Seven Eight Nine

**Date Started:** Dec 26, 2019
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Users Involved:** User:GranCrux, User:GeminiVIII
**Setting:** Seven,
**Characters Involved:**
* Darius Baldrick, Reese Griffenhardt

The country of Seven. A prosperous republic, the discovery of Sevenium making it not only a country that led Technology in the modern era, but also allowed it a great many of military advances as well. The Republic of Seven is what is was known as to the outside world. Some knew it was the country that represented the future and everything it would stand for. It's forests vast and plenty, resources used to their maximum potential, efficiency on its side forever and always.

At least that's what it looked like to an outsider. But like any country, Seven had issues it would rather keep within it's borders. Any issue that had grown within recent years.

"Isn't Seven just great!?" A man spoke, driving a carriage. On the sides of the courage stood one guard each, totaling in four. The horse seemed to be at ease, after all, nothing threatened it in the slightest. The driver looked back into the carriage towards the man he'd be escorting, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, It's fucking wonderful..." A deep voice muttered from the back of the carriage, more than a sliver of sarcasticness noticeable in his voice as he sat, his arms and legs crossed in a plush seat. He slightly rolled his eyes as he looked out of the window to his left, taking in the scenery and watching the lands of Seven break over the horizon as he let out a deep sigh.

"How Long..." The man bellowed as he uncrossed his legs and leaned slightly forward as he addressed the man, a band now becoming apparent on his arm laid atop his large muscles, soon hidden under a cloak that draped over the man's body as he leaned over.

The man seemed to hold a smile event amidst Darius’s sarcastic display. “Aww c’mon now Mister, turn that frown upside down! Don’t wanna attract any nearby Therion now do we?” The man spoke, trying to keep his energy up. Hopefully counter balancing the negative vibes emanating from Darius.

“We’ll be reaching the capital in an hour or so, if you look forward you can actually see the top of Azoté Tower!” The man pointed towards the tower, a small, ball-like entity from the top of his hat seemed to point towards the tower as well. The tower was obviously of immense size if any part of it was visible from afar. One could only imagine its grand size and majestic aura when up close.

"Yeah...wonderful." Darius said sarcastically, putting on a large fake smile for the man before leaning back into his seat, his arms crossed, sitting in wait for their arrival.

The man looked back towards Darius, turning around to focus back on the road ahead, yet the entity atop his hat continued to face Darius in his steed. “What’s got you so low friend? Anything I can do to cheer you up?” He spoke, becoming more anxious about his surroundings. So too did the horse, almost as if it too could feel Darius’s unease.

Darius raised an eyebrow to the small figure at the top of the man's head, feeling the shaking of the carriage as it moved along the road. Darius let out a large sigh before leaving forward once again, caving into the antics of the man and his...companion.

"Okay, since you wanna help so damn bad, tell me a joke lil guy." Darius remarked with a small grin, awaiting the joke he asked for.

The man seemed to ponder the strange request, going through his archives of jokes in an attempt for one that could be of interest. “Hmm, well I’m not the best with jokes. Last time I tried, my mother-in-law was so pissed that a raid of Therion fell upon our village. That’s the day I finally met the rest of my wives family! HAHAHA!!” He laughed out, yet he didn’t look back, instead listening for the sound of laughter from behind.

Darius cleared his throat deeply, taking a second as his fist was at his mouth. "HARHARHARHARHAR!" Darius let out a loud and deep fake laugh, trying his hardest to make it sound authentic to please the hat.

The man had a beaming smile on his face. “Aww shucks Mister, glad I could cheer you up!” The man spoke. The entity upon his hat either bought into Darius’s faux laughter, or simply didn’t want to push an unchanging situation. Reverting back to a seeming inanimate decoration upon the hat.

“It is a shame though, with the whole crisis and all. I imagine that’s why the Council of Five wanted so many guards surrounding us.” The man continued, hoping to make small talk.

"Crisis? What Crisis?" Darius questioned, slightly confused by the mention of a question. Due to his devotion to his role as a legal mage and one of S class, he was more oblivious than he should be to most events outside of Fiore and immediate involvement to him, his guild or the magic council, so this truly came as a bit of a shock to him.

The man let out a brief sigh, focusing the rein of the horse. “Ah, I assumed you knew. Silly of me. News of the crisis is being kept strictly within Seven boundaries, so no wonder you haven’t heard.” The guards to the man’s sides seemed to tense slightly as the conversation progressed. “In the past four years, there’s been an increase in the Therion population in Seven. Those...things have existed here for centuries and have always been a pain, but lately they’ve become dangerous. Now, they threaten the very existence of Seven’s population. It’s dark times for us but, we’ll get through it, we always do.” The man spoke, looking forward to see how much closer they’d been getting to the capital.

"That unfortunate. I wonder if that's the reason for this meeting." Darius remarked, his questions sitting in the back of his mind as he awaited their arrival.