The Demon King [part 1]

["The Punisher" Sah'ta Thor]

The cost of immortality

Immortality is the dream of many but is achieved by so few at a cost often unworthy of the status.

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It had been a nearly a month since anyone had seen Sah'ta Thor in an FWF ring. A month filled with pain and disappointment as he continued to work at his other obligations. Obligations that didn't stop just because his face had been barbecued by a man who no qualms about injuring people. Well having gun powder explode in his face had been a wake up call for Thor. A wake up call that he hoped would get the FWF management to see that he was worth more the current group of recycled has-beens who seemed to have taken over the roster. People who thought it was a joking matter to keep him from what he truly wanted to hold. Yet he knew the truth about why these old men wanted one last shot at glory but he didn't appreciate that it was at his expense. They wanted to go down in history to become immortal in the business, a goal that Sah'ta Thor understood all too well as that is what drove him to do what he did inside the ring.

In reality, the truth was that Sah'ta Thor needed to be remembered for he did somewhere some how and the best way to do that was to destroy whoever got in his way. Sure the fact that he was the FWF Universal Champion didn't hurt matters much. Nor did the surprising article that had been in the second edition of the FWF Magazine. Though he knew that his fame and glory was fleeting and would always be so until he managed to win a Jealousy tournament and managed to take the FWF World Title. Yet, the question was why did he need the immortality that would come from such feats. For the answer to that one had to understand the man who was known as the Demon King. However, to understand Sah'ta Thor would imply a better understanding of his soul that he himself possessed. Which is why he start there remembering a panel style interview panel he had hosted about two years earlier.[/b]

The black conference table gleamed in the light as the room slowly started to fill with a group of men and women holding notebooks and tape recorders. The group even included a few cameramen who set up behind the table all pointed at the red high back chair that sat empty at the head of the table. This gather had been set up quickly and all parties had been invited by the head of the Empire of Blood Sah’ta Thor. Its purpose would soon be revealed. A hush falls over the room as Sah’ta Thor enters the room. He was wearing a red suit with a black and gold tie that was held in place by a gold Empire of Blood skull pin. His long black hair pulled back and held in place by a silver hair clip. In his right hand he held a finely polished purple heart wood walking cane with finely etched Nordic runes spiraling down the slightly spiraled shaft. In his left he carried a black duffel bag. Sah’ta Thor stood still a moment looking over the company of reporters that were sitting there awaiting him. Slowly and regally he makes his way towards the empty high backed chair the end of his cane tapping on the hardwood floor.

Once at the chair he sets the duffel bag on the table top then hooks the cane on chair’s arm before slowly sinking into it. As soon as he was seated Thor grins slightly and then looks each reporter in the eye for the briefest of moments as if searching for something within their souls. He was leans back once this procedure was done and licks his lips slightly in prelude to beginning what would be a rather interesting afternoon. “Good afternoon and welcome to this hurried press conference. Know that the twenty of you here today are an elite group. Each one of you here today been allowed to be present because of the way you conduct yourselves in the pursuit of information. I promise you that while each of you must be wondering just what this is about it will make sense in a moment. You see I have invited you all here this afternoon to engage in a session of twenty questions. Each one of you will be allowed to ask m one question and between all of you I would like to think that I will provide the answers to many of the world’s questions about me.”’ Thor stops speaking and then looks around the table once more to see several bewildered looks and knew that the day would be interesting for all present.

“But before we begin with the questions I must inform you that there will be a few rules maintained to ensure the peace. First off we shall start with the report on my left and work around the table one question at a time until all twenty of you have asked a question. Also when you ask your question please don’t expect a long winded answer. Honestly I am not sure what all I will have to say on a given subject. I will allow you a moment to prepare your questions while I have someone bring us some refreshments.” With that Thor leans back into the chair as he pushes a button the chair’s arm. Within moments a pair of the building’s black uniformed security come in with a roller cart that has several pitchers of ice water with enough glasses for everyone in the room and a couple of trays with meet and cheese on it. The finish setting the stuff on the table so that all of the reporters could get to it they quietly leaves the room while after nodding towards Thor. The reporters talk among themselves while they grab a drink and some of the munchies.

"So shouldn't you be preparing for a match or something brother?" The voice of Thor's half-brother Grahja echoed in the back of his head as he takes a deep breath. "Why does it matter if I spend another hour in the gym or not since I can't get into any better shape than I already am. Not to mention the fact that it doesn't really matter if I train anyway. After all what better training can I get than my recent matches in GEW?"[/i][/b]

The break ends and Sah’ta Thor reenters the conference room and sits back down silently signaling that the break was over. He refills his glass and takes a sips as the next question is readied. He wasn’t at all sure what he would be answering this time. The woman who would be asking the sixth question was a young pretty blond who looked about as nervous as Thor felt takes a deep breath before speaking in a slightly shaking voice. “You claim to have many different supernatural abilities but lately you have avoided even talking about that side of who you say you are. I would like to ask what caused you to deny who you are?” Thor stiffens and looks at the woman intently for a moment then sighs looking away. He slowly stands up and unbuttons his shirt before taking it off. With a groan of pain a pair of black feathered wings slowly unfurl from his back as he holds out his hands. His hands are enveloped in fire as his eyes flash slightly. He sighs softly as he stands back up as he sees the fear and interest in the eyes of the reporters. “You ask of something you do not know. I have stopped showing what I am because close minded assholes think I am a monster. The point is that I know I am different than all of you and I am honestly scared of what will happen if I show what I am. Can you honestly say that the world is ready to accept what I am? I am thinking of people like you with my discretion.” The fire extinguishes from Thor’s hands as the wings retract into back again. The process causing him immense pain as he grits his teeth and bows his head slightly knowing that the show he had just put on would hurt him in the end.

"And how does this sitting here thinking about the past help you prepare for a man like Marcus Brody Senior? Or have you already written off the end of the match because of who he is? It isn't like you to just give up because your opponent is a guy that everyone expects to beat you." Thor grits his teeth under the black and red mask that he had started to wear to protect his face as it healed from the burns suffered at WarZone VII. "Who said I had given up Grahja? Just because he is the guy that everyone expects to win because of his long and glorious career in the long dead Universal Championship Wrestling. Or how about the fact that he is one of Joe Stall's closest friends? Why the hell should I feel worried at all about my chances of being able to beat him? Oh that is right this is not just Universal Title match it is also the opening round of the Jealousy 8 tournament. It isn't like I have ever gotten past the second round before. So excuse me if I am not in the mood to waste my time preparing for a match that will have lumberjacks standing around the outside of the ring just waiting to ensure that I suffer as much as I can before the match ends. Trust me Grahja this is far more productive right now as it reminds me where I came from and why I am still here."

The answer was interesting and shed light on what Thor had planned but not too much light mind you. It had put Thor at ease and he sat waiting for the next question to be asked with a slight grin on his lips. He takes a sip of his water and looks at the reporters taking their notes. “Many of those who watch Global Extreme Wrestling have wondered just what Sah’ta means would you share the meaning of your name with us?” Thor leans back in his chair and gets a rather distant look on his face as he tracks down the memory attached to his name. Grinning he finds it and takes a deep breath. “Sah’ta is more a title then a name. It is meaning is hard to explain as there is no literal way to translate what it stands for in English. But the general idea of it is that it means something along the line of “redeemed leader through rebirth.” Anyone who is aware of and interested in my history knows that I have been killed at least twice in my life time and have earned the title. Only a few other men and women have ever earned the title and I have not met any of them. In short it is a respected title that comes from my homeland.” Thor slowly stand up and walks around the room.

"I still don't see the point of this Thor you are who you are and you need to act like it. You have shed more blood than the average man would accept losing all in the pursuit of your chase for the top of the company. I don't know how to prove this to you but the truth is that you are at the top of your game. While many don't think you are a threat you need to remind them of what you are capable of. So go out there and kick Brody's ass and show the world that you are a force to be reckoned with. Or are you just going to roll over and let them politic you out of the FWF?"

Thor falls silent and sighs as he pours another glass of ice water from the pitcher. Taking a drink he lets his slowly rising anger cool back down. “I must ask about Castle Thorn, where exactly is it located?” Thor grins as he thinks of his secluded home. Yes it would be safe sharing where it was located because it was on privately own property. “Ahh Castle Thorn, the family homestead. I will be honest when I say that it’s walls have seen much in the way of drama and excitement. Currently the castle, which I had transported from its original resting place via a rather complicated arrangement, rests on the western side of the Colorado Rockies. It is nice quiet and secluded. The air is fresh and the scenery is beautiful beyond believe. I am happy with the location and it is one that many people would find hard to get to so my privacy is kept intact.”

Thor takes a deep breath as he slowly paces the garden of Castle Thorn trying to keep his frustration from getting the best of him. He could hear the sounds of his adopted daughter playing with his niece and grandchildren in the distance. Somehow, those sounds were only making him even more frustrated. He suspected that no matter what he did in this life it would never be enough to make himself proud enough of his accomplishments. He had failed so many times in the past that he was waiting for his next failure. The need to succeed was what drove his need for immortality by holding as many wrestling titles as he could. His need for immortality came from a deep seated feeling of insecurity that no one else knew about. But in this case he would use that drive for immortality to not only protect his Universal Championship but would also earn him the right to move on to the second round of the Jealousy 8 Tournament. A win that would bring him one step closer to winning the Golden Ticket.[/center]