A Guard Returns

The sounds of cheering spectators seemed muffled as the fight began. His heavy breathing and beating heart pounded into his ears like a jackhammer. Clouds of smoke covered the arena, making a thick fog that no man could see through. A flash of metal caught his attention, making him turn his head to the side for a better look. However, he was horrified to discover the figure of some kind of large animal leaping towards him instead of a human opponent. Then suddenly, an onslaught of claws and teeth was upon him.
No way to escape! There’s no way to escape!
His breathing accelerated, escalating to gasps as he dropped down and curled in upon himself. Teeth grinding together, he tried to ignore the pain as claws tore the flesh from his back and his wounds bled freely. No warning or noise had accompanied whatever attacked him and it followed the same suit when it stalked away.
What the hell am I fighting?
Rolling away, he pulled his already worn body up against the wall in the hope that he could better protect himself.
How can I fight if I can not see?
There was only one way to understand his surroundings in this situation and that was to depend on his hearing. Julius closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing so he could listen for whatever noises the stalking creature might make.
What was that?
His head jerked from side to side as he paid attention to the sound of scraping claws against the hard floor. It was pacing as if waiting for a moment of weakness or for it’s prey to panic once more. The creature was suddenly moving forward, causing Julius to snap his eyes open to return power to all of his senses.
Can you see it? No time to waste!
The creature leaped, but only met the hard walls of the pits. Julius launched himself into the creature and felt it’s body give as it was tackled to the ground. Grabbing at its neck, he managed to wrap his legs around its body and stay away from its claws. He was without weapons and the only way to kill it without getting killed himself would be to make its death quick. Strangulation was thus out of the question. A feral snarl escaped him as he bent his head to its neck and let his lips curl back from his teeth.
Where was it?
The creature had dissipated like the smoke around him and…
What was that?
Something leaped from the clouds of the smoke and sharpened teeth wrapped around his neck. He could feel his jugular vein break open under the pressure and his life bleeding out from his neck. There was no point in trying to scream, but he tried anyways only to find that his vocal cords had been ripped away.
No way to escape! There’s no way to escape!

Julius felt a quick breath escape him a moment before his eyes snapped open. He wiped the sweat from his face with his hands and swung his feet to the floor. Propping his elbows upon his knees, he leaned forward and massaged his temples with his fingers. He wondered why his throat had been working so furiously when he awoke. It was as if he had been silently screaming like he used to when he was still in the pits. What exactly was that dream about? He couldn't quite remember now that he was awake.
Julius had returned from the diplomatic mission early and reached the castle in the middle of the night. He had turned in to his cot for some well-deserved rest, but was unable to find it. He had always been sensitive to the emotions of others, but the castle itself seemed to emit a feeling of terror. Unfortunately, he knew that true rest was far away within these walls that no longer held the security of home.