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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPr8j6T5y5
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDMcnRr4Qs
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9ozCVxr7k
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR4fEyu9cU
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYl1EUGJvX
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGs3hGy99dO
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iUxajtmOV
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXn3ykCLHb
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYA7b7BMNDX
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But no matter the universe A is still A.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXzjYsP80n
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And fire is still fire.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryc7W0EhG7
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhpiuq9bzj
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUdvPzl8cw
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WdIHvj3bX
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJBO8Wgt1u
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjAxAr35Mn
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGYipXGjm2
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FHySaIhfo
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqv7tEaLuB
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpNEaXbZUA
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwdgYmOVNi
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2NBAgRszm
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KvpmGeYdP
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbizybYBrS
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgWQbWuZTJ
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NbYnTrkTZ
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SD2r4wOmy
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eotqY3V5D
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzYOeQ0X4k
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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?219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZxEfXcb7D
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJXWxa30d6
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9tRBPflgj
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCmNBBk2pM
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESqzgYrpW8
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyoQinzivm
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2W6dDrvDex
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqppAxQ1iHO
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZdHA9HOED
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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 him219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtLTXVzv4t
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWNswhUoaS
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOploSJiO9
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EeJxG9A9G
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qhIXqZQcm
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BANG.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMkJBAqX2V
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyYcTzyhWk
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPC64KCIXu
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BANG219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBqESa8puE
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfSzRSlT9H
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BANG219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6b6XuV53WA
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudcmshzfgA
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BANG219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriKzzuLYpR
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVStY1TDKHZ
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ajSMEpiZn
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A man can dream can't he?219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eo4sxvTxc
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0LzuSpRME
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXWKwCYHWT
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZ8LmnPpjj
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemCvbdIOLt
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrR8XMOC2IF
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkLqTNn1rK
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5cH5dDuYR
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTz2D3w7Ark
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ02b24pLhp
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGPLx7otLe
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdix0c74JnE
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3KEIn1Hbv
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaYWDiTVft
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAL5HLXOIkM
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnY0UC0FEJP
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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.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcKcX7MJcx
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkBKE0KCeP
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And with that the clock struck 3.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL33xLoXDeQ
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiNJG7R8dI
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
