him? Didn't she understand that his parents died? That his plant was gone and that he was all alone?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMmRJPz4zI
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5nK7lCWOy
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rx9UWsnEx
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oFynN6W6j
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpLO09T0VN
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaKei9nXma
He didn't like that. But still he kept wandering. He didn't know what else to do. He watched as the kids played and as the adults chattered about this and that. Kenny was confused. He didn't understand it at all.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01GPiA4O4s
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClN9dXPh3W
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6esGI6IZra
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepFESgajOd
Uncle? Kenny turned around and a little girl was there grinning ear to ear. Kenny was much taller than her, she was probably something like six–284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp95bRYwfNF
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhwRXxBmUb
"Huh?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHU8tmDl8E
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzZIYk7bY5
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyPdP2eC92
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5tyPSDCmZ
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmHGfa6Vq9
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8ejdpPznM
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafpQBFug5V
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uqW1a3bAH
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUKl8nrY7m
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLF3GFaUrtz
"Uh... sure?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLiG6NKNDa
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YnhY1fXEA
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOcw4CB2v1
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38v0anXssl
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIqI5kt6he
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEA8HgTL1G
No, Kenny couldn't still.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsp20SFhUg
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡButNzp259h
He still didn't know what was going on.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUOAEvm42t
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcW3uIWq3E
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTafFUL7YNE
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDanuZeMWd
"...Big Brother."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaXBmPl1PY
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYVOxSGuSW
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AfzpyNUN1
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHECFN3g5q9
The kid looked upset. Of course, that's the look. That's the look that I should be getting, Kenny thought. They're still dead, and the plant is gone, and he's still alive, and nobody should ever forget that, Kenny thought.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkim1lA5sj
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzkq6dgUM2
But then he smiled.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvrINB5QXt
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumMG7NL3qJ
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvz5RkUDXf
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopDYrYOqg0
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIxPAk0p64
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHWF8SjlGQ
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuspXzqJIL
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYL5ZMvUoPD
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHg3UoI9fd
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kcn0XeWg4
"D-Don't you get it? Does nobody else get it? My parents died! I drove my plant away! Am I– am I the only one who cares? And– and its–"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7yCSvkRQL
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwHb5ueenM
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPBV513zeW
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqsZEJcaf5
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPTIlFg8qu
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCLjV8Kj4V
"I get it, it hurts. And I'm not saying you should be all cheery. But for a whole seven months, you stayed indoors, and it was the plant that drove you that far?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GUTx7K84W
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWc0cDB84wI
"W-What? Huh?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJrS9oOYij
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxf7zi83hfI
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCjNrzfhoU
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4z7eQMtdrE
This was insulting.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2o2Sajs2My
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESLmNEfy91
This was just insulting now.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bHYSV295D
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Za0SUzgmi
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFdASXbhVA
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyQqtAI42h
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXFfYsrwF0
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBkKA1ZyYM
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIy0Dn05Kt
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxz7o3Dra5
And then something shattered in him.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZR67Tc0XO
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQNqf7gcyo
What was making him so hung up?284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ONB9HClOB
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLDzUst4tD
Why, that's obvious, isn't it? It's so obvious that Kenny didn't feel the need to say it out loud. But Jackson was looking at him like he needed to say something. Kenny couldn't though, because Kenny knew that it was too obvious. Yet Jackon kept that gaze up, and kept pestering him with that look, and–
**SLAM!**284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EOwkx9r4w
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsTZRzOb5P
"...Huh?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIWYySXmR3
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzIbPoIKDu
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoc29uoEil
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUeaNc5gnF
"L-Listen, Kenny..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlHDbFfGRT
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtarPnxrdBU
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBw2i8TqwG2
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4Nu1mK5t8
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNMYYaJkrZ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVwCaQqGtY
"..."284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFevyItfyqD
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31gMYw96l6
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BjsN22fhE
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB21t2HoB6m
–
–
–
He had a talk, to say the least. Kenny grew better. He had a difficult time talking to others, and despite the discussion, his feelings for the incident and himself didn't go away entirely.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9cISOt2er
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6wu0fKMvf
But Kenny was fine. He turned twelve, and he was about to board a carriage. Yes, he accepted that offer. Transportation wasn't free, and despite Kenny's insistence on paying for it himself, a carriage was in front of him while his coin sack was completely full.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIgQL3V7cI
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcXW3HfSol
Kenny turned to those saying goodbye. It was practically the whole village, but Anabelle and Jackson were at the front. Kenny swore he was going to cry again, but he held himself back. He was wearing the clothes Anabelle gifted him. His snow white jacket with brown buttons and outlining, his complementary light-brown pants. It did make the environment a bit toasty though.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXKX2gWfyQ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4waYon2y4
None of that was important. What was important right now was that he was hugging Anabelle and Jackson. What was important right now was that he was boarding the carriage and waving goodbye to his village. His home.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1YpTUiBXy
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRqX5f9SWb
He was going to ascend King's Peak. It sounded a little crazy to him, but it was really happening. Kenny brought the tome and his equipment with him. He couldn't believe that a simple set of gifts got him this far.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX89CDg8ah3
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oSBA0CUyU
He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9K0zEZkUJ9
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwavXSs4Y3f
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That's what he remembered. All of that. Not all of his questions were answered, but he was glad he remembered that much. He got up from the rock and scratched his head. He wished that he remembered how exactly it came to this, though. Kenny was in a rocky field. His carriage was totaled, the horses were missing, and his driver was dead on the ground.
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