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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwrXLrHv6A
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemouKjv5w7
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?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tdEdil6fo
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3RslwZKa3
Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOAXOMal8k
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHg6Gx2W2R
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cl0rR96h8
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8bELjI9Cj
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBKWCrSdMQ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrYSu7Kw7Z
"Happy birthday, Kenny."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjsLFn3cTg
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YtW64r4r0
"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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEdBdROa1A
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QFrKTtOQP
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hqz0fcnZx
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21CX8yrOfH
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKEvUi9xA6
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOZLBKRxZ3
That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WOopqNElA
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FXwWVJRzw
Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnWegYiEBY
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXE8QiKUdSp
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkE2FqO2ob4
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZqsRQVyeA
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx24nmnQX6p
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2unKbFKj9X
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3g6EKYu2jh
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMv4Y0SwHjy
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQ3OccB0pY
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESC88nm2Bd
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoJwvVbOFf
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1W6Y0tPskW
"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJP0uKG4Sa3
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZzSbZeKdx
Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3uQj2pH7r
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbFkK9HmTU
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwICgFrPNuO
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDODXEj2IXR
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hgDPmlY11
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdj8fgCayl
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaLXlMSKTu
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV8idEd50n
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe48qDvWIfC
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIftleUG8DN
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuqeE1ZDI0
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlUp2FzXzK
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzqxgXHot6
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlorlztUH0
"What is this, Kenny?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aKFyTIpS6
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJtV4e2O7V
"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eCb4XIBEN
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgK8buINNf2
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ5EXmT3th
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCZGtZEBPb
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzpZQcs2RU
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HYQjwrIpi
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdfUpP0SE7
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPrfbhQSgZ
"Christina, do you know what this means?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GT0Kds4fx
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmDPqANIYf
His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5k8RoesW6
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0HS5nrP1K
"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkoRyXPeXw
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbd96Qb4Qo2
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVF2ROGKm5I
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdNSWlQgVU
It was.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjthKsKfUu
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MxW9NmXTL
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeRsaVft10
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KRZ9zPbbm
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvnugYkFjS
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlVKWdJXGP
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpKsZmMl0T
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5kjantV6n
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7izdetNoXq
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88cc2eWQoV
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sVGSbzzgE
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Kenneth ran upstairs.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpUW02CnNg
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxlYzamy8W
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjaLs2nDeO
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtC52JwvXFN
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYloQxOpZg
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDn8Ys1bIz6
"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnSwNg0g0o
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8MbxKc9Yd
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFKIbk97Tj
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyqwhxCE51
Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBNlMKh6JY
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkoJ9pLf0X
"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4APhdeTCup
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAc8TXiEIk
That was when Kenneth's life began.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmYr0QINW5
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnny8RXdWr
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXP4mviPOw
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhPMCxONw6
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMi6uSRG16k
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHaKWgSzRz
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKW4dbFe8O
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOt85EFGLE1
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGaPcLe0Pk
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVY2qLCl3b7
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zCYJaBW58
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtEQO46159
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8EN9ydoDk
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXVig2sUiA
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs4NhG3Vjs
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyAQwN8uFI
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOA1LD5L3Q
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRqP9TS7TT
"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMf7DRrQxpU
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwREGsl0VrM
Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEsPtKHKPt
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQpAgCtIA5
"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYN8PJ1dFJ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLycL4Abes
"J-Just some plants, Dad..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bP6v6Ssfp
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI37QLBH6uW
"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf0S4ar0OJ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uVEmgyifA
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3HVAdk6sb
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnK1ftRyug1
"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmGC9nUec2
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOqqDCgOW6
Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRc7jL4ryP4
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVvM34kZnX
Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgleYWj9jE
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GaXH79Uiv
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcrNpdTxeR
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbKM0xaj4t
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAV8mLYOoh
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz75ifqNnDK
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZndo3UyIP2
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvdGTy3hgT
What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmeH5ya6Vc
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUr9zitTfW
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNXIpNq0oi
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOq9hZNX1z
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48LScW2yIp
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9ZVbOYwmZ
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRuTwgIF70
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwZhewIfJk
"...It's dead."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxuv2zFeOu
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmykAW0UhwJ
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHxjIBAakV
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NLigSpxIO
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNMU1T2UAj
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXeAfOeB6O
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeST6CDZhH
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GfcFFYcP4
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8cKpCHSzY
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CgQVfIHoH
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfW128qZhh
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXl2qc3POZr
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cAeskXDcs
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7MzjksUVD
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ldwkgblV8
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx18dnIpvij
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–371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOXhwUfeDC
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHEOHKqPwE
**THUD**371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhO0WUqMAAQ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWTcGQDZFr
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlE428jtR7
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhABYPBiWn
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoIeKz3Plm
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFZTOufWO2
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6bqSxTBEF
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2TNTdBzik
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqjQzuuJ8x
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1mqQjHnXl
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIivQzpXly
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0OW8JYppg
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jtLn6oDHl
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlCXACrnAp
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6Snc6h42i
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOn2zOA3M8j
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUYGYPCmHc
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwm3OzGj8bT
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwohMCBRG6P
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCidfM9bZNT
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxxyHUbmnv
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GPLpJv8di
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJViyAAzviC
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYX5TsUwuE
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXod6CpmUMj
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZLKHmWCQG
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXzcLruOBI
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNi6XDVTAnK
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?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdgqqyZFQV
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53zLQRptdP
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3dJBodcEy
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgKZgV7FbE
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡka0w76AfA1
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH97ZW0K4TW
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15EF0opR1V
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz64cNVJlFI
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirsYpTTggh
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ24zwimhoz
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFLrHe8TM1
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uAgDXyoz8
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DjFbAoPNk
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcho9PuDBe
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDddjO1Aya
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvEjHuhnUM
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw47heRDYXK
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOp8JbqIaK
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB6uPLF0nB
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpwtoVKmbZ
Kenny fainted.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJlIYiF7q3
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFELZOEYePC
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0QqOZiHKD
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡha23x7UgYN
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NDkBxHFRO
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEdU8wTq8E
"...What in the world?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXy4I3rhQGT
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMv11xJLdXP
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXf8YXGO9AK
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uqp9357Uu
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLSi8oQgbZ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53ptKBQkR8
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5EsXQFMty
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqGCluZgYi
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvesT6PWOV
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFMCaVQ3sX
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSXre8yqBG
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkDI9QnrHZ
"So that's what it is..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuDNSsAvLJ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDGCG2GqDI
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMB3wjA6a4
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaM5d2h4aUj
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlCurvhfNt
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvcx83zs3z
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFx9djccKhw
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOUroNtMcF
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfkORM0J6T
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlPCWgdzDA
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4h8DR7SzZX
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocbhqhA72P
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM38vixDuof
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOI1T1FLXQ
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXsrYCpCJT
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2bkCpn69P
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7k7OJtneF
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiffOgfYUb
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaraC6Cfzo
"...Dad–"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgM1P73FfKG
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0ITrvVlaB
"Huh?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQ0giZ2pZt
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIX6UaQbsO
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?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwhin3ShXF
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo88MUTYd7o
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJd77fLFEY
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3ZgTv9TJ4
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IjAlv0TEW
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQCluaDQcZ
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lvJthLWMp
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TtWI1e8eC
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtFRuwozj0
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzapzvSrVC
Kenny just didn't understand why.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0aWV861ah
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTI0wvoJVPN
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNF5Pj7ygfl
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoBwojNBXA
Mother was arrested that day.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nUNDiClfp
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuc31a44h0
–
–
–
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXJCuM4ky4
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ092kLjYZS2
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapipiGXkO7
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYC8amPODXC
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3StDMTdMeN
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqaRVfEls6
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3goehG3iQ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw48f6hPDWV
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw30LmJI49g
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WAdfj9MMV
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHzJmOzJmt
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0j2yHAJhQ
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6dMyoJ2kM
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6j8h0reaDl
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FG2yNCxlI
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSISChKMysW
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVitdKlVxl
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcDRkYqEii
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqBamcT0Rc
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZlrOVAJfj
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GYXcB8sZ1
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkApB6D3PxY
It went on for another month.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmva3Rtj3rQ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2r6BGcaniu
Then another.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAOj8JGqiO
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfTWFCcxRF
Then another.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSuUPQQOtB
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMgMTb5iCs
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8eHU4efUv
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKqS7a1Dnz
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?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4hh4HxxNq
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IYx71RrNL
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fCWby6lmO
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysCjvh8AsJ
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgevNSvdT3H
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ493TFtKcrk
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiBRrkw6yE
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMtZfQBp24
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTe4N0YhtFw
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0yStZLNy8
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVOxiqIOHu
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEf0VJbTjz
And Kenny reminded himself of this.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59zLCSJ5vg
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfdfNY8jSN
Over and over.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeZP4DYnjE
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnsMcoRbmR
Over and over.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkH3AJG0MBp
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOEXQtsJ6M
Over and over.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdqE7Lbmgl
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVmoEUhdR7
Over and over.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAK2oKbg8AV
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7fuILYHDK
Over and over.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyds0Wt1FFS
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlI6jCfuZ33
Over and over.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXgxjmtIh2
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaliPCcUyX
Over and over.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrp4lq2MPQ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOLU6MOXNr
Over and over.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuW0JqALNuD
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOhvS51O14
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XI4caDOP3
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloTMzylBE7
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyi9yp22pbN
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYcsDIC6We
–
–
–
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡko7gp2J7w8
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHODpCyqGz
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wqIGHdsq4
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1GC4MO0Dz
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzTx01oijf
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqs2iSpW2i
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeBR4bw7kp
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0OT9sc6oh
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAi4UsKl1n
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUdcP9s00u
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5i4ZOLAjPw
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNu82s43CSI
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgbfb4CL40
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwchjY5cg2
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS65H47T5qX
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnE8y4apVq
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINyHzo9zuD
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7GICLlESW
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPbkJZPp6P
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAhg0Rl1nM
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmzZrSc28e
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5Iqm5zG4I
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArEULBusZg
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wWu6KWFLs
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHFkP3R5Ut
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCrdIFIlQ5
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3161r75dqX
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOwW4YbUeI
It was an invitation.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sOJoCIMKK
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywHVvgspqt
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDN2GKuDsH
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7OGqDBO10
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRNBvrgFAz
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkqhplWYGM
"What am I supposed to do?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzk46O0see
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AAU2FKiRs
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?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2oXDcvXYp
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXJhHMG9ou
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xoBfP3cQO
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEz9azqFMJa
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2qoCRwNcJ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlLy6laMnb
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpoUNo7RKO
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWkgapHRxv
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡve2KCVWCZI
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNX5Fvf00pl
The stationary plant went missing.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaev3NHkh5
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrBj66lMD6
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbQ5JHd5Gy
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWexcQfifm
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8R5GM9rwgQ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxNwVys6WR
Dragon-Maw went missing.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNjK06Mms0
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky8xmk6Hpn
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAh34Mz9P8B
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILVezRwQpw
"...Why?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7tGPy8Pns
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuCjyBKxQS
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xoa9NFO7H
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSMCmUsntk
And still, Kenny took his essence.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBz3C0uYdyH
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGf2qQsymO
Of course he would leave.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqckqprocA
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0I2R0SRyIk
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eCfKrdxGk
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTo7DYOMPh2
–
–
–
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6PPVNR7JG
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgFlW26tQt
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–371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurPxhxJvWc
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IIjYKf2il
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFsaKwatNi
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJApuduOeQ
"Kenny. Come out here."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5Z18vxp4G
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwZMYR5f8n
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdhgCqs2cR
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iCFhDgeN0
"W-Woah!"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3DcpJUJqV
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssiXwNovdj
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuvJnJOGqh
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhl9yJJx6s9
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3US4hz8bZ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQGho8JIUX
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBs1y3jtHag
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsPC3hxfbG
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1EBs8iRlQ
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirlJnmxEjH
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdY5XKT20Rk
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmSocYxhIE
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7Sldd70vM
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhdZu3mIMb
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UcJR79tum
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiWaYzPEM3
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRj1BN3dpsg
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyQ36yflDL
Kenny didn't get it.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzPvP0oAKy
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcw97AowIK
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxnG358a8p
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgR5eC2DTZ
"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!"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbUkPJCxDb
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwNYJm6fen
"I... whaa?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIsnqHEZ5m
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQnj3Bv9LE
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?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBpbxxVT28
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLjUIjYQqJ
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OCrVsnGQT
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekWXXLXDl1
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9P4b7uxCy
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pDDY1Y8o9
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9lVMUvZ9q
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UuKAFPY8K
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kKpf3gZd1
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPASEWTbwue
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–371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBlicAK3Im
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmLRthh5gj
"Huh?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqxLd1uDHo
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0ihdBEc2u
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0ZtEPaSxD
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUI1B66THO
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceyjTjbzYR
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedYW5tklWJ
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHo4WcVJKix
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlc8KXAPI4
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn34jxzh1Ai
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQuYsblOIw
"Uh... sure?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMWr80dGGO
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJe9yhD1hLZ
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDeZUfWEYY
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kNQTc5dwK
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRQyenkHFB
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXs6iJggfe
No, Kenny couldn't still.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4SNhtoXKz
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vsoW1cJdr
He still didn't know what was going on.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlThPzUua3H
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbPBYTcrpy
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkALxGMzPb
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc91KcuC4tw
"...Big Brother."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVIDIFJyJc
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5osZRNt8K
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEdCiITbf9
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyGJk9gm2e
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBthGsR30n
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnLqDyptw0
But then he smiled.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1CZ0Bqb57
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSARHfGsNPr
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1B3tKFGNj
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcG3HjiTQo
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObEYqeCnQ2
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrP65lBBVV
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f67nzel3m
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkljEs7H5DV
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCdShdZgsO
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tQQ0HNf7s
"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–"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0nMprnXn6
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEShtd6JwS
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6PJG7PXoj
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKsIhKoJ7A
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhekwKY8dp2
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0SVJVFTOJ
"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?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhDOMAAvhg
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKsHQCsaMw
"W-What? Huh?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtn8U2b3fB
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfA40Fuxf1a
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAKhkgf299
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZNt4n5IgM
This was insulting.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSqdJI8rN8
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XYJ4mnt49
This was just insulting now.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTpOpToPVE
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRtp5XGLP3
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22XbrVf4hd
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxI30BqIR8
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTDzi53YdP
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12uJgDB2hc
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLy5ZgVJv4
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIhCCaAHjg
And then something shattered in him.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NMilZ4bu5
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaG2S82zW7
What was making him so hung up?371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVr3PHUeVB
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrymLDqt5dR
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!**371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFp2eNp135
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqokUnOFMR
"...Huh?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNiuXV2wy8
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCZrbPx8vt
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCjsM6m2wG
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNw8Hj5Em26
"L-Listen, Kenny..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡse2jfkO27f
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8dzZrV3Nf
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcAwWyGC4X
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rEYS3kDsy
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPf1UOR7K3
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaVUVqAe9o
"..."371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxA8MIBbkc
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunG3URxhsT
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBcFgJkxJz
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15cJYrs7ch
–
–
–
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4mxlh42rp
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuMrnUqm5b
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GdQWQUZnd
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkM5MHI7ZNk
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hOX5fMxBr
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrySy883pS
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8ombi5dX9
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1kyNH3bNg
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.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ5wIevvMN
371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdI5mZFjoeF
He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NfGnRh5Nc
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.371Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvc9AfN37y
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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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