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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1DuP3H7oq
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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?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6czDzQEBp
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Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QZWYwrka7
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0lRSK5gCg
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzQDZLlPeh
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"Happy birthday, Kenny."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlWAERGfIp
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"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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EFjyYf5dt
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQwfvhExZ6
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RoBDj0njV
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That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsij6Jf3Eh4
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Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqo86lTEUC5
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtLiKysUd7
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipIvbeCcWs
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxLX1IzfhL
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeskYXLqyn
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7opX3kK8bt
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"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiktKztkKJ
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Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj5s7pwVEi
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7paX44LjB6
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPtOqKlBuD
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqGGSzAGvj
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbajYoProj
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKyrDNdlFL
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUzK5I5Ipg
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"What is this, Kenny?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmosdNg5lIE
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"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQ1aqr3Gj2
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQSyULMUxo
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"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdCyGqYoad
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUpzruVfaP
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"Christina, do you know what this means?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyS16yklqJQ
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His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnIKszWUNk
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"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUv2QH0Xkzb
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNg3zdDaKRT
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It was.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrl8Eqmja9c
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb3DnUI3r6
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzuR5LfTw9
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lzRa1R9rH
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ayzb4V79e
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"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6wOWMFafe
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Kenneth ran upstairs.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXT5MJtOt0b
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPZ96Vl2wx
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZi0QQvJpHN
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"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEsD4RBacX
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJ8GhK2Szc
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahXXogp3Pf
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Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGTQI01cnK
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"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1kbnhBNMC
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That was when Kenneth's life began.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaz4wit18Xc
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His father taught him the basics: how mana was the essence creatures manipulated to conjure objects and tinker with the world. Fire, water, earth, and wind would all be conjured, and in the right circumstances, they could be manipulated as well. His father also explained how combinations could occur but he glossed over it. His father told him alchemy was the mana manipulation of chemicals, magical or not, and that it took a very skilled user of mana to achieve success in alchemy.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07da7lDVPO
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTu8ylZtNx
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYugTVg9xG
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6gt61oBcw
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BNBHprBDW
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8RGaPg5QI
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarcjTc9Zi0
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPtxhWHxOy
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"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWjZHnPW2g
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Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyfKadqh4n
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"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsvDsYsWFj
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"J-Just some plants, Dad..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5u1V1OPvm
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"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXZFmVMV1k
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBF5uXMFoBP
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"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNedMhJz2KH
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Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRw4WGufYLa
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Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7uuK6TMKi
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEWAsWcird
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKld4aWWEi
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABag77lBPh
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What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBeZbvQOfX
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The next year Kenneth would learn to do just that. He mixed his alchemy and mana manipulation with the plants he would find in the wild. He made roots grow and shrivel just with mana, and he could even accelerate the growth and decay of plants. He soon learned to amplify the effects of the plants, such as how potent the spores were, or just how large and hot the light beams from the Light-Beam-Blossoms became. Ultimately though, he returned to alchemy, and that was because of one thing: the purple dragon-maw plant. He planted it back using one of his plant-revival potions but did it in a more remote location. The maw, for whatever reason, didn't react negatively to Kenneth. In fact, the maw begged for his attention. It would lick Kenneth from time to time, much like a dog did. Kenneth grew to cherish it.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5mMZm14eD
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqZDDeOXnd
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLLM9mTn7C
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"...It's dead."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhen9I404M7
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49kLCCQJv6
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7uBQrLETN
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXGXnYA5vD
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlrgTmbKOr
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLI2jxHakCZ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozmurN3RMF
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9phXE2bVS4
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsuQe7l4iW
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0XFbSZQGD
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9MGWni0Av
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6aSybZm2x
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CY1zH5jOc
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhIyHnJHrB
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLf2KrkRKV9
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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hjewhk3kC
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuzq0m639M
**THUD**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBswu0O3iVF
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZI7MEfJ2TU
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsIZQjBBTQ
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Lb6ZYZb47
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAE1GenQS02
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45BbnIbU9r
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA80XK6hKSz
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vHCzF2CyG
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1aXAOH0op
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HFimPxHtp
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaXQXCAWfP
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FqSdFdXgr
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqnHdHA0HY
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvhd4XKoWy
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He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlE8o4Jdgh
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VjIT83yHt
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQW3NBWakB
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbQzq06GkF
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSCvFGl1y7
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0gNDzyyFr
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxjZQ7jGPO
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROfwbL8phP
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMYi1iIo7Z
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJfiXLoFJK
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5k5zP4dvsO
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyP7f6PSq3
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?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjy3KmRqAnY
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"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiF0LrXiYDN
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVS6ppHu9pb
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3KSHUxcnv
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3c4nWLnB2
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleMZtWy96O
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRzR2ACQEA
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1mTEjrVIs
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGP9NdA1t2A
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCD3ZztKyym
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBPzXoHf48
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGk55Np46aL
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5RMv6tnot
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfb6YcwY2Zi
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyr2LrQG6o2
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwxKye9cR7
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPS9TACdBrK
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSJ7h1eBn6
Kenny fainted.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuHIb6Ah8r
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PtIadxg9P
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5NuTZqh5M
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwcMpp5G5i
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMozRkrSxhz
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4m7vG7Hwf
"...What in the world?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafQDttGTDJ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPIfAf2vko
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2a5ZnFAMI
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSvk6q8hT4
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLidNV77ZO
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxgczrf73B
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnegWIkz5lg
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7IwFctQiD
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYt0eFIwom
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Get1Zlk77
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtJFuiiskp
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoSjlTYvcI
"So that's what it is..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHl3t5vPCUv
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcDfIEr9oi
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz07WkParL
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVcj5RyrjI
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yfBwmYn3u
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPNbEV3DZT
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90hCzzmtpL
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89eshjH3jJ
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnH7bVm1NT
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdClao7Q1o
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RqznXWxJM
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSSX3zwFKk
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66hIYKZo0f
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHYmTzQ9wZ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiqKaK9eiP
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugTCJmVG0g
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoGw5XlFGS
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"...Dad–"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQ0EpHyvZa
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"Huh?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3us9Jw9qF
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQnUqGyRvZ
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?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGx0RT0kaul
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOb8kvNWZID
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPhdG9IFln
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5F0dLg4mTg
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bkqC2SpD1
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyyOPGziHQ
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJtBm9lX30
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ilsppxJAo
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYvu5KgmMF
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheo4YnhxuY
Kenny just didn't understand why.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2KvCLSA9y
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElK6bSOckr
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrWLaRf5IS
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGDO9BTcwY
Mother was arrested that day.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEopjY0rVQj
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–
–
–
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqP2qNhNV6
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcVzpGd0I8
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooHfnHHbnc
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TeCI35vqr
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoP0dnXs1HZ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhr1mgILGB
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57XQS6rmiX
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXveJ0pbSx
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wKMdzp9UE
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Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtv3e4MTyvc
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRBpj914ED
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDN8TGzUr9j
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRH33VoSWu0
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejPb4oY3rx
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2lhlU74bY
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Q6sVJdzAs
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiNf33e7Mk
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfL88ksYmd
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfq5qmx3QjO
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It went on for another month.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7h0lATays
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Then another.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHznFTqOJs
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Then another.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy98lOlC2Uc
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Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjMi0S2cm9
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4gZkDffco
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?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZLXpp8wkm
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAd23mK88K
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIi8FNshBAf
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRsYZAKXUi
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeafpEJJmHy
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNoBNjPH7J
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbbJaxdX0A
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyCQdmFHTJ
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxaanPWhzs
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQB424olGP
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwahzupEor
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And Kenny reminded himself of this.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNCAaUZVOr
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Over and over.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQR8PVAIg8
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMjkmDnJoc
Over and over.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw72A5A0f3A
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaRgBxjvsp
Over and over.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRD3wC6Xbm
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1HJTON7bU
Over and over.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1Hy6ZyiNX
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbF3JUg2Nma
Over and over.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfi1O1S64EP
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Over and over.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdcljU52j6
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYiNhmT7Qi
Over and over.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5IZhtIijL
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3JcnxCNc9
Over and over.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGt9dziuLvx
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEgtvwEPW0
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UcAdnSSQ1
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMHhfYZyRA
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMrBD7rsZw
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLY8yTuPRsN
–
–
–
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEWnMRJ9ui
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBm8NnUJM5
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMQRfHK7uh
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40cIk6h4eY
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡem6J6vruSv
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLOWmMtXkD
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwNeHNYsIG
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcgMUXvfr6
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHYFdonQcV
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzORemRdS0
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xhj7Phoo1
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqF1ZijnDq
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxq1Xovd7F
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0M02EeDr2s
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQp6osZpvr
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9V0Lyrto7T
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWVk1Sdyf4
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HJkm3aqTS
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7ZsbFkEaH
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKPNy6xgOv
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq0aTC9fWP
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfDPd8SmkD
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbf2O03mdgd
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZRjc9mEH1
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUuUcG4eln
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKZftkWTlt
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6WS4UIfpv
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XjLm3wWuD
It was an invitation.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftBjYMCTdA
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEboea3K0U2
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEX1xevcz2J
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRbw0iBmsE
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IMrAPTTAK
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvUy9Ukd2H
"What am I supposed to do?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5fOAjWrbQ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3XxM7RAuD
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?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30B6w4ImOm
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiNV26BDkk
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYGKyeKwnj
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOr4At483i
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9ZUOKpYo4
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEEPhpTCAq
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctFmZRWeZU
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQilyqrhEmK
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKo3LiUDpM
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0wPQatZCu
The stationary plant went missing.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqjGLwVRzQ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9X63OAUQhG
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIcwkkTJNn
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfRCbOMXMC
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiK6y4rCHXb
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOMA6k84iW
Dragon-Maw went missing.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdr3bHn4UvQ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp17X4ZVCHU
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlqzXKIHst
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgp9A9vB1Am
"...Why?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yB57nY3M6
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFoqQRQ20G
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiSBhDAcqu
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD12BChdXmf
And still, Kenny took his essence.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZS60jVzIQ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4FBNahzgT
Of course he would leave.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCFn3v0Uj2
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDmVJl98EW
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7hLnW0OtX
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsyvvlXUuN
–
–
–
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHi803Umtw2
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriJBz0m8Tw
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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG24zaqo1Ye
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEI8GAGjriu
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWr166mF7K
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuaKMIBbVB
"Kenny. Come out here."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSTUPIZQc8
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtSgj2UnoV
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscVKdvMreX
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jupaV8IlH
"W-Woah!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVYaNpESDg
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19xdRVMNK9
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8MlKrKU6F
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRH22qD8qN
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdE6V2EvsX0
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2P4R4MKwEz
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJ37yNDmyx
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59gSaJ8jDn
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHPNHzShkk
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELbVJIbQly
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzf2X57iXA8
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG7CTH6ekA
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVVpThdNti
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZVXgOIrrM
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5OwWoV5Vi
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgomRsRR1e
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBQkWAJysi
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQV0rAig5nX
Kenny didn't get it.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfNrpvXp82
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFMEP3VCug
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjEcwRLQrJ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEY6gr8rfHU
"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!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRKUdPj0nZ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXEUkmYhLC
"I... whaa?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bVCO1lW6G
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz64rsNXVgO
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?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTJqnc6EEI
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFWFj9Ipdt
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSkDrCJsbD
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aR3oZVzAr
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAofAx2QHNI
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLktzApVw1r
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVpNGvXRDf
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakBDvSh0Ln
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKarWy4AA0V
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJxa1ibkeI
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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC90txU24v5
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWn2MXT0cpK
"Huh?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdlM1eUZpZ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PYKufUUBy
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2JcTqM9px
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IG9CSvslN
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbBrMLLCEB
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2oKOH9syL
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hbcZoF0NT
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvu2wQMTF8K
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMbH8JRWjK
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2XFtZYJrS
"Uh... sure?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4l9sLHnWfT
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByLLXGMYi2
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXmEqhdN09
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpW7xPBHlMv
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAY7v5uDG2
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDghntdwVp
No, Kenny couldn't still.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdmVbVMSoG
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3k3dQng0p
He still didn't know what was going on.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29aRFJrOCh
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzwx4bqZEY
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1y558NVMTA
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZGgPDdiU4
"...Big Brother."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLR9WsDYkc
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmaNaBzN4V
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMRvmBK5PF
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzr9OR0FTf
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XIPhmzMjz
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgEN2bGN1C
But then he smiled.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktMQEQaL7q
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1SGIiNCf8
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrIkOziDLq
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5GrG52dPj
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGv72Ie7L9u
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmMGEkVpUX
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6mKgmbQkh
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnWXGoS1kC
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2D3h540k8J
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxXzPwMAlO
"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–"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6I4K1UKq29
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYabVIJvfj
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIDqbil80R
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtMHJROgu2
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYr5lWR7vLC
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQF8f5N9sp
"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?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnrAKRDg4T
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZS7wxMPG9
"W-What? Huh?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgGCLGrfK2
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIycneXLJfT
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcC5qAkG76
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgANpMz5HUH
This was insulting.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybvtMUrXPe
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGiuERO7Sv
This was just insulting now.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQbCa7xyy1
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZHEi0lQq4
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpnzgAPtUx
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRi1ldJ4VI
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqHCV5CwnH
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExvgXmibqw
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMrYft49NL
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJADVqKxwkP
And then something shattered in him.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhxinyAz4h
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpxU0TT8qV
What was making him so hung up?245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQUHStDjxC
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNNVJbO1X8
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!**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvTTzz1b8V
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxE7YDzFoG
"...Huh?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtET2rW1l2
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiM3xdmiri
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLdg0JPmIz
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtqrdWfP7z
"L-Listen, Kenny..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT077qGPhp7
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3ADyxxdx5
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTHgavAM3t
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHwmx2QqYK
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtr8h53brqy
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCR3j5zYHS
"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2yqR4prj6
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0LagAzXyZ
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ557wAU6TJ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXU9zYRDhW
–
–
–
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOOFM8mV8C
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVacheCghHX
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrA8cfVV5yV
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrnMyKWdJS
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlprwheOi07
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZXdOdgE35
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUM17KIA1ZX
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8btLQdt2e
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUDvFTihup
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuL31gPZ0Nr
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFh4rB7bIty
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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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