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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAVQvnfRF8kN
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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?109Please respect copyright.PENANAsbLr82aX1S
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Kenneth was getting distracted. He sat by a boulder and took a breath.109Please respect copyright.PENANAWYpetsEhJ7
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAr3cnnZHWXe
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAvw0JaAcMMZ
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"Happy birthday, Kenny."109Please respect copyright.PENANAwWcPdxlB9F
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAFmLGMG2fOD
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA8GfQLLNqJg
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANARubTQpfZjJ
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That was his first big day, his graduation from babyhood. Kenneth remembers it fondly.109Please respect copyright.PENANAT5tf6j5C34
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Then there was the other big day, maybe six, no, seven months later.109Please respect copyright.PENANAlNyMmFONVq
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAuaihyX24vf
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA4zlUqxCutj
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAj1qvyDP8Ws
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAWAQE22Xy0p
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA2ezUg5s1OU
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"What are you doing, you dumb brat?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAMSqejswopM
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZwqLRmqtd
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA3X5Cn9idyz
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAKom5JwahjN
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAa3Jebp0c28
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA2CzUbh4oXO
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAYn6u3S0K1N
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAUUl3mNyG60
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"What is this, Kenny?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAF5sUE8QlcF
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"Umm... it's a journal. I draw the plants I see outside in it."109Please respect copyright.PENANAwomx6khq3G
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA4rQPzTAXzQ
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"What is this? Magical plant? Killed big bad boar? Kenneth, what have you been doing in your free time!?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAUibGO68mjR
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAwG1oJlh7sq
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"Christina, do you know what this means?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAqcifne8wHe
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His father was at the door, crossing his arms. Kenneth was even more afraid now.109Please respect copyright.PENANAKNBBUJJnVt
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"Magical plants, the brat loves this stuff."109Please respect copyright.PENANAgPTozNmGPI
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAOqnbxOXfPq
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It was.109Please respect copyright.PENANAwt8mWA87kK
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAV0jiQrqUus
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAAdpEIpjhtZ
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAVoHwACuFue
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAjgW5FCwGG6
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"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANADvvO5gzIix
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Kenneth ran upstairs.109Please respect copyright.PENANA9bRJHQKosb
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAExmPrUIEay
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANARhwjwrq5i8
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"So son, I hear you're really liking those magical plants, right?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAmEH6xSKVXY
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Kenneth nodded his head rapidly.109Please respect copyright.PENANAS8uK2pv4T8
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"But you don't know anything about alchemy yet."109Please respect copyright.PENANAMeLKJlogWp
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Kenneth still didn't know what that word meant. His father puffed out his chest.109Please respect copyright.PENANAbkJUvxImYh
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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."109Please respect copyright.PENANAxEwdkzlQvl
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That was when Kenneth's life began.109Please respect copyright.PENANATKIloLOcT9
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAgrSTa4bOQ4
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAEVeVRByaSM
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANADL0JxiMj4g
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANASgT14JkOlS
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAua3PufZcgN
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA1XVRqFQwAv
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAdNws0hi6AR
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAZhFQ8BOsoc
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"S-Sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry, your dad is just..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAJyJzpWq2lt
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANABZukzPIjSO
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"Hey brat, what do you have over there?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAo120IaCaqC
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"J-Just some plants, Dad..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAQdd8eg22kg
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"That's my boy. Hey, come over here."109Please respect copyright.PENANAlUxpP5lmkD
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAw50yUy02kY
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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?"109Please respect copyright.PENANA2AIquGVekD
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAZGGqhCzWGY
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Kenneth went upstairs. His room was converted into a sort of miniature laboratory.109Please respect copyright.PENANAvJBAaNMyxf
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAAiKITxTd5N
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAqVJ3CwjDf4
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAXaHJe3LrWQ
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What if, Kenny thought, he could manipulate the plants?109Please respect copyright.PENANAKUHfirlBZu
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAvbIRXQekpf
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAXAVJLqdZDP
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAPXANKAEj1J
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"...It's dead."109Please respect copyright.PENANAcAzWmDycV4
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANANoBRiRr0DJ
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA7sUKe7eFkd
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What he saw made Kenneth jump in ecstasy. The heart began to ooze the liquid, and beat.109Please respect copyright.PENANADlYTKgkbnJ
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAP2AeaU08sm
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Though that month was a blur, one day did really stick out to him. It was the day his mother entered his room.109Please respect copyright.PENANAxg6lecFdgG
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"Huh? Hello, mother! Is something the matter?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAIt81QZHNpI
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"Oh? Not at all honey, not at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."109Please respect copyright.PENANA9sVUxuualf
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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–109Please respect copyright.PENANAIHC314u9yi
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**THUD**109Please respect copyright.PENANAAvkUsvOaPB
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAsj8SaFQHc1
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"You, Kenny. Don't you ever, ever defile flesh with your crazy, stupid alchemy bullshit!"109Please respect copyright.PENANAx0n0xWsH9B
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And from there on, Kenny was disallowed to use living things.109Please respect copyright.PENANAfnDWtv2KES
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAARQNds444s
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAaqWlEfQgm4
109Please respect copyright.PENANAVoVRqLqX49
That was until Kenny looked in the bathroom mirror.109Please respect copyright.PENANAYHGX2kD0Rn
109Please respect copyright.PENANA1RUDgtmiyK
"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8FmfefyGy
109Please respect copyright.PENANADz8QUEf12X
He almost couldn't believe it. Here in the present, recollecting, he couldn't believe he actually went through with it. He continued reminiscing.109Please respect copyright.PENANA2hcEyLEKOZ
109Please respect copyright.PENANA66bym8sgsD
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAKc0SZNvm91
109Please respect copyright.PENANAUO77zCfzuy
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANArLqcjlh5rh
109Please respect copyright.PENANAydSIKIIiOh
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAQdN5lYHMbr
109Please respect copyright.PENANABK7wZerdQI
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAuyyCihBLb7
109Please respect copyright.PENANAi6YwRcm8pe
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA6hejf28k3s
109Please respect copyright.PENANAgECDHOeuWD
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?109Please respect copyright.PENANAFmEossHNcH
109Please respect copyright.PENANABhISjhAS16
"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANADxFPZojeSl
109Please respect copyright.PENANATuOTpab9aC
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAw69UHJrWwa
109Please respect copyright.PENANAQrdSk7WwQe
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAfXSMZ6kNqv
109Please respect copyright.PENANAxC6EGRXGnG
Kenny thought he made progress. He ate a few more for good measure, and waited.109Please respect copyright.PENANAJTo00gtHJ8
109Please respect copyright.PENANAIUEQ6NZTYA
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAQmof6A5psz
109Please respect copyright.PENANAFbx6QdYNrP
"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAKPGvy8Onsm
109Please respect copyright.PENANAzMKWwlwwXo
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAEgT9tq8sH6
109Please respect copyright.PENANA8Gs8zBx9zd
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAnJDbaxd2AS
109Please respect copyright.PENANAXrZhfdd1ni
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAgChS4LyCIi
109Please respect copyright.PENANA5vbQRXK5jQ
Kenny fainted.109Please respect copyright.PENANAplJJkcPUCu
109Please respect copyright.PENANAj5YfZB5JmH
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAjp6Yfp2r9L
109Please respect copyright.PENANAqkdPSWbxjX
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAETbsz2uBZF
109Please respect copyright.PENANAClT1cJurke
"...What in the world?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAVkBaZHMGtr
109Please respect copyright.PENANAbSVPTNIex8
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA3K21bEuUmq
109Please respect copyright.PENANAVyujIdu7Mf
"But how do I get rid of this tendril?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAUxMi9Nhd40
109Please respect copyright.PENANAlhryaoIdwL
The utterance of the sentence made the tendril swiftly retract back into his chest. Somehow he didn't get any splinters.109Please respect copyright.PENANAAJjJpufrLD
109Please respect copyright.PENANAQW7oUiPGEQ
"Is that it? Do I just need to say tendril?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAMNhicAbrJh
109Please respect copyright.PENANAa4PxuqRdaz
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAtlCL83Janf
109Please respect copyright.PENANAg6xyIPFE9W
"So that's what it is..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAs51gjBc9Tq
109Please respect copyright.PENANAflCLWxenMR
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAqVTgTL95jm
109Please respect copyright.PENANAVyfJMFF19R
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAMme2rrhJr0
109Please respect copyright.PENANAy0I1JWBYgp
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAMC5hCg31Gj
109Please respect copyright.PENANA1ecaAa6cbX
"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAHjhxX51qKQ
109Please respect copyright.PENANAg2Mxpzrgja
"Haaa... How do you like that? Can't give me shit and hell looking like that now, can you?109Please respect copyright.PENANAnfz0p7tS3d
109Please respect copyright.PENANAa78sI6hq5v
"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAH0hvGSWUBX
109Please respect copyright.PENANAEznJkPktF6
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAsnZzKTd8hL
109Please respect copyright.PENANAfBMdC5x8G1
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAXjw3ktr9iF
109Please respect copyright.PENANAYAkcxUiURv
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"...Dad–"109Please respect copyright.PENANA8KAIwcTgWG
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"Huh?"109Please respect copyright.PENANA8p5AQ46uYQ
109Please respect copyright.PENANAsfxJwAVqjn
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?109Please respect copyright.PENANAq8aQGSZoK0
109Please respect copyright.PENANAmXnEmV51yv
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAfoDLol9dTI
109Please respect copyright.PENANAy2pMYTzEXj
"K-Kenny! It isn't– it's not–"109Please respect copyright.PENANAIfw6hbaBqC
109Please respect copyright.PENANAKTGqu2dVhJ
"...W-Why? Mom, why?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAkL9OYK9t0j
109Please respect copyright.PENANAUDfCJufa31
But her mother didn't respond. She began to cry, to wail. Kenny didn't understand why.109Please respect copyright.PENANAH51dof3juo
109Please respect copyright.PENANAf0prlaXoz2
Kenny just didn't understand why.109Please respect copyright.PENANAJP82tjy98V
109Please respect copyright.PENANAYx2VLBapz3
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAaGKOVqwQmt
109Please respect copyright.PENANAyvk2k4wliJ
Mother was arrested that day.109Please respect copyright.PENANATJHWLWDsd8
109Please respect copyright.PENANARBdvxNdO1f
–
–
–
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAYcCtl9Sk2x
109Please respect copyright.PENANAWCmaNh5SDl
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAPBt5KkZA9z
109Please respect copyright.PENANAXw26FBjNPZ
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA6pyBvUcVKs
109Please respect copyright.PENANApOghQhfYub
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAPrzEseP59c
109Please respect copyright.PENANA0cERXch0G1
His mother was hung with a rope around her neck. Kenny didn't know what to feel.109Please respect copyright.PENANAOe3HQ5EGxh
109Please respect copyright.PENANAVVEoW7gfsm
Kenneth didn't know if he could anymore.109Please respect copyright.PENANAc5nbmoeKpp
109Please respect copyright.PENANAVEyqP8pJ20
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAeGPIQpUIkS
109Please respect copyright.PENANAeorfZK4tNo
All the while, Kenny could do nothing but stare at the ground.109Please respect copyright.PENANAP0IBCqVrUB
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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.109Please respect copyright.PENANASUWgG3i82C
109Please respect copyright.PENANAHr5fv0JS9X
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA4FjUF4VTVt
109Please respect copyright.PENANAsRDrAsVRjk
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAJ0a3gPcxda
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It went on for another month.109Please respect copyright.PENANA6WTpEfCCXI
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Then another.109Please respect copyright.PENANAXgXdv3yCR6
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Then another.109Please respect copyright.PENANAkuHuyQbK9r
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Kenneth couldn't get the picture out of his head.109Please respect copyright.PENANAyyXqOJpPU8
109Please respect copyright.PENANA08hpAFkVxS
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?109Please respect copyright.PENANAtzSH5RlOjS
109Please respect copyright.PENANAnQvOaOOzrT
Kenny couldn't get that image out of his mind.109Please respect copyright.PENANA8CaSqI7Suv
109Please respect copyright.PENANAcTwzWXRoTu
The image of his mother, of her horrified face.109Please respect copyright.PENANAiiVGnJD2hw
109Please respect copyright.PENANAlp1MoJGxAv
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA5aAboJVK4a
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But of course he did. Kenny was a smart kid, he knew what it was all along.109Please respect copyright.PENANAbUJ6GNE1a5
109Please respect copyright.PENANAO7PMeiVrDl
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAsCoK3lPVsq
109Please respect copyright.PENANAxnLBWTSwxu
And Kenny reminded himself of this.109Please respect copyright.PENANATyI0Q0geJS
109Please respect copyright.PENANA2LHJ2G1WcH
Over and over.109Please respect copyright.PENANAqlbccujk9F
109Please respect copyright.PENANA2xPeNUaI3Y
Over and over.109Please respect copyright.PENANAksvkYhYAN7
109Please respect copyright.PENANAVrdkYtraGR
Over and over.109Please respect copyright.PENANAbNEo0KrXrH
109Please respect copyright.PENANAwjzWyspng6
Over and over.109Please respect copyright.PENANAhvfFQpEIU3
109Please respect copyright.PENANA3lgkHOzhlm
Over and over.109Please respect copyright.PENANARtn5StW66u
109Please respect copyright.PENANAVpBZ9SIZbg
Over and over.109Please respect copyright.PENANAKRjKJGGV39
109Please respect copyright.PENANAxUKsuWQS7M
Over and over.109Please respect copyright.PENANALHuaTDpX5w
109Please respect copyright.PENANAzYjQcCWbOf
Over and over.109Please respect copyright.PENANAQRfNAO6pyN
109Please respect copyright.PENANAd1PQcS1I9B
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAjTt7U6z7RI
109Please respect copyright.PENANA0uDgNA2qcu
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAMCeHMzsgo4
109Please respect copyright.PENANAOPzLxkrtHk
–
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–
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANApVpYvoQWU6
109Please respect copyright.PENANAiFvhLU8v7D
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAu4p5lsfJqf
109Please respect copyright.PENANAyXmnasZGVh
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAMgdCfX1vgl
109Please respect copyright.PENANAeOc289343Q
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAaI0kv0g72p
109Please respect copyright.PENANAyqQgDMgyYa
"What's the matter, Dragon-Maw?"109Please respect copyright.PENANA3M2ELnTzlN
109Please respect copyright.PENANAjrdp23lFDJ
The plant shook its head no. Kenny didn't really understand.109Please respect copyright.PENANAaw81vxdZ2r
109Please respect copyright.PENANAtGqJDmMqLR
"Come on, I know it hurts but it's only for a little bit. Just let me–"109Please respect copyright.PENANAC0lIDP8J6T
109Please respect copyright.PENANAi4CWgidZFr
Dragon-Maw opened his face and yelled at him. Kenny fell on his butt.109Please respect copyright.PENANARkq7u4xOaJ
109Please respect copyright.PENANAmc5EtxebeV
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?"109Please respect copyright.PENANATznIk7Xa9s
109Please respect copyright.PENANAc4VriJ8xZb
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAZZ5VH0UNNP
109Please respect copyright.PENANATUX9UEGGZv
"If you keep resisting, I'll just knock you out."109Please respect copyright.PENANATTbRyx7olR
109Please respect copyright.PENANAXjgc2d7ivu
The plant resisted anyway, and thus, Kenny did good on his words. He took a quick sample and returned home.109Please respect copyright.PENANAnuavIWpVk9
109Please respect copyright.PENANA90Hr1K6BWp
It seemed like Dragon-Maw's behavior wasn't the only strange thing today.109Please respect copyright.PENANAm0nLZOAHvS
109Please respect copyright.PENANAaWO9QPH8zl
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA5e7zj1iw1T
109Please respect copyright.PENANArCAPRfnqnV
It was an invitation.109Please respect copyright.PENANAF1ojMHU8I0
109Please respect copyright.PENANATzOvlD657f
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANA8EDZQC4VoY
109Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6iilTfJE9
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAT92Fa6X8eM
109Please respect copyright.PENANAl4wC72BQvL
"What am I supposed to do?"109Please respect copyright.PENANApzqf0MXjac
109Please respect copyright.PENANAUJFDpaspCN
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?109Please respect copyright.PENANASgNqa8jS0R
109Please respect copyright.PENANAU7jJhnLWVq
"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAOYUrgPkrW3
109Please respect copyright.PENANAGrjD4jkFuH
How long had it been since he did any experimenting? How long had it been since he went back to the Blooming Biome?109Please respect copyright.PENANA7zDxeRuVi7
109Please respect copyright.PENANAuu9M754cq6
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAxVIE8I3LqS
109Please respect copyright.PENANA1OqMi0ebme
–
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Dragon-Maw went missing.109Please respect copyright.PENANAVj6f0rNFeB
109Please respect copyright.PENANAMiPn8ddozD
The stationary plant went missing.109Please respect copyright.PENANAAXMX8kazl3
109Please respect copyright.PENANAViHiOiPuRy
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAb2IjByTeBQ
109Please respect copyright.PENANA8CZMEL2vdf
"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAVs3mpCQNAV
109Please respect copyright.PENANAxCCVD6gbSz
Dragon-Maw went missing.109Please respect copyright.PENANAZyD3sX0WMu
109Please respect copyright.PENANADWO5R1cPYF
Kenny asked, though he already knew. He fell to his knees.109Please respect copyright.PENANAzagnpRvId6
109Please respect copyright.PENANAhbTBwuwwVl
"...Why?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAiRzFN6SmI2
109Please respect copyright.PENANAVSOvdbJQje
Didn't he see his face? That terrified face of disgust?109Please respect copyright.PENANAozeOsaAVZL
109Please respect copyright.PENANAv2tD02bLco
And still, Kenny took his essence.109Please respect copyright.PENANACzxqBcD9Hd
109Please respect copyright.PENANARMjTs1FUb0
Of course he would leave.109Please respect copyright.PENANAbKZR2jTyJT
109Please respect copyright.PENANALncxV2WxyW
And Kenny wouldn't let himself forget that.109Please respect copyright.PENANAQxl2ArwZFg
109Please respect copyright.PENANAR91NFcVlIE
–
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–
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAItjKj5RfMK
109Please respect copyright.PENANAqtOnXMKEhx
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–109Please respect copyright.PENANAZpoQ0j66M4
109Please respect copyright.PENANA5B2kBJUsKW
**Knock knock**
A sudden noise. It was likely Anabelle. She usually visited to bring him food.109Please respect copyright.PENANA01xoFsP0JR
109Please respect copyright.PENANA7XA0lsLNNQ
"Kenny. Come out here."109Please respect copyright.PENANAkhY4z3JFun
109Please respect copyright.PENANA6DbeZdBNYh
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.109Please respect copyright.PENANAoxFEYidW3p
109Please respect copyright.PENANApguHWvaGbh
"W-Woah!"109Please respect copyright.PENANAwes5XO7Gi2
109Please respect copyright.PENANA6Cy9rz65af
"Come on, this is no way for an eleven-year-old to behave!"109Please respect copyright.PENANAyb95hljTak
109Please respect copyright.PENANAJYaKygMcA7
Kenny couldn't resist. The pull jangled his body to the point of nearly fainting.109Please respect copyright.PENANATDe0HzHYpD
109Please respect copyright.PENANAX04R8i6phc
"Just look at you. Sheesh, I'm surprised you at least have your normal haircut."109Please respect copyright.PENANAwaxYZPIc0F
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Shortcut red hair. And yellow eyes. Kenny remembered how distinct it was from his mother.109Please respect copyright.PENANABKqsXvfKbW
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"Now go out, you dumb kid!"109Please respect copyright.PENANAYmBwfBdSmH
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And then Kenny was shoved out of the house. He slowly rubbed his head and got up.109Please respect copyright.PENANAq7SvSH5ThF
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The sun was bright outside. Kenny had a hard time seeing so he covered his eyes. He tried to re-enter the building but his turning of the doorknob was met with a kick at the door. He'd rather not get hurt, so he decided to just roam the village.109Please respect copyright.PENANARfr4xuu2ph
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It was... strange though. Not because something truly strange was happening, but because the mood was different. People were out and about, doing their work, and children were playing and having fun.109Please respect copyright.PENANASWD9yuJS0b
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Kenny didn't get it.109Please respect copyright.PENANASek0vGULtD
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Don't they understand that it had only been a year since an incident? Why were they all so cheery?109Please respect copyright.PENANAbu8bIOw17d
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"Ah, Kenny! Look at you!" A random woman said with a gleeful smile on her face, "You're finally outside, about damn time you recluse! Hahaha!"109Please respect copyright.PENANAeHj2eLxEMn
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"I... whaa?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAtakTnK80DQ
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Kenny couldn't formulate a sentence. The woman just waved at him and went away. Kenny didn't understand. Why was she so... rude to him? Didn't she understand that his parents died? That his plant was gone and that he was all alone?109Please respect copyright.PENANAU3BgjfBt4L
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"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAMRUGqNdCJi
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Something truly was strange. In the seven months that he stayed indoors, this town had changed.109Please respect copyright.PENANAGRdKIXKG7S
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He didn't like that. But still he kept wandering. He didn't know what else to do. He watched as the kids played and as the adults chattered about this and that. Kenny was confused. He didn't understand it at all.109Please respect copyright.PENANA6K9gP1wsLb
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"Ah, it's Uncle Kenny!"109Please respect copyright.PENANAGmNdaCbzuT
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Uncle? Kenny turned around and a little girl was there grinning ear to ear. Kenny was much taller than her, she was probably something like six–109Please respect copyright.PENANAfEQGcCEII9
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"Huh?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAhjihMGVacy
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Kenny suddenly felt her arms wrap around his back. Her cheeks were against Kenny's belly.109Please respect copyright.PENANAEhPMkJZBZX
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"I'm so glad you're finally out. We all missed you."109Please respect copyright.PENANAkWQvhCuArp
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The girl let go. Kenny couldn't speak.109Please respect copyright.PENANA0RcpKKHqTS
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"Oh, and um, thank you so much for making that one potion for Mommy! She's so much better now!"109Please respect copyright.PENANAzOYbEsscpE
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"Uh... sure?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAr9GY1yheWh
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The girl bowed and ran away, and kept playing games with the other kids.109Please respect copyright.PENANAi6dzzNNcvl
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"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANAL0DwgcR1th
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No, Kenny couldn't still.109Please respect copyright.PENANAM4GemImJzL
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He still didn't know what was going on.109Please respect copyright.PENANAdJiUp8dGof
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So he kept wandering. The same sight as before, but this time, someone he knew stopped him.109Please respect copyright.PENANA0P1w4942Vl
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"...Big Brother."109Please respect copyright.PENANASXE2bmWEjl
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It was the kid, Jackson. The kid that was supposed to be Kenny's new little brother.109Please respect copyright.PENANAAlg0mfudvR
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The kid looked upset. Of course, that's the look. That's the look that I should be getting, Kenny thought. They're still dead, and the plant is gone, and he's still alive, and nobody should ever forget that, Kenny thought.109Please respect copyright.PENANAdhlzfs1Okb
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But then he smiled.109Please respect copyright.PENANARYZ9xtJFar
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"Look at you. You finally moved on?"109Please respect copyright.PENANADL4Dox2oDX
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Jackson reached out a hand. Kenny didn't understand at all. So he just swiped it away.109Please respect copyright.PENANAs03AOzpjjt
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"N-No, move on? Move on? What the hell are you talking about, 'move on?'"109Please respect copyright.PENANAdcVa30BAlT
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Jackson just sighed, but Kenny didn't stop.109Please respect copyright.PENANAjnXmmKIKnJ
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"D-Don't you get it? Does nobody else get it? My parents died! I drove my plant away! Am I– am I the only one who cares? And– and its–"109Please respect copyright.PENANAVzrIfnvK3T
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"Listen, Kenny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it's been a long time now, hasn't it?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAX8ZPrNoIAO
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A year and a half, right? Is that really long?109Please respect copyright.PENANAGo2VDamlzA
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"I get it, it hurts. And I'm not saying you should be all cheery. But for a whole seven months, you stayed indoors, and it was the plant that drove you that far?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAIU77byMyVA
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"W-What? Huh?"109Please respect copyright.PENANANCIw3IdcAk
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Kenny didn't understand. No, this made no sense.109Please respect copyright.PENANA13NCmpSIX4
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This was insulting.109Please respect copyright.PENANAYt7SsxTwT3
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This was just insulting now.109Please respect copyright.PENANAaeaUX9GCtN
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But Kenny didn't have a chance to accuse Jackson of that.109Please respect copyright.PENANAdn9bPS8Okk
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"What in the world is going on inside your head to make you so hung up over it?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAikvlz9koiW
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"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANALkRWRQuaC9
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And then something shattered in him.109Please respect copyright.PENANA714oXEFQ6v
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What was making him so hung up?109Please respect copyright.PENANASzPy3JSHJB
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Why, that's obvious, isn't it? It's so obvious that Kenny didn't feel the need to say it out loud. But Jackson was looking at him like he needed to say something. Kenny couldn't though, because Kenny knew that it was too obvious. Yet Jackon kept that gaze up, and kept pestering him with that look, and–
**SLAM!**109Please respect copyright.PENANArSTqFIDz0R
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"...Huh?"109Please respect copyright.PENANAL9XQpwsFvl
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And then Kenny was smacked on the head. But it wasn't like the other times. This one was soft.109Please respect copyright.PENANAW3JXKXj6aq
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"L-Listen, Kenny..."109Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZAeHxusUt
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He looked up. Jackson was looking sad.109Please respect copyright.PENANADtgwLjNX7E
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"Don't tell me that you think... you're to blame, right?"109Please respect copyright.PENANALb055w2WKu
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"..."109Please respect copyright.PENANA9CR1nEmUii
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It was the first time Kenny cried since the incident.109Please respect copyright.PENANAUrY5AV3d6W
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He had a talk, to say the least. Kenny grew better. He had a difficult time talking to others, and despite the discussion, his feelings for the incident and himself didn't go away entirely.109Please respect copyright.PENANAi1nqdhSzEg
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But Kenny was fine. He turned twelve, and he was about to board a carriage. Yes, he accepted that offer. Transportation wasn't free, and despite Kenny's insistence on paying for it himself, a carriage was in front of him while his coin sack was completely full.109Please respect copyright.PENANAjGguyoKIAw
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Kenny turned to those saying goodbye. It was practically the whole village, but Anabelle and Jackson were at the front. Kenny swore he was going to cry again, but he held himself back. He was wearing the clothes Anabelle gifted him. His snow white jacket with brown buttons and outlining, his complementary light-brown pants. It did make the environment a bit toasty though.109Please respect copyright.PENANAh3ICbQZK9j
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None of that was important. What was important right now was that he was hugging Anabelle and Jackson. What was important right now was that he was boarding the carriage and waving goodbye to his village. His home.109Please respect copyright.PENANAC9YpQA1PpI
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He was going to ascend King's Peak. It sounded a little crazy to him, but it was really happening. Kenny brought the tome and his equipment with him. He couldn't believe that a simple set of gifts got him this far.109Please respect copyright.PENANAUdxkfOIU9G
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He wasn't perfect, no, but now he was ready. He was ready to go somewhere new and finally make some progress.109Please respect copyright.PENANAYzdbMep1hW
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Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. That's who he was.109Please respect copyright.PENANAariza0A7UT
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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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