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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRs8YA64Cc
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDx5hNWsFq
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?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9UuSAZNm9
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfrac4HEl7
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhJy5F7SIJ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Y56dcRfbL
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJmO0srz6G
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyN0zcRuFfy
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOk3UGbHjxr
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyvnx4qbDn
"Happy birthday, Kenny."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvh1aqtNyq
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YYM05BcQ0
"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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbk8u9wAbV
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7IMsM0Xnh
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdcVOixjGu
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMrps40Koy
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLSUZmks04
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUAKLbfGro
That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKWbwLlLIt
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8y9f8G2ugk
Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCgJwcXqZH
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡya2EJZ8idz
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTA9tIa81pS
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbyzZFzx0Q
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrqV4xxjeC
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzhtLZQGqe
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cQyM0LzTH
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBSqle1zLr
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJQzmHBRL6
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoiziPNW2HC
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxFKMQjdUd
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNm5NU4pPJq
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsyrIRxpwM
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJBunEnmm6
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0iaw1UL00
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HEL1oIpR6
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodI1VAvgfn
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12HbAYgoJZ
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrJzirn30a
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAkgu0rsOQ
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJO8w36G2ZA
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KRaLG7AND
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrZnqU4zSL
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVNA5sf0dR
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZ0HUaAt0R
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqq2x0n33b
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvc0GK5K0v
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWX4gdOjMP2
"What is this, Kenny?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6lvOGlo8p
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFbsMl063o
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHUlTntG5C
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xQ3WoiEmJ
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvVDASe0gP
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqm3He18bXP
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapFqWtZWNC
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqQINwDiHm
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvDNp6owU2
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3imh03vZYx
"Christina, do you know what this means?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuC7Iig2ZWh
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCITKH86QJM
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbteW9FEGJl
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNI3cuS7Hmy
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzgEIJjN4N
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6JD31w0y5
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOtIL0wyUF
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHVHAJluHp
It was.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHLVysf8cQ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AiYhMncXB
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSSsADbsNO
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHG5SRZv3d
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMcDZatvqR
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinbJWozOWd
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEdX0HotHp
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP79hGvBqIn
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JvVW83nAy
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbTP8ChErr
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvunXyWn6Lz
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Kenneth ran upstairs.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrCXkxBh3d
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59WdncB7eK
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhU2BwOpoTl
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvTwYgQr2b
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqoYKo2U84
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSDYrlRzVH
"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh981wldzgg
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQUUtONglk
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRhHodCV9W
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwnn359N56
Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqTme6b04F
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi29jNm4tQl
"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyM8caqQWFT
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KT16VjOr2
That was when Kenneth's life began.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQV4iBb4Jz
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ATgXeiYTi
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzhJ3UqSXh
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4SbX7GFx2
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BY0V2NRnH
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0cff8mmwy
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf1AhX0CWm
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXR5OA86q2
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4Syb3AdkY
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0byZTJBNpF
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4gkOdOZ6H
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQL2jgbK6sF
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDJjtW2Yn7
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKtVqhcr9J
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjcZjw2KsI
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrs1zkMB91F
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcqSloDQta
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqs2zNlDkTR
"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC061eIzUa7
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhzdwIsVpt
Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICTrwkmseC
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9CX048frH
"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVRcSpThC8
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzcfIrTIzH
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fVZKbPtEO
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDrV1fBZ3r
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQlflkfnA8
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGlCt52V8l
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSl5wBhvpo
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9LM1GpIF9
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqg10DWFm5
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLnMJ1NJ5a
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfQNIPHAC7
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnizcEnFWV
Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAt7aeMi9a
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswMCOYSG50
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOjKPvX5HI
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumxC2gmmsl
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvys05UM3zf
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jj5AhAXDH
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ssDkaayhi
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFv1lkwW1e
What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSK2b8w2LN9
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NW3gMHeGP
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4i9TCElLx
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprm0dOMI3Z
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaa46iBSHOL
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0TRQxIAMn
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYnwTD5ozM
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDCoumk5fL
"...It's dead."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhYbXRndh9
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeRJq67ICM
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11Vnk4vn7m
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHYqEzsx4C
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVq35ZjcsGC
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq2w0U54h6
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvxSdV8x8h
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KMCzG3uU7
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVZVZK0TNq
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKgATTnxc2
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7WSSUjev0
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3BBvnHjvM
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqHQ9pRH07
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXC7MBNrzHE
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgzVoU11Vf
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Wq8Vx2pbT
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–328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLHIvMlium
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq84bMiUF6j
**THUD**328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxpralZS6M
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJzXOWj2KJ
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuq59nEVdEV
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAMnxbyqQo
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbbGEXnd9Z
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvh8uuWXP5G
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9cwX7FzCE
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gcRXoIijl
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe07OFbXG9I
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1BTn0hXN6
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqUjExP87E
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyNL5NL5zC
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVocLrcurNC
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SDl9l78HR
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NfOZeWFR3
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYa6Ft1xApJ
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYV7oHCVXrY
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYWSuzKTTE
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9uoQBMbyy
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV32T1Kmfj6
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WBOhWBW4m
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzlTgrBouV
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSintWQl0a5
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPM7K3m7d9
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPlDrS189N
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDP9BZwlgI
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVllGtz5XbP
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFp7MhOFoft
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?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ndEzpQdoc
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxU4DkKeMR7
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuVvbAeFTT
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ47Ecd5Uu
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGi3L6zNOu
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjana6Bhjsg
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtQzfihYIU
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXSl8msKlp
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3vXfqhveP
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksEEcLsWz6
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFb24Wxf9jO
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1v24IKwO2j
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJN05p7Zxip
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2swQcojzdr
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtTzxcKi9U
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSVU3dpsKI
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWnM4SJDmv
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJgHYDYXFG
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFYI6omMqR
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLbhhevV3X
Kenny fainted.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnB7uJ2pK1g
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ti7EVvn21
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMN2vUWD9CC
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJTXP3Mqck
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5OOnbczTr
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvbEgQXNqo
"...What in the world?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRx5WBDVpXc
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YoOltJmTu
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVHR7bhJ1I
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT37rkxY2NN
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzD0NHyuCkU
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenDrcUwcAP
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqWwQ0gayV
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlcOiZc7MS
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOw5YEkWJgN
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRvZICaE1p
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YWoffLNn5
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51B2UgBqjr
"So that's what it is..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fBNRBtZdr
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGiOmNz22n
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrnCrn72O0
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBTowsfgX8
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hNMkHREKF
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7FHrvnfHz
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObffMnoxo1
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOJlk1bpUT
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKTzas6avF
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5qXN2F1iT
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFrUvG5vJQ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKWIA17GBd
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQK0CnRAdu0
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxdWbW2ErM
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqn8yoovHH
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wL2ThNeuu
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeugqBo6AE
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2W4g3BLeV
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsbeIhz8hh
"...Dad–"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7yZe3U8g1
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWBivL6XVI
"Huh?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJv1LuVzZGu
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wfH3Zbnpq
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?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSRLPmDir8
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPvy3LPJFK
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMZzOELNRV
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmDuuBD6oB
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOA8S6qHJBo
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7GEu0CMxU
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1oNTdD2vP
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqcp3KP1vf
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXvEYyBKSC
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Qp69hend8
Kenny just didn't understand why.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELCzS4EKyl
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aKClokdxv
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8ibJkZNGx
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUvfh1ytR0
Mother was arrested that day.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADGtb81kYx
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0GppoadTh
–
–
–
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOIAsx4UUA
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuaQy1XtvU
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6E6Au8CjW0
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLbznCgypi
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzueXiJdJ9
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SBitRxdMA
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3L4uM3QAID
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehmTUpnUmv
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oKCNQBRZD
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NDETATqP4
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVMKVy0aBL
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3Lvs7vRER
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0J3Jir2YSB
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpMDf2dH8S
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ngRSrUF29
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtziVfsgKDL
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAij95orJ0
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsWAcQL68h
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiMKEORcNa
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4g9uehW9y
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3cuGnvGGT
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzghRHSmicX
It went on for another month.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PLkiPdvsL
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQChYFrNE0
Then another.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnKEqPUS4l
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtaJMTRYpB
Then another.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTi7woFKxL
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43ysTP6U4L
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRnL1ijFqu
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNMeiIH97e
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?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9X0XypNgr
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oKsoY4eEo
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWXagXTH0I
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTo3PVCLhOI
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMLEYpKTE8
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTRnEEyt8J
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmceBDX3FOx
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalGCLsytMN
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNOpUa7yqm
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTp6uIcftPi
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4okL5blr9
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkGOVYhvVX
And Kenny reminded himself of this.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXGoCA4bDP
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3gYKBQXPt
Over and over.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8Ew3lBHfF
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNoAbriN8H
Over and over.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1I3x8hu0lD
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIDRrmPjAr
Over and over.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18n6WRECil
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pMwDP6i3V
Over and over.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowJn9q98ZT
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEQCBX7dT1
Over and over.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUFLq9pG3H
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73vBKT3RNP
Over and over.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhik9i5SR25
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2e1tvyXDoI
Over and over.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7RPQZTItb
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxExE81nwn
Over and over.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhq2KVahPm
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNFS9dCWeW
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoXdB8BT7D
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EY9JeZ4RF
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiDkpFb6eI
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrQWBj18MF
–
–
–
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqr5PzHONUB
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TlFZup19e
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmcDDOWHmE
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbUBCDXaUl
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzHinVmFVx
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiv3jLbzRJG
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NFEVTGNmf
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjG4zgFtXVV
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV4V08WUDE
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbvwcTNwGH
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWTFLn2S1Q
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXiGfjdnva
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5MFx7m07Q
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfL2o38kqa
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCROPxtnoc
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd43KJMD9bH
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PQKRzfKOv
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPMj3vfw3o
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRem1HtoSZ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FV35qT3iD
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbL6Kuv9UfC
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5VTnH1sbO
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lMBV4xFSO
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QZPVAyfgI
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VnDHOL1Fl
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbHZajrOnv
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOKUTdl6i8
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywoJ8Q5OWx
It was an invitation.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2h5UsRX8Tr
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluzmkNieFi
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5germVBDp
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGACYVUftwR
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXWslmZ3N7
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7JAHS0A2g
"What am I supposed to do?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcXO4gcXkQ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUcY4meMJ9
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?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvb70EO3mT
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhME5miMfD
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6s0y2mf2i
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRe7ADfUJD
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuYmftXkRe
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsef7gilObZ
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgLK1esJW3
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Mp05pMddI
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahVOEv2mKu
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcPGB4npNH
The stationary plant went missing.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixcOflhnDB
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELKJ8VrzuO
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLy8osyPpB
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcFkh3Jars
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dSqmHrT0I
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7qMUNgLmz
Dragon-Maw went missing.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYN1sK2AZB
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiOF1A3DO2
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWZVK1XQt7
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQvd5iOZWE
"...Why?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BPEvQx699
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryNtyPG1FW
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeHIY7n2nr
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdUncUvBcq
And still, Kenny took his essence.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8A015w9Jd4
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iTo9Fgxv3
Of course he would leave.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhxp21H0pe
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvymcmf1ZmD
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsg1ooJTfsW
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxs7t2INre
–
–
–
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAqeZq6lLJ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9aW5EE92i
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–328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnV5a0LScF
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQObokb8Hh
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDB7BpOFS8P
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRutqbiPVLk
"Kenny. Come out here."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxaWJzRutx
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRRdV4qzgr
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzfbPcWjhv
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GmfCOv6Xf
"W-Woah!"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScyli1cV92
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsftH5trfO
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlokca11JfR
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvlYmhb1eV
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDPYLvrv0a
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4ylRIhACo
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hzaCwju8z
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCLVf6AFfX
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbUW2ZVXsy
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ030uX7BdxP
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DnJkq4hpp
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGVYzeijzc
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKls9PE9cB
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvowEESUmr
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7mEFh30ke
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdjl35BvbM
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRfYS7brb2
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUyOFTjcdH
Kenny didn't get it.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjyay5Zxi7
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aR70JeFqy
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAXUO60YfY
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lAW8zBl96
"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!"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9YBDSgFRM
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1noQKgBBR
"I... whaa?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50UDr547Xb
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmHUuHOGYW
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?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaxPD7KcQk
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlTzFR2WJP
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQlxzvAqr5
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFG4yUx4r4
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRvKmws7W9
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUXe6b2NXw
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6scPZRJKpu
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYiCDVQfyG
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1v76WSQh2
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTMsoVO4gO
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–328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EqjcHyMVx
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVzeiDN7KF
"Huh?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbt22Zj9pIm
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtkpTuvs8Q
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58BAgl0Jan
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNWyhJ4xAY
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UEliRW6dc
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrwEwgqb4L
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkPZmFABv7
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31Hhl1efjq
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMloh1arbc
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdzte5pfj8
"Uh... sure?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiN71Aiyim
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMmLgQqZlP
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqXBBX3AeI
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0o1BXAuYM
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDke0sWeF0D
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMsTKNV6QB
No, Kenny couldn't still.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKh5NjIXhPF
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMah6EScvGT
He still didn't know what was going on.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNJceLVfhx
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gMjVDHSf3
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZS5aFs3920
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53ENh4CPH1
"...Big Brother."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6DCKHMQXZ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmF3XqGWuD
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5M2XDHtvVZ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDY7HmWxgs
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGe9HS4yRUU
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9QOo4yQs7
But then he smiled.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSVzhyqUVB
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTlbBjJSxa
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPbakU8dSZ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwEqEIVma1
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnm1nGKdElB
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Miy8c75uE
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYbanuQCyV
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQOzn01a3n
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQI83vkNTR
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvxJvCDoKY
"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–"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHlLE9PX1M
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡph5z0UalNZ
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1k7eVrUvfn
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqu1OOvNnb
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIpW74XTbW
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmJYQMB4Jm
"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?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBFfdV5RWt
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oe2O0LGig
"W-What? Huh?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Xn8KvqNAl
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSib5cTv6SG
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2az08iY4ZP
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptdTfKc9QQ
This was insulting.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMFMtdxgVf
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0faGhiWPG
This was just insulting now.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaYs0b00fI
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9NAP9jWLl
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYY6tU3JFGM
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSV7hjMqm2D
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrgItwT6eP
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKHquMM0LS
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZzFcOvMRg
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09V6dEKPtB
And then something shattered in him.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90CZXwYHfK
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpXRVUAvMp
What was making him so hung up?328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KVVJE44sm
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcy6uBVDY5Q
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!**328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUq0eGGyaNc
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KmDP2UOsP
"...Huh?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecz5pF7oRW
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnj0x5JfUH
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppz6OZaC20
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8cjw3MUGZ
"L-Listen, Kenny..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjuGBcl7Ct
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNyJjZAeU3
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeKcZTJxkJ
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsGh0Itdzz
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9afLJbvx2
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnO65egc2h8
"..."328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcu2NeMrgGy
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9dQSBrmKf
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINqvco6dEG
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZOex56y70
–
–
–
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPoJSW0GzW
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BKbKlXtKV
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BE1mr8x81
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgC7hdlJx1C
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2CNFbXnra
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsc86aYyGVS
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwM8N63VGn
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jd59T0QKx
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.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBvk3qifNu
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eLqlM5LHl
He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnEYFqsacp
328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwb1heBjFIp
Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.328Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsx0M1y5rgd
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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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