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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8YEJe5JsF
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1xZAkhnKx
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMbdFQNwGK
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZa6y1UzYbJ
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFfWHmbknJ
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1XGEiMFYD
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRXZXBuVrX
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidhn4juIIH
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGZaQRgP1X
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But no matter the universe A is still A.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZGlGApt0h
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And fire is still fire.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zeUSktQGi
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5M8hWdmPh
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahIOVpmcMx
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTGyr6NgaG
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSuKGQtbUK
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50LofT03qN
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgG9ZpjVlyB
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFsiyPz7S6
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgae2RmByD1
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyyqPxun7i
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFcM19MkHM
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7SkCP3YGs
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR30JBxgIL1
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdplck6yFVO
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1KumTVk5h
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTo9XgpLOj
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrSy66VyoL
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yIQFm3YDO
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuzDSmbDOi
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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?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmBfTRsnSY
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2aEESvfbb
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6r49WFLHD
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVVL296msH
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyunIzPMZp
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03LqXm3TJv
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jfQEUAsgq
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMS3Ydf94ig
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUi94iMXB75
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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 him93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMgZHbtPHa
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWQiYXf5qa
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡON2OSvo6hc
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyTVeWvfOY
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyqUToVIqY
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BANG.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5V6C1OvK2
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jCLxKvmlJ
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZAfwI9uo5
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BANG93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRsWojLnxa
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AWvfG2GuV
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BANG93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaRvqs1e81
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qKxSKjUbq
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BANG93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4csxyYZVwt
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZPWsP3yhh
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiKuyx4KRp
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A man can dream can't he?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SGOhzsBVU
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsgXFwt5TK
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZgbi7prAv
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tPI0TxeGz
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIYMOybP9D
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyODJe9sqX
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyCVvP5EnH
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZAVtTkQrr
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXmyGNd55q
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4z8sn7OQx0
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXmPDnNh1e
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1o5s7x65VI
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvQx1CcjWv
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEwT57Pdre
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAfXuGYt6y
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmQHhoMaDi
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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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QyyJQybLv
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZvq1eupkr
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And with that the clock struck 3.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUL0WvyhZJ
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEwX35dZEM
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
