As the executioner sharpened his axe, he shook his head.

  He had been working all morning due to Her Imperial Majesty’s violent excursion with her empire class mobile cog named: Her Wrath.

  It seems this last 20th excursion ending in failure left an anger unchecked in Her Imperial Majesty.

  She ended up sinking an entire leviathan class mobile cog transport off the Serius coast to the east. The mercantile allied rebellion would feel this for sure. The loss of life must have been catastrophic. While a mobile cog transport isn't rare in this ever expanding world, losing a flag ship of such a caliber that it was called the White Whale would surely put a dent in their plans. Not that he cared or could talk, for his job was that of the gallows.

  “Seems sharp enough, time to get back to work,” the executioner said with satisfaction.

  —--------

  Present time

  —---------------

  I spread my magical will and entered a state ready to fight at a moments notice.

  Her ladyship must have sensed that I was reading for a fight, so she followed my lead and readied herself.

  He appeared right in front of me, with a slight tilt of his hooded head, he talked through his covered face mask much like his mobile cog. “Stand down, weapon, I am your instructor.”

  Hot anger spread across my psyche, I almost lost myself to it, but I caught Her Ladyship's emerald green eyes peeking from behind her crimson hair. It was clear, she wanted me to stand down.

  I worked it over in my head, this imperial agent was clearly at least of his 10th cog. Even if Lady Cerys and I together, we would have trouble taking him down. The backlash from doing such would be worse for me as well. Add that to the fact that acting in such a way would go against my deal with the Empress, it would not be prudent to fight this man.

  “Yes, instructor!” I stated as I hit a salute. “For the imperial will!”

  Cerys also hit a salute right after, her shoulders depressing a tad, most likely being glad I didn't choose to fight that man.

  That man watched both Cerys and I for an extended period of time. Ever so often, his magical will would fluctuate heavily or lightly. He then looked around a bit. Stared mostly at the weapons. “Erec, one or two” he asked.

  For a nano second I wondered what he was getting at. “One, my instructor, sir!" I stated, still holding my salute. Hot anger still deep in my throat.

  He took even more time, still in between now and whatever he was seeing in the future. Then his mana signature died down abruptly. “For the eternal service, at ease” he then pointed at an out building about a hundred meters away. “Get yourselves dressed in your pilot underclothes then meet me at the foot of the duelist class mobile cog.” He then turned on a dime and vanished. I could still feel his magical will, but couldn't ever spot him with my physical sight.

  I turned to parade rest, about faced and started jogging over to the out building. Excitement started building up in my gut, even if that person was over there, souring up the experience.

  I would now pilot a mobile cog. All work, yes! I celebrated in my mind as we both got to the building.

  Cerys went in first, so I just stood at parade rest and observed the surroundings. The tarmac was a white washed magi-tarmac meant to survive plenty of punishment. Perfect for training in tier five and up mobile cogs. At one point, a magic attuned person will become so destructive, that mundane objects will simply crumble no matter what said person does. Every waking second of a truly powerful magically enhanced person is that of caution and temperance. It would be unfortunate if a poor mundane human got dusted all because a magician lost their focus for a moment. That reminds me. I then turned to make sure I was in the current time and, unfortunately, I wasn't. I quickly used the hourglass to retune myself to the flow of time. Cerys then exited the out building in her pilot underclothes. The underclothes were a dull burgundy padded waffenlock, padded chauses over a quilted hose, leather gloves and a padded coif all with clips and belt loops to fastest herself in when assimilating. All this with her noble crest on her right chest.

  She saw me looking and performed a mock curtsey as though she was in a full dress, as though we were at a ball. “The gentleman may now use the out building” she then winked and immediately turned to parade rest.

  I was almost stunned into a catatonic state. Almost. I then tried to turn the tables. “I would ask such a fine lady to a dance, but don't have my dancing shoes on, pardon me, I will be but a moment.” As it were, the blush was forming on my face so I slowed time, went into the building, went back to normal time, quickly pulled my clothes off, put on the outfit, stowed my clothes in a locker, slowed time again and then exited the building. Cerys was just starting to turn towards my position when I returned to my earlier place like nothing changed and resumed time.

  She tsk’d at me and was about to reprimand me when I took her hand and performed a formal dance acceptance bow. She looked taken aback, so my plan worked, but she just moved her hand out of the position I had it in and turned around, starting to walk over to the duelist class mobile cog.

  I smirked when I saw the faintest blush on her nose as I moved in step. We walked in silence until we were at the foot of my clearly new mobile cog. “Alright, suit up” the gravelly voice commanded.

  We split up and made our ways to our respective mobile cogs. Once I got to mine, I enveloped it with my will, checking it for an entrance point.

  I used my training boots as a platform and my hour glass as a balance to slowly float up above the duelist class mobile cog. There, on the houndskull bascinet, was a latch hidden just behind the back of the lowered hood to move the face plate upwards. I also noticed that it had a pin on the top of the handle. I tried to move the latch without removing the pin, but failed spectacularly.

  So, I removed the secondary safety device, the pin and moved the latch downwards, which then, with a whoosh, moved the houndskull upwards, opening the way. I then put the pin back into the latch. As I moved around the bascinet, I saw the entrance hidden behind where the faceplate would have been. The face plate now stowed upwards at a sixty degree angle on two hinges on each side. I then climbed in, feet first. Entering was easy. I continued to touch the inside of the helm with my will, seeing a second latch, with the same setup. Not wasting any time, I removed the pin and moved the latch, the face plate then closed shut with a clank. I then climbed downward into the half meter wide opening at my feet. As I climbed downward, I spotted many different copper cogs, protecting me from them with silicone-rubber sleeves. Putting my hand closer to one, to better feel them, I felt that they ran throughout the mobile cog, hundreds upon hundreds of copper cogs, all intersecting like a nervous system all converging at the middle where the master cog lay dormant and stowed at a seventy degree angle. Just enough to climb downwards past.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Copper was a perfect magical channel, great for people under the seventh cog. Once you hit the seventh cog, no amount of enchantments put into the copper would allow you to use it with your magical will without turning it to dust.

  As I finally got down to the bottom, I saw the chamber where I would be spending this training session.

  It was a dark place, barely seeable even with my magically enhanced body. I then willed a small node of a spark to rest above my right shoulder, taking in the scene. The floor was a shining grate, below it were the intersecting cogs for the lower half. As my vision drifted upwards, I spied the breath mask hanging from the top support bar, the spindly but secured breath tube was an insulated dual copper tube, covered in and out with special weaves of padded, dull white cloth. The enchantments in this piece regulated the flow of oxygen, so as not to overwhelm the pilot and cause unconsciousness. I strapped the mask onto my padded coif, feeling the steady flow of oxygen to my nose, I breathed out with my mouth to start the cycle of breathing.

  First step complete.

  Next came the monotonous task of strapping myself into the suspended harness. Once the last clip got into place, with my free arms, I started the step of sight. I saw the enchanted goggles that would allow me to do this. They were also secured to the other top support bar, this one slightly forward of the last. This one had multiple cogs connected to it, with two extension bars holding these cogs in place. These cogs all went outward, toward the furthest wall away from me, then upward, just out of the way that the main cog could slide inwards and not be stopped by them.

  I pulled on the goggles, bringing it to my face. Then, I grabbed one strap that was connected to one side of the goggles, and secured it to my left side strap, just above where the oxygen strap was. Same for the right side. After, I took a moment to turn my will to steel, and then flexed my will upon the main cog, willing it to take my magical energy.

  It slid into place with a sickening metal scraping sound.

  CACHUNK

  It then started to move, cog-wise.

  CACHINKCLANK

  The first ignition.

  CACHUNKCLANK

  Second ignition.

  My vision swam, then progressed to the multiple point of views of the magical will sights.

  I saw the world outside.

  Vision redefined, I saw everything with a clarity that couldn’t be put into worlds. Three-hundred-sixty degree view at full clarity.

  CACHUNKCLANK

  Third ignition.

  I felt my will connect me with the many cogs throughout the body. I could now move. I then willed myself to move, one step forward.

  For a very precious moment, the world seemed silent.

  My metal foot then hit the ground at my designated point.

  CLUNK

  CACHUNKCLANK

  Fourth ignition.

  I now felt my weapon systems come online. Mostly physical imprints of weapon forms that were stored as enchantments on the main cog. The other weapons were the will shields and will focuses meant specifically for exerting barriers for a multitude of purposes and for ranged magical will manipulation respectively.

  A smile appeared on my face, one borne of readiness, of excitement, of interest.

  Time to do this.

  I willed High ready.

  Clunk lunk clunk lunk

  That rhythm played out around me, muffled by my focus outside.

  I then turned to the chameleon class mobile cog, or where it was. It was no longer there. I then detected displaced air to my six O-cog. I attempted to move that way.

  A sword blade then scraped the outside of my back plates.

  A warning.

  “Stand down, weapon.” The now metallic voice of that reprehensible human warned.

  I knew it would never be this easy. I so desperately wanted to take revenge on this reprehensible wretch.

  I snapped a salute, loud, but clear in message. Willing low ready.

  The rhythm abated to a near silent clicking.

  You won this time.

  “You do not have the right to fight me as of yet, weapon.” The blade then moved back to his side as his voice never fluctuated once.

  He was no longer afraid of the me that existed right now.

  How long would that last, I wonder?

  “Choose your weapon.” he commanded.

  I then went into parade rest, about faced and made my way to the weapon racks a few paces away.

  Looking over them, I knew what one I desired to wield.

  The claymore. Never has there been such a knightly weapon such as this. High of quality, it was capable of dealing devastating wounds to the joints of any squire class cog in the form meant for that.

  What I readied myself for was peer to peer combat.

  Or in this case, weaker to stronger opponent combat.

  It was time to commit to the half sword.

  As I picked this respectable weapon up, keeping my focus on the hourglass floating to my top right, I made sure I was still in unpowered time.

  “You two will now duel, no holds barred until one unit cannot fight, be it structural damage or unconsciousness.” He instructed.

  I turned to Cerys, now endowed in her Respectable mobile cog.

  We performed the courtesy flourish of weapons up to the middle, parallel to the faceplate, then outward and back, to the ground.

  I willed high ready.

  Clunk lunk clunk lunk

  I moved.

  My sword instantly going into a half swording stance in the upward right position, parrying and reposting her crushing blow of that massive hammer directed at my neck joint.

  SCHWANG

  Her hammer slid harmlessly off my right pauldron, leaving a groove, then immediately started moving upwards to crush and possibly trip my right outstretched leg. I stepped into my thrust, pointing the tip of the weapon at the neck of her mobile cog.

  Simultaneously, her palisade shield intercepted my thrust, the sword glancing leftwards, toward open air.

  clunk

  Her spiked hammer just missed my leg, due to my step forward which she then started bringing upwards in an overhead motion to this time strike at the exposed right side of the mobile cog’s bascinet.

  I brought the Sword back, pushing with fervor upwards, catching the blow before it gained momentum with the up positioned hilt to the wrist of her weapon hand. In the same motion, I reposted and slid the weapon to the top corner, over her shield and under her neck, tearing the pourpoint and making a groove in the mobile cog’s now exposed metal clavicle.

  A grating metal scraping sound erupted.

  Shifting the top, right gauntleted hand down the sword blade, I tried to strike the sharp, now magically charged sword into the enemy's now exposed armpit. Her shield made short work of that move.

  She slammed the pure burgundy magi-metal shield into my left side shoulder and arm.

  The sound of a tin can being crushed under the foot of a bored rabble-rouser played out.

  She gained distance.

  I could not let this happen.

  I slowed time to about seventy percent, keeping focus on my hourglass to make sure to not go too far.

  Her dual focus shoulder mounted salamander class magical weapons started to glow.

  I had to hurry. With an effort of will I moved to the left, around her palisade. She was tracking my movements, but slowly.

  Her weapon fired. Glancing my right paudron, turning it into half slag, half super heated metal, glowing with the rage of magma. The report of the weapon then rang out. A half whistle half crack of a magical discharge made itself known in my right ear mostly.

  The heat struck me through everything. I then started sweating profusely.

  With the momentum of that impact, I changed footing, flipped my sword into mordhau grip, pushed out my sword, catching her right side ankle and with an effort of will, pulled my sword back with both my mobile cog’s grip and my metal manipulation, pulling her leg backwards.

  I twisted my sword into an upwards position, pulled it back and let her fall with momentum.

  CRASH

  Her plated knee hit the magi-crete hard, making zero progress in hurting that super hard material.

  Her projectile of magical output then impacted the far wall, causing another shockwave, followed by an intense heatwave and then a sonic boom.

  POP

  I heard nothing. deafness.

  She moved her shield to cover her back, back nape and shoulders.

  Ignoring my loss of hearing, I flipped the sword back into half swording. I then raised my sword over my head, point down, in the same instant, stepped to her left, clearing her shield, with a turn, I then jammed the tip of the sword into the groove I made earlier.

  The effect was instant.

  My sword, charged up with electromagnetic energy, glowed red, sparking violently.

  I then forced the sword further down with an effort of will and my glowing, less heated right pauldron.

  All movements from her halted.

  My sword pierced her main cog.

  I retracted all power in the blade that moment, making sure zero charged magical energy made it to Cerys.

  I instantly disengaged, pulling the sword from the puncture hole, focusing on the hour glass, letting time return to normal.

  I looked around, taking in the battlefield. The impact of the magical discharge my main point of interest and shock. The wall there, missing, turned to hot scalding lava. Around the area, a pitch black soot settled on the ground. The instructor appeared in front of Cerys’ crippled mobile cog, stepped forward, put a right hand on the latch, pulling the pin while deftly pressing the release of the helm downwards with his pinky finger. The klapsinvisors’ face plate shot up exposing the entrance.

  My ears popped, returning nearly to normal. A faint ringing that was still evident made a mark on the timeline of the battle.

  It was over.

  I slammed into a perfect salute, the now more calm right pauldron glowing less and less by the moment.

  The claymore, facing downwards in my left hand.

  “Still your cog, weapon.” The instructor stated with a tinny but gravelly command.

  I thought of challenging him, but a warning from my cogs told me that I needed rest. I had only been at seventy percent of normal time for less than twenty seconds. Although that level of power would have been less difficult in my human form, I would have never pulled that off without this mobile cog.

  I started the powerdown sequence as I felt the entrance of Her Ladyship’s mobile cog with my magical will. I felt her magical signature, slightly agitated and doubtful, but alive.

  An exhale escaped my mouth, one I hadn't realized I held in.

  I then went to the lengthy process of undoing the synergy with the mobile cog.

  I believed that this weapon would serve me well in the coming future.