#taso

The silent cry echoed in four minds at once, though only one would understand the nature of that call. He would race arrow-straight and swift to the side of the one who summoned, but even as he went he knew he could not make it.

"Find me!"

The call burrowed deep into three souls, calling to something asleep within them, fear ringing out clear in the silent plea--the fear of battle, of fighting for one's life. Of losing that fight.

"Help me!"

Bringing three uncomprehending souls to their knees it sought something from them, a desperate plea drowning in blood and the terror of facing Death: of knowing oneself beaten in the face of a foe who holds all advantages.

"Save me!"

One last wrenching crying ringing in four minds, burning with despair and terror and then a violent silencing, leaving behind only the memory of it undercut with the faintest sensation of Wrongness, like the first hint of rot beneath the flavor of food.

The one who heard and understood, arrived only to witness the final blow--a blazing axe cloaked in hellfire buried into the bloodied chest of one who was both master and friend. He was too late to do more than seize that which held the other's soul before it could be destroyed--or, worse, poisoned with the taint of demons. (He was already too late, but he wouldn't know that. Not until hundreds of lives were lost to that unnatural rage and hatred.)

Texas Referee Suspended After Being Caught Repeatedly Using N-Word, Claims ‘It’s Really Not Me to Make Them Kind of Statements’

A Texas high school football referee has been suspended from the state sports officials association and from refereeing for the season after he was caught on tape using racist language.

Mike Atkinsonwas recorded by another member of the Texas Association of Sports Officials using the n-word. The recordings were obtained during a legal investigation into TASO, a nonprofit organization, according…