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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglKYlDekcz
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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?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIZ5cdjno7
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Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdsFAi7GR2
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQ62MdKrVh
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAEu7GdiiF
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"Happy birthday, Kenny."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QJdbigZE3
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"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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHmmi79E9G
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Dad came back to them. He had a glass bottle in his hand. He looked tired, but Kenneth was smiling vigorously at him. He still didn't change out of his church robes. He sat at the table, slamming his empty bottle on it. He stared at Kenneth's mother, and then at Kenneth. He burped and said, "Happy birthday boy," and passed out on the spot.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNn2qe4Vkdz
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaGRtQoT3M
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That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VTVxRmMeT
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Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIg1PAVNqn8
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcpuUrs9FE
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ894I4koll5
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovi0yqUElN
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbLhCZt1zq
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHIQtL4T04
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"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZTh7QFi9l
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Kenneth began to tear up again. His father sighed. "Don't try this again, Kenneth," he simply said. And Kenneth obliged. For a week.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bCj0Od4mz
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fGiZTJgbH
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdlurqrHE2
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7QjXQ05ao
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRw0oV9Jr3y
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfO6wf2Tzgb
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXRnnECYyx
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxieWzOAYf
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"What is this, Kenny?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wq0mWWcUN
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"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwEPcXDL23
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbqeHibGAo
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZJjjO8V23
"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkuFJw9qdk
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEdNTVbX0a
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"Christina, do you know what this means?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlzOB1cuRH
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His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuGu9psf3Y
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"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYTQ4rIchk
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAu7C9FXSU
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It was.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8w9nco1CO
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A week later, Kenneth's father presented him with what could best be described as a tome. Kenneth didn't ask where they got it, because he was having a hard time even lifting the thing. His father explained to him that it was a book of magical plants and alchemy. Kenneth had no idea what the second word meant but he didn't care. He just received a big new book to read.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDvbk7SOLJ
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ibaM8hZEr
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnpLQlrqUd
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzDAm5aD00
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIzqRLRY5t
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PJvXEIS24
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"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvCajSmeBL
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Kenneth ran upstairs.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtLSi8ppv2
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Kenneth spent the next week experimenting with the liquid. He relocated it to a small glass cup and tested it out. He didn't want to taste it quite yet since he knew that was dangerous, but he did touch it. It felt cold, even after being in his room for so long. It amazed Kenneth. Kenneth then spent time putting different things into the cup. Grass, food, a few of his clothes, sometimes his own urine, metal, and by some miracle, fire. Nothing ever came of it though. It satisfied Kenneth for a while, but ultimately, he thought it was a dud. He kept the glass around. It made him feel nice.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3PuLqyfsB
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJBaxqlJuy
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"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwOSiFJeSH
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjIIwb8RU6
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKEqSWkjj2
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Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8QuOnRt11
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"Luckily for you, brat, I know exactly what alchemy is. But before that, I need to teach you what mana is."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOhK4zr09c
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That was when Kenneth's life began.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKB6i7tbfQH
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His father taught him the basics: how mana was the essence creatures manipulated to conjure objects and tinker with the world. Fire, water, earth, and wind would all be conjured, and in the right circumstances, they could be manipulated as well. His father also explained how combinations could occur but he glossed over it. His father told him alchemy was the mana manipulation of chemicals, magical or not, and that it took a very skilled user of mana to achieve success in alchemy.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIM7E7GpYR
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMl5N9MEdc1
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmD2VbQryf
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDfKWVuob9
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppz751dzZi
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ505XTitfGW
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGae1O05GM
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAJ97EVZnf
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"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnvkrdUVAy
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Kenneth nodded and entered the home. His father was sitting at the table. His forehead was bleeding a little and his knuckles were bruised.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwN8CKLmsS
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"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tqvTPFaiI
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"J-Just some plants, Dad..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpwcY86u0x
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"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3xdAL9Fe3
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zWeYKQfsf
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"Keep doing that stuff, kid. I'm amazed by how much you love it. Don't worry about me and your mother, alright?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI66U27U1U
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Kenneth's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile. His love for his parents, though still burning, felt like it had been reignited.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcto9A3Wed5
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Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcn4pHfq5C
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKugvnGzg3
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lVTr85QgL
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GqY56GTv1
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What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5mWtS68np
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The next year Kenneth would learn to do just that. He mixed his alchemy and mana manipulation with the plants he would find in the wild. He made roots grow and shrivel just with mana, and he could even accelerate the growth and decay of plants. He soon learned to amplify the effects of the plants, such as how potent the spores were, or just how large and hot the light beams from the Light-Beam-Blossoms became. Ultimately though, he returned to alchemy, and that was because of one thing: the purple dragon-maw plant. He planted it back using one of his plant-revival potions but did it in a more remote location. The maw, for whatever reason, didn't react negatively to Kenneth. In fact, the maw begged for his attention. It would lick Kenneth from time to time, much like a dog did. Kenneth grew to cherish it.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJ2fHt4WB7
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGk7oZuOnzf
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qXqdxDiLW
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuSHmV4M0I
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xenjhX0C4
"...It's dead."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6uvkM5abM
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUpgvhCK49
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjcRiRZA3u
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ea9X4d69N
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6XYgUWT7V
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHxS6xF5Al
What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3e87k9BAEz
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uTL0bsSKw
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ud5noHtMj
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREOhIWZO9J
Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aFRbX44Gw
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mkKgPiriA
"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDyibiLs3Z
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvR5e0loAe
"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnLpMqgyvA
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJo8e14W9Za
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–217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeroZGXuSXi
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNg76kBgN26
**THUD**217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NeVNtlIBb
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCLlbVbvT5
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SmJuYD2MH
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaZVUdjTGI
"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22ecWDDfyg
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOHJbsglOo
And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZqRXqoN9K
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBirynIIGIK
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDD7EnRI20
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSekXsMDzs9
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ej72myX0C
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAE98iF2P44
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPshfWPzpe
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpihSwbKcL
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnYJx2uBTL
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIx1vty0g7v
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9bmqRuXhE
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXy854bXBM
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOl7Ewtn2kI
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrpIm9XJKE
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsla5L2lFs
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWW9Z0cG5E
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62CG06S2Dv
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcMWpOiPu1
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UkcBK7ceF
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFJue23pf8
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekTFpk4kgi
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jnz3NE0do
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?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wBaHn9haJ
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAGmQOAIDA
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvM1H1YvMsJ
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6T4sUcuWX
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Al5h8KPiN
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOjiEeB5x9
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUqkWNeLW1
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl81RWLOTGe
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkbnTbzWCv
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHb3rG1uhZf
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoPCvhsdFW
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6C3PLSq8u
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKe8Iav6grD
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrDFC2tOo8
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWFQwb3MFU
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSdNmbYG5J
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tgfi7Vz8Z
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6v42ROx7hI
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCHLFJNr5A
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtfH52tbgC
Kenny fainted.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKVSSmpbmv
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRW9Ohc22Ho
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMlmpobjXN
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKwYe9Ncfn
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaj2GjpZF5
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwUwRl45OU
"...What in the world?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡob28pc82Cb
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1h06yfhjT
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DWXNKXvyL
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qzUrHcs2F
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjmlTwTx4p
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGlxldXvgL
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQ1PkDRQVa
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqrT1yuwtN
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqJkP6pb88
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nEFGuou8k
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIKacnKx1i
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBSUIT2yNZ
"So that's what it is..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJbjJ1ZTBt
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFR7ih1v6N
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58GJH1c4j8
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4RCe5bBFD
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKjXT3Y8Ji
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZLZI2Ttvb
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHu7Q66WMP
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzciHXL7BU
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg4bECTDv7
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5wPxkhTQw
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknpwYlwCMR
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPUaCOjP9y
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7B2WF2Qdi
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyPEqg6Kz7
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMbExATd3L
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMM0ZxVRU93
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5Y1t1euKt
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3jxhFlFxX
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABU3e25Vxh
"...Dad–"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWt0rUJZqv
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CemtzhmBg
"Huh?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUC9NPycKDB
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTRcFI5OmH
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?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mdvED3VP3
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJFd3Uzgqf
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPtiq21vlM
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2JkNYpkOF
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDO9tgV0jXg
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzgVZAyNfZ
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wYtxDObLa
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFstLJItrC5
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj47Nosl0Sf
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIhQgzKA38
Kenny just didn't understand why.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtBSPNE0iX
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttblUTuHcA
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxP0VU96z3
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbOO1WijEf
Mother was arrested that day.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHX4KHlrjDs
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5AFL0MMjb
–
–
–
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAFd6MScUc
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCJtaJnkwc
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAbzNANgKb
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCebbsXCYW
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviaJWotatH
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBF077KT8dJ
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcZmnZcbFO
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqzTvlpKSh
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUlmEgNrQ6
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8fPxoPYtv
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEucn9RjEK
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaGiG9BtuN
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzc3T6MjQZm
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RvQUOQOaz
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtQLMRV9sx
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7YK38SUxQ
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXgSADkZDv
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfFoIvQBnz
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOtFaVUc90
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYycxOsFHU
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlZJBeguDi
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0AUcEcygj
It went on for another month.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmWk7A2O5F
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Then another.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9zraHlKv8
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Then another.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXsrEfto47
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhAM6Whu1V
Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnuQQL4Jf3
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocHFTgUWhe
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?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTXUNqc3go
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYocrLTzoaZ
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OBlip8lFa
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBEoHgwbFl
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwDfXoEe1N
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbj15MqZbkE
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTVKtp1CDh
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPuOLc4iHK
But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJHUObMHye
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHokYHmtuj
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49429Ngv41
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmrjKHyxbJ
And Kenny reminded himself of this.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyowu3GQ4Cm
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5HwwWjiDm
Over and over.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nGSipN18s
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIR8uarSDEv
Over and over.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB97vEaHzEh
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAk9ZEyEuLJ
Over and over.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJSdPL0F07
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSnr2J6nwI
Over and over.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtWDECFqLg
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNPiDwMvFV
Over and over.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjs7s43VcV
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs82Auqc38p
Over and over.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ019Fq2wsA
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhCZbJ0FRc
Over and over.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYCJ3wSaXP
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOT9rXhBPMm
Over and over.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEbNbynO8M
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbG3MUNW1J9
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglC2IsR4h7
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYf9fH8p72
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHIUiJhnAk
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYw9AA1M0h
–
–
–
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSfNYjvmWG
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfmYQ4zSiW
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pIOWM0Ia3
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLYm9exmGJ
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEicnmVqMft
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYHYwRk0km
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbtvfPJzUY
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIbEWsQjwZ
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6wFUWxSoN
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUS9ipor5uB
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UegNK116O
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RG4U20ut7
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQid7FOrW6g
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5IxqKZ14g
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisOaG7Bszl
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9RyO21Q8V
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFExpwMEdC
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaoMLbc9fu
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WCvhYL4Ha
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sSN8DtIgd
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYiPcmuCKd
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKCIjceyRl
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6e6zwVA60
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoFvsSxIvL
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j84iifx5v
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2spywOPWw
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpiTVsBimV
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcZxAW9Lea
It was an invitation.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYpzuwhzb9
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxzhVlwQ8t
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmMfCEvmO8
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjsbQnty8y
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJ5Vjh9Inw
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1EXMrCNn2
"What am I supposed to do?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xnQY7g4LQ
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkBGg9wUMV
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?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiTcJACr7s
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3W7g3Rq416
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrJVpXxSwZ
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnm1KmJxrJR
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvL86d8R3Tl
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdF2R7GiY7
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJE7bH2RRs
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbF6oCeKQQ5
–
–
–
Dragon-Maw went missing.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMolPgLAQYo
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDohyPNWRk
The stationary plant went missing.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEzOQPryuM
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIV4i74YAQ
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcbL1xowp3
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfbY8kLBrf
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbRtYqgAVG
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ3F6mz14L
Dragon-Maw went missing.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVniYdbz5H
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJXix4nevS
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVPhtnFYzm
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TvPLOxACg
"...Why?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaNaOqJ7fo
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV46Ftwcwe0
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkRCXg1Qu1
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixuXMn9mcF
And still, Kenny took his essence.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7Link7JXy
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8rXnKtA7U
Of course he would leave.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4rzzkbvDL
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdaRrgJVhO
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7R6gJOjxL5
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVzErUq2U3
–
–
–
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ogSQPL2Li
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuGmBc653w
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–217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlkd1Nam3k
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUEfssQU7G
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCaOpFpYpl
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPSGCyO4ht
"Kenny. Come out here."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFK5fMfdpB
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTCFlb31S3
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cTCsbCLAs
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYZnLe4zHm
"W-Woah!"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOWGTguYoC
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2Ocqp7zx8
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkCYcaAFYt
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzikeyzD34
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5YJeczZQP
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vG8uIDSPt
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mceWqGrzm
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYB9aigToEk
Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6CuNgjmxA
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6FkEiVMDq
"Now go out, you dumb kid!"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQZDDBzJ93
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MV1c1xaLe
And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WFDAuNuXj
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgM78KXR8iR
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoPpISNV6o
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡik0t5C7Zr8
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELz51YhDn1
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Hdh9BKIBL
Kenny didn't get it.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLDZ93xKoo
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ124Sw31Xjk
Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyMn0RDkNy
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdXgV6jtQp
"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!"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasKTAcV2Hj
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3q9lHnzXIT
"I... whaa?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYtxQzs9ns
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbp2Jz8hEv
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?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFz1jOOoOSV
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDMZRpMZVV
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5nT2OgOsE
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvBWxXUC1o
Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYFnpjTC84
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49twfEIEoM
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bsUamUiCs
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThP4OLEJo7
"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiRVNZkWxH
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxVZnM8Wug
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–217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBw27aNtXQI
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNg2n8hCKg
"Huh?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquoQAdqbsy
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIL6ACzDsd
Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxy9Ct88pJ
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCNoSYOUHM
"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vcsF2vzzb
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAbuFTKJnd
The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xi5Ty9nlw
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6a3cmZ8DN
"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIA550R9xn
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8qoAGn1e7
"Uh... sure?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVcwxaIniK
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtY07mxhtzS
The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsC5nGRlZh
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OE4YVsFhF
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlr1C4IJDQW
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSSCivtMTG
No, Kenny couldn't still.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgXOZxYb4V
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMNyMElIi1
He still didn't know what was going on.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4U559rWbe
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSd9m8XBGoI
So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41hbN9IBzL
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfxWuyrI9d
"...Big Brother."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxMhBQ9cNh
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIuiTW2Eqk
It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPzxdw1cxu
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceP4AyK1z8
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIxBAGaHgV
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzaorjmj5f
But then he smiled.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqToWoBFJ6F
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMWYfsZ7VO
"Look at you. You finally moved on?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GySehUCKs
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoX8PTmta8
Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlOq3iEls4
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjT19OW85h2
"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeY4g33qLs
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEbChntDpN
Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPyk4DA2Z5
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVycKTR292
"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–"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZjUFCE3Gf
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXDUyuywQN
"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MZ218EH3T
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GnRZ0sJGa
A year and a half, right? Is that really long?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu99zIVHUtw
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1XrSY6ybM
"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?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Bv9hAn8tj
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUgIVg3odF
"W-What? Huh?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeg28JPrq5Y
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZMYH3P1lI
Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLP5OfeYKQ
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjwBjucu9V
This was insulting.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUIuLUgaZd
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbdWHAU3AG
This was just insulting now.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9yvHTUvvx
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKakm3xl1g
But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvExijbOk1j
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9c7BKuomS
"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGYA146ub8
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUqORhK4dl
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtMXl7J79N
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekubVPHU6u
And then something shattered in him.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdG2sxOPcG
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlItSX3B0uT
What was making him so hung up?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pJ6Ma8kXS
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QR8NSPQt8
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!**217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOydRdlmV3
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuCd3aQQPN
"...Huh?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbjh8gVXMN
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7r9ZDTDxzG
And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxti8XtlBzd
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75flQ41ftz
"L-Listen, Kenny..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1v6DfvyucT
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0xMQxNlOw
He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cItlw4u91
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoJs9ovFol
"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowf12GjllO
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCUPFN9aWj
"..."217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBAmg3CZuC
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZxjGN1aSr
It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03jV8uJ8xL
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTrvnHFsVE
–
–
–
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQyootC93l
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ab7qGaGXa
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdvrw5K6Tz
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxngBJl4kkh
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVaZh2MS7F
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8GaPHOTYF
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50GXXdlTQ2
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUEeQyxJJj
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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyk8iEV9uon
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4JzJzQkSU
He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSz1tGmyRD
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzquZEwuDnd
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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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