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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuVVXifFuo
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfvGS9eKmX
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcqOD1Pxft
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnhJ2B11Sp
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyb8S8bjotv
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6dQhNOR0i
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXNDS6Va2t
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EBbJjdxeY
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksOO9ZJYMH
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But no matter the universe A is still A.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7voe2SwYi5
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And fire is still fire.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1lShTwvU9
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7hAO67gxe
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniXEDJ95x7
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ529n7Qw0tB
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6loiW4222
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPu4IwEw4hU
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliqiUBrBS5
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLm9oOhnB1
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYhSAtvhw1
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5wq31X8V9
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjE7ZshL4gp
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ909i4ac0uR
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbN40XMMcTM
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcBnctFHxM
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gX46iA2RU
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIgcUXhhyi
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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzpZtykVyC
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUH22hkqqAH
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFTxqY5GcE
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNWM5Tf8ki
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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?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNpaLLg7vn
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdF0vEw1B4s
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei3DoYaohw
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWgCrlM1vF
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iNeYGgE2Z
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79yHJWYNxh
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3bmpBosZo
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPs9DgqFfn
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCP82PiEvHF
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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 him281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcCXVpkgzm
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyfFb7Quwv
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFsFc3EpC8
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpuXV1Crvh
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIrWwv3azK
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BANG.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhe1SOJQGfI
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡca7B4smmLq
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tONnOL1y5
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BANG281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDa4TEu0YYi
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ipfjacm6I
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BANG281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrEst56rLm
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4ulvbGmdD
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BANG281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4KuuIZ9hw
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwQMtIxvA4
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRuIijP5hC
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A man can dream can't he?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQgFjmog0i
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO6cWlujbW
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eIHH9VDVo
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zWK1sGjV9
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1sHTMQuSx
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Fneo1CwlD
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQGTTV5Tbd
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDYUgTdE4h
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyA88dyKYc
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKektTdnQ4
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIkpjFA4P9
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90SDEQa26n
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrDxG3cJSt
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLv4nvZw7E
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaoT18aGJ3
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGM9HwqXUB
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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.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBC0rxM6N2
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlInIQPY70o
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And with that the clock struck 3.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyPPQdrvcu
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NqoyfUZM4
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
