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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPRiYFhhqs
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPzORRUrnG
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?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QovQwuFYx
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqQlt44pRE
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fj5W1hL1S
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uPRTUTyDb
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYn0FXt3YjO
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx42vCDQLAA
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOO1wxtdzM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEG3ZkzZNE
"Happy birthday, Kenny."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hoMvn79Jy
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RUrsgONbQ
"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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBItf0jybAV
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0nh9O849y
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLJzSKnits
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAe2ygJKmy
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRofGw5jbQx
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSlUOiX5xz
That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDlp6z6vzA
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfxEKlPjgY
Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBHEbru1Vn
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrP7TH9sIp
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmPq8I0Ztq
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hfEisi3oR
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2uYrD25Rz
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6J9DqofyMb
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2sZC4lbJJ
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFk3r5GsCp
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWr1OSEiF1x
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71Ieye1Ox4
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz33W9IDjaG
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8PqTb5PsS
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2kcOhQWfK
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5vVlc2wPy
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK41p1l34UQ
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnJDOPTVsU
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUOImK9iEU
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbUOQ9bTpw
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYftVhxewSG
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2ewnJWZK1
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQvDU4qCDl
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvG6DG3ORQ
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGVV2Y2yYr
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSqUvOa4M4
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLtKlfgyHz
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyYsUbYJIE
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFhHKMH0uV
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"What is this, Kenny?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKGfjXfIi6
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrm90JZGA7p
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDE8JUZqZo
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4GYhuWeTt
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqhGQSVU08
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4vSWRAMSM
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2Vudts5dv
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhGm0ALwFb
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHcgiev6sC
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1DrjZ1JGL
"Christina, do you know what this means?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKxUjfmlZB
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsJhvtuXhA
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuPYyMAwU0
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhSBtgIP0H
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡla9aDPRhS4
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0QvRVw9VA
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXGtLwDor0
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It was.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3S29jut9KH
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuXfXPz2GA
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRp0fZtpYw
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmSp3lTzlx
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1mVb0rhQc
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpUxG2mofI
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxyTevhlB7
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYs5dUuCCJH
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLJvtZlNi2
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"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZr9ZVI7am5
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Kenneth ran upstairs.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfBa7xcFoE
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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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeh2yYjoEL
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKt2zfWq3NK
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigTLR2GCHY
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tZDTXS55P
"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPCJzzTE9w
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8yfFQpF0X
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSTZdo1Qo7
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Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIX9Rmi5NPw
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9eeXaLhMh
"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRihV2A5w4B
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nYCwECBuJ
That was when Kenneth's life began.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLKm7Kux0m
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn34eu2IGHQ
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivZyl0HBcE
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjudN6Ky3B
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPv9aDUTNu8
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfT6CG3e8xi
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2O7x47EUc
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GQVe7CabP
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh249MW6r0h
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iETqEkcrd
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzM5WaiZWCC
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuCYJ3qsAs
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXA2k62BbI
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiogTAqvn8c
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9f681niEy
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq35jTG4BMI
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGnGbQO3HX
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"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CvKqAqXxp
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8E2fpG7WTX
Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Xugj5AVMx
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"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSqv9jA6fT
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOQ1qBRBde
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIG6ZAFTH6
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwUeaZI2te
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDOMbAfp2M
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgapLTSMu7
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzrcI6QyqO
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dlEqrovVu
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyCP1BCozZ
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXGHC7IFw4
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSaLQhg7Fu
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6fanbLdWa
Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSi0KNWXrL
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaP3QPoKS2y
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJl3VrwS8H
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC35kYv1t88
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbBmP1WAtn
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjc4HLqWz7C
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOBlIDNmjy
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCA55wsmCG9
What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLzDd3KMxN
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYtlbAGECs
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOCCePUkGI
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfTpeirLRL
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvbFhUiqP3
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSqzfxlGvl
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIHnBGynMc
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFcnseKmVk
"...It's dead."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXm2hRMUAE
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TaLXHVC69
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uEFmaXVZn
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRlgyIE28a
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNq3XZCfrJh
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9HNUi7GtV
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgTXlzsYzu
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjt43SUakB
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80jAMRaoi3
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurCrxJJd75
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yAwmSaEJQ
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDYsOO4B4A
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGZQKy6BZm
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjPJZWRZxO
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG3AT5SKLM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyikGkwXK8F
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–358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1vWpkR992
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQne8r7GYhY
**THUD**358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4VQq5I71N
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoE44Fm1da2
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtM84fkZSHF
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DMKNAbDGg
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt1SJ6cgSo
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPoEz7NBKz
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhXT3ttNYx
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUKFr6MnZs
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPZ5avIQVn
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkflCdTrQ43
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDgj46Oar8
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hSQNUgmUq
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhnb1FYSai
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCSr8CeiG6
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mrcsqVYpP
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9nrlOL2aC
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxz483L03Jy
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3POYt0sTtG
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZfTLTj5Za
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIZ0ESjh0Z
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VQQ5T0SGY
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcrDEnRehz
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWG5b7gbkw
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3msfMr3in
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlUhl7Bhen
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbrx2oJptM
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDCoNn6CVb
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqKVM2KqIF
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?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GGhu8zVyR
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvAO2mdiJx
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3ChiJdyxL
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxw9meYd3ES
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb0f4pQcoG
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDssspxRDp
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMleU0MdHem
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqMOhoYpne
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40LpxiYWDV
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgHirK8sKW
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuu4Nemh2aJ
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmd2ZvuE83o
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPmZBdR7Q3
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxBlmIl33v
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcej5UIGkR
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MbWOhvlsm
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhxKec4JdV
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQXSKcybkU
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEqfgMf6KP
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6CgUt81th
Kenny fainted.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjZWMBs7RA
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8a4gw5Us4
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40XFX4bK5L
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvlOWZHuzY
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddf2CwzoLQ
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YqMbkEc0P
"...What in the world?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlX9s3n3rSB
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyCWxvJ4Q3
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAsoTyAZIu
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGWEaoz8Es
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlgjlWLoFi
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAiXeCPTMp
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MYBgK9DDj
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1lwqSdVNz
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BptQwFtHN
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bnQvm4HkR
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQDchSkNxq
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT33ovDH0C5
"So that's what it is..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR02cpqu3Ri
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrzkYp5eqh
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHDCUOFZKd
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oDqLv0UG7
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjh58x1U6Y0
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvdpQdpIW4
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXm8dLlxSD
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sFcp2m6gI
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkizqfhCoue
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1KjHWEc8G
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7fLBs6RV5
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnexVea3Xok
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFePeNhXiQ
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPs76lyqNi
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJgXsuElAY
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxGFHIniGT
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdlD8VRsXp
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2rhwzk09e
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUA9wEBw31U
"...Dad–"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCdNsdE7Ny
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgm8RjgE4M
"Huh?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ288aqu9ydS
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg46kBW9p2K
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?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUKJP6KX8h
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYQgBWJBfI
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUwQRJhjSo
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4WC2Iz7QJ
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nSIcHOz0D
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaJg0eCM5E
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsh3PdqHutg
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVXRsngXwF
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR74yf4Zu4r
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUOLHDuYb6
Kenny just didn't understand why.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05vzkhwyCM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvIIAkv9dH
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMk2WoGBrA
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybuVm0NaEJ
Mother was arrested that day.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fZVwtJyGY
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMrHkNTdyF
–
–
–
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavtpDF4Uul
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RbfRw9mn0
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhd4vUZ2FwB
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlki28BbtL
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQiU8oSuRu
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNgE2tS5xe
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhacAEYVKcg
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bPiPpRas6
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJIrwgYNsw
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVi8GqUAdQ
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5R2H1ObmkC
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSkiJWcBYU
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5D2ND3VUg
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtvSiS6cVf
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiG1ZmfIxwu
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KzTIhkCNE
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyBsIf0qUq
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4XUmhVURA
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEshdAUJj3
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2gW4uRZaF
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKSLd6hO6S
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrk2ocHA5AZ
It went on for another month.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMcPMOWbXk
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMnp9ljK5i
Then another.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdfdU2YSxp
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjE2TnV3Bw
Then another.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMPYkFdF6T
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZoYQkS9kt
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaOsSih3Rg
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsEx9KkcP2
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?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgpRD2BOxs
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAC5B4vummB
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPwvJMCeW4
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVEo9ZpMiA
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqc8DfUyiOb
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBjf9WzI12
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHZxKrAfiH
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nNHsEIDO9
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBRQdsRCt9
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5b8C5WWbLr
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pi54JvyXM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7gOpEyAF9
And Kenny reminded himself of this.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQKjbjM6TU
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ei4zGdU2S
Over and over.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiQevVcV5s
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtbuLdWmjl
Over and over.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRfQJRUyIU
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUMTF6YeIc
Over and over.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3btVHqId8I
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEpFm1Z5OL
Over and over.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8F2I10N5T
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0U89qp09V
Over and over.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9q3ezIezo
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgKRAuEMfD
Over and over.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBDL1L6M1M
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauZJIfRBBt
Over and over.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUK2xPLxyM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSv86EM3RX
Over and over.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCfNmKfxHu
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWOR8UnSbw
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5my6wVHk7
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV12wk2apxa
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHiBgPrXBx
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRI6g3bjgBi
–
–
–
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYS7VEP9Kb
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPIvKkohYQ
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREnXmUYTds
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzYjdvq13T
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17qslHp6pF
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9iTV1ZwcK
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuHwMqtuV6
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6CKDvYL1S
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2HQVDeYkG
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfExvDzBaH
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzC5d07cv7q
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzo6Pl2jybu
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1o28jO5JM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0co4bRztQ
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCkdq6xRU6
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpV5xESpnj
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VhKjV1N9J
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3z6zlWhLoh
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaH9PVIZJp
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWdZnErVG0
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO77XtU7Tuq
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KzU136fkV
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0uyfUWw8J
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3m5wkwBHK9
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyxyMGKDQP
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7CpJ4WfU7
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKHI5SSuoj
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVn4jm1Ybw8
It was an invitation.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGG2zx13kUT
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvb7ZMPPaR
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNL4BStmXM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRGuL4pDoJ
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1t3F7wIwUj
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ205LpRrRaM
"What am I supposed to do?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9R0rwD1hXY
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgaBXctXLi
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?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgRVJoKymS
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1TqSs1Sou
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkAVctW8uB
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vaBYlcPI5
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVJ9GvsDzs
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqzWDubnMw
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMMuGyUcfs
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTpQ4CsonI
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5bobgMMKN
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1TyLSqXzj
The stationary plant went missing.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3frrDe4yv
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkwJHzu7su
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tEqwgsuU8
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kpctt6IM5
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoEctUc9Au
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGQTzi70pA
Dragon-Maw went missing.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIV5vtI6zv
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MtDK3UxwG
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ekCiOPmgA
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbM19OzhGf
"...Why?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SpIwARdCy
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbYBZ3b0L0
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlc61d1rgg4
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKEKoUVeyp
And still, Kenny took his essence.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTUBsIowzk
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnErYBTgbL
Of course he would leave.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKMbiEkL7K
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSn4TUMv53
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtWkNf12pL
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXp5bFmZoI
–
–
–
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZBC429CIG
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡop1SNSZPBz
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–358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsldgfFrnA7
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzji6SvuW89
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeT2PUxCGs
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTb3ujK3jz0
"Kenny. Come out here."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrCJ45tvi0
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5picFNani
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfN4m4o4wis
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCdneCslHI
"W-Woah!"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbk2Z4uQxjW
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pShggAHpq
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kvUQp4ped
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEU5GuhZ61S
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7GM0ZPYPF
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTJl2blN2I
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZuNblR2Zf
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsggljKI5e5
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGiB9luRKy
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAGWJOQ1KR
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaE3NglARWQ
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkf6dhGtvFq
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6FLQ6dLbE
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMHAPzMHQE
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTyWDFyDhf
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCQU7MU87B
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYZy5eNrKw
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnX2KUwXZi
Kenny didn't get it.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazmJ4MOWzo
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkocz0tmTc
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AgQFSO3QM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPu40tnUOD
"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!"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkYv9nIu62
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgbkdlQBRZ
"I... whaa?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqoY2LQUTX
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcw681nP3ls
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?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1czXHwydK
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpqDgVt4u1
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKtQQxuggg
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJHsr8kYi1
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hROf9BVeO
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7eHUKbjz8
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVDZJIwcfi
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYt9k5TvJ3M
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYJ8YrED0a
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGHXxS9qGj
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–358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSF6gsDCw2
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBNGr9JAb6
"Huh?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGfSp6Og7B
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtD5YOVsOf
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSpIXsnGhf
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjRmk9bJGP
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuMSrAiRfy
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvjhDabwXJ
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeU7NBtuGkj
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ahupYN16z
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKlGFIaTlo
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCpxyL5xjS
"Uh... sure?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwY03w3eZM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgme5dyz9o
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWR6M1wf47
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTOfoflRFi
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88qCuWAg5J
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebtRzpHHM6
No, Kenny couldn't still.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKn3gjfhshl
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKi43sjLTje
He still didn't know what was going on.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkR1BD7Uspb
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nM62TsOp3
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHqWzqZ3O5
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvtsxDA4pO
"...Big Brother."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiunbXyIpOB
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1afRL2uN9O
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXGy5mGdrb
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsY6qEtmGnA
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglxMplsQSG
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKkgdQtDks
But then he smiled.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMksWKlabnt
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElMaeVZ0BK
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVDubeVhYt
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUqP4qlzI2
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrOFezFMG0
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSvPkgc3RD
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2NYdRsdg5
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pzDnwjGGC
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjv16sTDnGw
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡow9gIjyZiL
"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–"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12HJWkH5IV
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfWMzjnWOd
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNCMT1hgKa
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTfJWEDFSk
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BzR1aPLDO
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzPA8hohGp
"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?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszCYt47SDb
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxCiUccizO
"W-What? Huh?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEP2j9rHv1
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWTltrfIel
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5s1M557Q9P
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0rPv7WEMs
This was insulting.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tFxU1J1YH
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuxDdMjR6W
This was just insulting now.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuUu7E5RVo
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UjYU8SobJ
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGydE5BkmcD
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFl3cAUuKi
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRRyVXJ8W0
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjvWAdTmUC
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjW5tQW0lT3
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ABz0n9Ore
And then something shattered in him.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJJiUMEpdt
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJM3ro9moFD
What was making him so hung up?358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmxAsgtvyq
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkUuYkWalo
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!**358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcOp2S3TEg
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7GRr4iW5G
"...Huh?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRyrbhLcJE
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkzLoDsh9B
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDROMB58p7
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ezk08IRu6
"L-Listen, Kenny..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFn1phdnqH3
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fRhgnrFzb
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNqs0e0ObM
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoZ4ehy2GA
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8apFWDntRF
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPIZRLo39e
"..."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKu584sxvNW
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1v12YtFZVB
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKP7Sjb1ETL
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrF3N9SDpe
–
–
–
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DTc5JxcCq
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTGoKDG6cJ
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66xMl5ygys
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3bLNpVyr1
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCk8jOgyF4
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2ZopBaG4w
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzkxI7B6fG
358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRm4wV0RA7
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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtSay6Ciy1
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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.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VkFTzyvcI
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGnt8T9IsH
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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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