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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtu9icM4Ln
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdE4sQ93dV2
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPzWmkkb9a
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkkJllt6pC
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmg7O99CxT
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIuLHh0ZsI
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakNA1ECZal
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbN7awgI0sO
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudKdsTF3UP
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But no matter the universe A is still A.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Zi5AXcvqQ
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And fire is still fire.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuooyKKrBp
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsXzSZe7aN
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrHjArbmFW
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaCZlcWJp8
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0BN13S4SD
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KEfSzU77m
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCPhNeQzSj
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNwwFVXnO3
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahuX9WEdqW
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUACAKFa88
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfd3zAw97yU
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gMrzDanvq
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRI6mRXPreV
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PxiSJoGHj
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaDEVUfSmO
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvBmlHalBC
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9MBjwm2Fy
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4evuiZuNI
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQevPXsbhl
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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?139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0TghCuYYR
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZbippyHc7
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWbEAamI5C
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuS6erlomO
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Wq5DLJMMr
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMGIZUI8IR
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcsR7EeH8y
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKkLS4IQJN
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVwgZvjsY4
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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 him139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VyerizOgi
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1yGJP6s5w
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mUWPv1R2R
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNdCuYzjNG
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHoGtqjSjC
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BANG.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqE92JaZRTY
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMThgXFnvQN
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGG2Hs7Zrv
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BANG139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEK6LFBA4Kc
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgQPvB4Etr
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BANG139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtzbLgjCfa
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq5FsiTSJG
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BANG139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnW3O3pjPM
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFaw7X6fwj
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7W2UPvibmF
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A man can dream can't he?139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9tEgcTOUj
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWPr9XIPtf
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49pB2ZDAs7
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFPRJrXctB
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9m7CBj35P
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡox0ygWh0xN
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXLea4iJFM
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZYk87za7i
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghAoIFWaso
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnQaNRPZ2j
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RS0Z3W5uk
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VYGAT2bDW
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYwYb10IFl
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErrPbKtj0a
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJeQN78kNB
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGBSWlnO16
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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.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFLdMNKzFF
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimPzSQmJ3B
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And with that the clock struck 3.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJ5zpsLfgm
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.139Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglupGnVQgz
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
