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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwdeuAz6RW
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9ug7SDpnO
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Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEakfhli23k
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUfottXIdK
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjFoVPmpvR
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCsFXZo9V1
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPKqNpn1AL
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUELILyN9i
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuKYMjtnwO
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But no matter the universe A is still A.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDScO2drK6A
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And fire is still fire.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaYjKLkIrA
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQhpchUZ4e
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6p7QgVCaQu
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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFR1UHn7ho
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsw3Y0tBGd
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWGlPuzXu0
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJBjAnPTA0
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29RzGxSX5w
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphTG7SWcpM
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfOQGPjlF1
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXVAHiJIBx
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndYpQUcP61
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNPDJ4bpkS
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUOX1VxtxV
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0auDH8gC9
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtFEFC2wN2
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVsepxptkm
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoWiHvbP3B
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBJboFyS8C
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXdi3lZd1T
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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?86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBioh4THLG
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZXysG0AYX
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjJrE40iMR
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoy9Fs7OlwW
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcWNezCMy9
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8tmSvUaD0
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp54rZV13cC
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lZlK4ZM1g
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlPdqGIgvo
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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 him86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PGGXHuR7g
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6v5fEMgdJx
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXazKQCM7k
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XK9L0W3xJ
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2ESbEh3y5
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BANG.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFd5ZlCCSDZ
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTedNuo8gF
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2gUP7gweX
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BANG86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgSzYWG6s4
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmq0XJvFUtj
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BANG86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMmQCp6n9k
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SaCXve7Mq
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BANG86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OznSnQ4fv
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTtxsrP7IU
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeTQ7qHMvC
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A man can dream can't he?86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAViAXiK2l
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUFWaa9mpN
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj33cOizs1A
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0A6FPIqaOP
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxs7yy4RzC
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHdBzeWLGd
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCMZfYFwYC
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQj7Pu3MLDo
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMTq2f7vW1
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bSIFOeyPP
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUpF7fXNyP
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQiqTJIKQs
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5xbJJa4vF
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlGlHVwbjC
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTTEN3VsrM
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCBL4aggr8
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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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfmUBoE1wV
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj48fu0CSj
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And with that the clock struck 3.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GUzeF8iJd
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pAOZxLFmZ
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
