"Warlord Kuribys," my vile, cheating brother Sanyi said, a smirk on his jaws.

I raised my head proudly, despite the guards standing on either side of me who kept a tight grip on my black-furred arms. We stood in a vast, vaulted room. Before me, my brother sat. On MY throne. How dare he? The insolence of his behavior flooded my limbs with rage, and I struggled, splaying my jaws wide at him. "Get off my throne, you scum!"

He grinned at me, his curving fangs a hideous shade of yellow, and his once pure white fur turned to gray. Apparently captivity had not treated him well. "Well, well. You now feel as I did...that fateful day almost a year ago. Torn from my sleep, torn from my room...and torn from the life I loved."

He stood, descending the steps of the dais to me. "You ruined my life, brother. Oh, I admit, you beat me in that instant. But you were too merciful. Too kind. Locking me in the prison only ensured I could eventually work my way out...and reclaim my supporters."

I hissed, my mouth foaming with rage, completely unable to form a single word of our snarling dialect.

"And now. Your throne is taken, Ku. Your allies routed. Your life is in my hands, and what shall I do with it?" He took my muzzle in his talon.

"Kill me, brother," I growled at last, my eyes flaming with all the fury of our mighty ancestors. "It is a better fate than to suffer your bloated body on MY throne."

He released me, turning away and walking to the great window that offered us a glorious view of my city. My peoples' domain. Where we had ruled for generations, bending our beautiful land to our will. "No, Ku, I fear that is too merciful for a warrior like you. Prison? No, too easy to escape." He whirled from the view, his yellow eyes gleaming with a mad light.

"Banishment, brother. I am going to banish you. To Earth." He threw his head back with a triumphant howl.

Earth? My heart turned within me, and fear crept like a shadow into my fiery veins. Leave Yraht?

"No matter," I replied, taking care that the yipping tone of fear did not sully my iron words. "I will conquer those fools and return to raid you. Then I will reclaim my throne!!"

He barked out a laugh, and the chill of terror returned. "No, brother. Sending you in your true form, as you say, would be foolhardy."

No. No. I snapped and bit at the guards, feeling as if the very palace walls were closing in on me. I knew what he was going to do. I knew. And I was afraid.

"You will take a turn in the lifeform changer, dear brother. We could not have those ridiculous humans finding out that we exist."

"NO!" I howled, increasing my struggles. The guards clawed savagely at my unprotected face, trying to subdue me. I, the warlord of Yraht, was being beaten into submission? Furious, I sank my long fangs into the left one's arm, and he screeched like the pup of a cur. His blood stained my fangs as I turned to deal with the other mongrel, but she was already swinging. A hard blow across my jaw sent red spiralling through my vision, and I sagged to the floor.