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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnAqNDOOGZ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7YKp4DQ5G
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?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6jI3fiE6s
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiNNLKxZ4L
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MXSZoM8Ln
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQ2GNtzNjb
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETishq3n16
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Fjd2uus3z
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3nWmfLVMb
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaYSZo1fff
"Happy birthday, Kenny."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZhJoAG8ne
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXYDtvr9bX
"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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkM5TV9UySh
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEW0TrLzkyE
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rprHQ3vkz
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sPeDttXmb
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3LMUIn5aL
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRAuAvb0CT
That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0x2PfU54tP
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDo6mueDODI
Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokpVwXqrqf
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbj9fAHYkho
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4hJQYcceh
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe50hj1hPnE
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAbnWfLKjF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGpWN6E9q8
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sWw8IzwuW
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamySAmHGkR
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINfprX0Jyc
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBlU9tbEGT
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV6HNf6HwG
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAuYrUscQh
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡou9SrW5WUy
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnv0C7gAslt
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGA7viVzbv
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFNJS8yYek
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWTPjIVzsV
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiym5klo9st
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFZg41fYDe
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtH17pK1Na7
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vbKQzWUBi
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0saLVI87YJ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7H4gkh4M0
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKnvP2Qrx7
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFFBLNM2bT
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1AwN9wrvU
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNO1tKXhf6q
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7BPq77lwr
"What is this, Kenny?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9kGfGdl6p
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0S2XSLvK57
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHopwmaQ4J
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNi2WtVQmYq
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgtkmUJNjz
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtIOAVMNM7
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWG9lqslmVO
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWZIQLxauo
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvhIzahJdA
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnlJjdpWmK
"Christina, do you know what this means?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlsedw1HwE
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwa2u9YbqKg
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95L5ozPI82
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTMauDnW7x
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoX4CrTGbZ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ365jZnXYVn
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpV3MwsOR5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFqdBxjYUe
It was.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zAvQftV0X
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdHzWsQS3G
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXITjeyk5J
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8ciO4sgf1
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX34M0d40lG
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRpp4LXT3H
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQDcZnjueU
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2KC8AICy3
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZ3wFQzYjT
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTQUr5ZtIR
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Vuk7F58Dl
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MrDyVaY04
Kenneth ran upstairs.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGgCnvuBb0
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtfvX4WwOn
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdGF0gTh2I
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfDuAVTclY
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7Oy45K9eY
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7aE7TzArB
"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHt27du42Zm
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5yKKb2oHz
Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP63ZDZSIng
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHITRCX7lt
"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3X0nusKngp
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVnSQIgZ7n
Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPnIcmCJBU
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTAaNqnhOt
"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEcep86GLm
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5LmgDggsX
That was when Kenneth's life began.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGlIo1TCKC
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugqJu6K01P
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSOlT4FzPk
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh29v25kJnl
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMH4pI6KsLG
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOewIJ3Tgt
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczgcFO90GY
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezNkrmg2yz
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnbfct7zx6
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwqjZjSgxp
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CPqdjJnLu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFbD75Q3KR
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3uZwZ5M2x
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLyO1RRNDl
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡks8tTcgm0t
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0fu9fmroY
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqNju8b9K3
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltYjAEo1AE
"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Cr50fTqnQ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpSbGo7Uzr
Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3H5WVnm37Y
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjSTojE8YJ
"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4X0TKKQSdg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5GDDOlUwN
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqULrfyPdk
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPjNJdUoK8
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJBmnCymDH
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1kQjwE6yz
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUuIn5zg8H
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnUxXY1P49
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNEQ18T6qi
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6pn23YP1e
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfIE6niEAf
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvMnVqMwWe
Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneuG7ri0uh
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvOvzErd5A
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGAx8EDd5A
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUId9haELQ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLZTSb4l9q
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnQlnoyb7P
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV16Bj0pjgg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDv7Z6Pvurl
What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4kB7zhOU3
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIC72IFvO9
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpFNR69ZcT
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRoehypTC5
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3ImGKqMes
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoj0k5MSTB
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTsQIJdn76
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PxbLHbUg1
"...It's dead."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdl9JaKbx5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZD732Y0P9I
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIAsaEPJ1y
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMbhEbGeEq
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0hgGMhh2m
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVk5FljlsZX
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsh57flOS5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qf63idgR5
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ568p69vkBa
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloLrUedpqM
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57EF9TzpZh
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvzfaGTrVx
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2Z8HE3bEk
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5yI1NjKqV
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdU2PGcjgXg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShPwtSZmYF
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–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzX55ijJhz
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSYDTZtvPf
**THUD**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7LR0MEzsg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrn2Z56OUJ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRhtrpMdEF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMWIZFXzjj
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlH2H8fEf2k
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxVnq4pVsH
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMwbdTjPKC
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhzqe2i4xT
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2rYkTO04w
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbY2lwXIPS
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK5wl0aaty
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6Icx6E8qM
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwj7h8mkWoP
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtf7Ormb9XA
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRbYS0Df5O
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrSwtJTsgH
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUbKO0kE1I
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3Cb3Mk65X
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqKss8uqYG
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQcTgUYonk
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwzKkddfni
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpxbWYLCQ9
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzBWc51KPy
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKhDsxUpjo
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLCCwk9hQT
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuCoaIqPXf
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkFXcr7ZSc
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoD3zkSW93
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?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxxqIQqDfl
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEENjwHH9A
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡis1FChEpNV
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzCFYVrr58
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofSgCgahC0
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5U1t81usI
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYaay2YPr6
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQA12rZSlDr
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsDYj3bdCi
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVwSVtlbyM
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxuGpeSglZ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpWNwtylqo
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdkvOIxiwn
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLI0Dlta37U
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAZecQRYKP
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6SF20p4RF
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcxLzFctqa
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCDmKKPPxb
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUkBfOsgW4
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYrlGMg6k1
Kenny fainted.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbmxaaEuIN
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonMsvte7Hp
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDk4EqQ9Nau
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuByZktS14j
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrfn1xahPk
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm59iMCD8pX
"...What in the world?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkhvKBnfde
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYPOYnYZWo
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4PszFW2ar
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqF1ZRAqPus
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZFHa35tqF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVviVZ6PYXo
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVp8IeihWEY
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJSIRnfZzS
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCEsooZy7G
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX03XKKNyHA
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYJIzgsr9a
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizcrHGXGK7
"So that's what it is..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hYtfWeWcv
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PkWSkK11z
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2p5Z01CkC
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFY8jFLuz3R
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHL97QL4FAi
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pAZ2f9Q8G
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl46cgCXS3H
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaCAZg2hrC
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwgQFkvePz
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGMahI2hV8
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxz5Z1Az4w
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKzYfd8GJV
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFo5temgDe
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFVSvAfCWJ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBtUZ9geQR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qiH9RyaBE
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaOKpz4IbC
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwK2OP9bOoa
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOazQY3hLRk
"...Dad–"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlSclzYXq0
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YP4oNJote
"Huh?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzK1aq0fAg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkglaocajh
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?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSiYbTnjFw
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkd6TSHdHKb
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZdR7TfhU6
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnUoCxF27B
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSAS2fs4Lg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQqHgvKsRd
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFu3xnbKcqC
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvgYh2q8ae
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2o8NutJVQw
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTr4lpf0Mht
Kenny just didn't understand why.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPPXOrcAb8
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQv4LtMesc
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQxANFNZwc
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhYeNm6pYO
Mother was arrested that day.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmma5MEWWZ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk3qznedTI
–
–
–
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYdr3IKBj6
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRel9PcfBv
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLMHVMYAj6
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pv8GHnD47
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0EGI7Bl78
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkjwdXFn8Q
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAn8Di9MzF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SQQYbEUtZ
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPchpC1QqC
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuwNt8tpnH
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcw0bKfLfu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OHrljZWhh
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4sirWWJKR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVA1uacrtC
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifaCIMl1qI
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcHj6yamZE
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtn7yIbWVhU
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg73dwJUwiO
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgyGI34oVz
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiaPJxpJXR
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBB2QRMgUF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JBvS1p5xa
It went on for another month.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOy8mdiXaI
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2stVxp0Mj
Then another.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLoge6bsm7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Y45azClxU
Then another.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02YztKURF5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegSCzCVJPZ
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYpFbpDxFU
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFWPitbnAM
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?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlfk4mF7vk
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCzE6w7LCN
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdqkRZ7Dty
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZ9eGpYjrt
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBYORwg1It
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIAt40PQc5
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvb5eRx3hhu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIku45lxMd
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ10PUgpzIW
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQN8VTaePb3
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDuBDwCubd
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMmmzMOGll
And Kenny reminded himself of this.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDduc2RWVzu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEzk899p5O
Over and over.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcUjDpvDug
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluDM2YlLT9
Over and over.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUo9chbWwdQ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EYg6CWUUY
Over and over.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZ3Y6APhqo
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofxca8fINZ
Over and over.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMTPPTjVQ7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEq5ZWPb17
Over and over.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbygfV8KfR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3M9b4g5bZu
Over and over.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5Z7IrdFiZ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpfp8iJkVf
Over and over.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqS82ZBAAi
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99q6AChC05
Over and over.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujbo4wOcHo
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSgEGlT5qi
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRJZd7EvvZ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GoZA2hbX4
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rZMNAaqkZ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBitVCcRTS
–
–
–
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21mdOiueRD
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHexm4ugVe4
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FvxZ13az7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5FNNUGpJJ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ947SJ1jukT
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlea6iFkYX
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZrCGikP2C
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmabeZpAMs
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOFoWUGJCh
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXkbDxsKSV
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGtDYexsUx
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZR5ZjIJo6W
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbTG3RPmsr
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTP1UUhnoCP
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHakdZp6R5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxMMzDP8jE
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAejRbS9g7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KG0b7wDBb
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdl3Gzf52bF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYvRT9qDNE
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnIMcczyP3
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMS03n6io1
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4d4o528kg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzftM9Ka7i
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARxQKU5EkD
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutXh1Cb93Y
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpfdlxn1y4
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RThUIfXcn
It was an invitation.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYXaIEaTPR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnO9OWNGhh1
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhC1zzQ3vP
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEK1Yd97Kx
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwm6JU4OPR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApEdcfHmuv
"What am I supposed to do?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbwDm8MRZP
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYVCTuI6po
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?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHxY4S1GxI
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTNL96nSED
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiKeICpPGx
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREUNJc1AyQ
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxahiqyDGo
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfYmIRLDTv
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4z6fTe6r7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivNWbau7wk
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzM7d0srBvx
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJXzQVpO0E
The stationary plant went missing.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGIELYVroh
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD95tqaapfl
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3LqeEAq7Z
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDTfiDheec
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXov2A0Zp9b
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBkVL5ViSf
Dragon-Maw went missing.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPqYc7UZ1p
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jl5tY0t0l
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTPNNNtEyu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnCXHlNIgR
"...Why?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeemLvVgQQF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjH4tJAZZ8X
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WtuiZC3lA
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAdvpxmBew
And still, Kenny took his essence.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfc41nkT6dU
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXq3yk34Twa
Of course he would leave.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgpem81bIY
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9IA1N8x3x
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7GG635MeK
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlebMQVECAw
–
–
–
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMluOP7RGzu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiaF7ePhX8
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–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzPeidDGRa
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Spssrm5WU
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzDE57Ew2J
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcze0or7fa
"Kenny. Come out here."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWE8lURrM4r
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLzqKqWiY1
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGSGIlwXyo
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYlLqu51vy
"W-Woah!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPA0b2qRBz5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNt0B57TBw
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2niTfS7VhB
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjY1n4LyNA6
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLcI2zqH5y
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQue6gf5VK2
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiZT3CjaoU
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlXk3s1nVI
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByljkmhYwj
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbecdh2Pyc
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5j1BpQQNkD
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSB7UWaOjc
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdU6Zy94o2
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4z8NmA9jdK
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10n3fol8bj
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRf2P3PfnE
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqyvViViCF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8u53N8u3In
Kenny didn't get it.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9eaGJYXCu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIsmQ9MW2f
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOihlxgJR8k
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nSlEXQk5g
"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!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLYHCplL82
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhrDFH5Fbj
"I... whaa?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TzfoYoxhq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNv4CCeZbP7
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?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotL0ffZy4p
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLwCL7MxhF
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6aw4FsqI4
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIENN2c7NZh
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqtX1xC1tc
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhlFmstAhP
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFloS0JzoD
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR173QmXAaQ
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei98PIGee2
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCLpwzMud9
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–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkUCDoiTir
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKXCaFGxYX
"Huh?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQ1zfjScFn
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTqwM4h6k0
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHyeYP3yyV
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHXYV9cj70
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3In8YCyS1x
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOF2UxIMmj3
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoVqwKJE55
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFSnALL8AO
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddRGtDcNei
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡML9NE94bII
"Uh... sure?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHeMOqNdJu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79iQrv2lMY
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfItR5rnbF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KQMqNkyu6
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA71gIobzzR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6u0JFKSX8
No, Kenny couldn't still.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9FpzzRlFg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeABd7e8Ys9
He still didn't know what was going on.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvLJ0jrArk
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnD6i7qBDqw
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrEJXJeVs6
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ODsJJyYPj
"...Big Brother."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnizjzR7lJ4
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqAmnNXd6d
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZV0npNR0g
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyp09Sx5jtp
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUv9l6fKDFr
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RqqOAEdjf
But then he smiled.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOgc2IjdRX
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq370euiE1U
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3mrG8AcYK
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGwJsnkB6X
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCeYuUFIQg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNNRDEjMVj
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGWWRIbr1l
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuJtajuFH3
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fuMQtJIdT
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBU8rQPjhb
"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–"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AliOQ3oUu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzJZNnCEbe
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGtp6U3Ck5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTacLB0gqP
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipobwnVM9X
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWu04egQCS
"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?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGY1sW3Ttq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21YNcq9Gl2
"W-What? Huh?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfpxrBrl0Y
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReCUFk9CS7
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHMvhF9mQX
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHI10av3og
This was insulting.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ109BwTcMNb
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8H8plpqAE
This was just insulting now.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQY4FZslTw
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLf46wDY3Hk
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCaSe0L3q1
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehabYZX4v3
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepDhKmQQoP
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEDX390hjK
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkr6hacFuIw
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsC1JyUi1TS
And then something shattered in him.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrIDuIvAiO
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrvsL2Yjmm
What was making him so hung up?244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHRxnYeAmw
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbOtUhN8qj
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!**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUaIGBxzph
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxyC6PXHEv
"...Huh?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTg38JjvUK
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKhgTQbkIM
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMrEnAQzn5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiNnhLKKXs
"L-Listen, Kenny..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOT6Socu98q
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8y1zRyT7W
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPOmkauCsy
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZG8vkTIl3
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9e3Qv5ZHP3
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstHVe5hlIK
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PDtGVQULi
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd68pHw84sS
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1MuDjOfw7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZySaJbsvj
–
–
–
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaT10BqgxAp
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqJkEPFsOx
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVX1cLcvIDN
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hNMZj78Ro
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11wQVy98LP
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXecKMQLAf
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5z4kkfXJF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XZ8PBQ1Pv
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7WtoW6ghe
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcbCR3eOjb
He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBjROZMPMX
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8zmAGMTrB
Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFu0NL8OM6j
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdQDpDThQA
–
–
–
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.
ns3.145.165.217da2
