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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXdOpER8r2
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxqPH2WaFX
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWrlPQIoKW
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3YvckpRQN
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoINuD3zyD
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaYZJ2RMYf
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3w3uXpjNVJ
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdrWgg2SmT
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJtna1xdnh
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But no matter the universe A is still A.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexJIneQY1s
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And fire is still fire.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85BD5lMVh9
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTYMeRnCsr
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrO3YwYwTqq
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoxdccTSYx
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNX1CJPtT7m
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGxm3tzt0T
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JzvvtWVHw
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpkyoLXpZT
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejopSCB5lD
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQOzCrfU49
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZTLUkpdPJ
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01t5qDvFXr
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvt4wMzjzna
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxkNaV20Ez
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbM047paj3V
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReOhfz6leC
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fuJztgSmc
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJXf4M3aFB
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtE2icGu85
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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?137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uiej21xHk
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuf3om7dcY
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ783csfyFdF
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWGj5M75Tv
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5B63m7xXL
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVpkE1gp92
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8OpBG8agJ
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBwfhYWJbt
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgWaEq7vHZ
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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 him137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgpNX5eIzC
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbqw6sFXSe
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO1JTveUsk
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzboAzQTc0x
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkd4Z4ZJJst
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BANG.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgFlonxd0s
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Bqui6STv9
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnKK0LnCwZ
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BANG137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOe6VJXRUO
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1mVXkkbT3
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BANG137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlN9cHMMdY
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHt5oyZp78p
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BANG137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZUeWLeHQ9
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGj0DZKxs1A
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmm5Wmc84BS
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A man can dream can't he?137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡba1CtHQ68j
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdjy9gIq1Q
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ge4lz82YQ
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFPqPCNLGD
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhy3XUtCW82
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4sLVQ7G8E
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPP0ED8p1T
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBER3DFh0B
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IbVyRpgxo
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQxAZ32q9U
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvKKVrrgYg
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14tp2vfMUl
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMajMFx99g
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZb5OPJDfYc
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8JJAhQ4uL
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYt62oKAR5t
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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.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeaAlgW3mM
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODcqtEwuQN
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And with that the clock struck 3.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWhzF4AkAc
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQNBnJvgnE
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
