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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTk4JvZkin
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyx7ZrZFw6g
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?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNzHQDuin8
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4c2vFOIc42
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVE3UFSWHS
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NsrV7gqL1
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4Vc5jfwbT
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV242Eah9r1
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFgSm8RS0l
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"Happy birthday, Kenny."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbLW9m09gI
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvl3WFQ7WT2
"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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PUDtgH7MH
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Dad came back to them. He had a glass bottle in his hand. He looked tired, but Kenneth was smiling vigorously at him. He still didn't change out of his church robes. He sat at the table, slamming his empty bottle on it. He stared at Kenneth's mother, and then at Kenneth. He burped and said, "Happy birthday boy," and passed out on the spot.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWR21ICgpif
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5x709LZbZ
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9g2I4Xz7B
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That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjybS7Zr1k
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Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9GoQXRSgU
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqZ07GusnU
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJz86NdlK5
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOMHisH6AE
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJ2R2XwJee
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZoCDV9Ysf
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yjOOHn7tj
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWmCIjJIHe
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7Oejp8yKs
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6bFE2TddS
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6zStKbRnl
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"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3WU9N3n4R
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46zuKwvf9H
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKv8iT28ON2
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZVCYr2zsS
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡungunw8VH5
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBe1hDaDX8R
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQFhkgeAu4
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlp0Erv1F9Y
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2vOzVKNus
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJtRYF4GNw
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkC25IWLpK
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUW3v1DuY4
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsO7dFtppnU
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBs8jOHp2k
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9RpUw6pCb
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"What is this, Kenny?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UlFs3yJuq
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0YtXPbDim
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy88pr2AWBU
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3Ubk3JVuQ
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNccFxLMJfZ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3F2U71gxp
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IvyPo0ZPe
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRv2O1je67
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6ay7fY98u
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmsW90mRZ1
"Christina, do you know what this means?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnzKERgEUt
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNU5kTwQNBk
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9k1ei3R8FG
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJk3ZjKzPiN
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6YZYFHIBv
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPOVH2GJOb
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWjH5j2WXU
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It was.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEAr0AJ6KF
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A week later, Kenneth's father presented him with what could best be described as a tome. Kenneth didn't ask where they got it, because he was having a hard time even lifting the thing. His father explained to him that it was a book of magical plants and alchemy. Kenneth had no idea what the second word meant but he didn't care. He just received a big new book to read.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0OSssv9X3
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqJtKUdJIU
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyOT693AOB
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fyzcpdwmW
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3U597SkOQH
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdLnIKo8gj
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqwg56ezWM
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"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtmk9cxlkR
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Kenneth ran upstairs.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsy9Qx87vuA
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Kenneth spent the next week experimenting with the liquid. He relocated it to a small glass cup and tested it out. He didn't want to taste it quite yet since he knew that was dangerous, but he did touch it. It felt cold, even after being in his room for so long. It amazed Kenneth. Kenneth then spent time putting different things into the cup. Grass, food, a few of his clothes, sometimes his own urine, metal, and by some miracle, fire. Nothing ever came of it though. It satisfied Kenneth for a while, but ultimately, he thought it was a dud. He kept the glass around. It made him feel nice.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHn8nHlJEl
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFy6q3wJ2qH
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdU1opRoNJb
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"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9DzSYiqVP
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnUm1Fj3mL
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfpfaWJIz9
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Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCDCMySolm
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"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiZNmf0Mms
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That was when Kenneth's life began.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IUhaE4XFx
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His father taught him the basics: how mana was the essence creatures manipulated to conjure objects and tinker with the world. Fire, water, earth, and wind would all be conjured, and in the right circumstances, they could be manipulated as well. His father also explained how combinations could occur but he glossed over it. His father told him alchemy was the mana manipulation of chemicals, magical or not, and that it took a very skilled user of mana to achieve success in alchemy.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpizbzitgej
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMvFnyNJzw
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2133D7SpE
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7D0eIPatY
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Sdflm3U88
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6dVVkxwEi
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgtUmuQM2N
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrcC1uJ7Pl
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJz5Ly6cv9Q
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7yX0CcEED
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD77qRGkl1Y
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbAZJf9AzA
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjk1tZ9yjt
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2VJmbhgtr
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2oc875eFo
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"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbZ3vuQxmT
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Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgK96zRkWt
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"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NybXuh8Lk
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPU96w2ErjC
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxVn3jeJKu
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJjeFYmBtx
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRv4qyaNWg
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvWPwV7EEX
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BG7GolFJ2
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Qh8uQP2Go
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMh2BLl3qD
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCH5iuYbPhR
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpikRHN2QO
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Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEudu9uLB3x
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilZ1xW26T4
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKW74MO6BNG
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgYuKBFNro
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0n4nQ9UqQ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFlTuXKuKX
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAWb7Mg0eu
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What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVBCoJZlms
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The next year Kenneth would learn to do just that. He mixed his alchemy and mana manipulation with the plants he would find in the wild. He made roots grow and shrivel just with mana, and he could even accelerate the growth and decay of plants. He soon learned to amplify the effects of the plants, such as how potent the spores were, or just how large and hot the light beams from the Light-Beam-Blossoms became. Ultimately though, he returned to alchemy, and that was because of one thing: the purple dragon-maw plant. He planted it back using one of his plant-revival potions but did it in a more remote location. The maw, for whatever reason, didn't react negatively to Kenneth. In fact, the maw begged for his attention. It would lick Kenneth from time to time, much like a dog did. Kenneth grew to cherish it.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡli1jXBpZem
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2nynKs40d
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt75YPLOmpy
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUN4CSYob0Y
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAExxBeYAN
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IEl6e1LkK
"...It's dead."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxlNcNgJID
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAhNlCpf6f
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXE5PGLbPxv
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEm8ahxz9Vf
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVMmXN5QuC
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKZGNLVpxh
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMffXWZlRyS
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBIX4qZ6TQ
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kgVxfWL32
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKUsr9KY9I
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZM68qH8Ke
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wVQBJFCjt
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNF7WKKfApC
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9c2suibE0a
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNIoP0NKeC
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hrgULJAg2
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–297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGGaISq9YX
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GykQ2tvoz
**THUD**297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTtt3twX3a
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DbMPUomAC
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ969rneXQVl
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWLqSikOEG
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyHzDXvRyZ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEofqwxGG8z
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddCkjb9S44
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWG7QsBZ1v2
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sliex7o12
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw15ZCazdSn
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3FU4gWcVu
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXRgRRe6Jf
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPuORonMoZ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrDLiPXpZm
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqCGA9dC7t
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbxzIasfmy
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7SJjYnLCD
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUq1imA3uYk
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MdHM84qrE
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGclUeCGvx7
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡng3qyD3w2D
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00g1MX5Doy
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RbOF8wI0J
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrd2GlevBeZ
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6JPztDkch
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwnA1razNO
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkdqj1Q5zv
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwavEuLRFyB
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?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMmpkObqWQ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiO8sG8d892
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiu1etTll4
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4wIvE4mtJ
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO1tMOWWoD
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheNPu6N0aR
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v6bDJr2r6
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0m3ybyOEk
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWNhWZqp7y
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6YPf7BMNR
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBaeNMaprl
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVetcjCR0M7
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83VZVPJrA1
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4WpGueyBw
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8JE0lRxIw
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qL4rOUW3u
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUt7grgF8W
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLobM3NVfr
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zsCZt3CDG
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKz7QLG32FV
Kenny fainted.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9NCjvWU9b
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXI1dUTjWVX
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimBQSHiTpQ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjRzf9tYEe
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0lPLousiV
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBplMgWN8ac
"...What in the world?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTPSD1ZIBH
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4t7bTflrhu
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6yjGp9GUL
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsYQwPqEpj
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFnfvI16bE
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuYsCVEzOi
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1FPplFeVQ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCBPOJlgAm
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLS0LUoVSw
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZ67tNKowW
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjsiF6rJCU
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBN87u4buv
"So that's what it is..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4LsKOLrVS
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5nlGE158M
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiG1edRTLr
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcuMZBFRyo
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ISQqAl6MC
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcWjbh4VX1
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOADuc86Ct
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq57q0uNU1
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYAHhX2qx6
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrVVLso3Vo
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBElJCMv01F
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGvGpMMSei
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdXecO8lDR
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Iab3feKg1
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnX96djRiJ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BtG2nRaGG
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxnsUSKVl9
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkczH6NwusR
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pxstcf1Uv
"...Dad–"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmoVp3wd5o
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqm7pMJ0tlK
"Huh?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HX1puefru
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAk2HUlWvW
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?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVgptUihxq
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7m6f6DSwDA
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ848ckQw9Du
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu57prMts5K
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhU7xPObrOQ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEUdEVspYx
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUdUWHDkvE
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfVKalmrUS
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIM5giUcTD
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2nZcwNtZo
Kenny just didn't understand why.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb46WoEc92
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkmNnh3uJc
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoaFIVWV72
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjwdrNfeK5
Mother was arrested that day.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDs79DlaLbG
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMScozFrhTY
–
–
–
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0a07tsV5o
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYFknV6L6b
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UQlXpD2np
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqyamKCCmE
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqtKizneCP
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtNrTiJAW8
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxL0A6QCET
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aXsfEZVPp
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqMNUjVtF1
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJ5GWSyFRD
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDY6LH189Io
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgmvJN2heY
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUdMgyHImU
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDZ7n96OBk
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5SQQHzPGb
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlw05BCdUg7
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1jaanzeIl
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTa6KI4pjqW
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWqs9NUWNf
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzyY7VNUE3
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhIXEFYhhX
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LWhzuKGR2
It went on for another month.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbI1hTlHxB
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbA1TQI0Ua7
Then another.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtmrv99spd
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7dANgXGka
Then another.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbvSlhlPAQ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISassxfhEu
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWFC1qhEBM
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2xix03zw8
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?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡox96I8U1Ii
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNvoUBOXtE
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJk3UO8y4uX
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mqwhT6iap
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMwRjBxHHN
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYwMSx8cSN
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWlsIvfPex
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgPfLEvGKG
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69gdgMt70e
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkg2EFeyma
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntsZsME93B
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6NaMFfJyi
And Kenny reminded himself of this.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgRYIKFFI7
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwpfD7KKUc
Over and over.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNA8hH4fvn4
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS65xphWtkc
Over and over.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vyL3I0UAg
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaAsmndVMB
Over and over.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLCaZrzCL1
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEnVrKsa6q
Over and over.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMT2Jfl7ZM8
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbHraP5rNR
Over and over.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKuzZCv8ko
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH67nz16vz
Over and over.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqThqLv2ATL
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzXtODklsZ
Over and over.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2oJ2y5BJ7
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNi7xLASJan
Over and over.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jGJiDIiCX
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrsZtKqzT8
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEkfcs9jJ3
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUg96Y0SYs
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2naUiUdeC
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyMgwXv3Er
–
–
–
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSj8LWgntV
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XPL6k7tyz
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcf1vb0yFZ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvz1zfSqUP
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTf7aSvVLrz
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcWPvpNvzU
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiI3xSTetQ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kJ0bLDDwZ
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHxjoBuK7o
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoN7oFCAK2Y
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfzEseQVJD
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxgI6fRNyj
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIj4vdKTRb
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlc3k66CwY
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NKDa4XQxP
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡse4xOO5smk
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWr0Wyl9O3
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qPkHe5frm
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuJhBhHP7H
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv134QGftv1
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaqinILasU
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEGTpvfqW1
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlij9sZ3XWZ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOiHDI27X4
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSQ1n61EdB
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYaEbpxrig
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDG4FLHIg6
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsJV4PTN0V
It was an invitation.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEeARtWodi
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JiV1LymSW
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbS4LsAxzKH
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ938tZyFPyn
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4PBz42Ymz
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Qw1IbeTUK
"What am I supposed to do?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbS6SJEzLi
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSx7UzEi7Op
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?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzJ63OsMj4
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQ5GudGdFP
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadKRkCW31G
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwCsCbVb4x
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9L06lLKIH
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyyywpvqPE
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7kSotKYIh
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAomf2WpY6
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV12s8ynt0n
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XMOjie7PM
The stationary plant went missing.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqo9pTLbnaY
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorycTKmFto
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lPN3VMlsl
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxDPhafsrH
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCw7uN7lmH
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSiRFCjaWI
Dragon-Maw went missing.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTYmae4bME
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZKVJG0PHZ
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlyapt5KCk
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9U0SXXgux
"...Why?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNgOYJo8Su
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauC8cbyH5Q
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2jXy6T9pV
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQGSO5a24D
And still, Kenny took his essence.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOoIWVTPfT
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2DwPXzpjS
Of course he would leave.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCkdCZEZ5I
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCfjdZhXBZ
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhX7idUVuUV
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CL3mcwGt8
–
–
–
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavWcRb6hQE
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMF2xucgtC
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–297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdyEYteV3J
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TSSrMOh2E
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHP3GBabZP
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1hJr7idZ3
"Kenny. Come out here."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIISoMdoe7
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfttRfYUeW
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzQtzYccBO
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ95C05ts4b
"W-Woah!"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnar9BVLxd
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2XrJAk81o
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQtoGai5SJ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSpi6hh80s
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0jd5GNCsT
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJ4b6PfMp8
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYT47Zs36e
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNQGTwlb2O
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡissjnSBBFT
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vcBZzJHrQ
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YS9GyQFVH
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IzoRlEb8h
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4g8FAYPoDx
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbghCJJrkA8
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6E5VNlQID4
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzlksi5djJ
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR1IhpVJwu
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEy0sxfPdk
Kenny didn't get it.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2Tx7eqJpF
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBJXGy2hg3
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsqBY5FzoV
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qKzT9F68n
"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!"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIwboPgSme
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmeCoE9VPD
"I... whaa?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBqyvpAtsJ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1YdNExahZ
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?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcm1wknftKX
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7111sV0DSy
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ir9zHfEcI
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Y7Y2F7jL0
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRbSZ3THyy
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHniGbVOTCO
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ67d6Tqg5f
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoERvh2anv
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4u6nPLzYb
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAK86u8ur06
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–297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhSVCB6uvJ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYCOILu7QK
"Huh?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyF0DddtR3I
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXNqjm43ld
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6O8jKIZOa
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7vAj6vTWV
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46pBsN8L4s
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBT2myh5E7
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSAsvyKBxK
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPbV11qy8Y
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkf5JdnWjO
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0czjNnTt8
"Uh... sure?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJoyaqd5ur
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIznLfNdpc2
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QNwPwg3PJ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjgWyT80yi
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOn2DgqOqLL
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOKMqYzCmZ
No, Kenny couldn't still.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ihVkUjMze
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEuTPgvgcD
He still didn't know what was going on.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Zzntp7fdw
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTgy4qQxEj
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GM0jScswx
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrr54Nop5iH
"...Big Brother."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqI7r3MNnl
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYOkyljWlA
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTxfnBxwqg
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIrqE1skRf
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VTmShCeIa
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57qXGWjBdZ
But then he smiled.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFOp1BDd9d
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSLYuNr1m3
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJOrLMFTM0
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEH0W8Rwnn
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDW7maBRVq
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8KXFIwh7y
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQMiFJE3ZT
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ce5dj2ge6
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBunFTvgrg
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSeXpqWykJ
"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–"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEDdDlPtDj
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QryyWx7JK
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Q53sQWJGL
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKcpMtIz69
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6C3MOhto87
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1zVIhpAk7
"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?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32nNyrWeoR
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTYWHMtkhj
"W-What? Huh?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsCf1biOBn
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5NlgomcLz
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9C8lLedci
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiinKp0rVX
This was insulting.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTU7ahas6mX
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BnWUsGd8B
This was just insulting now.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpCtgexYHz
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoI86URGDlJ
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQmqLpUKty
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqsVvxTEeV
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qyn580kg5
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw23j5vaeYR
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5LnBce8Gh
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVC9hJal3CE
And then something shattered in him.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCRY75DOb7
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hloqyfdn1
What was making him so hung up?297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjWXNOh7QZ
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlobOOLDCf
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!**297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMb1Yz5QOt
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpp2r0pFUa
"...Huh?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrGyFgCYa0
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oIBouxqKW
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtRnS3VUPl
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXJWILvHKQ
"L-Listen, Kenny..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzq1KntImy8
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiML9MwUrOC
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFPmHZJSZn
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLJaK4UzoM
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MTceBhFEb
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmONm2PVt9
"..."297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgB2dDSLe1
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSo1NTakdC
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiigcmoB2V3
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgvO6LEqq0
–
–
–
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1rRoaXzJi
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIf2kp0RHnv
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnIxKOUbxv
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODF9y9L2zT
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPn4v7515U9
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXE81lWwqvk
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecL0zbqmba
297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHt8E5USmQ
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.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCLJJRirjF
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He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWarUIEeCfl
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkL8SkLt1pH
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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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