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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH60EkFbHVT
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeg2XMCqaxI
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqteIFO3UdY
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTItZZcEmH
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6bYxgcrPL
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtX6H0pX9G
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXew6uqbGY
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxB7P33Gwb
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqK5tNgUDE
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But no matter the universe A is still A.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHbClQbrFf
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And fire is still fire.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDp5u0ndoMR
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp21pv4fzFi
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSAmL6kVCJ
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwweoRA6Erq
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wDormUthy
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbrLO9k8Dh
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjbEESZlIB
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidgd5UaOom
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfHVfXd59y
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCwsGJc5Rb
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lu5o7owJ1
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTWPzbmxfd
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUDZMssInr
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmbrJ6L2AH
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMxYIQYzV5
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUNCSuKWcm
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMsUJct02g
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNOH2lTZKQ
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegBQ9ZA0sP
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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?74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRo3UQ2J8IQ
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3SwEFXiPl
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEU1YBkxznz
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGweHlP7CN
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISVmGhDzWL
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90kovnoLX0
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkdaB9H3px
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pllziZNAh
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSRdEaklmg
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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 him74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpI1bmkBqhK
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyx6sMA7ODS
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQyKRU6heK
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflv067dUnc
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwfBwWsPaY
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BANG.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Vz8BLZQWq
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ08OSrDpjl
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLpkFGrtfU
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BANG74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIfgYOQjKo
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SHeiZ9I68
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BANG74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxb0n3j8Hv
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KM3YWGhAG
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BANG74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTgajDEPYJ
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBr7tEmpn9h
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFTKEpjuOA
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A man can dream can't he?74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrps9eekqle
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5poYoqBbA0
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJupe2C53I8
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbC3DiVwYQy
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwWpmPeasp
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASwg4CW0Mq
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8ymV82rlz
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DkBZeQBT9
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0oVHP7787
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKaolgRtNB
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNefK27agnX
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59E51DhlYx
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKiDApXmwi
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLkAsa6Wb5
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvjL11c3vY
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWIQiDvNEt
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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.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcTd659pqS
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIhQUdYZ6c
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And with that the clock struck 3.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnRhSQZa6j
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GLHkHLvSF
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
