142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxjOLL5aAd
-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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQH6UwAXuY
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MWRCwmGHW
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckL9alEeEX
Then came that terrifying night in the Forests of Calliope.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlOGD1vdko
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There and then I knew why we feared mortals.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6RFNGVJAy
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- Arch Bishop Philippe 'The Wise' of the Church of Hecate.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3NSszAAs2
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Taken from the Documentary 'The Anarchy and the Peace.'142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRbzRwzSyt
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Book 1-Ch 3-Nevermore beyond my pane142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48Z7qsJ8mc
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMS8DZpHlR5
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZVUS4OCl9
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2cPomQNdv
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But no matter the universe A is still A.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9vQpdSFMl
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And fire is still fire.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNZN4nVRVq
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDxE5549JW
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvv5hfPP6G5
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmXJwfRD8f
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Creatures that even those with magic, light or dark, would fear.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tPWI9AQ27
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wvgLq2bYW
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4ePig9W1g
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3jqkTvCNv
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Ross was not innocent, but he drew the line at killing animal needlessly.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4j2Bfsz8Vw
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSXZrx3Nu5
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3JoacrSlo
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVW0wUqS0G
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But they were still bats, still animals, and they had sensitive noses and ears.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOy2pOPZBJ6
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8qKFvcW1f
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The twister of flying dark creatures immediately increased the distance between itself and the scarred mortal.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6ys7E2dCS
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHPDX0YesI
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgo07O2AdO
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hn4qs7h35
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Temptation whispered in his ear there and then. Temptation to give up, go back.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZXCx7QjEE
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjU7XxEITo
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPaUcJbspS
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YF8XeGl0B
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoxXGWL0bd
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHH5Djk0Qe
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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?142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbuHNU094x
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They did it because it was the unknown, where untold horrors lay, but also wonders.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FeEsryNL7
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It could be the biggest mistake of his life, but also the best decision he ever made.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs05jlElWn7
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlgn7YKmH3
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcD9Iu1iHPQ
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Some say you'd have to be mad to live like that. Fortunately Ross was.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltKEscOsnI
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So he took his heart in his teeth and marched forward.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzXQLQmGIn
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So he marched forward, with each step his feet became lighter, his lungs softer, his vision cleared.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZj7rOzzCv
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He conquered his fear and used it to fuel his resolve.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DFH1arX6U
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYODXsK0pT4
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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 him142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdCXLcCjIO
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsWRIWQLiG
"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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhPmmrZ2Bn
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjKtZ7TlWZ
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YZVOD4E6O
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKf27zcgsDj
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This time Ross threw the bell from his belt right at the Golem's face.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzu8sd33Ztg
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BANG.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctwMsHT13X
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPhHrzTDdzC
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXR6PcfxEXb
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOTFQOzFhT
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BANG142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUCPZNvwv4
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7HVtf4w0O
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BANG142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1n7nH55kUm
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFrsKaZjd0
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BANG142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXik8KEXMT
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6qPIIBE8V
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoqTeUqKFm
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A man can dream can't he?142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAT3eRJhQJd
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zVxoR2Nio
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8dXUjsE56
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglWfbYN95b
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgHinQL1eX
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It seemed like the forest, reality itself, was distorted in front of him as an illusion was broken.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7kpKrvCkx
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZ0sCWyeTD
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8IdayPTH5
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Yes, truly an illusion had been broken tonight.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZ2BLHXXqz
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFnjSgHCaz
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8O7BUoVnec
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wXqvClXYz
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That Hexen was a step away from committing a murder most foul.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0ZeeX5rkz
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoZnaERa84
"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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjBFFl1oaJ
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkhWMLasbN
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYbhfi56Rx
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Yes, an illusion was broken tonight indeed142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphhbrRPtNp
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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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOkuTMJCMH
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"What?" She said, the knife still at her sacrifice's throat who also looked surprise by the events.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJRV3x3qUH
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And with that the clock struck 3.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEQfdt7AqT
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The witching hour, a bell whip, two illusions shattered and confusion reigned supreme now.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTzRBhkLTa
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Just another night in the town of Calliope.
