In a instant... I woke up with a gasp and bits of sweat from the intense dream. From my surroundings, I was still in my cousins' home and lying on the couch. The tv was still on and still on the same channel, but different show. I got up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen. Every night when I had those dreams back in the down, I would go outside and splashed my face perhaps at the brook. However, back in my home world, I turned on the kitchen faucet and splashed some cold water on my face. The window gave me a view of the woods. I than done another round of splashing myself with water. When I was finished... a figure outside stalked through the trees and noticed that it was Shang Tsung!
A startled shout came upon me that I looked the other way. When I faced back at the window... he was gone. I remember Cole and Allison told me that I maybe seeing things from my coma. However, I do believe that it was real... maybe danger is lurking in our world more than they know.
Thomas. I gasped and turned to see it was Cole. "Sorry."
I let out a relief sigh. "Oh, Cole it's you."
"I heard a shout and thought it was Emily." he thought.
"No..." I rubbed my eyes. "... it was just... I was having a nightmare."
"Like your army days?"
I shook my head. "No. It was from back at Watership Down." I than sat back down on the couch. "I just had a flashback moment."
"You still get them? I thought you were over it?!" he went over and sat down next to me.
"No... apparently not. I hardly seen anything from my army days, although I don't want to bring it up."
"Oh, sorry." he apologized.
I shook my head and dismissed it. "What about you? You ever have those dreams?" I looked back at Cole to see he was looking at the TV. "Cole?" He gasped and looked back at me. "Did you have those dreams?"
"I do." he answered.
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
He nodded and told me his dreams. "I was seeing something... someone staring at me. He looked like a ninja. Than there was a weapon... like a kunai, I suppose. While everything surrounding me was in flames." he told me.
"Sounds like a vision, almost." I made my opinion.
"A vision?" he didn't seemed to believe me.
"Perhaps. It reminds me of Fiver." a memory slipped upon me that I thought about Fiver.
"Fiver? A friend of yours?" my cousin asked.
I looked down and still remember his face, before he perished. "Yes... he was perhaps the most kindest rabbit I've ever known. He's the younger brother of the Chief Rabbit of Watership Down, Hazel."
He nodded. "Really."
"Although, you don't believe me."
He lightly sighed. "I can't tell you that. Your sister firmly believes that you two experienced was real."
I nodded. "Thank you. Well... I'll try to get some sleep." I lie back on the couch to try to fall asleep.
Cole kept looking at me, as if he spotted something. "What's that?"
"What's what?" I questioned him.
"You have something on your lower shoulder." Cole spotted my marking. I lowered my shirt collar to show the dragon mark on my lower shoulder. He gazed at it. "You have the same marking?"
"I'm sorry?"
"I have one just like you." He showed me his marking... apparently it was marked above his right side chest.
"How did you... how did you get yours?" I became puzzled.
"I don't know." he answered. "All I remember is that I had it, since I was born."
"Really, I hardly noticed that before, when we used to see each other."
"And how did you get yours? You even had a bite marks on it." he than asked me how I got mine.
I took a deep breath and told him how I got my mark. "I remember, when we battled in Watership Down. Me and a few warriors were defending the warren from Efrafa and Outworld invaders-"
"Outworld?"
"Another realm." I told him. "One of those warriors was a sorcerer. He morphed into a cobra and bit me. Despite of obtaining the venom, I was able to defeat and kill him. And that's how I got the mark."
He nodded his head. "I see... well goodnight."
"Goodnight, Cole." I replied back, as he headed back to his room and closed the door. I than face the TV as I rested for a while, before my eyes fall shut.
The next day came... I didn't have another dream after falling back asleep. I could only watch Cole go about his day, as his family, my sister and I were out and about. All of us drove into town, after a late breakfast. Although, there are moments that I missed the human world... especially, funny as it may sounds, it's the food. We arrived earlier to the training center, where Cole would be combating tonight for a fight match. He showed me and my sister around the small gym. Where there are punching bags, weights, even treadmills. Downstairs, there were bleacher stands and the fighting cage. Cole told me and Katie that there would be fighting matches usually every weekend. It was also a way for Cole to make ends meet on the side.
By the time came for Cole to prepare for the match, he showed us to the locker room. There were quite a few posters of past fighting matches, as well as fighters that have came here and fought here. He than showed us his locker where he keeps his wrap gloves and his belongings for his matches. Allison aided her husband with the gloves to be wrapped on his hands.
"Let's check if it's tight." Allison spoke to him. "Close your hand." Cole closed his hands and to see the gloves weren't loose. "Feeling good?"
"Good." Cole answered to his concerning wife.
"Do either of you guys watch his matches?" I asked.
"I used to, but no longer." Allison answered. "Because of seeing him hurt." I nodded back, with understanding.
A door opened. A man, probably someone who owns the training center perhaps, entered the room. He looked at Cole. "You made it." The man spoke to him. "I always rely on Cole Young. Human punching bag."
"Punching bag?" I questioned the man. I than turned to Cole, as he looked disappointed from the nickname to be insulting.
"Who am I fighting?" Cole than asked the man.
"Fighting, no, no, Cole." the man laughed. "Fighting requires both attacking and defending, not just throwing punches. You should try it sometime." Cole looked back at him again. "Okay, okay, don't get sensitive. You're fighting Ramirez."
"Ramirez, whose he?" I asked.
The man turned to me. "Who the hell are you?"
"My cousins: Thomas and Katie." Cole introduced me and Katie to the man.
The man and I shook hands, while Katie waved. "He's experienced, fast, but a good fighter." He than asked Cole about the cornerman. Cole turned towards Emily.
"You're the cornerman?" I asked in surprise.
"I've been doing it nowadays when my dad has his matches." she answered.
The man chuckled. "You fucking serious?"
"You don't like it, find someone else who'll do this in an hour's notice for $200." Cole stood up.
"You're sticking around for this one?" the man than turned to Allison and asked her.
"You know I don't watch him fight anymore." she answered.
"Yeah, well. Give the people a good show, huh? Or they won't stick around either." the man lastly stated, before exiting the room.
"Is it really that bad?" I asked.
Cole nodded. "It gets gruesome sometimes."
Katie shivered. "I don't have a good feeling about this."
"How about you and I go do something together, just until the match is over and all of us well have dinner afterwards?" Allison invited Katie to do an outing.
"Thomas, will that be alright?" Katie asked me.
I nodded my head. "Sure, just behave alright."
Katie smiled and nodded her head. She went over to Allison, as the two were exiting out of the locker room.
"You sure you want to stick around?" Cole asked me.
"I'll be fine. Good luck, and don't get hurt too much." I began to exit out of the locker room, too.
"Can't promise you that." Cole smiled.
I nodded, as I left both of my cousins alone. I headed for the bleachers and sat down, awhile more people are joining in to watch this match. It would be a typical every afternoon, when Bigwig held matches for the Owsla to combat themselves to improve their fighting skills.
Flashback begins...
I was preparing for combat, after a round of patrol. Apparently, Dandelion and myself would go for a match. I try to distance myself from these events, however Bigwig pulled me aside, before I exited out of the warren to begin.
"What's gotten into you, mate?" Bigwig questioned me.
"I just have no keen on fighting on our own, that's all." I answered. "As well, the fighting we experienced has taken it's toll on me."
"Come on, now! This isn't like how it was, when we fought here. This is just another training to see, if you have been improving on your fighting skills." I nodded, although I wasn't totally affirm with it. "Look, lad. Did you have any combat training back in your army days?"
"Of course." I recalled.
Bigwig nodded. "I don't think it shouldn't be any different than what we do here. I know it won't be easy to battle our own, but do the best you can. As Dandelion would know of it too."
"I understand."
"And remember this... when fighting, always make sure you be on your feet and focus on every move your opponent makes. You'll find some disadvantages, if they try too hard to knock you off your feet."
"Yes sir." I replied firmly. "Who Dares Wins!"
Bigwig chuckled and slapped me on the back. "Exactly, brother! Now Frith speed to you, in combat."
I nodded. "Thank you, Captain Bigwig." I even gave him a salute. "Sir!"
He responded back with a salute as well. "As you were, soldier."
