Post by Odin Balfore on Dec 22, 2020 19:26:17 GMT -5
No Country Part I
St. Mary’s Cemetery. St. Cloud, MN.
In a cemetery, under a fresh blanket of snow, laid the parents of Odin Balfore. My parents. My mother, a celtic green slate cross. My father, limestone. I stood between them, a hand on each; digging the tips of my fingers into them. The wind howls behind me as Ullr reveals himself.
“Aye, boy.” a smattering of respect rumbles from his throat followed by his condescending words of wisdom. “That yur father, boy; even the ground is too good for a bastid.” He pauses a moment with reflection. “Shame about your mother. She didn't deserve her fate.”
“Come to taunt me at my mothers grave?”
“Nay, I come to taunt you on your bastid fathers.” A casual speculate of spit lands on my fathers grave. “It is no secret I have love for one and disdain for the other. There you are in the middle. I know how they treated you; that wrestling lot. No respect.” Another wayward speculate lands on my fathers grave with casual insult. “Men parade around pretending to be what you really are-deep down. Yet here you are feeling sorry for yourself. Like a sick calf bheying in the darkness. Enough of it, I say. Enough. Let it wash over you like the sea and may you march ashore, kissed by Freya and ruin those who stand in your way. The All-Fathers resolve, may it guide you.”
The wind howls again. Ullr is gone. Deep in contemplation my feet take me away, down a hill and to a frosted stream. Kneeling down I dip my hand in and wipe the icy water across my brow, staring at my reflection within.
“Spencer. Slain. To you WCF was the time of cutting teeth. A place to make your bones, hone your craft and be who you are today. Today, on this very day. For all your animosity and vitriol towards it, you need it to make your careers. Whatever wrongs you face, injustices that I could not correct, or faults you witnessed in that ring. Each of you are justified in your pathetic bawlings. I share no such sentiments. I started in 1999. In the blood, in the beer. Shit holes. Then I went all over the world. I became a household name. Federations would try to outbid the other for my name value. I was famous. I had the world at my fingertips. I was a legend. Then I came to WCF. That is where your paths and mine differ widely. See, you cannot detach Spencer Adams and Stuart Slane from WCF. You need those moments to get you here. I was already the biggest name in wrestling. To remove WCF from me is nothing but a speck on my career. However, to remove me from WCF - well, there is a lot to be missed. Lament your tears into this river. Try Jesus, if you must but don’t try me because I throw hands.
When you both became TV champions, your careers were made. By the time I was TV champion, I was already a WCF World champion with a hall of fame worthy career. I couldn't tell you who I beat for the belt. Couldn't tell you when. Couldn't tell you how I lost it. But I can tell you what's going to happen next. You’ll both fight with some repugnant resolve in order to get one over on the All-Father because you need this more than I do. You both need to retire that belt on your shoulders because otherwise it's like losing an arm at said shoulder. But Odin Balfore needs no such thing.
At this level, there is no need as much as it is a taking. A pillaging. Corey Black verse myself at the Final ONE for the world title - that's a headline but after what I did to Jaice Wilds, I suppose that fighting you two geeks is my punishment. I told Jaice I would run through everyone who stands on my way for whatever division they think will hurt me the most. Try to demote me to midcard. Jaice Wilds was always a fucking idiot. I can see why Tort hired him. Give a lacky a taste of power and they wind up Spencer Adams. If you give a good hand a taste at glory and they weasel out from mist like the scout master.
In truth, I could care less which one of you respects me or who bawks at my career with the cheap prodding of hindsight. That's not a fall from grace that you feel, it's just Surtrs Revenge. Notice how I say I’m coming for Walter and I get word that yet again he skips town. Injustices do not go unpunished. Notice how a world title is yet again dangled in front of me only to be handed a pittance.
That's what your careers are. For as holy and noble as you may think they are. For as Grandiose they made you in your own minds. You and your careers combined are a pittance to me; a trinket. Glinting coins in the dirt.
Yet all spoils must be taken.
They say that there is no country for old men.
I say there are no safe harbors for young fools.
You young fools want your last glorious ONE.
The All-Fathers about to bestow upon you you very first.
So I have spoken, so it shall come to pass."