A clockwork demo (Ardere only)

A clock is a piece of machinery used to measure the time. Traditional clocks use gears and weights to turn hands in order to tell someone what time it is. Sometimes these are adjusted for timezones and sometimes a clock seems to gain or lose seconds or more. The reason behind this was simple or at least it was simple to a certain man. It was his belief that the reason that time could not be accurately measured was because nobody had made a clock suitable to do so. Time was relative. Gravity could effect it. A day is not a fixed length of time. However, time clearly happened because otherwise things would not have time to occur in and so everything would stop. A perfect clock would measure the very tick of the universe. That was his goal. To make the perfect clock.

At first he had been a mortal human with a gift for clockwork and magic. Yet as time progressed he realised that his body was not like clockwork. It could not be simply wound back up or have a gear replaced. Eventually his tick would stop and it would not start again. That was why he began the painful process of replacing parts of his body with clockwork. There was very little remaining of his human self except his brain and part of his heart.

His name was Tempus and he was the clockwork man. Yet unlike a clock his motions were not stiff or jerky. No, he had managed to create a body that mimiced humanity in allmost all ways except appearence.

Now he travelled the world searching out ancient secrets and new technologies to try and make his perfect clock. A clock that would one day power his body so that he was no longer susceptible to things like gravity's effect on time. Time was his enemy and yet it was his ally. He wielded it like a sword and shield, but only to defend himself from it.

He was a wanderer and a scholar of time in all its forms and yet he was not inactive in the affairs of the world either. His heart had always been noble and whilst his transformation had lead to some insanity his morals still existed. He defended the weak from others. Not because they were weak, but because he didn't like the idea of people 'stealing time' from others. He punished the lazy and encouraged them to not 'waste time'. Time was him and he was time. Or at least as close to it as many others.

It was on one such foray into the defense of a civilian that he met a certain man. His own blade, shaped to mimic the hour hand of a clock struck down knocking the dagger out of a man's hand who was stooping over a beggar.

"You dare to steal time from someone who might not have much left? You dare to make what time they may have worse? You waste your own time on things like this?" he said stepping into the gap between them as the man glared. The attempted thief swung his fist at Tempus, but found that somehow Tempus had flowed perfectly around it like a cog around another cog and trapped his arm. "You have strength and speed. There are greater things you could be doing with your time. Do not waste it hurting others for greed. Use it to defend people and make them happy." He glanced up as he sensed someone nearby. "Don't you agree? Or have you instead come to defend this one?" Tempus asked of the man as he knocked the thief back with a simple palm strike. Or at least it seemed so at first, but once he'd flown back a few feet the man seemed to freeze in midair. Unable to move. "Trapped in time he cannot waste it."

Now that he could observe the man more closely and had seen some of his mannerisms he could recognise him. This was one of the guildmasters of the mage guilds. A man called Ardere Kasai. The one who was said to embody the very esssence of the hydra and yet followed a samurai code all of his own. A powerful individual indeed and one worthy of respect. His suspicions were confirmed when the man introduced himself. It truly was Ardere Kasai. He returned the slight bow and spoke.

"I did not protect this man because he was in distress. Nor did I attack the man behind me because he was a villain." he said calmly in response. "I just do not like to see people trying to steal time from others or waste their own time in such purposes. The time of people like you or people like them it fleeting. In the blink of an eye your existence is gone with only memories of your deeds to echo on through time left and yet so many waste that existence or try to take it from others. That is not right."

In truth his wording basically meant the same thing. He defeated those who wasted their time or tried to steal it from others. Essentially he defended people against villains. "This beggar may not have much in his existence at this moment, but a clock stopped before its time is a sin. I will do what I can to keep those clocks wound as I work towards my goal."

He paused briefly and in the silence a faint ticking could be heard as if something was being processed. "My name, though it is insignificiant in truth, is Temporis Aeterni, though those who get to know me save some time by calling me Tempus." He turned to face the man he had frozen in time and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the man's time returned and he flew into the wall. He was clearly frightened by Tempus and now that he had noticed Ardere his fear had doubled.

Another sword appeared in Tempus' other hand. This one seemed thinner and more akin to the minute hand of a clock. With a sweep of the blade a strange energy rippled out and the damage to both the wall and the individual was reversed back to before the impact had happened. "You have wasted your time, but desperation can lead to such acts. In your pouch you will find a small amount of jewels. Use them wisely to build yourself a better life. If you are caught again then I will be forced to take your time from you and this time it will be permanent. I do not wish to do such a thing. It is a loss, but to allow a thief of time to thrive is a threat. This is your hour of redemption. Do not waste it."

"Everyone is worthy of a second chance. Time is too precious to steal recklessly. However, he will find himself swiftly punished should he waste his time once more. The bag of jewels I gave him...is not a normal bag." he said no more on the matter and instead decided to turn his focus onto the question at hand. It was an interesting question and one that at first would seem obvious, but also not. "You ask what magic I wield? I would assume based on what you've seen you would guess that it is time or something related to it and with that you are mostly correct. However..." he seemed to vanish and appear a fair distance away almost instanously and in each of his hands a sword was wielded. One was long and thin and the other was shorter and broader. Together they looked like a pair of intricate clock hands and yet it was clear that they would be as effective as most weapons at stabbing or slashing. They might not the match of the sword wielded by Ardere, few were, but they were a formidable pair of weapons.

"...what my magic truly is can be described as is the embodiment of the measurement of time via clockwork and clockwork itself. My body as you can see is not organic or at least its mostly not organic. Over time I have replaced parts of it with clockwork and with each new part my power over my magic has grown." he stabbed the hour sword into the ground and a pulse of magical energy flowed around. Everything within a fairly large radius froze in time with the exception of himself and Ardere. "With it as you have seen I can stop and rewind time. I can also fast forward it." as an example of this he threw a coin and then snapped his fingers and suddenly it was a lot further forward than it should of been based on his throw. It was if it had moved immensely fast and then slowed back to the same pace. "I can grant time to things to extend their duration or rob things of time to do the opposite. However, time manipulation is not all that I can do."

With that he lifted the hour sword and time unfroze. As it did so gears began to form around him which began to shape into what seemed to be a physical, although clockwork, replica of Ardere complete with sword. It even had a magic signature that resembled his. "This is perhaps the greatest gift that my magic bestows upon me. A greater knowledge of clockwork and time allowing me to create things such as this based on things I have observed in time. It cannot of course mimic your power or skill, but clothed correctly and with an illusion spell or two such things can be useful distractions." he looked at the clockwork figure with a fondness that he rarely showed to most things. Generally, the only thing he cared about was clockwork and his goal though as that involved clockwork perhaps clockwork was enough of a summary.

"As for you Ardere...you are now the Ardent one. One who wields the power of the black flames. You are the fire king and one who slays the gods themselves with your flames." he said and around the clockwork figure black flames began to sprout. However, if observed closely those flames were two made of tiny intricate cogs spinning rapidly to generate heat. A poor representation of the intense flames the Fire King could produce, but as a rapidly created copy it was fairly good. "I may not be well known, but there are few who have not heard of Fire King Ardere Kasai, the man who was once said to have taken on the entire Savage Skull guild single handedly and emerged unscathed." A faint smile came to his face as an idea came to his mind.

"I wonder if you are wise as they say you are. Based on what you have seen and heard of my powers what would you guess would happen to that thief should he waste the chance I have given him by spending those jewels on...let's say drugs or one of the young girls on the street corner a few blocks down." Based on what he had said there were many potential answers, but he wondered if Ardere would be smart enough to work out what Temporis would do based on what he knew of him. "And another question. Based on their physical properties and their names what would you guess is the difference between my Hour Hand and Minute Hand?"

The idea that had come to the mind of this guildmaster was an interesting one. If the jewels were wasted they would turn to dust and thus if the man spent them in some wasteful ways it could end up with his time being taken from him. A rather interesting idea indeed. That being said it was not the correct one. "A good idea and one i'll have to consider. However, what will happen is that for each jewel wasted he will age one month by human reckoning. I gave him 720 jewels. So should he waste all of them he will gain just over 60 years in terms of age." he said calmly though there was note of bittersweet remorse in his voice. "It is a harsh punishment, but as I said if he wasted his time again then he would lose it and permanently. His warning was there. I just wish such punishments were never necessary...perhaps one day."

Once more he was fairly impressed with the guildmaster's knowledge. It was a fairly good guess and about 50% accurate. "You are almost right. Both hands can do the exact same things and not just skips in time. However, the hour hand's effects are more powerful whilst the minute hand can be used more often." That was the main difference between them. An hour contained 60 times more time than a minute. The difference between them was not quite that extreme, but that was because the human concepts of an hour and minute weren't exactly definitive. They were human inventions and thus they were prone to be wrong. To a human an hour was always an hour, but time could be bent and shaped by all sorts of things or at least so he'd observed. A human hour travelling at the speed of light was a lot shorter than a human hour at the pace a normal human walked.

However, somewhere there was a true beat to the universe. A heartbeat from which all time was derived. Time had to exist because otherwise things could not move through space. So somehow there must be a true way to define time. The next question was intriguing. The infinity clock was something he had heard of. An ancient device that could warp perception of time and turn life into a real nightmare for those who heard its chimes. A very interesting piece of magical engineering if it existed.

"I have heard of the infinity clock and if such a thing truly exists it would aid my research. Not to use it, but to understand how it works and how it warps perception of time so greatly. Such a thing would be a good clue to my true goal which also involves a clock." he said and then considered the next question. Ardere was well known, but mostly for his destructive capabalities and his power as a mage. His personality was fairly well known, but it was not something that he'd studied.

"As you've shown interest in myself and my magic perhaps you have a job you need assistance with?" he suggested. It was one of several possibilities, but one that seemed simplest. "Perhaps involving said infinity clock or its pieces?"

"They have their uses, but I think if we were to compare swords then yours would be the superior." he said in response a slight smile on his face. There was one more trick he had up his sleeve. "Though I do have something that might even those odds somewhat." He flicked both swords up into the air and a third appeared in his hand thinner and longer than the others. As the two blades came down he held up this thinner one and caught the hour hand on one end. The third sword instantly lengthened slightly and became dull. With a slight twirl he caught the other sword on it so that it combined somehow with the hour hand forming a thicker and more impressively ornate looking blade. Once more the third sword, which was now revealed as a handle, lengthened till it was similar to that of a spear. "Three hands of the clock: Time piercing Spear formation." He paused and then seemed to come to a realization. "Though this probably doesn't really work when comparing to a sword. After all, it is a spear, but this..." the staff shrunk to form a sword handle. It was now truly a sword. The power of the three swords together in spear formation were far stronger than any of the seperate swords. However, by forming into a sword the power seemed to have been focused somewhat. "...probably works. Three hands of the clock: Time slicing sword formation. What do you think?"

The topic however changed. It was now about the infinity clock, which seemed to truly exist. Or at least Ardere seemed to think that it was. "It is hard to believe and not hard to believe that the clock exists even a single piece. Alone it could give some insight, but I can guarantee if all its parts were brought together then it would definitely provide some answers. If its truly real that is." This was not him doubting Ardere or calling him a liar. In truth he was 100% convinced that Ardere was 100% convinced the piece was real. However, without advanced knowledge it would be hard to be certain of its authenticity. Even he probably wouldn't be able to tell 100% and he had advanced knowledge of time. "With one piece it should be possible to detect the others." he paused considering the offer that Ardere had provided. "A guild membership would be interesting, but I do not know if that is the path for me. However, a partnership that would allow me to study this piece would be beneficial and such a device is not something I would hand over. The manipulation of time should not be left to just anyone. Especially on a large scale."

Tempus said nothing as the ship descended and instead formed a gear platform beneath himself and used that to levitate himself upwards onto the ship. He did not believe in wasting time. Occasionally, he would meander in conversation like he had with the swords, but that was relevent. A response to the question he was asked or a comment on the ship would just waste time. OR at least if asked that was what he would say in reality he was more interested in getting aboard the ship and getting at this piece of the infinity clock.

"In order to fully understand the infinity clock all its parts would be needed." he said as Ardere came aboard the ship. "However, providing its parts do not have too much temporal interference I might be able to see them without being physically near them and thsu get a more complete view. However, a clock is not a clock until it is assembled so at most I would say we would have 80% of the information." This was necessary information to impart or so he felt and it was not a waste of time to say such things. "That being said even 80% knowledge on it could give much greater knowledge when combined with the others things I know. A worthwhile endeavor."

His gaze focused on Ardere and he decided to ask a question."Has anyone else attempted to study the piece that is under your care? Any prior research could be useful." This was true. It might prove to be false leads, but even a false lead could lead to the truth eventually if only by ruling out those false leads.

Little information apart from what a samurai warrior famous for his combat prowess had. Not the best start, but it did mean there would not be any false leads. He could focus entirely from scratch for the most part. A good way to begin was at the start after all.

"You are Ardere Kasai, guildmaster of Infinity Hydra, a famous hero rivalling the fame of Zack Rose, Shuhei Kisaragi, Zeno, Heero Reynolds and the like. You have done much in your short life and nobody could say you have wasted your time." the man said in response. This was not a waste of time because as part of his understanding of time he needed to understand the movement and reasoning of creatures inside time. His first statement had been his opinion on Ardere so far. However, the past was past. It was not something that could easily be changed, unlike the future, which was the topic of his next questions. "However, that is your past. My question is what are your goals for the future? How do you plan to effectively use what little time you have in this life? What are your aspirations?" Had Ardere reached a state where he would no longer strive to do any more great acts except help a few people? Would he stagnate at this level or would he continue and do even more things. "You once attempted to take on an entire dark guild by yourself. Is that your goal? To bring down the dark guilds?"

Unlike Ardere the one known as Tempus did not really have any concept of morality. Justice, mercy, good, evil and the like were inventions of human kind. They were no more real than Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. If you took the universe and ground it down to the finest powder and sieve it through the finest sieve you would not find one atom of justice, one molecule of mercy and yet... and yet mortals act as if there is some ideal order in the world, as if there is some... some rightness in the universe by which it may be judged. It was all nonsense, but it was interesting nonsense and from the viewpoint of someone who was practically immortal it was these mortals belief's that made them what they were. Yet it was still not something that influenced Tempus. He had his goal and he would do what was necessary to achieve it. That being said he had no intention of taking the lives, or time as he referred to it, from those who used their time effectively. He only did that to people who wasted time or took it from others. It was his own brand of 'justice' though he would never refer to it as such.

With this he was curious if Ardere's definition of justice would have him take down the dark guilds because of different views and perspectives on the world. He'd heard some planned to conquer which wasn't necessarilly a bad thing if it benefited the world over all. Sure some freedom would be lost, but true freedom was an illusion. The dark guilds that seeked to take lives were perhaps more at fault, but even then he didn't know their reasons. Perhaps there was some logic within them. "If you plan to bring them down...why? Justice? Or something else?"

Leaning over the Black Suns railing, Ardere let out a slow breath. The clouds that hung overhead were a fluffy white, Cirrus group of clouds. It was a cool, calm day. But the question that had been posted was not as simple or as leisurely. Taking a moment before answering, the samurai turned to face Tempus. I spent a lot of time in a guild of bandits as a kid, not of my own volition of course. And in my time there I realized there's a lot of suffering in this world. People have such a short time on this planet, and they should spend it pursuing their dreams or relaxing with their families. Taking a moment before finishing his statement, the fire mage slid his hands into the pockets of his coat.

Bandits, dark mages, murderers and such make life harder for regular people and even mages. If I can prevent them from doing that, then maybe the world will be a bit easier to live in. And when the day comes, I can say I did something with my life that truly mattered. That is my goal. Infinity Hydra helps me do that, and I help them. It was obvious that there was a level of passion in the fire kings words. He had experienced a lot of pain in his time in this world, and he did not want others to experience what he had. The fame, the glory, it did not matter in the end. What mattered was how people remembered him after he died. Would he be a hero, or just one man who made a difference? Only time would tell, but he planned on making a difference. So tell me Tempus, where do you come from? What gave you this power and what do you plan to do with it other than make sure people don't waste their time? It was the guild masters turn now, for he was quite curious.

Making the world even a slightly better place. A simple goal at first glance yet filled with peril and hardship. Based on his power when compared to some of the other mages, creatures and such that he'd observed he stood a fair chance particularly if his guild were anywhere near as powerful. Tempus could understand his goal somewhat. He wanted to make the world a place where people could really use what little time they had rather than worrying over every little thing and wasting it. An admirable ambition.

"To answer your questions there is something you must understand about me. This body of mine is not my original one. Once I was a lot like you, an ordinary human with a gift for magic. My power didn't match yours of course, but it didn't need to. I was a clockmaker and repairer. It was something I had a natural talent for and it seemed what magic I had aided that." he said and this was just an introduction as to who Tempus was. It was needed to be understood before you could understand who he was now. "Over time though I grew frustrated with the profession. No matter how precisely the gears were made, how carefully it was sprung, how often it was maintained every clock I made or fixed would eventually lose time and have to be adjusted. It was then I began to truly think about the nature of time itself. What is time? It is the dimension through which we are able to move and interact with the other three. That is the basic concept. Yet time is truly relative. If you move fast enought time slows, if the planet is moved even slightly the day grows longer or shorter. So I came to the conclusion that what humans and other organisms think of as 'time' is not correct. I aimed to understand time in its all facets and create a true clock that would be accurate no matter what. A clock fed by time itself that could never be wrong." He paused and tapped his fingers on the railing as he stared out into the distance. It was then that magic swept over the pair and the ship. Everything around them froze in place though in reality it was not. What he'd done was move them temporarily outside the flow of time so that the time spent in this conversation would not be wasted. It was good to know and good to let it out, but it was still not worth spending precious seconds. His voice grew a tad solemn as he spoke his next words.

"And yet...I knew that no matter how hard I studied, no matter what magic I used, even if I could somehow spend every second of every day studying it my life was not long enough to complete my goal." he said and his gaze turned skywards staring at the frozen clouds. There was a note of slight exhaustion on his face. He'd used a lot of raw magic power today. "Even with this level of strength I could not have acheived it for I can only maintain this for short periods of time. So instead of focusing immediately ony my research into time I instead decided to find a way to acheive a pseudo immortality. A body that could be infinitely repaired and last a hundred thousand lifetimes. That is the body you see before you now. I have replaced parts of it many times and the process of becoming what I am now was painful beyond any description. Some might even say it drove me mad, but I think instead it gave me focus. If I could break through that pain and get closer to my goal then it would be worth it. IT was that decision that helped me get through it."

"You ask where I came from? That I can't really answer. Its information i've long since forgotten and I doubt greatly that it even exists anymore. As for how I gained this power...time gave me this power. Or perhaps its to say that through time and the study of it I was able to slowly improve until I reached the level I have. It was not a goal I had in mind to acheive, but over time even the weakest mage will grow in power. Given enough time anyone could acheive this level of strength. Some would just acheive it quicker, like yourself." Time began to flow again for them and the sensation was strange. It was as if they'd moved incredibly fast and then stopped before moving incredibly fast again whereas in reality no change in velocity had occured.

"As for what I plan to do with it. I have but one purpose and that is a full understanding of time so that I can create the perfect clock. When that is done I will finally rest unless I find a new goal to accomplish."