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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpHhCzyycY
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdrXZTrK3d
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcJJs7fKMz
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrb8oHqdOA
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJOWUgmxlc
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqQELgfBcG
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMAPUeNM4B
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcf5YHF4otj
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYU8uo2lcpi
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But no matter the universe A is still A.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQz4XVQSJD
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And fire is still fire.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JVYDf1D5R
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhJk9SJXy0
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nTi7yyRoL
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBgiD7uy9O
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5jdHs73wT
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKqpDNkdPj
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVph0ddfdT
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw40uS9tZgh
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICVoplUWqS
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVL68cKB3J
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcPdN1LdxD
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcptSoEiWxc
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72Ck5dEDXb
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhZS2SCyON
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Uq2nIfmbS
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjZjjJl8zP
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUnzeH4CnJ
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9heO5vvTb
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yfLBgdGWe
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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?233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfzKKLUI3U
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePfmcn6IzE
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWk8lYci7Z
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UJPpz1HqQ
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DdRVpOJuT
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4scn98KZVN
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4vvVKQdiU
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJXmFFdSRP
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXxb9oPClO
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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 him233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudK9AnD3zt
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRDbQyFZYL
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1T8fJxaLA
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4z5XKsivsW
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNyuMjIa3C
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BANG.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VOtfCUHYR
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡka48DTstS7
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nYxg06bII
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BANG233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3ZfLAfFVd
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb66fFYB2b
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BANG233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqtnAF7sUJ
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7kLc63uwI
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BANG233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DYWGmiwDB
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Srr4fGCiq
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieEdBEcluA
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A man can dream can't he?233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqpmcavrzd
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICoz5V8zDe
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4h7fgHFnO
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyENvrSF2sr
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkH5nH3CIVL
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9h6cbm6Sn
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLCOlZhcZH
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOutNuN7v2L
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTnw4BC1bF
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHrVezxKdC
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzHFIOJoCo
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebNHIJgkeD
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHdCWkiwSs
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FzDF2mP6V
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCJBIg6HHS
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRN94dLMaw1
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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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQyKWbj8Mn
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCc7MgvyRe
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And with that the clock struck 3.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEWu2OKiuK
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9pZKO83PT
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
