In The Office of Power . .

[Donovinh Krushchev]

Scene. The Outer Heaven Ragnarok Tower. Atop the highest floor, there stood Donovinh, the leader of the most powerful and successfull company in Ragnarok, and in the most truthful sense, the master of the city itself.. Gazing out through the glistening window before him, his arms folded behind his back, golden optics narrowed at the scene.

Donovinh was wearing a black-white-and-red suit with a cross down the front as his tie.. A golden-trimmed monocle fitted his left eye, and a brown pipe jutted forwarth from between his lips, a small stream of grey smoke slithering out from the pipe's exit. Donovinh unfolded his arms from behind him and turned, walking over towards his desk, on the farthest wall of the room from the eleveator door.

The room itself was of pure elegance, and took up the entire floor. The ceiling and the wall were painted in a white-and-red sponged fashion, adding a particularly old feel to the room.. The floor itself was wood, planks nailed down and finished off with a fine coating. The walls were lined with beautiful works of art, each dark and morbid, some even looking as though they were painted with blood. The lights upon the ceiling glistened with the faintest hint of red, which spread througout the rest of the room, enveloping it in their glow.

The furnishings in the room, too, were elegant.. Rare plants in their pots amongst the floor, blooming with their greens and their reds, flowers gleaming in the light with fresh dew, sprinkled upon them daily by Donovinh's secretaries. Along the left wall was a soft, red sofa of fine velvet, with black pillows of equally fine satin. To the right of the room, laid upon the wall, was Donovinh's television, flat-screen and quite large, though it was dark, not being used current;y. And, at the front of the room, where Donovinh walked, was his desk.. Also pure wood, with a black vase, which held a black rose.

Donovinh stopped infront of the desk, shoving one of his hands into his pocket. His other hand lifted up, and tapped a small, red button atop his desk, next to the vase. He leaned towards it, bending down, and murmered in his low, sophisticated accent.

"..Sylvia, please send Mr. Ambrosia up to meet with me for a moment.. And turn off the security cameras in my room, as well.. I wish to speak with him in complete privacy."

A small, girlish voice emitted a "Yes sir, Mr. Krushchev.." over the intercom system into Donovinh's room, and then there was silence, as Donovinh awaited Lucian's entrance.

[Lucian Ambrosia]

The repeated sound of his boots hitting the tile floor echoed throughout the corridor, his body quickly moving through the long hallway to make it to the elevator, in which he only had a floor or two to ride through. The personel in the corridor suddenly retreated at the sight of his crimson visage, as Lucian had grown accustomed to over his tenure with Outer Heaven. There was a certain aura about Lucian that rubbed people the wrong way, atleast here in the office building. Everyone else was dressed for business, whereas he was dressed for his own type pf 'business'. He paid them no mind as he entered the elevator , watching the silver doors close immediately after he was settled. The elevator began moving after he had touched the top button, one that was only accessible through a fingerprint scan on the button itself. A Sentry Elite would have access, and that was what he was, unknown to those other personel on the lower floors.

When the elevator stopped, he exited immediately, standing in the elegant office of a man who enjoyed the finer things in life. Donovinh was indeed a rich man, and rich men found many ways to spend their wealth. He noticed the red light on the cameras in his office were turned off, so he expected something important.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?"

[Donovinh Krushchev]

When Lucian entered the room, Donovinh was once again staring out his window, his cold yellow optics glinting from the city's never-ending artificial lights.. Flashing and blinking below. The massive neon rings that surrounded the Outer Heaven tower also provided a massive light for the city.. Though they couldn't take the place of actual sunlight, they did help to brighten a vast majority of the city's streets. The rings' actual purpose was only known to Donovinh.. He had personally came up with their secrets himself, but had only told a small staff of engineers..

And once they were done.. Well, Donovinh had no more use for them.

Donovinh bothered naught to turn around to face Lucian. Not because Donovinh was scared of Lucian, like the rest of the Outer Heaven company.. Goodness, no. In fact, it was quite the contrary. Donovinh held Lucian in respect, but he was also aware of the chain of power.. And, for whatever reasons Donovinh held within the confines of his mind, he was quite sure that Lucian was his Sentry, no matter what..

"Ah, Lucian.. Yes, I did. I'm sure you've no doubt heard of plans of protest on the streets lately..? Some people aren't too happy with the fact that we control the military.. That we're holding all the cards. Goodness, no.. That doesn't bode too well with them." Donovinh spoke softly, calmly.. Though, in his voice, a hint of tension was there. Not fear or anger, just a bit of tension, ever lingering with the syllables pronounced from his voice box. "..I want you to command a small unit of soldiers to watch the streets.. Be discreet, dress as civilians, do what it takes, just don't be suspicious. If you see any irregular activity, send at least one soldier to check it out, and report to me. This will continue until further notice.."

Donovinh stopped briefly, then turned around, staring at Lucian closely. A small stack of smoke emerged from Donovinh's pipe, and disappeared, dissipating into the air. Donovinh smiled.. A kind of strange, sadistic smile, but a smile, none-the-less.. As if he was amused by something. "..Oh, and further sources tell me we might be recieving an.. Interesting visitor in Ragnarok, soon. If your men happen to find a suspicious man with silver hair.. Don't bother to track him. Do not approach him.."

Donovinh turned back around, and looked up at the dark sky, which held no moon or stars. Only darkness. '..After all, it's no fun playing with the kings and queens until all of the pawns have been taken care of..' Donovinh thought in the back of his mind, chuckling mentally. "..That is all."

[Lucian Ambrosia]

The faint sound of air being whisked in all directions was heard from outside the window, getting closer and closer as the moments passed. A few stray lights from the helicopter entered through the glass in Donovinh's office, catching Lucian's eye for a brief moment. The light only helped accentuate the mass office Donovinh had built for himself, the one in which he stood right now. The relationship between he and his boss was a good one, almost a 'partnership', though he had no desire to hold the power Donovinh did. He was merely Donovinh's "eyes and ears" in the outside world, and also his personal protector. Lucian removed the crimson veil over his body to reveal a tailored suit that he obviously used his salary to buy. He set the clothing on the back of the chair infront of him, running his right hand through his raven-colored hair to straighten it out. He listened to Donovinh's words closely, understanding his duty, but it was the last part that seemed to bother him. Donovinh never 'backed down' to anyone. He had been working side by side with him for years, and not once did he ever shy away from anything. Lucian pulled the back of the chair out to make the seat accessible, seating himself at the desk in the corner of the office, where Donovinh's personal computer was tied into his own network.

"This problem will go away as long as you keep feeding them the constant "Good Will", Donovinh." Lucian always addressed Donovinh as "Sir" infront of any other personel, but when he was absolutely positive no one was listening, he and Donovinh conversed as normal people. "And this "silver-haired man", is he the same one we have on file?"

Lucian , again, passed the fingerprint scan over the keyboard, allowing him access to the personal network Donovinh had set in his office. He had studied every ID profile in this computer several times, but there was one that had always captured his eye. Sephirah Verus. Rumor had it from those religious people in Eidolon that Sephirah was the one who had opened the Doors. He was the center of everything, and he knew that didn't sit well with Donovinh. If there was a way to bring this Sephirah down, Donovinh would surely find it. He had that much faith in his boss.

[Donovinh Krushchev]

"Ah, yes.. The 'Good will'. But good will can only go so far.. You should understand that, Lucian. No matter how much we give them, it's never enough to silence those die-hard liberating worms.. Give them an inch, and they'll take a mile. In other words.. If they catch wind of even the slightest immoral action from such a trusted company, they'll put their stubborn wills to the test against us. And we absolutely cannot have that, now, can we?" Donovinh murmered this under his voice, though audible enough for Lucian, with his trained ears, to hear. "..The last thing I need are the runts of the society piling up around my tower and destroying everything I have worked to achieve.. And I will not have them tearing down my dreams.. My goals.."

Donovinh closed his eyes for a moment.. Though it was not a remorseful look that became his face. Instead, a strange, sadistic smirk once more graced his lips, and small fangs protruded from his teeth.. Not vampire fangs, or even the fangs of a beast.. Just fangs that were slightly sharper than that of a normal person. Almost.. Altered.

Donovinh turned around and looked at Lucian once more at the mention of the silver-haired fellow, watching Lucian go over the files. There was little information kept on the files themselves, though Donovinh didn't keep any extremely important information on the R.B.O network in the city's tower.. All the special information was either stored in Donovinh's mind, or on highly-classified files on his private island, located elsewhere. "Yes.. That's the one. I know you've heard of him.. Seen him in the files. It's best that we don't.. Provoke him. I'm not going to forget him, of course.. He will eventually come for us.."

Donovinh walked over to the desk, and stopped at it. He looked at Lucian, then walked around to stand behind Lucian.. Gazing down at the monitor, staring at Sephirah's face on the computer's file. "..And I can assure you, Lucian.. When Mr. Verus pays us a visit.. We will be ready." Donovinh grinned, putting his hand gently upon Lucian's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "..I hope you have enough respect for me not to further question my plans than that. I'd like to keep it.. Secret.. For now, hm?"

[Lucian Ambrosia]

Lucian had many questions about this man, who Donovinh seemed to know quite well. He was the only one with an ID profile on Donovinh's network, which had to say something. If this was indeed someone that important, he had a feeling one day or another he would run into this "Sephirah", but with all the talk Donovinh had made about him, he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to. His eyes watched over the screen for a few more moments before looking over his right shoulder at Donovinh. He didn't question his bosses motives or actions on this particular subject, even though there was a good chance he was underestimating someone of Sephirah's stature. Donovinh, however, made a good point about the way the civilians handle corporations such as the one he owned. "Give an inch, and they take a mile", which was far too true for the people of Ragnarok.

"I'll make sure to keep away from this.."Sephirah", but if you don't mind me asking, what is it about him that worries you? The stories of him opening the "Doors" were just that. Stories."

Lucian didn't believe anything that was rumored, or taught, by the 3 Sages. Not one man held that kind of power in the palm of his hand, not even Donovinh. If Sephirah entered the city of Ragnarok, his life would end. Of that, Lucian was positive.

[Donovinh Krushchev]

"Were they, Lucian?" Donovinh smiled softly and released Lucian's shoulder, letting it free from his strong, though careful grasp. Again, Donovinh would never try to hurt Lucian.. He had far too much respect for the man as a soldier. Donovinh understood what it meant to be a soldier.. The respect you needed from your allies, and the fear demanded from your enemies. That was the stuff legends were made of.. Fear. If you wanted to be a legend, the people had to fear you.. They never spoke of great heroes in these times. No.. People only talk of destruction and hatred.. Of the things that they fear. That was what it was all about.

"Let me relinquish unto you a little fact of life, my friend..: Never say something is just a 'story'. Stories can come to life.. Fantasies can become reality. For example, Lucian.. The technologies we have built these days.. In the past, people would never had dreamed of them. Would call them 'stories'. But we have created them." Donovinh raised his hand up to about chest-height, and looked down at it. He slowly opened his hand, revealing his palm, and he stared intently at it. "..Power is never-ending, Lucian.. We can only strive to gain more, and more, and more.. And with more power comes more 'stories'. For all we know.. We could all, one day, evolve to be as powerful as this 'Sephirah' is rumored to be. But until then.. All we can do is strive for power."

[Lucian Ambrosia]

Being apart of the Outer Heaven corporation was something no one took lightly. Working for Donovinh directly was something else entirely. Few mean honestly deserved the title of 'genius', but Donovinh not only earned it; he demanded it. A man with that kind of knowledge was indeed dangerous, but there was something else that seemed to drive him aside from his quest for power. For years, Lucian had questioned it, tried to figure it out just by watching the man, but it just wasn't something you could pick out from someones actions. Lucian gently leaned back in the comfort of his computer chair, placing both his feet on the edge of the desk, glancing back and forth between the computer monitor, and the large bay window behind Donovinh's desk. Just as Donovinh finished his speech, he felt the vibration of his cellular device, his right hand reaching down to retrieve it from his pocket. There was no one on the actual device, simply a message displayed in simple text. He held the device outward towards Donovinh's face, knowing his vision wasn't as good as it used to be.

Report: Meeting with the board commitee for the city is tonight at 7. We've spotted the silver-haired man in Eidolon. Awaiting further instructions.

Lucian simply smiled, clicking the top button on the device to close it's screen, inserting it back in his pocket. He looked back up at Donovinh, removing his feet from the desk to stand on them, pushing the computer chair back inwards towards the desk. This meeting would be an important one for Donovinh and Outer Heaven, as they were negotiating an Outer Heaven-ran security system to secure the city. It was just another step forward in the plan to expand beyond the city, and control everything. Lucian would deal with the silver-haired man soon enough, but for now, he pointed his right arm out to the door, allowing Donovinh to exit first.

"Shall we?"

[Synthos Warrick]

Coming from the base of Ragnarok itself, he was walking into the Outer Heaven office, going through it. Tonight it wasn't raining here....odd he thought. As he went through the office he found himself at the secretary at the base-level. He went to her walking, in his normal clothing the black pants with a white under shirt with a chain, and with a jacket that had fur at the top with his weapon by his right side. Everyone here knew him as the secretary, was startled when she saw him. It was clear, that he was known here as "Synphyre" for his battle skills and his personality being as fierce as fire itself, along with being the truly bred demon. And 'Syn' came from his first portion of his name, and being the Syn of hell. His face remained emotionless as he went to her and spoke to the secretary.

"Is Mr. Donovinh in?

Yes, why?

"If you must know, I seek to be the Sentry Elite."

The secretary became ashtonished was this true? She immediatly told him the whereabouts.

"He is upstairs in his room."


He went over to the stairs, going up it as he knocked on the door and then enterred te room his face emotionless.

"Mr. Donovinh? Your secretary sent me here to see you, for position of Sentry Elite. The city itself knows who I am, and your secretary downstairs recomends me to be one for she knows everything about me...except my past. Do you approve?"

[Donovinh Krushchev]

Donovinh nodded to Lucian, and they had both stood up to leave the office. Donovinh heard the phone ring from another room below, but he ignored it.. The phone rang all the time here, why would it be so different now? Donovinh crossed his arms back over his chest and began walking with Lucian to the door, turning the security cameras back on simply by clapping his hands together. The red lights on the cameras turned back on, letting him know that they were activated. Just as Donovinh was at the door, he was stopped by a brown-haired man coming in.

'What the Hell..? Doesn't my secretary inform me of these things before someone comes waltzing into my office? Ugh..' Donovinh thought in the back of his mind, but listened to what the man had to say, anyway. Donovinh smirked, then glanced at Lucian, before looking back at the man. "Well, Lucian is my Sentry Elite.. But.. You have a chance of being a Sentry, none-the-less. Discuss it with Lucian.. Maybe he can.. Test you. As for now, I have to--"

Kra-BOOM.

"..What the Bloody Hell.." Donovinh murmered, hearing an explosion from outside the building. The secretary suddenly came over the intercom, and called out to Donovinh, "Mr. Krushchev? Uh.. We have a slight situation here."

[Lucian Ambrosia]

(This story will continue in the thread "Sephirah's Arrival: The Beginning Of The End")

Sephirah's Arrival: The Beginning Of The End