"It is time to test you now, Specimen. Stand." The creature hissed malevolently.
Grunting piteously, Bakshaar shook off the remainder of the shock and dragged himself to his feet again. There was metal – horrid, mocking, brown stone – on all sides save two. Behind him was yellow again, from which he shied away instinctively, and in front... in front was light and sound.
Warily, he nosed his way forward, out of the confining stone, into light. Before he had even emerged fully, however, the scent of aliens hit him like a wall. Casting his eyes around the strange place in which he now found himself, he saw them everywhere. They were all above him, out of reach beyond a clear wall, watching him.
Growling suspiciously, Bakshaar followed the wall, seeking another way out. It curved around, he soon saw, leading back to where he had started. As he passed them, the creatures shouted at him unintelligibly, and he instinctively backed away towards the center of the area, his ears flicking back and forth as he tried to comprehend his surroundings.
Was that an opening? A way out? Cautiously, Bakshaar towards it, feeling as he did the awkwardness with which his new, strange body moved. Just before he could reach it, though, another scent hit his nostrils, causing him to scramble to a stop. His vision turned red, and thoughts of death and killing streamed through his mind like a river, an unstoppable torrent of bloodlust that suffused his entire being.
Suddenly imbued with the will to fight, Bakshaar threw back his head and roared. It had been so long since he had the strength to do that, and it felt good to give in his basest instincts and let loose his voice. It felt so good!
Suddenly, he was the king again. Some other creature was encroaching upon his territory, he sensed. He would kill it! He would tear it apart, rip it limb from limb! He stalked back and forward in front of the small opening, waiting for whatever was inside to step forth and die. He roared again and the creatures fell silent, as if waiting for something.
Something shifted in the darkness of the hole, Bakshaar's sharp eyes detecting it instantly. As the newcomer stepped forward, the light glanced off its claws like it would off black diamond. It was another alien, something tall with sharp red markings and high, pointed ears, one red and one white. It hissed in rage as it stalked forward, its muscles bulging grotesquely. Bakshaar retreated warily to the center of the arena, his mouth contorted into a feral snarl, daring his opponent to step forward. He would defend his territory to the death.
The trespasser stepped forward again, its eyes blazing red. It lifted a claw high, and Bakshaar tensed, feeling his unfamiliar body respond to his commands. With a hiss, the other attacked in a blur of white, red and black. Bakshaar leapt out of the way as the sharp black claws bit the ground where he had been standing. Some part of his mind registered that the creature were humming excitedly. It made no difference. His body shivered. He would tear the invader apart!
With a snarl, he leapt forward, hoping to pin his opponent and access its vulnerable neck. Unused to his overly responsive body, he ended up sending them both flying into the wall. Growling, he slashed out with the claws on his front legs, gratified by the amount of blood spilled. It was more than usual...
His adversary hissed in pain and swiped with its claws. Bakshaar felt them rake across his face, accompanied by a lance of white-hot pain that disappeared almost immediately. Nothing remained except for the red fugue of battle.
Bakshaar jumped backwards, crouching in preparation for another leap. One of his eyes was partially obscured by blood, but he could see well enough to kill. He knew he had dealt a severe blow. All he had to do was keep it up. He had to kill, tear, maim, destroy! It was all that mattered.
His opponent leapt forward, claws outstretched and rage burning in its eyes. Bakshaar countered with a leap of his own, crashing into the trespasser in midair. His adversary was slightly heavier, but Bakshaar's hunting instincts were kicking in after so many days left unanswered in the aliens' prison. He was free once again, free to rip and tear-
And suddenly there was fire, fire everywhere, and he was unable to ignore it. The fire built inside of his body, setting his whole being abuzz with the flames, and it filled him with a new energy, one that begged, no, downright demanded to be released. If not now, then never.
Bakshaar backed away from his weary opponent, letting the fire build inside of him. The buzz intensified, then drew into his front paws. When he felt it all drain there, he leapt ferociously, catching his opponent's chest, slamming them both to the ground, and the creature screamed high and tinny, a long black scorch from Bakshaar's paws burned into it's chest.
With a powerful rush of euphoria, Bakshaar knew it was over. He bit deep, feeling blood spurt from the other's neck. With its dying breath, his failed challenger screamed its pain to the invisible sky. Bakshaar released it and added his voice to the sound, but his was a howl of triumph and sated bloodlust.
A screech of metal, and the aliens were coming in again. Still keen to tear something else apart, he bounded forwards, but was stopped in his tracks by another electrifying jolt that made the world go black.