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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarS2fZXeM6
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuczQKJSFY
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWbPcwu3Tm
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kfNeDxFsL
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwWAImCW87
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTF4RMo6kBy
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjplKQTWWpR
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5wlrX168i
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFjHx06V1Y
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But no matter the universe A is still A.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qqUfSutJf
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And fire is still fire.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nZKIlMgBu
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1xATdRTpy
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVJPWQitbM
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56mL2Tin7Q
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BQZubcOLn
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HdsOXu4xB
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUPMQvFgyX
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZPkK33Utx
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0sfTNCDP4
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlnHL7glCC
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2OSAFhFox
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDt304yhx53
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXinjXpPYI
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSDohrRhW6
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQXmTvn6oD
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGA1mCmrTZ2
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP64mknR8nd
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQzjh1xOJM
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsFdkKW3pW
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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?251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhf0coF5OKy
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuP4YX9OlzF
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpQJvINHGO
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHx1RezujvU
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxupdzicaO
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGCwoUA6Vd
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzn0ab0vV8z
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJejpXUmVk
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzP5pAIxZL
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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 him251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNebwtBYwvK
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZlSGyDmiy
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjJBhEpkdv
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEhDhr6Cu9
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsTkft7SSR
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BANG.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz641ETTvIj
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpBSk9kW8E
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqRxjeRjG9
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BANG251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GrhQyRjvB
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXQo7WBk9Z
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BANG251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEjjrBKccG
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz73uZG3sRg
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BANG251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItFlnpngLg
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiljuovYrr
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlCVgBe5b6
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A man can dream can't he?251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbe0mHY4Yki
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eKCJJg2us
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguZ5XaWwbZ
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlj1CQjzAQ
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjnFdFl6Nh
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyOcSNKfzq
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLc9HEUkhN
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNirMyRMILd
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPw5jImhIL
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVaqZ9zxxq
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoeYoT8zew
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Wkk1Hx64Z
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkbYjqE7KJ
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM5bSsI9uX
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zN3kKFfB1
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8eI9yyVoK
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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.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRH5oTQVEvV
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHYqikUBYM
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And with that the clock struck 3.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wIFTS2RT4
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YyC8SPKom
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
