The Chaos Of Knowledge

Chapter 8

Pain. Nomas wasn't used to the feeling of it quite yet. He was pinned to the ground by a pair of chains and the stone floor seemed to only aid in engulfing him in bone-rattling ainr. e could hear the quiet crunching of the ground as someone walked up from behind him. "He's awake," The voice said in the sour tone of a canine. He was suddenly thrust down to the ground again as he felt a boot digging into his side.

"Leave him be." Another voice said from in front of him, he could not tell how far they were from him but he didn't need to guess as to where he was.

Nomas looked up with rage in his eyes as he stared up at the group of robed shifters. Each had a mask etched to represent the species that they were most related to. His eyes shot quicklt to the fifth man in the line. Ouroboros stood there nodding quietly as the sixth chair spoke into his ear.

This group was one Nomas held both regard and distain for. One stepped forward with the mask of a golden lion and bright blue robeds that matched all the rest of the council. His arms were crossed over his chest as the bare claws clicked on the ground with each step. "Nomas." It spoke slowly with a deep breath of power behind the word. "We have done everything to allow you to keep your spot among us." He said turning to the right and a servent was forwards with a small wooden box.

A singe hand came forward and lifted the lid for their master. Within Nomas knew all to well of. Out came a large nickel mask of a fox. Third chair, the one he had fallen so far from. He coudl only let a breath as he looked down suddenly in respect to his old position. "This was one yours." The crature spoke turning back to the man walking up before him. "Was it not?"

Nomas remained still with his hair falling before his face. He didn't bother with an answer, they were lucky he even bothered to let them see any kind of reaction from him, they wouldn't have the satisfaction.

"This mask represents your sanctity. Your power, grace, knowledge, wisdom, strength, understanding, and most of all, your loyalty." He said with a loud voice as he turned to face the eleven other humanoids standing above Nomas. "And now it means nothing." He said looking to Nomas again before taking a hanrd grip on it as it flexed at the man's strength and easily ripped in two.

Both landed wth loud crashed as the pair of metal pieces struck the stone floor. Nomas couldn't allow them to know what it meant to see his last connection to his former life finally snap. He didn't move, there was a weight on his back that felt like he had just been broken. And yet he felt like he was more powerful than he could have been with them holding the mask above him.

Years of loyal service, hundreds of lives he had both saved and taken. All of it was gone, his breath was slow, angry, primal.

"What shall we do with it?" A voice spoke above him directed towards the lion. It, he wasn't even considered human anymore.

"Heal his wounds." The lion said moving a hand out and lifting Nomas' head. "I have seen this one fight first hand. He will be something quite special in the arean." He said moving away from Nomas as the canine returned and unlocked the chain holding his hands to the floor.

Nomas wasn't sure what to think of his situation, few who entered the arena were ever the same when they returned, if they did at all. It was a place reserved for the most dangerous of creatures, within half-breeds and monstrocities ran free. They only ate what they killed making fights a daily occurance.

The pieces of the mask were lifted from the ground by his captor as Nomas was gripped from behind by the creature and forced him forward.

Nomas was fast, even by shifter standards and he was swung around kicking the canine in the stomach before he even had time to react to the man. The floor was slick but not enough to stop Nomas from being upon the lion before he could even react to him.