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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAzkCtmNY1Un
342Please respect copyright.PENANAj6RKyF71lh
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?342Please respect copyright.PENANAb60AR9WGfJ
342Please respect copyright.PENANAdYy9AOASjO
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.342Please respect copyright.PENANABMkJPoZk7I
342Please respect copyright.PENANAlu118X0tgB
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANASPpxhZNp3C
342Please respect copyright.PENANA8VPV3oGrMp
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAg3Xtseqwmu
342Please respect copyright.PENANAicEDRCIzGU
"Happy birthday, Kenny."342Please respect copyright.PENANAeQ5Z7b81jU
342Please respect copyright.PENANAMUbpGha4lD
"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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA2wFva1E0nf
342Please respect copyright.PENANAioh9I99Z7u
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAsC4vRfGYet
342Please respect copyright.PENANAufwsAvNcpa
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAIK9W2WVQRo
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That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.342Please respect copyright.PENANAqFlaEMH1PT
342Please respect copyright.PENANA6iB1aGRsDl
Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.342Please respect copyright.PENANANc1mKWO3Ly
342Please respect copyright.PENANAimL1Xp9UaD
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAuGE4tWbZat
342Please respect copyright.PENANAaMNgiQMGvA
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAFnIxKeIbzG
342Please respect copyright.PENANAgG5HrhC5o1
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANADFiFGOmNRN
342Please respect copyright.PENANA0ZtiwUF94k
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAposZcuoV8j
342Please respect copyright.PENANAcxtJGR7NQ8
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAS4JHv09ZRv
342Please respect copyright.PENANAmvnOE6Ic1A
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAHJ15HfbeLd
342Please respect copyright.PENANA99aAyon8PW
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.342Please respect copyright.PENANA52IoXiYg5N
342Please respect copyright.PENANA4L4e6rcyZD
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA753ZPznOwC
342Please respect copyright.PENANA7IMiun092s
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA0zr4pvNFXc
342Please respect copyright.PENANApfP6pPdM0m
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAXeQj4Lcd4O
342Please respect copyright.PENANA0Qa5kSwtXl
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANALDqPrTF0iE
342Please respect copyright.PENANAeZTwXoi4vJ
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAhnhJp9b1yF
342Please respect copyright.PENANAOjaf9NaBJ6
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAZN36su5Uqh
342Please respect copyright.PENANAyO7EDuciNP
"What is this, Kenny?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAor1vaA0mfG
342Please respect copyright.PENANAIIUQFWR92Z
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."342Please respect copyright.PENANAcfongaB3dA
342Please respect copyright.PENANA6x1rC2PzGi
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAYXGgalTTMF
342Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2K2B55dhH
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAaCWZSdYMKf
342Please respect copyright.PENANAiKEw11nLox
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAULsJ2vjQx3
342Please respect copyright.PENANA9Y4jq2lLiX
"Christina, do you know what this means?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAg5fVVqJnUt
342Please respect copyright.PENANAWCzJIUaJaf
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.342Please respect copyright.PENANAwuTDr3d8T7
342Please respect copyright.PENANAFddGW5snuc
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."342Please respect copyright.PENANAEuWxWV2ze5
342Please respect copyright.PENANANLgNesEcxr
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAnEPppgTJJd
342Please respect copyright.PENANAe1Xm7DCN11
It was.342Please respect copyright.PENANAr6uleYNoSt
342Please respect copyright.PENANAlpbbWMBQaS
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA55EVOTwHjb
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHkpe3aF1Y8
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAPShdrb5hE4
342Please respect copyright.PENANA5SLuSyJZBJ
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANACcKnkk926X
342Please respect copyright.PENANAH9NV4G4aMk
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAQyqDXrLB0v
342Please respect copyright.PENANAr4iNI1dqpL
"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAQAC6yRvKl8
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Kenneth ran upstairs.342Please respect copyright.PENANAZE3tMzFeAp
342Please respect copyright.PENANA9IoBmukxvU
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAJGa8yH8e9V
342Please respect copyright.PENANAKiPUlczpzU
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAaeEQN2XiPi
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"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"342Please respect copyright.PENANABkrmQWhT0j
342Please respect copyright.PENANASczIMnDlZN
Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.342Please respect copyright.PENANAPMAJLDDogr
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."342Please respect copyright.PENANAecWoXtjRPs
342Please respect copyright.PENANA4laWYU8PTu
Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.342Please respect copyright.PENANAlgJPHg0QfI
342Please respect copyright.PENANAA54KrSXDzt
"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."342Please respect copyright.PENANAH5NY3T8TiL
342Please respect copyright.PENANAQsw5zCMEtS
That was when Kenneth's life began.342Please respect copyright.PENANA1VyTVRlCkX
342Please respect copyright.PENANAYRgXRQCLc1
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANADtUKXbPa2M
342Please respect copyright.PENANANjoceWwNNf
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA5Gv669oerZ
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHg9i693ERH
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAosc0wM8bll
342Please respect copyright.PENANA1jVoLblyIG
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA9Nacrc62qE
342Please respect copyright.PENANAa9JhDCx0I3
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAcQpSk8zwuz
342Please respect copyright.PENANAZHAZbr3ItE
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAroq1pa4U97
342Please respect copyright.PENANAZBS8gBhBkE
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAPRxr2BQoFV
342Please respect copyright.PENANAQHjtya4RRT
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAIVTys4zduC
342Please respect copyright.PENANAZyys3wySaB
"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAn5U6yaEH7w
342Please respect copyright.PENANANlPqGaDHbL
Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.342Please respect copyright.PENANAVQGaMWeANY
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"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAiQhS3QiQcz
342Please respect copyright.PENANAjyYlmt8gKZ
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAejkh7vGBHY
342Please respect copyright.PENANAcTuPmSczzv
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."342Please respect copyright.PENANAtpJKfn4lpC
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHg1O3vtvSF
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAzu8a4LhAd4
342Please respect copyright.PENANApaGAB9wTgX
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAbaXYwa6CgZ
342Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8d7W5h6qa
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.342Please respect copyright.PENANAbV5W84mFgI
342Please respect copyright.PENANAPLr2IFUVnp
Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.342Please respect copyright.PENANAgpTu6Rfal2
342Please respect copyright.PENANAT0yg97PuL0
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAMC03312k43
342Please respect copyright.PENANAy3laVbPEJ5
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAMPN2c0WUMk
342Please respect copyright.PENANANCrjqy0Ivl
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAvHpBcawct8
342Please respect copyright.PENANAzKezNsAXfZ
What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?342Please respect copyright.PENANAFtYTqx5fc4
342Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8izH2703F
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA6kc2U0r8t1
342Please respect copyright.PENANANseId6vQdO
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAT909pGkOCj
342Please respect copyright.PENANAD41h4qGlwP
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAPc5Lw8jQWy
342Please respect copyright.PENANADnXXi7CZWK
"...It's dead."342Please respect copyright.PENANA4eJ5uYcAht
342Please respect copyright.PENANA03o6p6PUPT
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAz97OhgEwOY
342Please respect copyright.PENANAuQdaC777lt
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA4T8euWi9vD
342Please respect copyright.PENANAgt1cu0TCea
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.342Please respect copyright.PENANAsb6aPaw5BH
342Please respect copyright.PENANANz1XH5rmEF
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAA8UDuKEL9B
342Please respect copyright.PENANA1GSBP0Trg0
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.342Please respect copyright.PENANAZj1hGIyomy
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"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"342Please respect copyright.PENANASO18pDXC1C
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"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."342Please respect copyright.PENANAnUym8vZ70f
342Please respect copyright.PENANAR0EHatKOEK
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–342Please respect copyright.PENANACPGAIDDE28
342Please respect copyright.PENANAWHKMTIcQHi
**THUD**342Please respect copyright.PENANAdrHUg7Acdm
342Please respect copyright.PENANAFFebu9olp3
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANATcaiummYrx
342Please respect copyright.PENANAMulN9TbZys
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"342Please respect copyright.PENANAunrpctOlEo
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And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.342Please respect copyright.PENANAXw8rjDXdpS
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHrqH3zk2sg
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAghNcKtd8tv
342Please respect copyright.PENANAysZkvVzPv2
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAPADD9zaD5S
342Please respect copyright.PENANA8kDS2cLVcs
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.342Please respect copyright.PENANArgYWHbZRzh
342Please respect copyright.PENANAOatQNHyXTl
"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAd5kzNJi5Qe
342Please respect copyright.PENANAd0DkjDaipz
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.342Please respect copyright.PENANA2GM9lUAdnA
342Please respect copyright.PENANA6RVkaxVrmp
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAPDastQWtKx
342Please respect copyright.PENANAnpGzGnRMmp
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANALia2rcp3gR
342Please respect copyright.PENANAKrXVdehLZt
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAuFId43AXf6
342Please respect copyright.PENANAGi368QQrvK
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAjw08BL1ltj
342Please respect copyright.PENANArZWQJJWalP
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAAugVVddwkF
342Please respect copyright.PENANAkvFfjhruEj
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?342Please respect copyright.PENANAIatsQuVaAY
342Please respect copyright.PENANAac5bi6BeUe
"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAW613Q7GpoM
342Please respect copyright.PENANA0yBieLQS6H
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAe3lDdxRQrE
342Please respect copyright.PENANA7R0vdaIAPa
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAtUbyFTGOCd
342Please respect copyright.PENANAxyBGhZde57
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.342Please respect copyright.PENANAhqE6YzWqDU
342Please respect copyright.PENANA9q9KpNzlO1
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA5pZsIIeLge
342Please respect copyright.PENANAfNg4MiKEG5
"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAVZNGfyJvxg
342Please respect copyright.PENANAQMKC05R7u0
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAp7OWfiMh20
342Please respect copyright.PENANAcvYQiRGWlZ
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAMN6KeYKOSx
342Please respect copyright.PENANAm3121DGr1B
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANADmMFrMOZYA
342Please respect copyright.PENANA4L33RimtG5
Kenny fainted.342Please respect copyright.PENANAUZiarYFj5P
342Please respect copyright.PENANACd3WA1OGcJ
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAd3LAQ04REY
342Please respect copyright.PENANAOSsvjFoK9t
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAdarMlyLMId
342Please respect copyright.PENANA2kYN1QjSFG
"...What in the world?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAUAP9yJiaAy
342Please respect copyright.PENANAQD8oH1FlqY
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA4Zw3yIOIlP
342Please respect copyright.PENANAB75paiHtNx
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAzz9wG7DHey
342Please respect copyright.PENANA82if0CnN86
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.342Please respect copyright.PENANA8BpPA0akCB
342Please respect copyright.PENANAR4Dz8tjytd
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAfNtyTiFGNc
342Please respect copyright.PENANANZ3ujGDaH4
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANACObnKWYY1q
342Please respect copyright.PENANARo3t0sm7Wf
"So that's what it is..."342Please respect copyright.PENANANHpmvzvESt
342Please respect copyright.PENANAzlpaLzIvfQ
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAOmQCImAJUi
342Please respect copyright.PENANAC2xdmYU3bn
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANANKiX6JSvxh
342Please respect copyright.PENANAwaWeurD8LG
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA32fYs78xUo
342Please respect copyright.PENANAxVsq405iLq
"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAXgdgMH7Mrm
342Please respect copyright.PENANAocRI8Y2miA
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?342Please respect copyright.PENANAl1I5bOaftn
342Please respect copyright.PENANAiLpzHdtGUN
"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAOONrcG36bf
342Please respect copyright.PENANA1HvCumVW9t
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAelewzs9eLc
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHoQfiSJONg
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA7TZhm8CM4Y
342Please respect copyright.PENANA8dcoYgKg9j
342Please respect copyright.PENANAiDgd3GXWgT
"...Dad–"342Please respect copyright.PENANAyjaAMxcvvp
342Please respect copyright.PENANApN1lkLA0GR
"Huh?"342Please respect copyright.PENANANrF2ECxU54
342Please respect copyright.PENANAJchqKZm4kV
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?342Please respect copyright.PENANAScHXb67Hzi
342Please respect copyright.PENANAAZmiNd2OXO
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAI0AYEaJ6Av
342Please respect copyright.PENANAtnweZuSLzY
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"342Please respect copyright.PENANAWn4Egj4zcb
342Please respect copyright.PENANAOPWbKvKvvV
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAThAK2y2w2S
342Please respect copyright.PENANAPC3XpA9eUn
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.342Please respect copyright.PENANArfTIrlZ0Zc
342Please respect copyright.PENANAXDZ7t2XAcv
Kenny just didn't understand why.342Please respect copyright.PENANAq56FLaTMkI
342Please respect copyright.PENANAFjD4mpuPIs
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANArLw6HgrPas
342Please respect copyright.PENANAGy4TW2MeKU
Mother was arrested that day.342Please respect copyright.PENANAL0afHBRBFA
342Please respect copyright.PENANAEGJFN4cAU4
–
–
–
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA36IiPbNBI5
342Please respect copyright.PENANApsA1GO8wDx
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAJp8OMrtM1y
342Please respect copyright.PENANATANH9fzTbC
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAKtntSBsHB3
342Please respect copyright.PENANAnn7qK4gUM4
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAVvkhQHsPc8
342Please respect copyright.PENANAznUtMLHny9
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.342Please respect copyright.PENANAogntQRfufX
342Please respect copyright.PENANAJ2QXBjq67D
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.342Please respect copyright.PENANAnFdjZgqeJ0
342Please respect copyright.PENANAMEBVYxxEL8
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAxzfzYiNDWi
342Please respect copyright.PENANAo8pIROKn7N
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.342Please respect copyright.PENANAQD79d5SXSy
342Please respect copyright.PENANAT8x5nIUdEz
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAIr5ssOt0kC
342Please respect copyright.PENANAossvjjYLvF
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAKQJnAsihDd
342Please respect copyright.PENANA3yV596glQD
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAkSxtSZlVi3
342Please respect copyright.PENANALLjpES0Ld7
It went on for another month.342Please respect copyright.PENANA2Zy1vo5f0J
342Please respect copyright.PENANAyinzFGZHaz
Then another.342Please respect copyright.PENANAr04gkIkTw2
342Please respect copyright.PENANAOCCSBxN14q
Then another.342Please respect copyright.PENANAwNvOh56lxD
342Please respect copyright.PENANAmciJmNufz5
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.342Please respect copyright.PENANAQ8VGbUqfSr
342Please respect copyright.PENANA1ms2uS4fZj
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?342Please respect copyright.PENANAS3dy5aNhWR
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHLCttOWsRm
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.342Please respect copyright.PENANAzPE9y2IiCB
342Please respect copyright.PENANAH9I3ON63QP
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.342Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9ALYG5gs6
342Please respect copyright.PENANAeRKaC7rYrF
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAEo0faErgoQ
342Please respect copyright.PENANAVAmTtKn6MU
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.342Please respect copyright.PENANAQFdK0IvMsu
342Please respect copyright.PENANAy1rFPzYuP2
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAIK113NSDqh
342Please respect copyright.PENANA8gPYKnL4EF
And Kenny reminded himself of this.342Please respect copyright.PENANA7xFkiPbXYH
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHcqnWjAr09
Over and over.342Please respect copyright.PENANAhy66k3jTpp
342Please respect copyright.PENANA3C2dF0Gh8w
Over and over.342Please respect copyright.PENANA7v6MCcPs2H
342Please respect copyright.PENANAY8vU7kyJkg
Over and over.342Please respect copyright.PENANA2odRUzL5Es
342Please respect copyright.PENANAvbtWsNUY71
Over and over.342Please respect copyright.PENANArqUpr4vhU4
342Please respect copyright.PENANAut0p2swA5o
Over and over.342Please respect copyright.PENANAGkfaibfpbn
342Please respect copyright.PENANAdNsVXkOwoP
Over and over.342Please respect copyright.PENANAiUmWTvlq8U
342Please respect copyright.PENANArhCmd4vHpV
Over and over.342Please respect copyright.PENANAqkSLRzyADE
342Please respect copyright.PENANASeIm0GVKDz
Over and over.342Please respect copyright.PENANA4PiXSSoWZl
342Please respect copyright.PENANAFV1rGE1NBv
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAEOZXoMUNqX
342Please respect copyright.PENANAmKyFgWEjJr
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAwVyL0rxvJi
342Please respect copyright.PENANACnQUkTy5aj
–
–
–
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANATm5RQBwgC6
342Please respect copyright.PENANA71qbmvpR41
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAa8Svguk8fH
342Please respect copyright.PENANA0en9i3MqH2
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAtsdeQi6NZV
342Please respect copyright.PENANAInBYLfQpxG
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAcMpFVOMKc4
342Please respect copyright.PENANA1rRkr5uZ8n
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"342Please respect copyright.PENANA1csUzBicFn
342Please respect copyright.PENANAYDn7bCQNFQ
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.342Please respect copyright.PENANAftjKi0kPyi
342Please respect copyright.PENANA9auTudfbVz
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"342Please respect copyright.PENANAJ4mzxIOJTE
342Please respect copyright.PENANANzVk1d1tou
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.342Please respect copyright.PENANAyS58fYU0GJ
342Please respect copyright.PENANAkJmMmpoyK2
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAhoKpMx1Q7p
342Please respect copyright.PENANAcaYaVOaCpr
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAQjLmorcJxi
342Please respect copyright.PENANArGl7pIGWoe
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."342Please respect copyright.PENANA6ORvNFG6pY
342Please respect copyright.PENANAqn1CJboWnv
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.342Please respect copyright.PENANACOWIxb5bPB
342Please respect copyright.PENANAftO9KnRZu5
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.342Please respect copyright.PENANA2vzTyK5azW
342Please respect copyright.PENANA0N5Bj4DisK
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAvV6locoZEp
342Please respect copyright.PENANAAy42FmN7jq
It was an invitation.342Please respect copyright.PENANAtmo2NKATz8
342Please respect copyright.PENANAA6PMuRayhg
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAJd5gyAzjt8
342Please respect copyright.PENANA9mrnTCi9MC
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA7jayvMy01y
342Please respect copyright.PENANAOlrrFlsW7t
"What am I supposed to do?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAk4DngFT7lp
342Please respect copyright.PENANALrchx0gfDB
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?342Please respect copyright.PENANAA7mqTfJ9Y0
342Please respect copyright.PENANAZW1n6hy9Dp
"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANADRRVcUeJbw
342Please respect copyright.PENANA93jqso6m78
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?342Please respect copyright.PENANAJARghTJPEl
342Please respect copyright.PENANAecsSGVlRJA
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAOKlUIPOfeE
342Please respect copyright.PENANA515yxlwNh2
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.342Please respect copyright.PENANAAUvg7Y26sh
342Please respect copyright.PENANAXPtGEt5iBc
The stationary plant went missing.342Please respect copyright.PENANAOxT9O97uiw
342Please respect copyright.PENANAvpGv6mQCQm
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAjq4eOVI1kK
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHYmNe0lJgB
"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANATRQw6raCnl
342Please respect copyright.PENANAhPYEihRSJY
Dragon-Maw went missing.342Please respect copyright.PENANAiikzadrVIB
342Please respect copyright.PENANAFEnw3110hr
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.342Please respect copyright.PENANAhezdVP4NB2
342Please respect copyright.PENANAyh4ZVX6alz
"...Why?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAlQ6leNBqTf
342Please respect copyright.PENANAehxkc7axOt
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?342Please respect copyright.PENANA25sAdxrkC8
342Please respect copyright.PENANA5I1fe4eDjG
And still, Kenny took his essence.342Please respect copyright.PENANADaIFtzPOGd
342Please respect copyright.PENANAP6Q5FVLVGC
Of course he would leave.342Please respect copyright.PENANAHjAjLT5sas
342Please respect copyright.PENANAgSxyzZTzls
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.342Please respect copyright.PENANA3PInulOZRN
342Please respect copyright.PENANAI2OjfBDWtg
–
–
–
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAUfD1UvXrTh
342Please respect copyright.PENANA6waARNR9u0
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–342Please respect copyright.PENANAN7kYu8LN0a
342Please respect copyright.PENANAGVkQ6YhWFp
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.342Please respect copyright.PENANAIJsC1LPuNM
342Please respect copyright.PENANA8zZlXoSjrZ
"Kenny. Come out here."342Please respect copyright.PENANAvM83j5FXOR
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHKkyzdazNI
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANApRQsLNR8va
342Please respect copyright.PENANAtpfB5kbMeW
"W-Woah!"342Please respect copyright.PENANAcB74AH7OFY
342Please respect copyright.PENANAaovTfK45uD
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"342Please respect copyright.PENANA2T7FAIPqAX
342Please respect copyright.PENANAOZzA4L9mIx
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.342Please respect copyright.PENANAGSNm6nBTW3
342Please respect copyright.PENANAeKbFK9NyYx
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."342Please respect copyright.PENANAGokqBdey5g
342Please respect copyright.PENANA9ucckhJFzj
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.342Please respect copyright.PENANAUSbuzZ4si4
342Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8CkIiCxIx
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"342Please respect copyright.PENANAxpRe7JotcY
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And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.342Please respect copyright.PENANAmOvx13WM5m
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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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAYIHY5MYSXg
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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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAxUAFp8HjgS
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Kenny didn't get it.342Please respect copyright.PENANAOcpyjFn8FB
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Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?342Please respect copyright.PENANAZwx8ozxj3b
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"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!"342Please respect copyright.PENANA3AEd4q3ZHR
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"I... whaa?"342Please respect copyright.PENANARNdAjnqsho
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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?342Please respect copyright.PENANAWY2kilw8d6
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"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANA0bxND96Odz
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Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.342Please respect copyright.PENANAuJptzswmYr
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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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAqLELey5cGf
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"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"342Please respect copyright.PENANAklEXejAtZt
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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–342Please respect copyright.PENANApDarcUB9Qm
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"Huh?"342Please respect copyright.PENANA9BR0zaXKF3
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Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.342Please respect copyright.PENANAwZsHdL4c1Z
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"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."342Please respect copyright.PENANAJC6SE63lrt
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The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.342Please respect copyright.PENANAMA3d3sYTMn
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"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"342Please respect copyright.PENANAusLAIz69M9
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"Uh... sure?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAcjboTVVLBA
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The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.342Please respect copyright.PENANAIMDMbK1RDn
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"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANA5iXatO3512
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No, Kenny couldn't still.342Please respect copyright.PENANAgbVPhNnRo0
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He still didn't know what was going on.342Please respect copyright.PENANATHb09fbCKT
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So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.342Please respect copyright.PENANA3QCHgmnyZw
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"...Big Brother."342Please respect copyright.PENANAciG7szh4XC
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It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.342Please respect copyright.PENANAqckKVIz2eY
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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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAmhCdbryjCK
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But then he smiled.342Please respect copyright.PENANAVWK3kRqnbS
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"Look at you. You finally moved on?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAHgKkTfHOu4
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Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.342Please respect copyright.PENANAvh8ygW8PyT
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"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"342Please respect copyright.PENANAPnCNNneBcG
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Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.342Please respect copyright.PENANAuInRvSbexU
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"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–"342Please respect copyright.PENANAXjB0vDG4yJ
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"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"342Please respect copyright.PENANA6v4acQDebb
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A year and a half, right? Is that really long?342Please respect copyright.PENANAGwYBgFzNPO
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"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?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAKjp38msVoI
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"W-What? Huh?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAU8Zj1hvIwi
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Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.342Please respect copyright.PENANAEsdQyEqOnW
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This was insulting.342Please respect copyright.PENANAxCrgkB62XZ
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This was just insulting now.342Please respect copyright.PENANAT7v2XGWxPI
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But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.342Please respect copyright.PENANA5RmR1HMrMe
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"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAn7QEfAQ2Rf
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"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANA7HQEJe77Fc
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And then something shattered in him.342Please respect copyright.PENANAtZUOnf4YcE
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What was making him so hung up?342Please respect copyright.PENANAPsb8WUMv1X
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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!**342Please respect copyright.PENANAdxiCJwwaUE
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"...Huh?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAmAsb9hKlI3
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And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.342Please respect copyright.PENANAoJA5apzFnj
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"L-Listen, Kenny..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAdLheY0UIrF
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He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.342Please respect copyright.PENANAOar9k62t3L
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"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"342Please respect copyright.PENANA0Q7GO0PN7x
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"..."342Please respect copyright.PENANAat8E4D7uTw
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It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.342Please respect copyright.PENANAB5tMuWboOk
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–
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–
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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAJSyKys4I6M
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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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAi0qx6kDLU1
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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.342Please respect copyright.PENANA1N79aFHi4O
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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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAtMqeaUHqw9
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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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAKTZ1p1mTbv
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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.342Please respect copyright.PENANAes90quL47g
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.342Please respect copyright.PENANAfGw9UBFEw3
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–
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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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