Post by Ulf Hednir on Aug 26, 2017 21:25:10 GMT
The world was shrouded in darkness. As far as the eye could see were trees that created a thick forest covering the entirety of the terrain; the rolling thunder could be heard indicating that a storm was coming near as there was a man standing at the end of a path residing within the forest; the man was dressed in some clothes that seemed outdated for the current year; furs lined his waist, wrists, and even lined across his cloak. Beneath the furs was visible chainmail, and a shield strapped to his back with an axe strapped to the shield; hanging at the side of this warrior was a sword. The orange glow emitted from the torchlight revealed the man that was standing in this forest was none other than Ulf Hednir; the orange glow surrounded him, and seemingly even protected him, from the mysteries that the darkness and the forest hid within its confines. Ulf outstretched the torch to attempt to see, but it seemed that the darkness just ate the light away as it tried to venture in.
His eyes gazed back and forth in front of him as he seemed to be unsure of the path that he would have to take. There was no trail that lead any further forward; he glanced behind himself to see the clear trail that would lead him back home… but the sneer on his face gestured that home was not the way he wanted to go. He reached down to the hilt of his sword and withdrew it before taking his step into the unknown forest-- and just like that-- the torchlight went out…
Ulf decided it was wiser to take a step back to try to find his path again, but the path was gone. He threw the unlit torch to the ground and retrieved his shield, as a voice crept through the forest.
“Who are you?” the voice asked from one direction, and Ulf had quickly turned to that direction to defend himself from whatever, or whoever, was trailing him in the forest.
“Are you lost?” the voice asked, this time from the opposite direction; Ulf quickly turned toward that direction and gripped his sword tighter as he seemed to be awaiting this confrontation. Ulf gritted his teeth, unsure of whether he should give an answer to this being or just be prepared to fight for his life. The torch lit itself from the ground, and flew up on its own-- Ulf saw the orange glow from the corner of his eye, and as he had turned to face the fire, it flung itself toward him! He stepped to the side, and the torch continued forward through the forest before disappearing into the forest.
“Answer!” the voice demanded, and the voice was so loud that many of the critters that called the forest their home seemed to retreat from the forest in quite a hurry; an indication of what Ulf should do, but he was much too prideful… too proud… too honorable to run away from anything that seemed to shake those.
Despite being too proud to run away, Ulf Hednir cleared his throat before speaking to the emptiness, “I am… Ulf Hednir.”
“And what are you doing here…” the voice asked from one side, before circling to the other side of Ulf, and whispering louder into Ulf Hednir’s ear, “Ulf. Hednir?”
He was unsure of how to defend himself from what he could not see, but still would not lower his guard. He hesitated to give his answer to the being that he did not know, but did answer reluctantly, “Jeg am just trying to find my way.”
“Find your way?” the voice said, this time in a higher tone, and the being finally revealed itself by standing behind Ulf. The voice was more direct as he spoke now in full being, “When did you lose your way?”
The voice startled Ulf Hednir, and he turned to face the being; his dark hair, his mischievous smirk, and his hands were folded behind his back. Ulf Hednir had known the tales of old and had finally let his guard down when his eyes landed on the being that seemed to torment him, and frighten away the critters of the forest.
“Loki?” Ulf Hednir asked surprisingly, unable to believe his own eyes.
“In the flesh,” Loki replied while allowing his grin to grow bigger.
Ulf Hednir looked wearily toward Loki, unsure of his reasoning for showing him… It had been many, many years since any of the deities had revealed themselves to any human being, so Ulf had to ask himself why now? Why him? Loki tilted his head toward Ulf, as if a predator hunting its prey, and continued to grin while leaning ever closer to Ulf, his eyes locked on his. Ulf squints one of his eyes and resists the urge to strike at the deity, and Loki laughs.
“Oh, you Midgardians! You do not have it in you,” Loki said with a smirk, and backed away from Ulf. The space allowed Ulf to ease and he lowered his shield slightly as Loki continued, “How about we just get past this little charade where you think that you can go back to your people having defeated a deity, and find out why you left your people in the first place. What is your journey?”
Ulf nodded his head, and bit at his bottom lip while trying to look ahead through the forest at the path that was not there, and too dark to see… it was impossible to see the stars, or the moon, so he had no way of navigating on his own. He looked up to see if there was a break in the forest but to no avail; as his eyes lowered back to the Trickster, who was standing perfectly still.
“The mountain…” it struck me as odd that Loki would have found interest in me. The deities have not been heard from in almost one thousand years, but here was one standing right in front of me! He looked puzzled by my response and tilted his head slightly; the smirk seemed to erase from his face as he paced in front of me… jeg could not keep min selv from raising my guard back up.
“The mountain. Hmm.” Loki said, while turning away from Ulf and glancing down into the darkness that seemed to take over the entire forest, but he didn’t strain to see his own way… there was no doubt in Ulf’s mind that Loki knew the way through the forest. He could probably walk through it blindfolded. One of his hands reaches to his side pulling back the leather jerkin that he had been wearing revealing his own weapons to Ulf; a set of daggers. Loki peered over his shoulder toward Ulf, who seemed uneasy that the Trickster decided to show off his weapons; Ulf was unsure whether to take it as a threat or not.
“What is at the mountain?” inquired Loki, still peering over his shoulder.
Jeg was unsure of hvat to tell the Trickster. My eyes were locked on the daggers that hung at his sides. But jeg spoke boldly to Loki, “Glory.”
“Glory?” Loki still appeared confused by the response that Ulf had given him, but shrugs his shoulders anyway, “Who am I to deny you! But you are still lost in this forest… we have strayed far from the safety of the road, Ulf Hednir. Perhaps you would like myself to guide you back to its safety?”
Loki spoke with a bow toward whom he considered to be his guest in Ulf Hednir, and Ulf looked back again to try to see the path; the darkness was still shrouding, but it seemed to clear as Loki peered toward it… as if Ulf were able to see through the eyes of the deity. He saw the end of the path that he left, and followed it to where he was standing knowing full well there was no road here. As if no man had ever walked this path. Without a word, Ulf shook his head, and strapped the shield to his back again, and sheathed his sword again; however, he kept his hand on the hilt should he need it for combat. Ulf turned his head toward Loki as he walked by him, and spoke joyfully, “Jeg will make my own path.”
Loki looked on surprised by Ulf Hednir, but scampered forward to catch up with him.
“I shall join you!” Loki said joyfully, and had a mocking march behind Ulf Hednir letting his arms, bent at the elbow, swing back and forth with long swings of his arms.
Ulf stops walking a bit to walk side by side with Loki, who does not try to hide his mocking march… Ulf blinks a couple of times toward Loki, but knows that he is no one to try to tell a deity any different, so says what he intended to, “So, you’ve been to the mountain?”
Loki could not help but feel insulted by the question as he rolled his eyes and scoffed at the comment, “Of course I’ve been to the mountain. And I have guided many of your kind to the mountain in the past, and that is why I should say you are lucky to have me, Ulf! You are lucky! Yes, Ulf, my dear boy, you are truly lucky that I have decided that I will take you to this mountain.”
The way in front of them seemed to be lighting up, as Loki was not hitting anything no matter the long strides he took; however, Ulf did trip over a few branches here and there but always managed to keep himself from falling forward. He was intrigued by what Loki had said, and kept turning his head to him to further question him, “Why? Why am I lucky that you have chosen to travel with me?”
“Because, Ulf,” Loki said, still not missing a beat, “Everybody that I have taken to this mountain has reached the top. I just do not understand why you Midgardians are in such a rush to get to the top of it. As if it is unique.”
Loki could see the frustration written on Ulf’s face from the thought of how many people had already made it to the top of the mountain, when it’s something he knew he had to accomplish to make a name for himself where he is from.
“Do not fret, Ulf, there have been many to climb this mountain. And there will be many more after you… But focus on you, Ulf. Focus on what you will do when you reach the top of this mountain. And, in all honesty, you’ve come down a way that no man has ever done before! You’re younger than any of the previous ones! I am surprised, truly, that someone as young as you is already making this journey. And moreso, I am surprised that I see so much promise in you. I would not travel with you if I did not believe you could do it!”
The response from Loki did bring a smile to Ulf Hednir’s face, and he nodded his head again. Loki gestured him forward as if to indicate that Ulf Hednir was the leader on this adventure, and he would simply accompany him. With every step forward, the darkness retreated and Ulf Hednir could see ever clearer in front of him, creating his own path. Creating his own destiny.
“Jeg am the shaper of my own destiny…”
Jeg allowed these words to creep from my mouth with a hint of subtlety. The Norns had shaped the destinies for many people; some were destined to be great, some were destined to be low… but it is as jeg ha mentioned before, and thought many times before: it did not matter hvat the Gods had planned for me, or hvat the Norns had planned for me. Whether they were on my side or not. Jeg was going to make min selv great. But jeg felt that this was not an issue. Jeg felt that the Gods favored me… jeg felt that the Norns favored me.
De reality had set in det jeg was officially entered into Heir to de Throne. It brought a smile to my face, and jeg smiled wider thinking ahead to the fantasy det jeg could very well walk out of this tournament having earned a shot to fight for the Imperial Championship! De fantasy det jeg could walk out as the new Imperial Champion! Jeg chuckled to min selv under my breath, thinking how the Norns seemed to put themselves against me; every obstacle… and jeg crushed them. De path was not going to be easy, that was certain, but det did not really bother me. Jeg kept my head down, and closed my eyes embracing the calm that came with de darkness. My hands folded on top of a marble table, and jeg allowed my fingertips to glide in small circles across the smooth surface while keeping my eyes closed.
“People have used my age as an excuse… as some sort of invitation to tell me hvat jeg should do to move forward within the company. Hvat jeg should do to cement min own legacy.”
As “legacy” escaped my mouth, jeg opened my eyes to allow the viewers into min own world. De could see de fire jeg knew was present in min eyes; the determination jeg had walking into Heir to de Throne. Jeg sneered feeling the anger jeg felt whenever anyone had tried to tell me hvat step to take, hvat direction to go, hvat was right, or hvat was wrong. My voice rose with the anger.
“From the moment det jeg walked through those doors for the very first time… from the moment that jeg walked beyond those curtains and out into that ring, for the very first time, and the world saw just hvat jeg was capable of doing! From that moment, people knew det they had to find a way to bring themselves into my life and tell me the direction that jeg should take. They told me det jeg should not worry about belts… jeg should not concern myself with glory… jeg should focus on doing hvat they had to do, hvat the next person had to do, hvat everybody before me had to do!
Paying the dues.
Walking the path det others have created for me! For others! Det is the issue det management has seen with me being entered into Heir to de Throne, and det is de reason det they had tried to screw me out of earning my place. Because they were afraid. They were afraid of the unmarked territory-- the unknown-- the mystery! But the mystery has come with me; the unmarked territory vil no longer be unmarked!
Now, people are going to get upset with me. Why? The reason det they are going to get upset with me is because jeg am going to do something det they have never done! Less than six months in the company-- less than six months in the industry-- jeg am going to earn myself a shot at de Imperial Championship. Jeg am going to walk out as the new Imperial Champion. For the exception of Dean Harper and min selv.”
Jeg hesitated momentarily, thinking to two of the people det jeg knew would be participating in Heir to de Throne… they were still min brothers.
“Kole Kaos, and Jason Sandman-- these are two people who have been showing me the ropes for a couple months now, and there is nothing det jeg can take away from them. But the fact remains that it was thanks to them det jeg was able to even compete in the Heir to de Throne! It was defeating them det entered me into Heir to de Throne! I respect them. Jeg vil even say that jeg love them, like brothers, but family aside… If jeg must go through you again, jeg vil.
But de list goes on!”
Jeg counted each one of my fingers as jeg went down the list of participants.
“Seth Evans, Jayson Matthews, Chris Card, Mason, and de reigning Man of Steel Champion Ryan Shane! All of these men, they have been in the industry for five or more years… and do you know why they are allowed to participate in de Heir to de Throne? Because they were never good enough to reach the top of the mountain! This is not to say that jeg do not respect any of these men-- Mason St. Croix; there is no doubt in my mind det out of all de people in Heir to de Throne, du are my biggest threat!
Take that… Take that as a compliment, because jeg know det if you get through your round, and WHEN jeg get through mine… jeg vil ha my hands full with du. There is not one person in the arena that will leave disappointed should we be able to wage war with each other, but jeg want you to know, Mason. Jeg want you to know that it does not matter the respect that jeg do have for you, or your history as the Man of Steel Champion, no matter how many times you seemed like an unstoppable force in IWF!
Du! Are! Not! Defeating me!”
Jeg pointed at the camera to indicate to Mason that he would not defeat me. Not at Legacy. Not in Heir to de Throne.
“Jeg hope you do get through your round, Mason. Jeg have been telling people every day since jeg signed my contract that jeg did not accept anything given to me… Jeg did not get this far in my life by taking the easy route! Det is exactly why jeg am not taking an easy route to get to the Imperial Championship-- when everybody is saying jeg must pay my dues, jeg ignore their dues and jeg go straight for min prize! So jeg want you to win, Mason, jeg want you to meet me in the finals of Heir to de Throne.
So jeg can personally silence you. So I can personally shock the world by earning my shot at de Imperial Championship by defeating arguably de most unstoppable force de IWF has ever seen, det has never won the Imperial Championship! And after Sunday, it vil remain true: he never will.”
Deep breath. Jeg smiled looking into the camera as jeg thought about that one particular opponent, Mason St. Croix, and jeg felt a sensation-- excitement-- one thing that jeg did not ever do was lie. Jeg did not start today. Jeg really did hope det he would to meet me in the finals of Heir to de Throne.
“But du have your own people det you must get through, just as jeg ha my own… only one, for certain, for me; Ryan Shane. De Man of Steel Champion. Jeg do not know hvat du really think du are going to do in this tournament, or why du think du really belong in this division. There is a reason det du are a two-time Man of Steel Champion, and jeg vil admit, du er good,” jeg said with a nod, “Du er very good. But du are out of your league. Jeg vil let det reality set in for you when we meet in our first match at Legacy. When jeg eliminate you from Heir to de Throne, and send you back to de Man of Steel division where you can shine for a while longer. But jeg vil not allow du to defeat me.
And so it all comes down to this! Two people having the true opportunity to take the road less traveled-- Dean Harper, and myself. We are the youngest talent participating in Heir to de Throne. We are de ones det are going to take this company into the future! But who is going to strike gold first? Dean Harper, jeg know that du travel with Rowan, so jeg know det du er fully capable of being a threat that jeg should really consider more than jeg am… probably more than jeg am concerned about Mason. But de truth is det only one of us can pave this road for de other. Ever since this tournament had been announced, jeg had considered this unpaved path… to make a name for myself… and that is why jeg will not let you derail me, jeg will not let Mason derail me, jeg will not let Seth Evans derail me, jeg will not let Ryan Shane derail me!
Jeg vil pave my own path.
And then de flock will come in. The Heathen Army will rise when they realize hvat it is that jeg have done! They vil know that they, too, can do it… and the floodgates vil open. But this is not about the past-- all of de people who lost their opportunity at the limelight, all of de people who lost their opportunity to stand at the top of de mountain. This is not even about the future: all of de people who vil ascend de mountain after Heir to de Throne! This is simply about de present.
This is about de nine men det are standing at de base of de mountain, and looking up… looking up, vi er seeing Andrew Jacobsen standing at the top of the mountain. Vi are seeing Spike Kane, and Mike Laszlo, racing to the top! And beneath all of them… are the nine… of us... Most of you represent the past, some of us represent the future, but all of us are here. In de present. One of us can continue to the mountain to face one of those three men, whomever it is det is holding the Imperial Championship at de time det we meet them. Only one of us vil have a chance to battle at the peak.
Det someone vil. Be. Me.”
Inside one of the many bars that was housed within the city of Tokyo, Ulf Hednir had found himself at one of the bars. He looked out of place. It was not exactly where he liked to find himself with his free time, as he enjoyed seeing the sights, or remaining active even during his time off… but he did not have time off. Sitting beside him was the friend he had made in Norway, Thursday, who was taking huge gulps from an already large glass. It seemed that he was able to down the beer with one big gulp, and he wiped his arm sleeve across his mouth to clear the residue; meanwhile, Ulf Hednir was taking some decent gulps from his beer, but nowhere near as large as Thursday was able to knock it down.
The giant of a man patted Ulf on the back, “Du should be drinking! Du ha been entered into dis tournament, and du er going to do your people proud!”
Thursday’s voice seemed to echo throughout the establishment, and many of the people lifted their heads to try to see what the commotion was about; they quickly noticed that there was no bickering among the two patrons and turned their attention back to their own conversations.
“Ja, jeg did earn my way into dis tournament… but jeg still ha a hard road ahead of me.” said Ulf, as he sipped at his beer and stared blankly at the bar in front of him.
“Why worry? It is what it is, son, and all du can do is go out there and give it your all. But jeg am certain det du er more than capable of defeating all of these other men even with an arm tied behind your back!” Thursday tried to reassure Ulf, who shrugged his shoulders over the comment. Thursday still had a smile on his face as he raised his hand to the bartender and snapped his fingers; the bartender approached and Thursday leaned to say something to the bartender.
Ulf continued to look toward his emptying mug of beer. It seemed like he was done arguing the point, and would relax with his friends, but he suddenly raised his voice in protest, “But jeg cannot relax yet! Jeg can relax after jeg ha won!”
Thursday puts his beer down and smacks his lips together a few times while tilting his head, acknowledging that Ulf was in fact correct… he could relax after he had won. Thursday spoke with a bit more understanding as he responded, “Du er correct, Ulf. Perhaps it is best det vi save de celebration for AFTER du win dis tournament. But first...”
Ulf nodded his head in appreciation of understanding from his friend, as Thursday smiled happily as the bartender approached with a couple of sake shots. Ulf and Thursday both lifted their glasses and shouted, “Skål!” before downing their shots. Thursday throws down a few large bills onto the counter as the bartender nods his head, and the two get up from their seats to make their way for the exit, Thursday sharing his own words of encouragement to Ulf Hednir.
In the corner of the bar, Loki can be seen drinking with two random Japanese men. Both of them look like they may be a little bit drunk, but the Japanese man has watched Thor walking out of the bar with Ulf Hednir to help him prepare for his combat in Heir to the Throne.
“I thought it was you that was going to have this young man ready for this tournament… I don’t even see what’s so special about him.” said one of the Japanese men.
“Oh, you do not have to concern yourself with him, Susano,” Loki said reassuringly, “And I do not have to worry about preparing him. He’s already ready to to what is necessary to win this whole thing…”
The other Japanese man shrugs his shoulders, “He doesn’t look too tough to me.”
Loki suddenly slams his shot glass down and gets into the face of the other Japanese man, shouting, “Okay, Raiden, I get it! He’s not Liu Kang! But he just as sure could beat up Shang Tsung!”
“You know Mortal Kombat is fictional, right?” asked the puzzled Japanese deity.
“Allegedly.” Loki sits back in the booth and downs another shot of sake as the two Japanese deities shake their heads to each other, while Loki just minds to his own business.
His eyes gazed back and forth in front of him as he seemed to be unsure of the path that he would have to take. There was no trail that lead any further forward; he glanced behind himself to see the clear trail that would lead him back home… but the sneer on his face gestured that home was not the way he wanted to go. He reached down to the hilt of his sword and withdrew it before taking his step into the unknown forest-- and just like that-- the torchlight went out…
Ulf decided it was wiser to take a step back to try to find his path again, but the path was gone. He threw the unlit torch to the ground and retrieved his shield, as a voice crept through the forest.
“Who are you?” the voice asked from one direction, and Ulf had quickly turned to that direction to defend himself from whatever, or whoever, was trailing him in the forest.
“Are you lost?” the voice asked, this time from the opposite direction; Ulf quickly turned toward that direction and gripped his sword tighter as he seemed to be awaiting this confrontation. Ulf gritted his teeth, unsure of whether he should give an answer to this being or just be prepared to fight for his life. The torch lit itself from the ground, and flew up on its own-- Ulf saw the orange glow from the corner of his eye, and as he had turned to face the fire, it flung itself toward him! He stepped to the side, and the torch continued forward through the forest before disappearing into the forest.
“Answer!” the voice demanded, and the voice was so loud that many of the critters that called the forest their home seemed to retreat from the forest in quite a hurry; an indication of what Ulf should do, but he was much too prideful… too proud… too honorable to run away from anything that seemed to shake those.
Despite being too proud to run away, Ulf Hednir cleared his throat before speaking to the emptiness, “I am… Ulf Hednir.”
“And what are you doing here…” the voice asked from one side, before circling to the other side of Ulf, and whispering louder into Ulf Hednir’s ear, “Ulf. Hednir?”
He was unsure of how to defend himself from what he could not see, but still would not lower his guard. He hesitated to give his answer to the being that he did not know, but did answer reluctantly, “Jeg am just trying to find my way.”
“Find your way?” the voice said, this time in a higher tone, and the being finally revealed itself by standing behind Ulf. The voice was more direct as he spoke now in full being, “When did you lose your way?”
The voice startled Ulf Hednir, and he turned to face the being; his dark hair, his mischievous smirk, and his hands were folded behind his back. Ulf Hednir had known the tales of old and had finally let his guard down when his eyes landed on the being that seemed to torment him, and frighten away the critters of the forest.
“Loki?” Ulf Hednir asked surprisingly, unable to believe his own eyes.
“In the flesh,” Loki replied while allowing his grin to grow bigger.
Ulf Hednir looked wearily toward Loki, unsure of his reasoning for showing him… It had been many, many years since any of the deities had revealed themselves to any human being, so Ulf had to ask himself why now? Why him? Loki tilted his head toward Ulf, as if a predator hunting its prey, and continued to grin while leaning ever closer to Ulf, his eyes locked on his. Ulf squints one of his eyes and resists the urge to strike at the deity, and Loki laughs.
“Oh, you Midgardians! You do not have it in you,” Loki said with a smirk, and backed away from Ulf. The space allowed Ulf to ease and he lowered his shield slightly as Loki continued, “How about we just get past this little charade where you think that you can go back to your people having defeated a deity, and find out why you left your people in the first place. What is your journey?”
Ulf nodded his head, and bit at his bottom lip while trying to look ahead through the forest at the path that was not there, and too dark to see… it was impossible to see the stars, or the moon, so he had no way of navigating on his own. He looked up to see if there was a break in the forest but to no avail; as his eyes lowered back to the Trickster, who was standing perfectly still.
“The mountain…” it struck me as odd that Loki would have found interest in me. The deities have not been heard from in almost one thousand years, but here was one standing right in front of me! He looked puzzled by my response and tilted his head slightly; the smirk seemed to erase from his face as he paced in front of me… jeg could not keep min selv from raising my guard back up.
“The mountain. Hmm.” Loki said, while turning away from Ulf and glancing down into the darkness that seemed to take over the entire forest, but he didn’t strain to see his own way… there was no doubt in Ulf’s mind that Loki knew the way through the forest. He could probably walk through it blindfolded. One of his hands reaches to his side pulling back the leather jerkin that he had been wearing revealing his own weapons to Ulf; a set of daggers. Loki peered over his shoulder toward Ulf, who seemed uneasy that the Trickster decided to show off his weapons; Ulf was unsure whether to take it as a threat or not.
“What is at the mountain?” inquired Loki, still peering over his shoulder.
Jeg was unsure of hvat to tell the Trickster. My eyes were locked on the daggers that hung at his sides. But jeg spoke boldly to Loki, “Glory.”
“Glory?” Loki still appeared confused by the response that Ulf had given him, but shrugs his shoulders anyway, “Who am I to deny you! But you are still lost in this forest… we have strayed far from the safety of the road, Ulf Hednir. Perhaps you would like myself to guide you back to its safety?”
Loki spoke with a bow toward whom he considered to be his guest in Ulf Hednir, and Ulf looked back again to try to see the path; the darkness was still shrouding, but it seemed to clear as Loki peered toward it… as if Ulf were able to see through the eyes of the deity. He saw the end of the path that he left, and followed it to where he was standing knowing full well there was no road here. As if no man had ever walked this path. Without a word, Ulf shook his head, and strapped the shield to his back again, and sheathed his sword again; however, he kept his hand on the hilt should he need it for combat. Ulf turned his head toward Loki as he walked by him, and spoke joyfully, “Jeg will make my own path.”
Loki looked on surprised by Ulf Hednir, but scampered forward to catch up with him.
“I shall join you!” Loki said joyfully, and had a mocking march behind Ulf Hednir letting his arms, bent at the elbow, swing back and forth with long swings of his arms.
Ulf stops walking a bit to walk side by side with Loki, who does not try to hide his mocking march… Ulf blinks a couple of times toward Loki, but knows that he is no one to try to tell a deity any different, so says what he intended to, “So, you’ve been to the mountain?”
Loki could not help but feel insulted by the question as he rolled his eyes and scoffed at the comment, “Of course I’ve been to the mountain. And I have guided many of your kind to the mountain in the past, and that is why I should say you are lucky to have me, Ulf! You are lucky! Yes, Ulf, my dear boy, you are truly lucky that I have decided that I will take you to this mountain.”
The way in front of them seemed to be lighting up, as Loki was not hitting anything no matter the long strides he took; however, Ulf did trip over a few branches here and there but always managed to keep himself from falling forward. He was intrigued by what Loki had said, and kept turning his head to him to further question him, “Why? Why am I lucky that you have chosen to travel with me?”
“Because, Ulf,” Loki said, still not missing a beat, “Everybody that I have taken to this mountain has reached the top. I just do not understand why you Midgardians are in such a rush to get to the top of it. As if it is unique.”
Loki could see the frustration written on Ulf’s face from the thought of how many people had already made it to the top of the mountain, when it’s something he knew he had to accomplish to make a name for himself where he is from.
“Do not fret, Ulf, there have been many to climb this mountain. And there will be many more after you… But focus on you, Ulf. Focus on what you will do when you reach the top of this mountain. And, in all honesty, you’ve come down a way that no man has ever done before! You’re younger than any of the previous ones! I am surprised, truly, that someone as young as you is already making this journey. And moreso, I am surprised that I see so much promise in you. I would not travel with you if I did not believe you could do it!”
The response from Loki did bring a smile to Ulf Hednir’s face, and he nodded his head again. Loki gestured him forward as if to indicate that Ulf Hednir was the leader on this adventure, and he would simply accompany him. With every step forward, the darkness retreated and Ulf Hednir could see ever clearer in front of him, creating his own path. Creating his own destiny.
“Jeg am the shaper of my own destiny…”
Jeg allowed these words to creep from my mouth with a hint of subtlety. The Norns had shaped the destinies for many people; some were destined to be great, some were destined to be low… but it is as jeg ha mentioned before, and thought many times before: it did not matter hvat the Gods had planned for me, or hvat the Norns had planned for me. Whether they were on my side or not. Jeg was going to make min selv great. But jeg felt that this was not an issue. Jeg felt that the Gods favored me… jeg felt that the Norns favored me.
De reality had set in det jeg was officially entered into Heir to de Throne. It brought a smile to my face, and jeg smiled wider thinking ahead to the fantasy det jeg could very well walk out of this tournament having earned a shot to fight for the Imperial Championship! De fantasy det jeg could walk out as the new Imperial Champion! Jeg chuckled to min selv under my breath, thinking how the Norns seemed to put themselves against me; every obstacle… and jeg crushed them. De path was not going to be easy, that was certain, but det did not really bother me. Jeg kept my head down, and closed my eyes embracing the calm that came with de darkness. My hands folded on top of a marble table, and jeg allowed my fingertips to glide in small circles across the smooth surface while keeping my eyes closed.
“People have used my age as an excuse… as some sort of invitation to tell me hvat jeg should do to move forward within the company. Hvat jeg should do to cement min own legacy.”
As “legacy” escaped my mouth, jeg opened my eyes to allow the viewers into min own world. De could see de fire jeg knew was present in min eyes; the determination jeg had walking into Heir to de Throne. Jeg sneered feeling the anger jeg felt whenever anyone had tried to tell me hvat step to take, hvat direction to go, hvat was right, or hvat was wrong. My voice rose with the anger.
“From the moment det jeg walked through those doors for the very first time… from the moment that jeg walked beyond those curtains and out into that ring, for the very first time, and the world saw just hvat jeg was capable of doing! From that moment, people knew det they had to find a way to bring themselves into my life and tell me the direction that jeg should take. They told me det jeg should not worry about belts… jeg should not concern myself with glory… jeg should focus on doing hvat they had to do, hvat the next person had to do, hvat everybody before me had to do!
Paying the dues.
Walking the path det others have created for me! For others! Det is the issue det management has seen with me being entered into Heir to de Throne, and det is de reason det they had tried to screw me out of earning my place. Because they were afraid. They were afraid of the unmarked territory-- the unknown-- the mystery! But the mystery has come with me; the unmarked territory vil no longer be unmarked!
Now, people are going to get upset with me. Why? The reason det they are going to get upset with me is because jeg am going to do something det they have never done! Less than six months in the company-- less than six months in the industry-- jeg am going to earn myself a shot at de Imperial Championship. Jeg am going to walk out as the new Imperial Champion. For the exception of Dean Harper and min selv.”
Jeg hesitated momentarily, thinking to two of the people det jeg knew would be participating in Heir to de Throne… they were still min brothers.
“Kole Kaos, and Jason Sandman-- these are two people who have been showing me the ropes for a couple months now, and there is nothing det jeg can take away from them. But the fact remains that it was thanks to them det jeg was able to even compete in the Heir to de Throne! It was defeating them det entered me into Heir to de Throne! I respect them. Jeg vil even say that jeg love them, like brothers, but family aside… If jeg must go through you again, jeg vil.
But de list goes on!”
Jeg counted each one of my fingers as jeg went down the list of participants.
“Seth Evans, Jayson Matthews, Chris Card, Mason, and de reigning Man of Steel Champion Ryan Shane! All of these men, they have been in the industry for five or more years… and do you know why they are allowed to participate in de Heir to de Throne? Because they were never good enough to reach the top of the mountain! This is not to say that jeg do not respect any of these men-- Mason St. Croix; there is no doubt in my mind det out of all de people in Heir to de Throne, du are my biggest threat!
Take that… Take that as a compliment, because jeg know det if you get through your round, and WHEN jeg get through mine… jeg vil ha my hands full with du. There is not one person in the arena that will leave disappointed should we be able to wage war with each other, but jeg want you to know, Mason. Jeg want you to know that it does not matter the respect that jeg do have for you, or your history as the Man of Steel Champion, no matter how many times you seemed like an unstoppable force in IWF!
Du! Are! Not! Defeating me!”
Jeg pointed at the camera to indicate to Mason that he would not defeat me. Not at Legacy. Not in Heir to de Throne.
“Jeg hope you do get through your round, Mason. Jeg have been telling people every day since jeg signed my contract that jeg did not accept anything given to me… Jeg did not get this far in my life by taking the easy route! Det is exactly why jeg am not taking an easy route to get to the Imperial Championship-- when everybody is saying jeg must pay my dues, jeg ignore their dues and jeg go straight for min prize! So jeg want you to win, Mason, jeg want you to meet me in the finals of Heir to de Throne.
So jeg can personally silence you. So I can personally shock the world by earning my shot at de Imperial Championship by defeating arguably de most unstoppable force de IWF has ever seen, det has never won the Imperial Championship! And after Sunday, it vil remain true: he never will.”
Deep breath. Jeg smiled looking into the camera as jeg thought about that one particular opponent, Mason St. Croix, and jeg felt a sensation-- excitement-- one thing that jeg did not ever do was lie. Jeg did not start today. Jeg really did hope det he would to meet me in the finals of Heir to de Throne.
“But du have your own people det you must get through, just as jeg ha my own… only one, for certain, for me; Ryan Shane. De Man of Steel Champion. Jeg do not know hvat du really think du are going to do in this tournament, or why du think du really belong in this division. There is a reason det du are a two-time Man of Steel Champion, and jeg vil admit, du er good,” jeg said with a nod, “Du er very good. But du are out of your league. Jeg vil let det reality set in for you when we meet in our first match at Legacy. When jeg eliminate you from Heir to de Throne, and send you back to de Man of Steel division where you can shine for a while longer. But jeg vil not allow du to defeat me.
And so it all comes down to this! Two people having the true opportunity to take the road less traveled-- Dean Harper, and myself. We are the youngest talent participating in Heir to de Throne. We are de ones det are going to take this company into the future! But who is going to strike gold first? Dean Harper, jeg know that du travel with Rowan, so jeg know det du er fully capable of being a threat that jeg should really consider more than jeg am… probably more than jeg am concerned about Mason. But de truth is det only one of us can pave this road for de other. Ever since this tournament had been announced, jeg had considered this unpaved path… to make a name for myself… and that is why jeg will not let you derail me, jeg will not let Mason derail me, jeg will not let Seth Evans derail me, jeg will not let Ryan Shane derail me!
Jeg vil pave my own path.
And then de flock will come in. The Heathen Army will rise when they realize hvat it is that jeg have done! They vil know that they, too, can do it… and the floodgates vil open. But this is not about the past-- all of de people who lost their opportunity at the limelight, all of de people who lost their opportunity to stand at the top of de mountain. This is not even about the future: all of de people who vil ascend de mountain after Heir to de Throne! This is simply about de present.
This is about de nine men det are standing at de base of de mountain, and looking up… looking up, vi er seeing Andrew Jacobsen standing at the top of the mountain. Vi are seeing Spike Kane, and Mike Laszlo, racing to the top! And beneath all of them… are the nine… of us... Most of you represent the past, some of us represent the future, but all of us are here. In de present. One of us can continue to the mountain to face one of those three men, whomever it is det is holding the Imperial Championship at de time det we meet them. Only one of us vil have a chance to battle at the peak.
Det someone vil. Be. Me.”
Inside one of the many bars that was housed within the city of Tokyo, Ulf Hednir had found himself at one of the bars. He looked out of place. It was not exactly where he liked to find himself with his free time, as he enjoyed seeing the sights, or remaining active even during his time off… but he did not have time off. Sitting beside him was the friend he had made in Norway, Thursday, who was taking huge gulps from an already large glass. It seemed that he was able to down the beer with one big gulp, and he wiped his arm sleeve across his mouth to clear the residue; meanwhile, Ulf Hednir was taking some decent gulps from his beer, but nowhere near as large as Thursday was able to knock it down.
The giant of a man patted Ulf on the back, “Du should be drinking! Du ha been entered into dis tournament, and du er going to do your people proud!”
Thursday’s voice seemed to echo throughout the establishment, and many of the people lifted their heads to try to see what the commotion was about; they quickly noticed that there was no bickering among the two patrons and turned their attention back to their own conversations.
“Ja, jeg did earn my way into dis tournament… but jeg still ha a hard road ahead of me.” said Ulf, as he sipped at his beer and stared blankly at the bar in front of him.
“Why worry? It is what it is, son, and all du can do is go out there and give it your all. But jeg am certain det du er more than capable of defeating all of these other men even with an arm tied behind your back!” Thursday tried to reassure Ulf, who shrugged his shoulders over the comment. Thursday still had a smile on his face as he raised his hand to the bartender and snapped his fingers; the bartender approached and Thursday leaned to say something to the bartender.
Ulf continued to look toward his emptying mug of beer. It seemed like he was done arguing the point, and would relax with his friends, but he suddenly raised his voice in protest, “But jeg cannot relax yet! Jeg can relax after jeg ha won!”
Thursday puts his beer down and smacks his lips together a few times while tilting his head, acknowledging that Ulf was in fact correct… he could relax after he had won. Thursday spoke with a bit more understanding as he responded, “Du er correct, Ulf. Perhaps it is best det vi save de celebration for AFTER du win dis tournament. But first...”
Ulf nodded his head in appreciation of understanding from his friend, as Thursday smiled happily as the bartender approached with a couple of sake shots. Ulf and Thursday both lifted their glasses and shouted, “Skål!” before downing their shots. Thursday throws down a few large bills onto the counter as the bartender nods his head, and the two get up from their seats to make their way for the exit, Thursday sharing his own words of encouragement to Ulf Hednir.
In the corner of the bar, Loki can be seen drinking with two random Japanese men. Both of them look like they may be a little bit drunk, but the Japanese man has watched Thor walking out of the bar with Ulf Hednir to help him prepare for his combat in Heir to the Throne.
“I thought it was you that was going to have this young man ready for this tournament… I don’t even see what’s so special about him.” said one of the Japanese men.
“Oh, you do not have to concern yourself with him, Susano,” Loki said reassuringly, “And I do not have to worry about preparing him. He’s already ready to to what is necessary to win this whole thing…”
The other Japanese man shrugs his shoulders, “He doesn’t look too tough to me.”
Loki suddenly slams his shot glass down and gets into the face of the other Japanese man, shouting, “Okay, Raiden, I get it! He’s not Liu Kang! But he just as sure could beat up Shang Tsung!”
“You know Mortal Kombat is fictional, right?” asked the puzzled Japanese deity.
“Allegedly.” Loki sits back in the booth and downs another shot of sake as the two Japanese deities shake their heads to each other, while Loki just minds to his own business.
Well howdy there pardner.