A pair of heavy lidded eyes peered out into the world hazily, before swiftly closing. A brain that was nominally in charge looked down from it’s pedestal and demanded them to open and report. The eyes refused. When the brain once again commanded them, they retaliated by sharing the glimpse that spooked them. Oh my, the brain thought, that’s a lot of pink!

Jack decided that despite his Barbie doll pink environment he had to see where in this world he had been dragged off to. It must be a dungeon. It must be, no one liked Barbie pink that much.

He counted down from ten in his head. Now! With great resolve he finally did it. The result was worse than he had feared. He was laying in a twin sized frilly cloud that pretended that it was a bed. The room was about five meters to a side and had all the trappings of a private hospital suite. An end table to put his things, check. A vase of flowers in the window, check. A privacy curtain to wrap around the bed, check. A sitting chair to the left, check. Stern soldier standing in the corner, che…wait a minute.

Jack glared up at the fancy soldier as best as his squinty eyes allowed. Frankly, it was a relief to focus on something other than the decor, “What are you doing here?”

The soldier bowed deeply and responded. “I apologize for our unfortunate meeting. I beg for your forgiveness in this matter. My name is Virtus Ferrum, centurion of the Imperial Guard, I am to be your personal bodyguard from here on out.”

“What makes you think that I need a bodyguard? I was doing just fine until your group accosted us. I think that I need protection from you, not the other way round.”

“I was under orders to find and, if you were willing, escort you directly to the Imperial Palace. Lord Pomp, decided to assist us in this venture without notice. He is not a man that one can say no to.” Jack caught the underlying message. Virtus had given up on his mission and was busy with damage control. This won him quite a few brownie points with Jack. He had dealt with more than one half-wit superior at his old job.

“Bodyguard huh?” Jack ran over what little trivia he was able to collect In this world over in his mind to see if anything he knew applied to this situation. Casper was a relative font of inflammatory information, but when push came to shove, he was outmatched by this man before him. Security was his first priority at the moment so he decided to probe a bit.

“Say I agree to this arrangement, what now?”

“Princess Laura is awaiting your recovery. She wishes to meet with you as soon as you are discharged, once there, the two of you will discuss your future.”

Princess? That was promising. He looked around the room, looking for his clothes. He would not leave this place in what amounted to one of those naked aprons. He was not into that. “Where are my clothes?”

“The rags you were wearing were shredded when Lord Pomp attacked you. Before you inquire, he is currently being tried for his crimes at the forum as we speak.” Virtus reported with the beginnings of a smirk.

“What about my Phoenix coat; and the pouch of stuff that came with itl? Surely that wasn’t destroyed.” Jack asked. He was now in full panic mode.

Virtus gave him a strange look and pointed to where his heart should have been. “Your Phoenix is right there. After you were knocked unconscious, it melded into you.”

Jack peaked into his frilly robe. Sure enough, there was a Phoenix imprinted on his heart unit. It was much more majestic than his flaming chicken, at a little more than five centimeters in diameter. Which was strange because his heart was the most artificial part of his new body, the whole thing was a unit of interconnected hydraulic pumps made from flesh. “Well, I have a tattoo now.” He thought out loud.

Virtus mouthed the word in confusion and scrunched his eyebrows. “What is a tattoo? Is it similar to a sigil?”

“Nevermind.” Jack waved off the question. This place was obviously very different from back home, he needed to steer away from niche words and modern turns of phrase if he wanted to be understood.

He finally stopped to examine Virtus. His milk chocolate hair was so short that it had been hidden by his conical helm. It was gone now, along with his gorget. Grey eyes, hair dark as midnight, and a strong chin gave the man a presence that reminded Jack of the stories of Perseus. Each piece of his armor was made from a different metal. Some in colors so striking that Jack had a hard time believing that they were real. The biggest difference though was that the engraved symbols were no longer glowing.

Swing! The door opened hastily and a young, blond woman, wearing a black, Gothic dress that reached down to her ankles, was revealed. Laid atop the dress was a dark grey petticoat that fastened to the dress with two rows of brass buttons in front. She had the look of a goth teenager. Full of disdain and attitude but she had none of the edges that a real life as an outcast gave to someone. Jack decided to call her Goth Poser, it just fit. The only thing out of place was an orange and gold flower threaded through her hair. In a way, its bright profile serves to darken hers by contrast.

She had a rustic approximate of a clipboard in her hands made of a lacquered plank and an iron vise clamp. With a great showing she scanned the papers attached with overly zealous attention, bobbing her head back and forth. Jack thought she was trying to make some kind of power play, she could have easily read her notes before coming in. His old man liked to pull the same trick regularly. Jack settled in to wait, a disdainful smile on his lips.

After a minute, it dawned on the girl that no one was going to take her bait and she moved into the room. Who stands in the doorway anyways? Jack mused.

“Hello, Adjudicator. My name is Vera Stygium and I will be your nurse for today. Casper informed me of most of what happened in the orphan ward. On the behalf of all women, we apologize for the actions of Lord Pomp.” She sniffed. “He is a disgusting brute and should not have been allowed…sincerest apologies for my rambling, Adjudicator. Anyways, we have undergone a full examination of your condition and cannot find any damage. Though it is difficult to tell as you clearly are not a human.”

“No, I suspect my lack of a traditional heartbeat came as a shock.” Jack laughed to himself. “I know it surprised me.” This girl wasn’t so bad. Anyone that disliked Lord Pomp had to be good people.

Virtus jumped at Jack’s words and his eyes dilated in surprise. His eyes flicked to the Phoenix tattoo in disbelief. Guess no one told him.

“I would like a copy of your tests. This body is a rental and I need all the info I can get about it.” Jack requested.

“Ugh, sure. I will make a copy while you rest.” She looked Virtus up and down. “I will make sure to get the results back soon.”

“Nurse! Nurse! Please come now! Victoria ripped her stitches, Hurry!”

Vera swung around and faced the door. “Again! Ugh, it is just one thing after another today. When am I ever going to catch a break?”

“I saw several patients out there, Vera. This wing has bever seen this many patients from what I recall. Was there an accident?” Virtus spoke up the first time. He had dropped the soldier schtick and sounded like a real boy.

”Yes, the ritual ended in catastrophe. A dozen people perished on location before we could even get to them and we lost almost that many en route. Good thing Casper started helping. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had the time to keep everyone stable and examine the Adjudicator.” Her voice softened a bit when she mentioned Casper. Her free hand gravitated to the flower in her hair.

Jack looked between them and noticed the subtle signs. His bodyguard’s eyes had flattened and both of them were breathing faster, though for different reasons. Wonderful, he just landed, literally, in the middle of a teenage love triangle. How could it possibly get more gross.

“Farewell. I will be back when I can with your report.” Then she rushed out.

Virtus took a half step towards the door as she left but returned to his post a second later, resolved.

...

It took some convincing to get Virtus to stay outside the curtain while he changed. Something about assassins and having his guard down. What assassins? I’m in an enclosed room! He’s standing in front of the only entrance for goodness sake.

These clothes were not as nice as his Phoenix robe, but they were a major improvement on what Casper had given him. That outfit was chosen for the purpose of blending into a slum, not a high bar. This set was a fancy suit made of cotton, silk and other fabrics he couldn’t identify. It took him an hour to get it right, questions were asked. There was this thing Virtus called a wescott through the door after hearing a physical description, and a cloth that when tied, just right, became some kind of frilly tie among other articles of clothing that he had never even imagined.

Part of the reason it took so long was because upon waking, he was unable to utilize any force from his limbs. It was a strange sensation that resembled a limb falling asleep yet there were differences. The ‘pins and needles’ sensation never came, instead he gradually gained more strength and control as he moved around.

By the time he opened the door to reveal his new duds, his medical report was in a cubby meant to hold paperwork on the outside of the door and Virtus was futzing about with a piece of orange metal. He turned his gaze from his work to give Jack a once over. Jack noted that he wasn’t impressed.

He sighed. “Sir, if you do not mind, I will assist you. Word has already been sent to the princess and she is awaiting your arrival.” Virtus put the piece of metal on the table. It was a multi-layered flower that Jack didn’t recognize. Then again, he didn’t actually know many flowers, so he wasn’t surprised.

Turns out, Jack was wearing the entire thing wrong. Virtus peeled the outer layers off and described each piece before helping him put it on right. The mirror Virtus gave him agreed that he looked much better now.

He swept up the documents in the cubby and read through them. Most of the document was blank or had been marked non-applicable. What little was filled out was in medical techno babble. The paper, or parchment, was more interesting to him than the words written upon it. The paper was thick like cardstock but pulpy and uneven. The novelty soon faded till he threw it at Virtus halfway through the third page, who made it disappear with a gesture, in disgust. It would have to wait for now.

“Am I free to go? All this pink is starting to give me a headache.”

“Yes Adjudicator, you have been officially discharged. Word has already been sent to the princess, she is awaiting your arrival as we speak.”

“Call me Jack.” I replied.

“What?”

“Call me Jack. Jack Hearth. That is my name after all. Save the titles for someone else.” Jack shrugged. It felt like taking off a heavy coat. No one had ever addressed him respectfully and it did not sit right on his shoulders.

“Yes, sir” Virtus saluted. Jack just glared.

“Err... Yes, Jack.” Cold sweat beaded on his brow and his complexion paled.

“Much better!” Jack clapped him on the shoulder, initiating contact for the first time. “Before we meet the princess, we have an errand to run first.” Jack said jovially and headed for the door.

Virtus shivered when he was out of Jack’s line of sight. Small crimson specks in the younger man’s black pupils glinted with mischief. Not for the first time, Virtus wondered just why he had returned to the capitol and what he had gotten himself into.

…

The furnace was a squat building made from dull quarried stone. No marble wasted here. It was located in a corner of the complex that required one to circle around the back of several bureaucratic structures just to access. Jack approached it at a canter with all the exuberance of a child at a candy shop.

He had inquired as to where he could acquire a large amount of Fire mana quickly before he met up with the princess and this was Virtus’ recommendation due to its proximity. He joined a line of workers in dirty smocks pushing wheelbarrows of coal and trash. The pace slowed from a canter, to a trot, and finally to a walk. Virtus was the first to lose patience. A vein in his forehead throbbed and his complexion grew dark.

“Make way for the Adjudicator!” He bellowed between cupped hands.

All the workers lifted their eyes as one and faced the source of the disturbance. Silence filled the narrow path for an uncomfortably long time. Jack couldn’t actually tell how long and that puzzled him until he saw a vein throbbing on one of the laborers necks. My heartbeat! Without it, my internal clock is off.

This realization troubled him so much that he almost missed the mad dash that ensued when the moment broke. Wheelbarrows had been tipped on their sides, parcels placed atop them and a row of grubby statues lined up against one wall, right fist crossed over chests. One man even put a linen cloth on the path like a carpet.

“GLORY TO THE ADJUDICATOR!” They roared in a discordant declaration.

He was missing something. They were all staring at him in some kind of righteous fervor, as if he deserved it...and they weren’t moving. Why weren’t they moving? Jack decided to take a wild stab in the dark. “Ugh… at ease?”

They all took a more comfortable pose, but still stood in place.

“Sir, we need to hurry.” Virtus prodded.

“Right you are.” They headed through the new opening.

Jack leaned towards Virtus and whispered. “Why did they all salute me like that? I just got here.”

“In the Empire, all common men are required to spend two years in the legions during their yourh. That salute is one of many that we all learn during basic training. There was no telling where or when you would show up so it was decided that being prepared was best.”

Jack nodded at that. The roman legions on earth were known for their practicality and preparation. He had no reason to believe that the legions here were any different.

They went into the building and down the blackened stairs to the basement. It was worth it though because it was right in front of them, the furnace. Jack walked right up to it and tried to open the doors.

Skin sizzled as it made contact with the metal handle. Somewhere in his subconscious, danger signs were flashing and warning bells rang. He stuck his fingers in his mouth to cool off. The fireworks in his mind faded to murder, an echo of the overwhelming sensation of a few seconds prior. I thought I couldn’t get burned anymore. Maybe, it’s only when I touch hot things. A quick look around revealed a square room about thirty feet to a side. On one side was a wood pile and on the other was a mass of coal. Several people in blackened smocks were hiding in a corner, obviously trying to not be seen.

Jack pointed to one person at random and asked. “How do you all open this door when it’s hot?”

The man gestured to a rack next to the furnace with a row of thick canvas gloves. “We use these to open it, my lord.”

Jack fought a scowl at being treated as some kind of noble but figured the man just didn’t know his name yet, that was fine.

“My name is Jack, by the way. I’m not one of your nobility so you can just call me by my name. Okay?”

The soot-covered man just nodded mechanically and kept his tongue. That was fine too.

Jack grabbed a pair of gloves at random, put them on, and opened the door. The heat from the furnace swept over the room in a great wave. The intensity forced everyone but him to step back.

A flick of his wrists sent the gloves back on the shelf before he stepped inside. The flames started to spiral inside the vessel before streaming towards him. A cool sensation spread all over his body. It was like the best shower you ever had, plus a massage and the best cup of tea you ever had, all rolled into one full-body experience. His pores opened up and started drinking down the sweet nectar that he hadn’t known he craved.

A few minutes later he stepped out of the darkened metal vessel as a new man. The others in the room shivered a bit as they saw his eyes. The inner rings of his sclera glowed a bright crimson that separated the black of his pupils from his dark irises. His hand that had been burned was completely fine and he held himself a little more firmly. Like he had been reforged in that blaze.

A smirk spread across his face when he saw Virtus’ surprise. The look on his face is priceless. He clapped his hands together like he was trying to get sand or dust off them. The intensity of the resulting sound caught him by surprise. Did I just become stronger? There was only one way to find out. Jack lowered himself to the ground and performed the first push-up that this world had ever seen. The result was that he was about as strong as before coming to this world and his sense of touch, while heightened, was much more manageable.

“Well Virtus, it seems that we have been keeping this princess of yours waiting. Let’s head over and see what it is she expects from me.”

They backtracked out of the building and down the back lanes until they got back to the main pathway. Virtus took the lead and steered Jack towards the building at the end of the lane.

It was an extravagant building in an Etruscan style. Palace was the only word that could describe it's decadent majesty. There were arches and stained glass everywhere. Marble and malachite were the least precious of the materials in Jack's sight. Some of the sights were so alien to him that he had no frame of reference. A drop of water that spun in place midair, a purple lamp that seemed to contain glowing water and other strange sights were on display everywhere.

Virtus led him unerringly through the many turns, chambers, plazas and corridors. This time they kept their pace sedate and moved with the speed of traffic. Bookish people in grey robes ran through the halls carrying stacks of scrolls to and fro. Elaborately dressed individuals also traversed the palace safely ensconced in bubbles of servants, bootlickers, and scribes.

They emerged into a courtyard with many colorful birds singing in a stand of familiar deciduous trees. Virtus gestured at a door on the other end. “The imperial princess is in there. The windows on either side look into this courtyard, that’s how it got the name, the Robin Room. If you will wait here while I announce you to court.”

Virtus took the lead and knocked on the door in a rhythmic pattern that was obviously some kind of code. The door opened and another guardsman peered out. This man was older, with grizzled features and hard eyes that flickered. Luminescent blue. Out of nowhere, a horrible sensation crashed against Jack's senses like a charging rhino. He tried to hold his nose but that did nothing. The horrible sensation didn’t seem to be passing through his nose. What in the world is that horrible feeling? It’s like experiencing skunk scat with all of my senses at once. Only it’s so much worse.

The horrible feeling ebbed after a few seconds, but it left him feeling queasy. The guard in the room stepped back and allowed Virtus to step up.

“Now entering, is the Adjudicator, Jack Hearth. Owner of the Phoenix in Splendor and representative of the Sentinel in this world.” A wave from the man prompted Jack to enter the room.