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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgAAXYxCn8
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fsc1wXOmt
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?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJBmdXhAi5
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgKxuGFttq
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Nuj22ylWX
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkSGqMotC7
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbpWVqXfC2
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx1Pb6Z9kR
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6WThfeYem
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieA3v00Mdc
"Happy birthday, Kenny."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEotByFml1Q
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8pHF7WPX3
"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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwfJ0SnaCl
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TZNJoO8We
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkjcFkFrAo
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4TITnlyR5
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemeUyhgaD7
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt76ewyroLq
That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4iF1MV2RJ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuyhGsisNU
Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzBDMdmLkE
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOdhxgIYN0
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJ3ZLSjRKB
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5J9xouS0Fm
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpegHGKdyR
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXQzxFUkoF
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHH7RYpdG9G
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiQBGEHIxm
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlyfzhhtn7
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelWM40QzGq
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtHNn4hC1K
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bfs5mRLWD
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bb5gYBa8o
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacY7iMIbqe
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRARonLY1p
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbKSGTYe6c
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PY7eEhdIp
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVk8FTcTux
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHSBKB6iCu
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuC5zhUxZQQ
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdFTaNoGbC
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oTiKwpYuZ
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20fIAtyCvx
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvWGA5m4qR
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvjKMJ6u8i
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU98DmqH2pW
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5n8TRgtA4
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrfGVjL3jc
"What is this, Kenny?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7NXMBPPrS
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55tg0TxcMo
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZFlxWlqkp
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtCTEq6UfU
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjxr3jESyW
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkKEPG4p6U
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ctzLDehrd
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kmCSEhT2O
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6TDGJLWkb
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaHGuTXSmJ
"Christina, do you know what this means?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9stglhxZbl
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx9fVGSEuj
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81AGDnlRiI
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmCKSGk9L0
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIm8oHkZQF
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOBCJs0RCu
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbY5Ksb5g0
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkSiXctDqk
It was.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KpmFog7c9
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTLEYwwuqS
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqim0IHWwUl
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQZqdLOWG7
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00prxvI0fz
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXqVtBy08t
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXbfmXd7Cv
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFh4c7330O
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87p0qjTjES
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"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdyDDfcEN8
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Kenneth ran upstairs.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICqOHAoPTc
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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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozx4UWQAY9
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp7dG1ggI6
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAPxFQuhEQ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAGB5UuLYG
"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3j94AETzR
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiO5PUX7esJ
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05BnDokXK6
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrQxLooMBD
Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qEaDCmIt1
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmmCtJazRk
"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg5si3hRsc
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpWXHDFU9y
That was when Kenneth's life began.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqUoMOxsJ9
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqI7Kvn8f8o
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKq4q1Kpodt
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ047W0HkLAf
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fG8agqiqR
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeS9WEC8FgE
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93YXr4LPgF
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JIMrY7DPt
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEzg4AnXms
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXtH8w8ICr
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JFBK2TuKR
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPEh800R4J
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9GLKB0PJm
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWLWUS8rTP
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3nPL0JU1P
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JCwlfehI4
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqEWb0CqI7
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRtqs2Urzq
"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqLWVJ6NjE
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtZK79G7RI
Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJkNjM1Sl6
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6E8TZzIRop
"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHHkljduXj
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkA0Gyqqe6r
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUdss4SBBq
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciHFn7jiH1
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByCTlFpDD0
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsCS0j7guN
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2RoVzZOrB
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OwTHCNngF
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7VAEzA1L7
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj26Rtps5tU
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xAmZd44Z2
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSu12fkwMfV
Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrI7ZHew8l
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntoMp9BTqF
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkRROpoAEf
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDsSzJvp4I
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeH8JEQmgM
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMuSuYbPQd
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡls9Z0mgK6b
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZKLeyjL6v
What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ023JmsVup1
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pzALyVQyG
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61v0PqFAkH
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2jwoZTi7a
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwUHi3myCb
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vYYz1NTiM
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzwZInisUv
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWe5vyAfKO
"...It's dead."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFOxmjOCy5
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvvtoW3xMa
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDY27tnwR6l
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JBxHfGSQ5
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOCsdTrPWY
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebe1B0wOo3
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsDjS1ziSf
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyRCOIXfac
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JOqOhT7ZH
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhZ0P1Rmwo
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXp4fpMJ0kR
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5nrNzbsKE
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qs3UwA6Q7
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjxWapr4Ze
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRvsNTvAp6
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxBCwuU6yD
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–572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sLIFdexsr
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuMyxiORny
**THUD**572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesjrA75p0Y
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekadgHowO7
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcvHFRsq1m
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWTM25xExz
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppIk9vLj57
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmWIViyEOo
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvu9ngV930
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmOliGRctI
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDeNX3Emch
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyP1ql60fa1
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdexPT9u8N
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgOhhrCwXm
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAHk3OG1vR
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWlvdGaPTS
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCyzt9M6uQ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6c9lLf8QV
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI01HzBdaks
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TG5kuYHyv
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFFdl5GUc5
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RG4KnymHs
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNxdgAXYb6
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCRVRs4DpR
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkDWGOIA4y
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jpbLCBQ6G
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcQkHy8ofm
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJXsTroFjm
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxSG92FWDi
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfijPT1VvIi
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?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSUGxuSucO
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6RZlbLxqX
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5QQHKDVk4
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDQbR5S9oz
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2XyEv4fYH
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiFvIsX0cb
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPbjyWGv4Y
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yoxwbsuSB
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhNPHkouIu
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF84nJnDzDZ
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyjENiWLVA
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDPyFNfiIw
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsY4tKFqH3
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcbN90eSvu
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTIdwDfmi3
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZo44rh3Wz
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBr4pRrY2E
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKinvWVnmF
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKIjugreeI
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexaDp2t1zK
Kenny fainted.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZWQfl7F2i
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8TqL5M6rb
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqsCc0sCZt
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43OjnnlKHT
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K6DGaPopR
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrDvJ1IiEY
"...What in the world?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVYGW5EPL1
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLTnXM45IF
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKZHlVxIFx
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85ZMMDtVWM
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIYj1GMHNw
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWjarL0VsR
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNlcInlnC4
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaYt7ZbdtY
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wMCKE804V
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFLfOwYohZ
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoPecpYY0m
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj5M1aKiNr
"So that's what it is..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oSX6W5Jz1
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60eUl80kYP
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQnWk6QvmL
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVoOHS4Jve
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2Raf2k3tP
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHu5RA8fNjm
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVy0yBypHs
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbhtC4zbs1
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nm3RqtyMw
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rHs1KudFe
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9gxtoBP5i
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUilbcBfg0
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBB6Ikxs0AS
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUm6DKrm1Tf
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WMeu33OH4
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsGhrSUZiX
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJ2Z7AQguN
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzemByoaZf
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgG2iYEgPFl
"...Dad–"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsalNgJcB5
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAfx5bvl7N
"Huh?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqELYV92D5D
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxrUZMpmOO
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?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsYBHSkY3v
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2tyiEyMVy
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFy3GsdYFwq
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kj4HiBKt6
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90pB5jtq5g
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFURwO5ZE5T
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3FUQBwh9F
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuDGr3lbOa
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GAqHM5Bfj
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Rfmh51YmD
Kenny just didn't understand why.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHH2DIazfT
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpSKIuYsHw
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQ79zGGQRA
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc45D0isiGx
Mother was arrested that day.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7iiNQNrk1
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08jvtU5O7u
–
–
–
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKuZFWk6yq
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyknuwRepJc
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnE7wqQxXtq
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtgoKoUZsa
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSOo1Oc7YM
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGLEPHm1gv
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaw0dYcIivW
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjMDOzeXpj
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtzE3jelXT
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJhHImtEwx
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyck8nii1it
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLe0a7Ev4R
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCLOGvhXda
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjV9KTuH0OZ
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqszC7KYCZ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQrSCsdSZf
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ180KIqeeFJ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoN1PqtKExo
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pJCL6laut
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4ybV3O0Vr
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjufvsKRGR
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZ31k2dLNL
It went on for another month.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtRNHStrIQ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7G8b9ur5Q
Then another.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUnlg6M9ML
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXVLmHrOQI
Then another.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSZC7iwLPA
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgia2Hv3ZY
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtuOFVIb9F
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0adS9TkbgT
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?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8f8UpSRcjZ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcd2RZKY53Y
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqVR8Nxm4x
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8QRxbcWGT
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gWOsAzVZJ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQM5KIAYTQL
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡON4VD3nZmb
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGToyMYdrJd
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywzsw63Q51
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTEsd16kbN
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTU4EpIp8o
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMkQ0eSarQ
And Kenny reminded himself of this.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOooy78lRL3
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwLxwRId7K
Over and over.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZZjZVVLEE
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AFsOCJ4vp
Over and over.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwZZpCowUE
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYZigeaWoo
Over and over.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBMXDP5rPa
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEDTbTvAYu
Over and over.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhzZ0yIpAm
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqTUHLHijf
Over and over.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGsyfqLP9x
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9GcucusFQ
Over and over.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHDH8vaW0l
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpO9kp5ePY7
Over and over.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7w02ffnYiD
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AAumWvbLc
Over and over.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc3Zx3iB0I
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3we9X6ENyp
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4b7VPRjVj
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLdR8tSAlB
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKs17F5eCkO
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JhlRY1o8R
–
–
–
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDikf7nAc7P
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZr8x2goJ2
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAAvZcHbYH
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVK60cVWrt
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihEQJlAGvl
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfUDaqhS5H
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfR5SUHjRK
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf42qgxQnQT
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnV4ZJzxn1V
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QSQHGVlPQ
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0s9AwT9QFp
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ39QXdLaIX
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMWyrJpE0P
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6XZ5hWftS
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzxVLWp8G5
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqWYaNv3sg
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoNN2nXlgi
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8a08K49ZHE
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYY2QyZm1RE
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8A226uXwUU
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmbXEUUT4O
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNO5pGXXnC
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlP6jOsip0
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeIsdfVPUJ
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kM8RZJmD9
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7ORtFcRZ2
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaDelDinDt
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX76zAXdO5B
It was an invitation.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZqL5U2jTZ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXdnjXFIqZ
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7UxdEnmVY
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFwIfda1cV
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGUCdyEPpM
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ozzsIqBSj
"What am I supposed to do?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xEp7Xg8Ul
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPvpdm5EZN
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?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFjof8f6vI
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyUtRfveGD
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1axrH1z2kK
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sZHPEfd72
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6WGJukeBw
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLIR9lL6iJ
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuP331sAOKn
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZVuDKk5vR
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTzIoe6QtA
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RRp7x88vl
The stationary plant went missing.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqjDpRjiaE
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG79rjW8193
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlclDZ43iwa
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteAJlexerk
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZX3nI2OIcm
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObEDaFXtoQ
Dragon-Maw went missing.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhG9rqdwN7N
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6oMjyVkGd
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0X9sP4GUN
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9e3eRAwjOX
"...Why?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YbqitB2eO
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3Du7NwLDT
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9dxPPD94J
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVzh2M5p58
And still, Kenny took his essence.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOvtAl0d61
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcG1R7bPbf
Of course he would leave.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWSRRukJ2q
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7Cr05SDXG
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tbbxrsB0C
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnI4yYB6kZ
–
–
–
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdws8C28epm
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2KlEVVDkS
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–572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFy1M40eRar
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUJx73bFLg
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLb0VD1xPz
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzefx76PZd
"Kenny. Come out here."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKlBwCPx7J
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNmmeMq13Q
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibsLwZ2mqo
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CbF3SRch0
"W-Woah!"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjeY6CckDL
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOkYbU3cIS
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjhUaH1dxC
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLIc3l9K5Q
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJMAZzyFuQ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3Tl6jWnYA
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQ6jyiJLYa
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBTJr8D75c
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVbaQJtDph
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zqvLZoWJM
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBYu6LALKN
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRALuDFjQ2s
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbqcvONtme
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQ853sSoii
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5C9UgOe7xr
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7wgI1yC3b
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0ZFWFfaaJ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1TNLDKqIi
Kenny didn't get it.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DfJehWqmp
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3DP6yZ9qW
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwuRsX4Rbo
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQQit5RWXC
"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!"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FwqDXqKxE
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlc9CCxJkX
"I... whaa?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TOe8przB0
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrY9r3PCSsb
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?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EVgyw5MFJ
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8SEKTYOIb
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesyXKVU01P
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkDf1glAGN
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LyxzQqICs
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7x6nkNdHz
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rCXe4fQe7
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIvZFmSbR9
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOQaf0m4Oi
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlAS4AFJ17
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–572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWCGji0sTK
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JLdJi9DbD
"Huh?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg4BwwQbgR
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDWhRXn2Jn
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMscItLZwj
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiksBEXZHU
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AeZfvaqYq
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eah9iO1aZ
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EdhlvFwvc
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbrxR0h6ZZ
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqV7d4zAhe
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeL9AQdQtF
"Uh... sure?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBJHNJNqTi
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQ4XFzbO9W
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCl4WQUP80
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wJUuC7dWU
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwebsPPqqm
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJxg3PAvmW
No, Kenny couldn't still.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvAr3vbbi9
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1x3IGdpqq
He still didn't know what was going on.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0kIb3jGfH
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr54YsEELBa
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9S5MOFKCFB
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bcGqYulcg
"...Big Brother."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVbZScKCgc
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJjFyKJDph
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8V6JV2Jtu
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0UsNmkupU
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQPuazxdd8
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sZSyQsGia
But then he smiled.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMksafk10H
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUTjiEJWh6
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBs3PEbIFT
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmC9ojGLBK
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2V4AiLl1V
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47zf4JBk1D
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMvHZcgFLU
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjfZu70k6D
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11z2VaKMPo
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7GmG8VcAq
"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–"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnH3It5tNi
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3R28aeCaa
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhi34JCjxL
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwIG0oRW4V
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07HlfeXtD3
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWXlfJrpKX
"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?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmtnc0s2g9
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7o250o8X4
"W-What? Huh?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOreGpWJq3b
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nsqq5qIeB
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOq5xtzZrKf
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUpXRXCe7v
This was insulting.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWDfVaL7Ns
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9k5rPqZxCo
This was just insulting now.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPc1Zf0emK
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVgdnwIho4
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDwfxJ2vU3
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kuoW3RwOq
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4x9fj2ewD
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aFAXlujxe
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsWrhExUET
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAiqqFkoJG
And then something shattered in him.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYrMMi0xkE
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAELgoM0R1
What was making him so hung up?572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEp4kQwrK0d
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuyoqJKZDN
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!**572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5TqDVxhP9
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rwhN4p6cb
"...Huh?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet2nqegUfP
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxp2t6QjaSK
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuq6mn7Bo6e
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDOWRH7ZZb
"L-Listen, Kenny..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhss83MVA5
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINwQ5vN7HC
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH14NSBsuYn
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUH042PR1G
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA00wR7rH1E
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TFTO3bTUI
"..."572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlas5T2yOmP
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGykup5DPy
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQxsrRJIIy
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nQTFk5lIz
–
–
–
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhbW3nldGA
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAAfAilb5k
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEQMVFx98i
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeG6oe3Voo
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxB0g7mT1X
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zsRli67Tp
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRA87NhzLY
572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUIL44KW6q
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.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLSYK5f2bX
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He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsClPUOKnV
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczdWExI3Xd
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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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and then Add to home screen.