A new dawn.

[Eirik Ragnar]

A smirk rests upon the face of one of the newest people to step foot into the professional wrestling ring, while he stands on the beach at dawn --- the start of a new day. Dressed in black jeans, but barefoot in the sand and no shirt. His eyes are fixated on the horizon in front of him, where the sun was just starting to peek over and lighting up his face. The howling of the wind can be heard which brings him to close his eyes momentarily, savoring that ocean breeze. Following the end of the howl, he opens his eyes and the smirk widens to a grin as he slowly turns his head over his shoulder to allow his eyes to see the camera behind him.

Eirik Ragnar:
"Hei. Jeg har aldri riktig introdusert meg selv. Mitt navn er Eirik Ragnar."

Chuckling for a moment, as he can't help but resort to his native tongue he draws in a deep breath before looking out to the ocean one more time before turning to face the camera and tucking his thumbs into his pockets.

Eirik Ragnar:
"De fleste av dere sannsynligvis ikke vet hva jeg sier. But I know my enemies, and I know that one of you might be skilled in my language..."

The accent is noteable in his speech. He still can't keep the smirk off his face, even after enduring a loss in his very first match --- and even being the first one eliminated. None of that seemed to bother him. It was as the dawn is; a new day. There was no way to turn back and start on a higher note, and he was always the one who would accept that. Look forward to your next step, not back to the one that is already done.

Eirik Ragnar:
"For the first time, ever, the world of professional wrestling saw me step into the ring and many would probably say that I wasn't the most impressive man that they've seen step between those ropes. Ryan Blade might be the first man to tell you that --- in fact, I have a chance to redeem that loss by facing him this week. You, Ryan, probably have it fixed in your head that I'm not going to be a threat to you this week --- you did go a step further to even accuse me of being stupid. Stupid? Really? We'll go ahead and test that out for you. What happened on Sacrifice, it happens... Am I going to sit here, and cry about how I was wronged or how the referee was against me from the very beginning? Like a typical sports fan. No. I'm going to dust myself off and show you the next week that it doesn't matter what you put in front of me; I will go through it. And I will conquer."

Taking one step forward and pushing his weight forward before drawing his foot back, he looks at his footprint that's left in the sand. Smiling a little at it, knowing how easily that footstep can just be erased just with the work of gravity.

Eirik Ragnar:
"Det kan ikke bli slettet. The record, that is... It's not like this sand. People are going to be able to look back and see that I do in fact have that loss from the very first episode of Sacrifice; as I've said. These things happen and I'm just going to accept it. It's going to happen again, however, it's not going to happen when it matters. The only thing that I can do is get everybody to lose focus on that loss when they see what it is that I'm capable of doing."

He brings his foot forward to swipe at the sand and erase his footprint, before turning his back to the camera and walking closer to the edge of the ocean. The cameraman walks forward with him. Visible to the camera are a number of scars that taint the body of Eirik Ragnar, each one having a story to tell that just might be told. Later. Taking his first step into the ocean, his second foot quickly joins and all he does is stand there before finally resuming his speech.

Eirik Ragnar:
"Fra hva jeg har sett, a number of people have always stepped into the ring and made a big deal about how it was in their blood... Because their father has done it. Because their brother has done it. An even greater number of people have always spoke about how they grew up with a rough childhood and that it's how they went day to day. They tell us about how they know nothing but fighting and believe that they should excel in it. Where I was born, though, fighting is not just for the few --- it's for everybody! From the time that you're a young boy, to the time that you're a man, they would teach us the art of war. They would teach us how to use anything and everything around us as a weapon. They would teach us to be skillful with all forms of weapons. It went a step further, though; they would teach us how to fight an armed man with our bare hands... Whether it's using the art of wrestling, or martial arts --- as the rest of the world likes to call it. I call it common sense. Fighting, wrestling, is not just physical; it's mental. It's strategizing. The best tacticians are the ones that truly excel; and that's something that I also am sure to know how to do... I look for any kind of weakness that you have, tro meg, I will find it. I will exploit it."

Spoken with a very calm voice. Waves from the ocean come crashing at his calves and he takes a few more bold steps out but the camera does not approach with him anymore but he remains silent for a few moments longer, the grin retreating back to just a smirk.

Eirik Ragnar:
"I think, therefore I am. Mentality plays a big part in everything that everyone does in their life... If you don't believe that you can do something, then you're not going to do it. However, if you have that confidence looming in you that is clear to see, then you might be a bigger threat than anyone else would think. Which is exactly why I look forward to what's in store for me --- something that can be seen as an elimination... over the course of the next couple weeks. I will be stepping into the ring with Daniel Constantine, Ryan Blade, and Joe Everyman. One of them will be eliminated, and then I will only step into the ring with two of them; but which two? This is what is being called the Man of Steel competition and it's supposed to crown the very first Man of Steel Champion. Something that I intend on doing.

Do you want to know what I really love about this idea? The idea of the Man of Steel? It's the thought that there will be no excuses for anyone at the end of it as you can only be eliminated from this competition in one of two ways; either by submitting... or by failing to answer a count of ten. You either admit defeat, or you are defeated. I see it as an honor, that even with my loss, I was entered into this competition and do you want to know why? It's because they know that I can set the bar for this division very high. To the point that no man may ever top it.

Of course, this is not going to be the same thing that my opponents see out of me because they all have the same thing in mind that I do, and I couldn't ask for any better competition...

Ryan Blade has already defeated me in the ring, and so people will probably see that as favoring him. I see it as an opportunity to avenge the loss that I've endured from a man that thinks he's going to do something spectacular in this industry just because his father abandoned him for it. There's one thing that I would like to make clear to you, Ryan; fighting is not bred into you. You learn it... Just because your father has done something does not mean that you will.

Joe Everyman, this is a man reknown in the world of professional wrestling as a man that does not give up very easily. Just when you think that you can count him out, he seems to get back up. Just when you think that you've seen the last of him, he shows back up. It has created a fan base for him and has made a lot of people believe that now could be his time --- now could be his chance to rise from the ashes of his former self, and become the Imperial Champion. The first-ever, even? Alas, something we'll figure out as time develops.

The last person in this match is Daniel Constantine, a man who follows the word of a single god, and believes that this single god is truly possessing him for greatness... It's difficult to argue considering he was also successful on the debut show of IWF, by defeating three top-tier wrestlers; but now, we have something on the line that matters... Now, is that god going to guide you to victory? Not just this week, but is he going to guide you on course for the next couple weeks in hopes of attaining the Man of Steel Championship?

Tiden vil vise."

Taking another moment of silence, Eirik draws in a deep breath and just nods his head.

Eirik Ragnar:
"En ny soloppgang. Pa Sacrifice, vil du se en mester stige."

The scene fades with Eirik Ragnar gazing back out at the horizon as the time dwindles away until Sacrifice.