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-When I was young I never understood why we hid from them, from mortals. Even the weakest warlock or witch had enough power to summon a storm that could destroy a whole city, we could defy death, our lifespan was of centuries if not more, we were all powerful, beautiful and to the mortal eternal.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCpLi6cxsz
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Myself and many others back then though that we were at the very least better if not wholly superior to the mortals. A not to small number of our generation openly considered them to be an inferior race that we should rule over, as a master rules a slave.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmziuFTnuKI
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCtzqAj5rU
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUUCE3Vj1P
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTgZqlhfKz
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszUXLWVnJa
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxPEj5ILjH
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He heard it, smelled it, felt the rotten feeling that warned of its danger before he actually saw the wall of Blue flames.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5EBjSwJZY
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Ross did not have a deep knowledge of physics or chemistry but he knew that the more blue-ish a flame was the hotter it burned, this seemed to be Hellfire itself, this was fire so powerful that it felt like it could burn Ross's very soul.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjDAI5ouNK
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But no matter the universe A is still A.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFthzgXOjN0
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And fire is still fire.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHGBhkjjT9
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And the blue flames was still fire and any fire needs oxygen, so when Ross pulled out a canister filled with Co2 the flames diminished enough for Ross to jump pass the wall of Hellfire.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XcxDO7c4f
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Then came the beasts of the forest, more savage versions of wolves and bears, built to hunt across realms and nightmares, built to track their prey to the worlds on the other side of the mirror.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IZ84Y4CLh
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5TEfx3cjb
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But they are still beasts, so Ross pulls out a bag of dog treats throws at them and the dire wolves and fell bats all swarm around it, this is not the first time Ross had brought food with him in the forest.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYwzL49qop
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After the demonic hound affair he always came prepared and had to use his treats a few times to escape the demonic animals in the forest, and these ones where laced with sedatives.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalZIlfk3Zs
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxV3z3nNUvU
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Then came the fell bats, their screeches on the wind and shapes that flew in an out of the little light that Ross had on his person to see through the darkens surrounded him, forming a twister of fang and claw, wing and teeth.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsYB9D5V94
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These where the locust of the Demon Realm, a wave of devouring mouth that could swallow all flesh that they swept over.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmsMVBUZBT
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYn3hTVyEZ
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So Ross took out a canister that was filled with a substance that had one of the most foulest stenches known to man.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡas6HeGd8Uu
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLJftzRNDQ
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Then came the subsonic flute that was connected to a small hand cranked pump, with that it was too much for the ears and noses of the fell bats as they flew away.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcdrho85qv
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Ross fell to his knees there and then as the terror momentarily overwhelmed him to such a degree that he had to stop and recover, this temporary pause in the horrors ahead gave him the necessary time to recover.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyQ3YUl1Fi
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8c3w9u51L
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Ross looked back to the path he had walked upon and he knew that all that was behind him was darkness and beasts, in front of him lie the unknown that send shivers down his spine.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iaKPY2aOn
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So he continued on, despite every muscle in his body, every brain cell in his head, every fragment of his soul shouted for him to go back as the whispers continued to say the same.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUofofzBfTU
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"I'm not stupid enough to listen to the reasoning of a crazy man, especially my own." Ross said to himself as he treated forward.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mP7rcBxNY
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His feet like they weighted a ton, his lungs like concrete, his vision blurry as his body reacted trying to protect him.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAnCSCgLzf
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Yet still Ross trudged on, this was the crazy things about mortals. They would march forward in the darkness, and why? Why did they marched into what seemed to be the Belly of the Beast?136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTGdX30PrN
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNpz6jStg3
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Q828AkPqn
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And as long as that small threat of hope remained. That single weak ember of a better tomorrow burned, then that ember could light a fire and even the weakest fire could banish the dark.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jNwEXaIYO
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZknznMcsjU
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94GPgu1ndZ
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx627tL8Kj8
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PXRty6J7s
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Ross walked past the beasts and now before him stood a golem made of earth and rock, with a skin so thick that no blade or bullet could pierce it.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaly5djDQKl
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Yet unlike the curse of before, or looking at the deep dark woods, or the hellfire and beast that he faced, it's not fear that grips him136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtD7WEf2jp
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"Turn back now or suffer my wr-" The Golems words where cut of as Ross, used not a blade or bullet, but threw a small bag of salt into the Golem's opened mouth.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDE6uhXShj
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The Golem collapsed to its feet as Ros moved to run past the now coughing construction of rock, soil and magic, but a great caught his leg and hoisted Ross upside down.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiV8X0C45Q3
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The Golem growled at him, but like before when it wasted time with words or deeds it was struck by Ross's quick counter.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKe3SBdd5x1
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppVXoZpGvw
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BANG.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKp416rW0s
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The golem let go of Ross as it cradle it's head both from the force of the blow but also from the bell's holy sound.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoeE5vbviM
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Ross fell to the ground and quickly grabbed the bell and attached to it a rope that he had for climbing and then swung the bell around and over his head once to gain momentum before striking the Golem once more with the bell.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgu4R3lmYn
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BANG136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQtoATtlQf
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The Golem now shielded it's face and crouched down against Ross who was half the Golem's size, yet was now Ross was the one on the offensive.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcSCAGDdmD
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BANG136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh2hhAMANA
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Another blow from the whip like weapon as this time Ross aimed at the Golem's right leg, making the creatures topple down, then Ross struck again.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhTXsn8xK0
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BANG136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuW7GqHALj
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The Golem disintegrated into a flash of energy as Ross took a breather to regain his strength and vigor. His leg ached like it had been a slightly stronger squeeze away from being broken, Ross was certain it would swell like crazy and be as purple as an eggplant tomorrow.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihj5fcxng2
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Only the painkillers he took in advance before entering the woods helped. For not he managed to avoid using the stronger ones like opioids and he hoped that the worse was behind.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbllXlHM4G
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A man can dream can't he?136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR0t3NDXRM
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"Needs something sturdier, perhaps a chain and something on the handle if they get into close range." Ross said out loud as he studied the whip like bell tipped weapon and it's surprising effectiveness.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI839JxC8B3
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When the flash dissipated in the Golem's place was a great red orb, one that Ross looked at in disbelief.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFFkdNTrfS
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"Well now, here's hoping that brute strength is the answer here." Ross said as he instinctly whipped the red orb, smashing it.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnJ3CKgIW4
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Immediately in front of him a curtain of energy flashed and reformed itself like the image of waves crashing into white foam on a beach.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0D8D059iEF
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIUAI9Sxth
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And in front of him was Hexen surrounded by other witches and warlocks and standing over a bound and gagged woman, with a knife at her throat.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsakkjqRy0E
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There, Ross's closest friend, a flawed yet kind and caring person who had come to his aide many times before despite danger, stood over another ready to kill her in cold blood.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPO9iliIDv
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wBkAW7kyd
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Ross froze at that, he was tired, scared, lost in the woods, exhausted and from the brief touch of the Golem his leg was close to making him limp, only the shock of the sight before him was what made his brain ignore all of that and focus on the image of Hexen.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoIvB1jjSf
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Kind Hexen, sweet Hexen, always there for him Hexen, who called him so many wonderful things and made him laugh so often, brave and noble Hexen who always rushed to protect him when this mortal was in mortal danger.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2pRgj2XCd
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoiOAsP1z0G
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"Ross, there's something I have to tell you. I'm a witch." Hexen said awkwardly and gave a smile belonged on the cat that caught the canary. Which in Hexen's case was the poor struggling girl at her feet that was the same age as Hexen.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1E3K9yAyy
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Ross still speechless then and there realized why the Myr had affected Hexen for that Hexen was not just a witch, but a dark witch.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUx48a1hwMq
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A very, very dark witch. Dark enough to be affected by the Myr like full blown demons and Ross had just interrupted a human sacrifice.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlIqQFAbOK
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxMKob5Nuq
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"I always thought you to be an elf." Was his reply as a confused Hexen and the other witches and warlocks presented looked at him in surprise.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxOjEjaKqE
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeGfAB4KJd
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And with that the clock struck 3.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzhecrnMS5
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRAEu6mIwg
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
