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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3CdizOEjm
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTQ7zk9mqw
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXer0b9pedf
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZcXbDn2kG
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDGvjBixKw
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88x7aMhIoL
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApJgIA0hRn
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIt7Xlw3Kh
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1koRZSJoOL
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But no matter the universe A is still A.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQgE2Ajn0K
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And fire is still fire.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0gNCcBLfP
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vZbJh8izn
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JsWnkK0BW
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNl80G8E8ZZ
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXlx0A0hIk
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEmrd23J7p
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlPKQ3PraX
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYyjjX4oUg
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyt9Y7NEZ1g
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8ppTCbPdX
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡao9x6rM3cU
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqMtsJUNj8
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFusg7SHCY
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mRUHA0F1s
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOgmrDNk8l
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCRLxbnF1Y
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyAMmLrGZm
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywSKUsj6HC
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJO5aQOzZM8
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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?102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBAhbCgsHf
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSigl9ENszx
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIc75T0Tke
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WTetJDWjn
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsxcPmuNxQ
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OWi0W1ey8
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYgXJqhzxp
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ahMgsa49D
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMNG8MWD3P
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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 him102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmv9W0y54q
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7s0wtDyFxf
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7kUc6EfWL
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39offn02Fo
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2NMGBJYLz
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BANG.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYxtsz4oZG
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kQtpdoey4
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaWlvDUVZE
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BANG102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzfMbJI3Zw
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ffNOAq6qd
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BANG102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUhcvrIQhb
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsXAs6QZ5c
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BANG102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsZyMJKu2I
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckvjiG0ZsN
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDmHl8TaSt
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A man can dream can't he?102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3RXPMZP90
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kYoopXZ6e
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvA8u58J3oA
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WS3I1pJt4
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QV0fMI2fo
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8neEQPM6F
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU9InpGUd6
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8AROmo51G
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPjRfQ8GpQ
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOXrNoTECp
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYpToWrRDw
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWGpgcVhpP
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpq6ZmICmGX
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsnZt16OIs
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqKEJSKmnb
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPLtacExxM
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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.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFMp4TVspe
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fMo44uhZH
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And with that the clock struck 3.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCi2BbVXMfD
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObupYXJHY9
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
