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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNweEO8qDCj
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGBDrAQTCB
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Za8R6FQLO
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7mZIPPkK3
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPm5wgGRl0
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfYucdqHtP
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrLr0UikXb
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpvRIv1wIt
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFDL6iRr3k
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But no matter the universe A is still A.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFP6trjQi0T
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And fire is still fire.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHU2NYx5o6U
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZVxsuD0oS
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XZ56vHR3Y
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgGjbvrWRi
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejzgLfQJxv
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBE1XtxAnF
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ669Alvpff
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuIB7BiDxM
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXw1F51Kvmq
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MmrznSzwD
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIqFG7EhOJ
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8A63K7e19k
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOkzI4aNJY
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJegggExRo
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPQBMuUV0I
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlWY3JCllB
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡff1JKkHbPT
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpqVuvGUfc
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWt9ZTZrow
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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?140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VoExGT2wm
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrq95W9WaH
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5AE7zHH1g
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB1eOLt1Oo
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wdID77TAA
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9relzbrU0
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWDfxXDqR3
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYBcmUmAsZ
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7k3sf8fPar
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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 him140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNwuIxQyzj
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDpTTktJDP
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3mYEkiPZE
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSDGUbtA0e
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtY19Xhh5Sb
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BANG.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUmoERj2mw
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lwcGPkBbw
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7FlI2C5R8
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BANG140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtHuDx7dqm
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDUDPdjdur
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BANG140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJ1OcjCTng
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCziTAJWjeC
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BANG140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2waRrFIyIu
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzo8gXdzORr
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPOltR9ihU
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A man can dream can't he?140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79OUaLTKck
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq2OnxKkPU
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyNGfV5XWZ
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgeNSf198U
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACKyRGEkgi
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34wQOMSRgw
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6i3dvYPJBM
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gyGJfizlx
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgToQMjs5ux
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9htDtkkXw7
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYnQCzyQ5i
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2GkibraL9
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXd42Yms76
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjvzrTKaaD
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiWAcoHM4g
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMB4MbbI4FN
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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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Z0SLfte5X
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmQM6bd8kI
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And with that the clock struck 3.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvy49bBL7x7
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86G9HMWDRk
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
