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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fCSpCeQft
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqieMpWs3f
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2uSgCXyYO
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBbdwS9zPx
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqVH8ZsDi5
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdkD2xUNxf
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm47T83kZXS
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoSa7cYbej
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJn6z2AaAIM
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But no matter the universe A is still A.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBpjujGjZy
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And fire is still fire.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflddqxZvth
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZKHDyUY2a
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgLDT0HeYW
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSe5GSV5yY
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEWbGgUC0b
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjo1WqVhIfT
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczYdjijLUb
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlEmgdiXJW
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHjzO5ezan
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIKpWaG701
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFnQuEBFCs
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXsXd9KCMf
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTLhbxA2ZZ
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hmAZPyhL0
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDzyPpGTC9
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1AlJfUCkp
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fUVESMTLs
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzMJGfgU0C
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJFHRVJhva
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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?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyeZAIeUgL
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYR8eZbWlOk
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGS08qpZNr
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWS4zVniNY
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyckyiNsNN
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbIVpWG673
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcO17FAByfQ
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOx1oTJKKY
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4VhYjViJR
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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 him217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCilVMyl3Zy
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyJcu3pXiY
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3nwonuphp
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqxnnKadUo
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxFQ5VUgj8
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BANG.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyEcIeYyO8
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKys8odDjt
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqNT0BLPvc
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BANG217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ172pGRdlJ9
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBtyy1wfl6
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BANG217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapxxUhkudB
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuN2rzokjj
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BANG217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNJf9Vh3uQ
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1y0KTYnhL1
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuI8cp9Fja
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A man can dream can't he?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVU0bfoEnK
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0kpyhdPEv
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJLzIptfVr
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAEt9PiTfP
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTHiyAaVO5
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WuyUqSToz
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Os4gl4kOX
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSPnIMgFTV
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtm3FxKHJta
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBL1Uio1vi
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKk7Dfb33JE
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dqxFOJVj9
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZCUQaNeAd
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRMRvQKQnN
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX4hv2tmKq
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfAIauzgiv
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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.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpGGs0LIcT
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUP2AmU35T
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And with that the clock struck 3.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOygo16n73
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKY6iQQsC8i
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
