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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ps4KhZ1e2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4R8in7rcxS
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?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmO8vpbuLvq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOFmIbTKtY
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDwch6awui
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJqruTQdNG
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAS3IXVjU6
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9d15EJHs1V
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchtnaHHMCR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdpprtqPmu
"Happy birthday, Kenny."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00Cy5xNxpB
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8L3lJPHvT
"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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxkiZBlBFY
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazwzAYy7IZ
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtIvYEnD0r
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWQwvP93Kh
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28X7fCxE5G
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBjx3DpzU9
That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYHxdVFNQO
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9soHlDTbv
Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8R28nP7AGn
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbOuJcCmsb
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXx8Y5y4OLj
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8Hevd4rfS
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVbvB2taJY
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwIsIEsLWT
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqMokMirnG
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡId2Bzws6tG
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYRNQvTI1Z
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ455QnrVtCk
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFw2V2YSxb1
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpzZ6KLMe6
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjN8LsxHhnw
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWw3qoEUlWs
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtocYjyqQuC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHgAMajrqR
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lvqmkIj53
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5ynMhl7wy
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPGWbXkwz2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVaLvURl6T
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExybCQUZd1
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObKTgl3D0Y
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCOFL5gdSA
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwUdoKHOJz
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22lTaF2e0S
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy66cNOkjo
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw18XFvaeqj
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakaa5F9pua
"What is this, Kenny?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvgFUHNL8G
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeiShcXeiN
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnq2N5UuAJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanvYtzyF6x
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfLWjg4I6A
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdD2OoVxAHF
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe87OwJEmY3
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8cB60EpQe
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcWaLIWi8M
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3Rsxxf3ng
"Christina, do you know what this means?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNi0SHiQgCG
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhA1xDcgViD
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpow2raH5wC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBilW8mzoXH
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLGrUDHWOW
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20fHU6CIKJ
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUm4Hc31Sc
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFfyxLdt62
It was.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskHuPugalB
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yGykc5Sju
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lXAzEwFSq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGS3WP7X75
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUfSYb5PeY
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5t8N7rMOol
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp00QNPQupk
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSL1OG9k8s
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvaIFeYEQn
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfOO7vohS1
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06CfGQRlCl
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Kenneth ran upstairs.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy39Ckx7kps
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFb7K7Qhhc
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaQAngLmCp
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5NfCYlXRx
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NpSW7mn0G
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2a05sQHjQ
"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBHSvExgZi
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6ZMRcEWdt
Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQNsGLgvpz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOA1AoTSAE
"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDbYKLtVdP
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWIF464roi
Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUYkqSTftO
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6A5JKTH69
"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIALQ0f0C1q
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8MCMais15
That was when Kenneth's life began.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4MP9cKafk
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSmbqwfdWN
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzPY1Mt09I
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJ3OQDQ3aS
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOd5ohpLLK
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVy0OcFihk
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSt5cdMka6
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVSHWCCY2k
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4GM0I6wE3
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PvtPJ6ZBM
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqYXza7KJj
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAO4gY2rSkN
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtdFf9fxIy
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhxmkUPZWE
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoeHCjUG7t
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZkJmX5RBW
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sNifbhn9Q
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfks81g4xEi
"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqVJZ5hlLZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kBQ02IDe6
Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8PBl4UTZC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4BSzMVzsM
"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOXieTW4Lv
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiBbqeXC6s
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvkNmXwmLh
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEwDSXkZIE
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQ7gtbtv9d
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuo8ZlrzdY
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqge6ZVlC0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUrAggdn1c
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNHDARmmBe
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3TmROxsJK
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2ocTtfVjt
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9UQXWVXGn
Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPEEP32nYP
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXu1bkUXz7
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qG1fuQAd7
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5bn91qXSz
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd68q4hBt30
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKIgmXfN3l
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ymJXq9H1M
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5msnQik2g
What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf57Ubr7bq3
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR9jMDTn7b
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHbGI5Z3IR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIsGBoXCKL
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhg4NNHF6S
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWNgwtqt6S
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgXGVUm1oI
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnKhiQU6zn
"...It's dead."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvGt8pNDQU
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWUQlayUy0
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz3AMCf9PH
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LEXPCVTgT
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQpLCe30e1
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxT6ey8hem
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6P9xVMLvR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWPD5t8YH7
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehlXXebicF
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kT2DDt1QX
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOZa1cmxPL
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sAIvJ5XvP
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1F1BQgvrJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeIKzmY6dk
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SbvVXlhSt
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB85gStWRTa
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–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKvicA4ugG
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0Ur6IakmV
**THUD**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJ9l431xxL
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzjbdtg199
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHQ6Dn5Yei
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJVbFSL2w6
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrg3A1kVYw
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsT837IFAG
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwsHSldNW0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9sbUjxgzn
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSAABb8C6q
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWaxLktKNl
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQXXv8L1ge
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkHSORweIz
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5flI4Of2A
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuu4cxoOrS7
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXxtqTUnEc
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWJK4bDo0Q
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5do6kA0WdQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWi9WpSQaE
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cu1hqyYbc
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRYW9y1bC6
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdk8qrH44dI
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSVKXt6nf0
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlEzJvgISG
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTp2Fz4U6d
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhBv1wk8cF
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhtBADnR1h
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjCS24oQlS
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbiqhDOAU9
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?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEu6WBkCFf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhS4ByWMBeu
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tBqdUeDV8
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRoH4UkRhW
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTm3F2aTrK
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqb1WF66VGg
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE88ju59hdn
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS82CyKrdNV
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKfqRoTkEZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuYaxAMas9
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOUbehNDhZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9dpgUDqLg
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zRUoIeHKT
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYh1snBgZds
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMYRekYmfq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡion1a1h7u1
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKM4vH7hp2S
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6MLzK1ZU5
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Y7gU21WyV
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjWmE6Ixrf
Kenny fainted.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpJ6kToimu
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiQHHpFnQz
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdR7G0f2i8N
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEeH6exK5N
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SSwEeI7Ah
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kk7jYA2aR
"...What in the world?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGrsn9Z5BE
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gca7F4I17
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7v8qQic3X2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jzQFKZtjy
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5IqxfwaMR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQmfVr3QOc
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueXzBvNeIZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6P8Ezjx8P
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ApZxT1Vk2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NJem8CACL
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWeWP68HYf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefHbXGwHUH
"So that's what it is..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxHsdNzeU0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHnqdYrtAX
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjlEnMSNGB
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGEZYwC3wi
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAFNX7zbuX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXoM1LMooK
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMTtpfpiL5
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡestWOA1grs
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKecgw1PSZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmX9ajBXGs
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyl1INayTtA
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0dyPb5t1j
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6yYMv5LXm
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XpxZckuwZ
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXhdxbmpn0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAckrqYTRH
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubpJVyLTmj
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlufOaD68B5
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaE8OtGFlZ
"...Dad–"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yOXd4x6AG
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbP4OUVwqAd
"Huh?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9npWuriNhU
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAZXW6Blp7
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?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwUJfwq85W
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeA0pkztKl
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUGH0zFVFP
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiFfvNav8O
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JEWIVkqUK
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7s7zrcB1N
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsLXZVkamN
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3RbzKsD8c
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfxwqN52rv
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90R6eD1u5v
Kenny just didn't understand why.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP35ZIoDn3f
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcEr9tNLmL
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiExU7wApJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbr9QBmddXZ
Mother was arrested that day.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DfEmBRQ4Y
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ225PI7Mg6A
–
–
–
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ld85MYkJf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmxnNMsjqb
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJjecadyJG
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTKiuHfl0R
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LrlMnlxmx
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKuNAwKzdv
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhQLpXsjGT
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYL7izdYSp
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiVp1hc5gp
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSM4zZBOpSz
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyoGFbzajw
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yIRYb5QU5
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEA6scQ5Mj
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJb1BtdHk6q
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK87V1ObDMn
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLsHoXL6MK
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKc4qJVOPM
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjyoXrcNNI
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1B8vU14ov
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPbtNcdxdz
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfYuAmA8eJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBxdcTYHdr
It went on for another month.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2m5eJILLU
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduI36pY87z
Then another.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqGyuWHQFY
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrK9WXs7Vg
Then another.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyFXZyHjh4
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuR1TUH193
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGTytL96K7
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQMa4Z8B44
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?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80uQMEFt5E
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSjc36ko1d
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULy11QRCOR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cSzIVzl6f
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16OL89K1BY
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpxRLDukud
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGZ4BHzZwG
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4OJ6Zq05X
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKimlNpH7E
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuuurrCfqB
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUMAmqSt85
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXKtKnWQ6P
And Kenny reminded himself of this.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmcIA8mQam
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxE98Ol8Wws
Over and over.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82RJ7SjUhM
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZfJtHyBkL
Over and over.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvyNNi8fQo
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAXgZ655UJ
Over and over.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6SyjR3xnf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL35i2EgtlQ
Over and over.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdeON9nr6X
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dSCS4ea7H
Over and over.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5K8eabf7Ti
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TJjm1U3V9
Over and over.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaPZjyWLF0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCY677A5A2E
Over and over.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarlrDpsD5q
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEjsNjPah4
Over and over.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZofAnREoC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J2ng3OVVs
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt117C4I5Z6
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yzp8HBt6P
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdXevDRv3k
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBttQNjy5na
–
–
–
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZ1vPxK6Uj
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6W4rMOyOd
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4F4zQ9lwU
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaH34ss5MNI
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdFk4MUrcz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyu9zUOwosY
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoGzttFZsZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlm4WZvl8j2
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJ3zpPoZNX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oxk5ExvqH
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahpRgw5i0W
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoPK6m1r9p
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbb1uWNCOoR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7KREHim2P
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1fa5OmWnR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeH8mYKbiA
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlxol6EW7c
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwgpz4xfSR
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFTrcHxll7
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrMsH5Kc8p
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6AnefAPTa
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQ4X1Kqqwg
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiAeErbceh
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡou6OTQhkPs
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡws0mKdly6q
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMdLDeryTK
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPO6bfnKrCY
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuLQQjExMu
It was an invitation.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycg60cokit
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyu5Stwfjwi
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpegheX5HN
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoK4r8Kfwr
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9vx46tpBX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiuEiU0VYw
"What am I supposed to do?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmgpppNwko
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGd9XOeZIEm
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?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3ul8YysWc
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uSfU3xrmQ
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7l3GDspW1m
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EYqKymJhF
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSesV7I6gc
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8GpdJO1sG
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfAYCr1dGt
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVI6eBR9We
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiycFewswK
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJUkItzcFi
The stationary plant went missing.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYtNTzGIjw
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKfJceC72O
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMZwPAxtbg
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5AQ0Um338
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKxycBGpjh
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEFSrwTNj2
Dragon-Maw went missing.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBxp4ZeaQR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqK2lksEUfo
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDr3ij45jF
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZIrzYWD59
"...Why?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDkhD9F0Cu
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonM6iur03N
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFSWI4kj3S
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOWF7p7SUZ
And still, Kenny took his essence.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVv0ih6fbm
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc68fI4W9L5
Of course he would leave.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjsd0MLMG6
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1vHSCMTA2
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmFWbApSvn
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66gZqo6Nqx
–
–
–
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjavSGiXsyC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWh2cl06iC
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–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmBkjIceE4
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRY84RRlek
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHC5Vu8Kmq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Mk84v2geW
"Kenny. Come out here."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlyB2TZTgd
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eXAfiFlgG
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3E12EMr4SZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0M5TuVuKH
"W-Woah!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4QM9f9pEz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIsa9JpL1i
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRGVsGHTj4
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITZyB5KjQH
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTO63kEAiv
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoSUCV6wmA
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI247dXebPg
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKhSTInS07
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDjOCFqdCr
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPzPwIM8Lr
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBxRzgWkzQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2XWM5mAGE
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZquHuWUhQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGggY1bDm02
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYSsreHj9Q
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQOfN6J3gq
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsZVE4KE7w
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qxCtqUPxd
Kenny didn't get it.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPvfgMlSQx
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoJohJJAUp
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VCAb9rVzP
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93YwioI5g0
"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!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFnOLyb4Qk
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lrjbFXFsi
"I... whaa?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTXcwdGRjd
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5cSdyuJ2v
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?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡty1GDXOoUQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Xu0lwz8R6
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQlpiPnU2Y
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlKqWQhatp
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskOGfOMy93
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWJEIVsrjd
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWWk58qPx0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMfafELcWn
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztcnd5L7bR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8b1rfqg3pc
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–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqNYl6TnQR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5LT3IrBDW
"Huh?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZjim1X0B9
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHUSu51EQO
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbb5FGKgb5I
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nVnCA8gNb
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUuXWlTr17
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV49w3qxegA
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozQ130DMEz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAgJqdgrrE
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhaTzzhjxM
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQkSqcIert
"Uh... sure?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcv4yBv2Ap
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8r5TBv69x
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPOLCuJ6qA
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uvVH4F2I6
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzPlSHjV9E
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsICHDhshmW
No, Kenny couldn't still.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJPln4dGwI
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpCEnWREKN
He still didn't know what was going on.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0zDY6EZWD
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU274YIPuvS
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDBzbT0XO3
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TklSJB0nk
"...Big Brother."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1q8K6xAsh2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYj18982DV
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IoorcFuGh
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRogyxcFaAY
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrNrakb1dX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6yoaysQ4j
But then he smiled.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziQyZXKNXb
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq10LFwpMtl
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHyfHqRX2Y
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfz4LpWMJh
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuz3XwsNGT
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPb6bXdeKR
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iIwTdGFnX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKeqyNZe39
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGJrx8gWFX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltTqKokz4j
"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–"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXda1Itw6a
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbBk8C03Je
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopxMhNEa24
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdW8Gx6TnOY
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVIDuQVO9K
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpvZEukHV8
"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?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9FtcqGgjQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjBsZrLoUV
"W-What? Huh?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3DOnbDsvz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTjptJi2WI
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3eGz6qwlf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0vM2O3Us7
This was insulting.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2edebq45VD
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmixXjhWt4
This was just insulting now.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4yJm71LTs
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV1FISv26a
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QXulA2BEI
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoTTKqH817
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1kwZ6FlHQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3oWKGtx6H
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChboyNMWuJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAAVcDF4Za
And then something shattered in him.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kRUs7OYUD
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78G1y1H6gd
What was making him so hung up?282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciNISPLpDX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxt5OCjda9
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!**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3cmfbPeR5
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37hqJVCgjP
"...Huh?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8riEA0uHYe
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eCe0uri9S
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVwAQTXsP6
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUD3826Tne
"L-Listen, Kenny..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFJB1Xg1wq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00oEgH5vb1
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCdFTRQoLw
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoRdP28aMd
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbN5O5reRQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GR88sL3ux
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfnRq0Xg0q
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPn7aQmiYS
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZcF7YBlq1
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAS68jvE7vl
–
–
–
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAWDZU5g8d
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLFDjNtokt
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemSDGc0wB0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPW4uWi0hft
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikEVs2DKrD
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pQ7UAw97p
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yyhdfR0nd
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtwzIXqXk2
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SrwotRqc4
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdOFZ0ewMh
He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFIzENR3CM
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZfBuoCT2x
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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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