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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTJ9BM438W
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCNFagxLqh
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?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9Kdb4kKi3
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMRqKZ5Osy
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSZAeRKlBq
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngVIZeNkEo
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRc60gbRNAr
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxsqVZkGtc
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKyU9Vu0UH
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjERaR1SLN
"Happy birthday, Kenny."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwkfDOnSaH
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCHrcpcXOh
"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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfu5t3FWwPA
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hMNn4HNA7
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVqMI07LZF
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbeEpfUpP5
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vZlbe2DU5
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliorfGknLJ
That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdsENi0UGn
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNMcdc3UlB
Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSXKuUB2Tx
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjxMzJfjAc
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DanvQJQFi
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3nIKGybwO
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeUPCj8vaI
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5mpBcZWAZ
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaKGUe7XDw
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGd0hbEJXN
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6bJt9zuGd
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nRkzy6U01
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogws23DN7x
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGkJloHk1z
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQuBTbsJGd
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucyJdfneG1
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTTKA41Uot
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJY2sLBxVkC
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UDnbX0b7v
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTi7lL08qI
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJNhJ0jIaN
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmI1o7c450
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKMnfK8LWy
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLc5RzHX4RV
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CEFHDK0sv
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUvn1t4sDN
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYvWbQ6ybC
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4t1x65gfj
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVHNFOpMIJ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pIU2qERCe
"What is this, Kenny?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7BseHdtTW
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCxVUOUgRh
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CWZP4fDUs
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMG3KjloM7f
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lwtiL81yX
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96OBIuAPz7
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiG2D7UrNgP
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKyHPNGiEw
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6UKYo7iK8
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCs5i7qNCAc
"Christina, do you know what this means?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIJXOhMHk4
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MyT8yT0bi
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5qktQ6QvM
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoBY5FeO3V
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPO79uSaYR
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JIxhvnReQ
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHQWDaIuL2
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQ5puVXFWE
It was.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24nPcxdTuq
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEP20D6UQi
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxwXDFK5XR
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSBtEuYKtz
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIgXhXkmQv
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzrvoaHGFi
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvw3CMKVEH
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWeLASB3tI
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZH50nLeXen
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrNHN7HUyI
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOS7kVtLNf
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAwjPKqgmu
Kenneth ran upstairs.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwKwYtsxsk
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mpEXtBVA2
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTijIBfahg
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYiAZn4lgW
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WJ6iohHKa
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXngz7SeFF
"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzdcPANplk
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzL04SAp01
Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmqlfyRyo9
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQ47itPLWl
"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxgKC3y5V1
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFD8tYrVBh
Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3k3eK9nZs
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4WhEOZKcq
"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeDFLllVfI
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECMYfphDyY
That was when Kenneth's life began.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOxICSwpR6
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiljGQNA23
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdbFeJPNSS
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zU8sGpAwA
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgAndFN7VL
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6CWE0r2wM
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxzs8iyZ00
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrra7FhQ8E
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MpSiusIcX
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CF3B04eYP
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPU8hiEW93w
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfEiUsCgKq
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5CsxSck26
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHzJQ3PxUh
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDOGabKAWP
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZhn0vcAAn
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXJvLmoCPw
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCJ5zbjXt9
"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiKE8wMYZV
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEBV60ETJf
Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GT95IwKuY
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQU2DATDHBx
"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EHnEKaz36
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡturjksz8xN
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWVomDNFl9
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVa6B1ziMHo
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAqxoY6zHp
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wTT8wc4bf
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yI4x5VYGW
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUeguaKv73
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuAcgjKdYl
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1Pgah0kxK
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExO0NxusRV
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzY32pB76oX
Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFkfUGFVbQ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwYFHe3gSZ
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwXfqGXgZE
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4tcDVdccI
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpRBblLBd0
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR81LwdbQlz
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTaOyTnhqJ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhegIvCYIMg
What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEXFuJHimn
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrtW1Mjg2h
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnbo05k9dG
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXZARZws96
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5ryuQIYtx
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dzUFji2aS
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IVp7Baet7
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy0YerAKlQ
"...It's dead."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8OBpgqztc
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFVhcOEUg3
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDkRAAnqiD
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LYjKZUl3b
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzCxcZG22q
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡferCN35kij
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN1NRxWRyB
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJB62NBy6g
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhn588pQgQy
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Cba3ET6h3
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5SawUzvYK
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pVObUAOC0
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FlRoyEYfY
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKwHo0GMOt
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUlawUNJ28
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ea12zoRIh
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–296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaWBJzQvuz
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFtrXGlki9
**THUD**296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdH1c1szaYS
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRyKpRFbKg
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVwXGMncI0
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBn7mVXU2UA
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jOg2K5yBJ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAwc62bC22
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3esbKuwm4i
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3vMu8ukEp
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1xerMTPFP
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSF2bnsEufL
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpD9fYiSx0E
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHNiAP9nq2
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIvS1aB8Y9
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZOEPx4xcL
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBmG2eDMxO
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGA1HeUBdr5
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLeA54GJy3
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvooljCQyy
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1tEoeRXp8
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8GzVRZ487
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjEZmDmhOe
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YEJT3uVdH
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PqmE9vF95
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJ0Ze6hn1R
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDy81MacT9v
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ862A05gU9G
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wgVNzzbIT
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXGqcmbuLY
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?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNVr0wlWGZ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweXXZAVCUt
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtnhrKZJ5f
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnaZRrDMDA
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0abEMVNPs
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAjDKpaBpg
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PXde4hRiA
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWSY9gS3yi
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxBoWA8zSy
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoiRlf6cYds
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXjGF2fkPv
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrzBHShD91
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9mgLFyzUu
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgdzjrW6KU
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxikS4PWO2y
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQw5ud7uo1R
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUOkqaqmM4
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayPDi0dbWh
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZ7Ws2I8AG
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOr3YMxMnnB
Kenny fainted.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlop1eT08ll
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzzdHO4FBK
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdagtG11Kod
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmE8Ln3j4jY
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoJ6dL6XQj
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVtK9hCmmi
"...What in the world?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQog5NodX4l
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKFSTBxz0O
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMrsugz3sd
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKEtXr9OsT
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iEYRLFMlk
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XnL20vYS3
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pTlIlmuuw
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAHrQHks2N
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3brFsJQkCa
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgnSAmyN4D
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9OPswrYNX
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJN569t1jr
"So that's what it is..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJF3uTdhQS
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFipajomydP
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAYSgR3qn8
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdCYfjOlfn
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsp9fwVQX7p
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEEMskCl4r
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbfFUgkTVv
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJmpMQNzI8
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPbkWycUww
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfn4CO9jEB
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnto5J7lSV
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6Zep1IyQ0
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5u7dEhHSk
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmiB6tvxzs
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfMnsVWxHM
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlmRyUjihw
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDsz1tzilH
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKWKYLqew6
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnMYEEQFUM
"...Dad–"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejtjlSSmwz
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5B1UUfVbr6
"Huh?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfckmQYgCmW
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBdACeeg8B
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?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1NUGaGNjb
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdUVDTwuB5
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpQsZVDSbb
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgynXYHmf9
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0inVxDua6
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUiQ8qfO77
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEAMkyjOiR
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2x6Aj2Mie
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg0iEhXnY4
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZRG2phXer
Kenny just didn't understand why.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKsnmfUFvB
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNUqZniOSG
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrxtJMII8z
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceAV5Eu0WB
Mother was arrested that day.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUURYOox7LJ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6CN9fluEK
–
–
–
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHPmuoDyCo
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPMzbBJM3W
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKd1MjkzgQD
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQruhgZnk0m
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjfdQRfHKl
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvScLp5qDg
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKOrZ6asbG
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSh7jrJToli
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljp4c5kGE9
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mLv7a9zWC
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2YcExeCIi
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5K5LaPQCF
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllgRVB8xI1
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCDSW9LTE8
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sxnggCZsg
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNMq45CFU5
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPlBMMzZqv
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4lCA5PBoa
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDdJ5Rm99y
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2fLLFOCm6
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJSXd1WF1M
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUNZq1DJR8
It went on for another month.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGxW26c8vC
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZScjiuHueX
Then another.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEl2QXJnte
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFVKXe19ty
Then another.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9haUxUwVAl
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJbQuHtpFK
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5t8ZanBsjq
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvCIuDch1A
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?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLAfOF9VMf
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpyEeOBTbD
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4iyeUMoHB
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvoF9UBTHl
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRtZrdSGrI
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxE3YcXngWP
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebma7OmW3Z
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZoBJ0EoWB
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjDICZmJvi
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOwYYWzUNM
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuP4nDmSVcH
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZ0yBHlunp
And Kenny reminded himself of this.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8nCXarrJu
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXgiFJEQWm
Over and over.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwEJnyGxjG
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKJfQtfnm0
Over and over.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzGI70dic0
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dtcr7inBR
Over and over.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtDVnHeCFi
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvAYmwYzxF
Over and over.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPC8VUZ4s4Q
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9V76hcWx4q
Over and over.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKre3K4sEa
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTcR1I4h97
Over and over.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2P689wDF2I
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6zdripssM
Over and over.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfMoVaJRzU
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mYUfGNyJl
Over and over.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmG0KnNHsXO
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoOrZntTzL
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLg9eR54te
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrOrF4zjZW
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJalKCrV9gU
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HK9x8qWQf
–
–
–
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLwNvF58pD
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHrPfbPDDb
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfzuv4crxu
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWRTgelyrN
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJ9magsDkw
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBJl8XMygm
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RPagQWaHP
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UEinOCm7I
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2N4RggXbm
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdr1cvZK3A
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9uRax3tbc
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJirIn5iAD
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SOyjIRYAr
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxps3RnpEm
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwgANfYtXR
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLL7Hf6ARs
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDsAGFVARB
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUl4len8IYa
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqN0yUZojum
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhNKb5amnZ
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTkKQTWtIa
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkwMAzKZFp
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kykLjBA1G
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdJmFMNFeU
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQjP7QkBJJ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMP6mB0XgOo
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbyPzVLx6C
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjewt4EL1q
It was an invitation.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoou3AhJE98
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3QqTbghjP
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5wYf5899A
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVtyccBV8m
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWeRbJB8LN
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWOP0Hqc5y
"What am I supposed to do?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWgHpCBm7U
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Ni8nxwi7l
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?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFG8QQrLxmL
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Hn664D2Wf
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJY5cX2UkKJ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaokWMF8vk
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCIrUXh2YN
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAD5LjIEbX3
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqCirUtJ1c
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzjtQe0rrB
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KFRTqfAgT
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Qr1ntCtVz
The stationary plant went missing.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7ACeAetZI
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKWiotZmMr
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmXDLPPxuE
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKl6pnyCLI
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWzsnCmgx5
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeV9GtsxvTS
Dragon-Maw went missing.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh62no5P3Es
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPAg4q6vXU
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3phsUhrO3
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4txP4tFMxe
"...Why?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUgODZ2EM8
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjt6jCp6WQy
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhjmOaJNpv
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRHf26apQb
And still, Kenny took his essence.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkbpRe2PeP
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEvS2b8zh2
Of course he would leave.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9HLVhCBtZ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHicY9xlvek
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPTNUSYERf
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡio0I8TGGWf
–
–
–
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqwbMZtfgl
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqcXyAfF8U
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–296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfCRwCyaH5
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYff637GdvV
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLDbOu126h
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6z1EqXQCw
"Kenny. Come out here."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBvlWnKQG9
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCkQNKy1f1
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLO9stIVwVJ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcJxX7Xnw5
"W-Woah!"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EqZ5TU1pI
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdI92NQ8pfc
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hG0X9csMr
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCfwuAwKxG
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3wLJJDmiu
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoTxBjvrVJ
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7XtPVcCjH
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8DzXumbNS
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg9VeWXr86
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIiqhU0Rf9
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIASb0Hfcq5
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJDwKAWx5z
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReZyIArr8E
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFs3ZkOjZCI
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmLxRnGqwl
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMN0rNGbM2a
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeKriseKW4
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexHsuPFoWw
Kenny didn't get it.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeOLwTKQlI
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VHMZ04Loo
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EkZePt2Pd
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI38m2ygykY
"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!"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGOv4PNUMj
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElBHPFWyBw
"I... whaa?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMAajZ8MAo
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweC6WAkr07
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?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOU4i3RVAp5
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLoKifagZh
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnJ7TxZ1SK
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCIFhjZEK0
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJxKqvz55W
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03DvdPl7lx
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsn47i5AqV
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡin7SzhqPh5
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmd5NzDK3Ww
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IKQOSBZj0
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–296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOp09FbbHRs
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheH9mjgdEK
"Huh?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGh0LEmyvAA
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QH2JFHdd3
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALQDQClCoQ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qDCleqBxN
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxt5HOWkXf
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPrY0bbruY
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJZ1Ef27q2
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzCpTaws2X
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA1CLKQwpI
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlL1kxrrtw
"Uh... sure?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZ5Fh9iyVN
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbxC3dGBvi
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJf65grbTS
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx69ouSxFzP
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoPR66fdIc
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYa8SD6aAaF
No, Kenny couldn't still.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RFl3JHGmz
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc9jnlRWpr
He still didn't know what was going on.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yO1bKNxQN
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpCL5QCewS
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3swz2MwNIN
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloVD3ItKwp
"...Big Brother."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2aRtIoudx
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvojkF6H5IS
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPyfvV5mHQ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKq6yEwCZ0P
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLR6eogqdDB
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DE03oKgsi
But then he smiled.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWg8qjvJJvl
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhqUA24n4d
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIABjBUE5O
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfidyXu9JwK
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglIOxu1yLY
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPN2goVqD1d
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXloXiIlP5
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWmEwIIcMQ
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8cuOTvlnz
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSG2rLjoXCe
"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–"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzLvg6vw7K
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV62GIZwr6L
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbjQrbv5NV
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡel5zH4rQMH
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IRrgayQTn
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jLeYuhV9i
"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?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkz4bRtkIF
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrF6CKlk3W
"W-What? Huh?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ynHFEZEmx
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1CczYY8Cx
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HFVY8Dc7E
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7hehJmGzC
This was insulting.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQjuscTrRj
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWZqHELz06
This was just insulting now.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Xn8PIB8uC
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Q9lVg2MJX
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdNuRVCEzM
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMECSTdwxxd
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXXOEc1V5q
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8a8yqbUB2O
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNp8d50ZxMQ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MT5nwBkS5
And then something shattered in him.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfd2iIgDFr
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgskdXsrUkm
What was making him so hung up?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCEAVQsnkf
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThyoYnHb4U
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!**296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGH2pw5NpHC
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKM3E9A0knn
"...Huh?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzL9hZ34yim
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFenzhxcdVB
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6GXBP1F2X
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Vq9mIwmZB
"L-Listen, Kenny..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TmxjscV9f
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitYA8uHnO1
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJ4VSmkgWm
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAE6uZXcRUO
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyhaJ05nMR
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8ZGZZdm2P
"..."296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7pk5yVPXr
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8sAf1x05p
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzYe5ylog4
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExP2hLXiZB
–
–
–
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlxUOqwH38
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsr3H3Ee26
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3JfgXCiOF
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjULMcXDlXt
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqM6dzYNwr6
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07UNvEFwTW
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hum11ZgfY
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PDJsM52B6
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNI8TNXImZ
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGbRV1P2D3
He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0k0XFwmovK
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXShdZsCggX
Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznQ3gX0XDh
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8Jri9YEhW
–
–
–
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.
ns3.15.151.234da2
