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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGyAu6Mwu3
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ddkvH43IA
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?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXyfuRSu2k
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUJrtkNvm5
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9e0wXV5a4u
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrW2K3OdNLT
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikJLp6inlM
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzmgQsnR99
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy97CHvz1Tu
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLJ4CGKwC2
"Happy birthday, Kenny."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsLw1B5G5P
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolhAHpwsTl
"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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ312Y3UTmZv
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoR34S6QWJe
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdsb8XjOyH
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yZbDSgOZW
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2DiZXf55y
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcBhagmSqa
That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJurNRujh3i
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5iIy66Kz3
Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmof9K6394X
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPyo7Y0DpV
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpns4Y2SD3j
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPL6yh3AgRS
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeb3oDfnlz
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaj4ZeGD5i
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncOLvSFm9q
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJfMEeJiBJ
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5C4jL0lXq
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bctk4vpuW
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZiPoxDQZK
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu37culQadn
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNzGHlwyFz
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjST539aR43
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TkpRUhMnJ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtjLd1krdZ
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡff66IfIgxU
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7fFruRiY8
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCa3EIQvMA
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83Zno8T0vZ
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKiuxD0AdG
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcfF90D5qZ
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE6yapnVad
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOWQgAxyYQ
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdxloyJaM9
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdogFjvQbv
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEwivPniki
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrrvgjw5Ai
"What is this, Kenny?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBIdnb7oEH
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hXpPsM9eR
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF2SN91Cev
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nrEGGFT8P
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcWWjMLkMJ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAoRmZC0TW
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsBoS39nhb
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOoTo8Xc10
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpulViLL6k3
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVa0XvH3Aj
"Christina, do you know what this means?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aCVBnBIyn
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCXispKTrG
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYfOMj8vcV
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2GdZb7VcG
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtozeP9eqSj
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxC1WDSairE
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtl7sOifY7X
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It was.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gTu5uaLXb
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOL1k8Xoc5U
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wQvVtvUv9
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVEMnOTiiD
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXXEeBGJoO
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJ1pin3EyH
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICb0hc31MJ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyJ2ftM4gS
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUKlFEyXjs
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"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonIslMyWzC
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Kenneth ran upstairs.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Q6RKORBjG
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjexHPGUW51
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWMdvpBHxu
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxAQy8nTRP
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"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpet1O66CHj
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eVJDlsTCJ
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXv2prRJIoj
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxsw1LuRxM
Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCxhiww4Cp
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjp49YbZH4v
"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hLYdOwg0s
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejqZloaNcH
That was when Kenneth's life began.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXH4m80frq8
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZY30m4iaCI
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZ3Xv9i8Ma
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMJv7Q4sP2
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoGMLDW9vl
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLxzVkaM6n
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSwSDGVBsk
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXXIoMNjm2
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGhE0l9gXs
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8tZ6KLxxi
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRRP5UCx60
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwSURta9R0
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJA8dzmwcU
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1AYmGJWSA
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIRG5tReS0
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhcEmMseXY
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"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TNOBRisXV
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJznjJ1hUJ
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"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiGU26HTRf
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDPSZ9hcMT
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWH789HxZdD
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKsdXoydPB
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMcbVp6NdA
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUk04ancRB7
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULlX23QJv2
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFm9XLFgGnv
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiH2IJ2FHl7
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZp5JzpaQEr
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDQ2MFsDDu
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Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ9j9EozYK
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0kZcBhUVR
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQs5iI8f1NY
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGD7VHdnKG
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuy59tMaTHP
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfChHXBMMP
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HxbJ6RvGO
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1bmD6N50W
What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQH7EeJJDp
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyc4tboJhqW
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZUabPjvWv
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4mjoOvo1Q
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsy65A4PwVo
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjuehOhyCl
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOhskuRyqv
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZn0PPYsjcN
"...It's dead."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUXm8JEKEH
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28Q0sBbm7m
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lorT13ivK
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaudNc4IZg
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXx4G2acfkg
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCw3UqCJ7Gi
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlbUPoX2MA
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiEKBTaww5
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6znInEegc
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PUvtb6Nu1
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqrhEPDSp4
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9uyh63zM1
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3nVmWCSRu
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQm2mNmtK9
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnLPfYKFpj
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMcTHO636q
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–281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbgFT6HaHP
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCl0uApRSE
**THUD**281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhOelY7KQA
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAjplXrDrA
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3R8WPKnVe
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkrqFLTTl3
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiahYH2YRx
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaA0UkJTk6
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRaDhdQ2R4
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDT2PcWBoTL
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUn1CI5mkJ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZOidR9vLj
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMc05LaQiFl
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxLOQlvLj4
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡET4PEhmAKd
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVoLhW5ClW
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BY5QPmds2
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZ1hmrrIA9
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhFY55PoW2
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79Kl3BVT6r
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTm4evkzKsE
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEddwCq70S7
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxg90ZBMNLH
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTqEzwWE0z
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfGGEYqePl
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYnEzBBBIN
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTILFWRZX2k
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVySDZ8gPXz
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKlCyq9CyU
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lV2JiuCFR
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?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEA8DYsLi3
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rEFB7nP0p
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaq4qeGfqOu
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrfxaqpybd
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Xquf6jd8i
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVzWdJxg1E
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOVTGAz9OR
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiEsOouszS
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZQLAB3uFc
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdERSVhbYF
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKeBiry7Ed
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLCn9TXdsX
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmGB8fClks
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVBZb6NbGT
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidIwOW7viF
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOiQteV4NS
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSKIs2x2Cu
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsOxTZhqWR
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYvhYr0xl1
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkguwVzf7ZN
Kenny fainted.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxPL9HKLhH
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sBYMqcAF2
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eoOa6nb6y
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXWysztlo6
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2y18cuLuFO
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceT2PIdOrN
"...What in the world?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNCwOynRke
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ifF1HjwSb
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDYaZdrvat
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudT6GRjjqP
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgiWqc5I4l
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVicNOgsHJB
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdYTEq9KuY
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevyyAxeK40
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSVzEaPNsa
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHeNuIDyU2
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSBZ4FmVkd
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4PktbVNSV
"So that's what it is..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kcHqUpBS2
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw147V8JkOS
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnTtg9dxh8
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjIQSMqkRx
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtGsGMJWen
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xhlBNyBqm
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIEMHwCnjC
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsQ45fulMB
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRxQRPdUZB
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvgQChhD8x
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMQOV7DlEQ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpRJBVueSh
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGokQqV9S7
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeD2pikNMDo
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxjpWhwC8e
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAA6xqBlX0q
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5AHOn39K8
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vsATo8jIr
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtEa7ILBiC
"...Dad–"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1JstZ0e4g
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZptvuBJ1M2
"Huh?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuPwTeUbpD
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQm3U1F9f6v
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?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfURGBOdTln
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpU82G22xyV
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBOabrpdYw
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpanRaoFXVV
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ820kURBELJ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAB0GWVl6Tn
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitX054qTkQ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DyTrbVXQv
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHrtjdBv1i
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAlRxf9LgP
Kenny just didn't understand why.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkmtYtEzlh
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB1i2lxudE
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzph2xBKeo6
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWturC9OKt1
Mother was arrested that day.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DjCUgcPN6
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxy3ZdOTMOJ
–
–
–
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVbW34H4w0
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmi2Fn8xxHP
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡariYxrOsd4
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOcq8WwOFE
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgp42d9Cgn
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhsBANLc9f
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXfd0wPkSV
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBHYv7BYSJ
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLqBO84sRv
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1eozD8i6T
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5ulyxwPYb
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupRYSudNat
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrk85A04qe
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW06R4Vw0Mc
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoYXo0U67f
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToBESlM6Ho
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYc3iJkioQd
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenCGWN3kUl
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkg4z5V4k8
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAPgX5cNHC
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIEwNUypcR
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6wFEQjPR2
It went on for another month.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnz9T2haaF
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQraIr6d1Xj
Then another.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9MnkIsS9s
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4NalSwSht
Then another.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe77sEkcGr
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WY9EPBg1L
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPib2wJkET
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgDUSZDRoK
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?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWqxnY3F9g
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vpVobhvRB
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yTSIrC2Zu
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpRpfCdNk2
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwh5mZEF510
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOx73PpUfa
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJSPkwhV5S
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPzUg8lrs9
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWmulgyzGG
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkv6UmfRSzw
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAHnIhARLE
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznZXmth0vy
And Kenny reminded himself of this.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6taAs84u45
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8e2T6BTJb
Over and over.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IlP82U2v4
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYogom9G9Nh
Over and over.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHsvqXp0qv
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxn5V5M209
Over and over.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8LPv1k4SI
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uXlCtpUkj
Over and over.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkF4ghGpInh
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu16M8wBK6M
Over and over.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgG4mUGsW2
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3XwBigZZJ
Over and over.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DJWYXcg7c
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsPxrNJZTz
Over and over.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzyowO5JQN
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡys2wBRs25B
Over and over.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKE1eglmsE
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMivShZvg5J
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4SYp6nFZrA
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxpeSKZaBD
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfKG4P5nMn
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuA7ftLsjwv
–
–
–
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooRbmoNvBv
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdcjOQTcbc
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejOoJCFwPr
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoM3W6YeMzH
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZZOr3pp8r
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTWxzU4TWD
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOjHQKHUUC
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTgI8eOnOr
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgFWSAxEe8
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhq8oKJS7u
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51JzlbLA4z
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElm8igfQDV
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6i6pGnN3G8
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K2sjEQTn8
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvibQunZRte
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0Q4gkk45Q
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFrYDfgm0v
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrEedqAppH
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MI55npw39
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIuPf223DD
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDn0LpqFNNJ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1dE2OgYsE
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4mBVfR7gy
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSsc8VqKIe
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtzvI7aNxa
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPtPFzWlpc
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ur7pDjRZ1
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMhRfAdQZQ
It was an invitation.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUgWwRzibR
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhefGbIdii0
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWrEPFrlfa
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NuhOCW7U1
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FRCaN7pyB
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy935QUaD2
"What am I supposed to do?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9gX293JBf
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE39YBv1aFW
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?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJQbLwzsKA
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn77n9vpF9x
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDtkF1cduN
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0Hr1gn3a6
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkNKBv9Q6a
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5DHoZeyz1
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxr0fMR7Rd
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokUjwVx1WB
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfO23UY0wl
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7LvtJlz0X
The stationary plant went missing.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6iynE2Oqs
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv70j4QF7MC
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSYaZi8Jec
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTC3YRHokN
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoaakYEd9f
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQfzYIQemK
Dragon-Maw went missing.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwWxdv52WY
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ63eJgJaQ2
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdaKLDV1gH
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHm4eRfRUl
"...Why?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cucehpnXy
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKidNHOHJGx
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aFM7BRn8x
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigiy4cqZzj
And still, Kenny took his essence.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfw3QggsEEX
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1J7H2wmRH
Of course he would leave.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3Tx0tv3jK
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVcnfBYRsU
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9E2m5GYdZe
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJytuFdrq84
–
–
–
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZW1awd61gw
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2ZqOvTDyj
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–281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xBvoGTrU7
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviiCU0wSs4
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbj7bzR8ew1
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzrHxFEz42
"Kenny. Come out here."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOR5l0BAaD
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkr5EjKiJvf
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWMI79GxzF
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs6ft1KkQa
"W-Woah!"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYodPi0hd1
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQO5idpe1q
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEwrXlM2Wt
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd57zINODWc
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76sIWTdarJ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj0GHeRUzr
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgnTmO0TZO
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAdwXX5kAd
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLczGXnwL1R
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8neQNsbmMw
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtycQKpOZ23
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEaamMBGlP
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1E7GgBJmp0
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTz7KCtEEff
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHS4X3UPbKl
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBmzH3M8Mj
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbboZXf32G
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoScsXSRQi6
Kenny didn't get it.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeFM1VU1yu
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhgx31LLEe
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLkJZFKjwq
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5U73i93cIJ
"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!"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSsd4rQzyz
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrKTRQqCQx
"I... whaa?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3wpjq0ImI
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJOQWBSk6t
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?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡld6M6RVz4Z
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg0aNO79AA
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyXSHBXvLf
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9N1pupmxWT
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL23sqmzMbX
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OQGIBNAq6
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡic7QolJCoJ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFvE6g8zEq
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDUtWQeOeB
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRHSnfw1F8
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–281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcrEJHwxDe
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iV36Z1gDm
"Huh?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBGmlK5iMN
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2vgglmpAO
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYJemGKlHF
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Owlp5oa3g
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeYrNPhW5D
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9UHOguCGY
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOs1Ek8R8oz
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjS6bYlTBbx
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwjlz25TUz
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSaWEL2dMg
"Uh... sure?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZf499tL8po
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdKftM4vUD
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdGuMvJvFg
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlI4iXPrb8I
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPNdaLhT3Q
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBbO6p7pex
No, Kenny couldn't still.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MKJ2gqIgb
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNtD2CxGmd
He still didn't know what was going on.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93Y8t8wG2u
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSEaqx8ZkY
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHuvl3oByR
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSdBRKfBZx
"...Big Brother."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXapY89q7u
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSE0EheyWr
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNxIFyJQ9q
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMKxTFDbdq
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxSDH0sAQ2
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlScv7kGqUe
But then he smiled.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvesGeza4Qx
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPI1FyXlcHm
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzs4OpTV5GV
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtr2pV1x8md
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEKW7YkL8Y
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qG9CpKvz5
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCjkzBgQ2P
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5GgCJwYuV
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwsrMk5nyZ
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAt6mVKgC4w
"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–"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEC6zRKmKWV
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡto9qftde5g
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPYnroCJkv
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIk3dX04RIO
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PCQl7l419
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bWHDi4U3e
"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?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1lJdK0n09
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrEC43TyfR
"W-What? Huh?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVlsafkm7G
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvmLRwTVg6
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRc9BZ6VkX
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PT9kYPvOR
This was insulting.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXkPFgmWvG
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvSfO6ExvI
This was just insulting now.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKvNuxRLnH
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGvcT2tQ5w
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuzvVdbX7g
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwgBKQA6ev
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnNNfJ30u0
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLzng7hZpU
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvWYW5GKYO
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3metwcq8tt
And then something shattered in him.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdqE7yaA9j
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Vw13hzJtF
What was making him so hung up?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUKGTIwkQ8
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv7o0ZsPTQ
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!**281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pbQHobUzU
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCTJpxSlUy
"...Huh?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPBh70XHPG
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpJEOGfFWt
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSCrRwYhYK
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhyF6liS9i
"L-Listen, Kenny..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66sCiPEZ96
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECbkkxmVko
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySKq66OS20
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9cKwlYplJ
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSO4jpZUy3g
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtBuS7x7Q1
"..."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgXQthAs8O
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8t1J5Becsj
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAX9yhmLog
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcaokbMVjb
–
–
–
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBHVZFm2bu
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4csy2N7iaN
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMa7HwOpoGX
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHmP6W9tS1
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aqyohrho9
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurcNQHfPXB
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0y69lAKXD9
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRyoa3RMGO
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnn4SAqQfBl
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEBbRVujUE
He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSevrZl39H
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMOCEzrxZp
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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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