With that ominous prediction, Selena followed Piper into the hall.

She tried to think very fast. Piper was clearly risking a lot to tell her certain things that would never have crossed her mind. Selena hoped she had the gist of it. In the privacy of her own mind, she was pretty pissed off.

This place is horrible enough without making enemies out of each other.

The hall Selena entered was unlike any other she'd seen in Isidor-Fol. The stone walls were barely visible under all the machinery and plastic surfaces.

She was in a vast empty space without any of the pillars. Selena would have compared it to an airplane hangar, only it looked more fitting for the building of an intergalactic cruiser.

There were towers rising from the floor, small half-floors hanging in mid-air without anything supporting them or at least that was how it looked. Some had railings, some were closed off from the hall with glass and some had people walking on pathways with nothing physical stopping them from dropping three floors.

It was a little piece of insanity.

And everyone she saw was Terran.

"Welcome," Piper said with no small amount of pomp. "To the Terran corner of the fortress. This is the Hall of Earth, because I wasn't around at the time it was named and couldn't make them choose anything better."

Selena laughed, nodding her head in silent agreement.

"This looks like M.C. Escher's nightmare," she noted.

Piper burst out laughing, but it was cut short when they saw a tall, severe-looking woman walking their way.

"Kathleen," Piper whispered quickly. "Our de facto "leader". She's brilliant, but insane."

"Are you trying to tell me she's a comic book villain?" Selena asked back in a hushed voice, making Piper shake her head with wild laughter in her eyes, a finger pressed to her mouth.

"Share the joke," were Kathleen's first words to them as she came closer and stopped in front of them with a stance that reminded Selena of drill sergeants. "It's not often that a woman laughs on Luminos."

Cold, deep green eyes judged her from head to toe and for some reason, Selena felt like she'd come up short. She hadn't been under that much scrutiny since she faced the commission to see whether she could join med school mid-semester.

"All the more reason to celebrate it, then," Selena replied, looking Kathleen in the eye.

There was something about the modest smile that curled at the corners of Kathleen's thin lips that Selena liked. Her initial impression had been of a dictator. Kathleen certainly looked the part. She dressed in all black, no patterns or embroidery – showing she didn't belong to anyone. Her long brown curly hair was tied in a high ponytail, adding even more sharpness to her harsh features.

Selena's second impression was of a woman who had gone through something traumatic – she didn't need to search far for a list of possible reasons – and who was now settled on defending herself from it happening again.

The smile on Kathleen's lips was somewhere between a pose and a genuine emotion. Selena had studied psychology during her time in med school. She'd learned that there were people who liked being in control so much their first object was always their own self. Kathleen fit that to the tee. She was pleased, but she was also choosing to show them that she was pleased.

"Good," Kathleen said then approvingly. "I see the harbinger hasn't cracked your spirit yet."

She extended her hand to Selena and shook it. She'd been wondering why Piper had done that on the ship. It was so businesslike, but Kathleen made it natural to her character.

"I'm Kathleen," the woman said. "It's nice to meet you–?"

Kathleen left the last part of the sentence a question.

"Selena," she said. "I was just telling Piper that this place looks like a fever dream. Why is everything so... chaotic here?"

Kathleen looked around, shrugging with a motherly smile on her face.

"The Hall of Earth is a refuge," she said. "For women on Luminos. Nayanors have placed so many rules and regulations on us that I wanted this place to be completely free of all of those. As you can see, the creativity found in these women is boundless, but their sense of practicality is... questionable."

Selena laughed, looking Piper's way to see what her friend thought. The things she'd heard about Kathleen before meeting her didn't seem to add up, but Piper was smiling too.

"Questionable is not the word I'd use," she said, her hand stuffed in her pockets as the youngest woman observed the mayhem.

Compared to Kathleen, who looked like she wouldn't be improper even while she slept, Piper appeared very tomboyish. So far Selena liked them both, but she was quietly waiting for the shoe to drop. There was clearly a wedge between the women in the fortress and it was bound to show its colors soon enough.

"I asked Piper to bring you here," Kathleen said, turning serious again. "Do you know why?"

"Meet-and-greet?" Selena guessed, earning a chuckle of approval from Piper.

"Yes and no," Kathleen said, gifting her with a tight smile. "We will have plenty of time to get acquainted. I wish I didn't have to put it so bluntly, but prepare for a long stay. You are the harbinger's fated. It has perks and it has its downsides. The latter being that he isn't going to let you out of this place until you have children."

Okay, Selena thought, staring at the woman. You could have let the shoe drop, not hit me across the face with it.

"I don't think that's true," she said. "Ragnar told me about the long night, but he didn't mention anything about being cooped up in here for the rest of the year."

"Of course he didn't," Kathleen allowed, "but Nayanors never tell you anything they don't want you to know. Your fated has only two purposes where you are concerned. To knock you up the first chance he gets and to make sure you stay right here where he can keep an eye on you. Then repeat."

"Hey," Piper cut in sharply. "Stop scaring her. I thought we talked about this, Kat. I didn't bring her here for one of your lectures."

"I'm fine," Selena said, giving Piper a quick smile. "I'm not scared."

"No?" Kathleen asked and she didn't like the look in the woman's eyes one bit.

Her voice had become menacing all of a sudden.

"You should be," Kathleen said.

"Kat!" Piper warned her, but Kathleen held up a hand and glared at her.

"Quiet, Piper," she said. "She needs to know."

"Know what?" Piper asked angrily, but Kathleen spoke over her and Selena couldn't help focusing her attention on her.

Every word out of Kathleen's mouth was like a car crash she couldn't look away from.

"You've been here for one day," Kathleen said. "I've been here eight years and I can count the women who have been able to laugh after the first two months on one hand. I'm willing to believe the harbinger plays nice with you for now. He needs to get you to spread your legs for him, that's all Nayanors care about.

"After that, you'll see the real him."

Kathleen barked a low laugh, shaking her head like she was dealing with a stupid child.

"You don't think he'll keep you imprisoned here?" she asked. "Sweet child, I've seen Ragnar drag a bloodied, mutilated corpse of a warrior to his fated. That's his idea of teaching lessons. I've seen him kill after the slightest provocation and set that monster Mjorn on us.

"He's left his defeated enemies to die in agony so we could all hear their screams for days. That's something the harbinger is excellent at – killing someone exactly when he means to, even if he's not around anymore to witness it.

"And that's all without counting the thousands of women he's brought to this world against their will, into slavery."

Selena didn't say a thing when Kathleen was done, waiting for the woman to continue. Piper was staring at her with a horrified expression on her face and Selena's pulse was so thunderous she could hear it. The images that Kathleen's words had conjured before her eyes were absolutely macabre. She didn't want to believe any of it, but Piper's sad look confirmed it.

Even so, Selena stared Kathleen down. She wanted the woman to go on. She wanted to see if she really was that cruel to dump it all on her like that.

It was interesting to watch the expression change on Kathleen's face. It went from being victorious after her speech to carefully regretful. Eventually she sighed.

"Forgive me," Kathleen said. "I didn't mean for our friendship to start this way."

I think you did.

"If you're waiting for me to say that it's okay, you'll grow old first," Selena replied coldly. "Whether it's all true or not, I have to live with that man now. You certainly didn't make looking him in the eye any easier for me. If we're talking about how fear rules our lives here, maybe consider changing your opening statement to something a little more positive."

Behind Kathleen, glowering at her, Selena could see Piper trying her best to hide her smile.

Their fun didn't last long.

"Speak of the devil," Kathleen murmured, looking over Selena's shoulder.

She turned to see Mjorn marching their way. As soon as Selena saw the warrior, she felt Ragnar's presence missing from her side. There was no way she was going to start solving all her problems with the harbinger's name, but the look on Mjorn's harsh face scared her. It didn't look like he was there to chat.

"Is there something wrong?" Kathleen asked, stepping past Selena to put herself first in line before the warrior's wrath.

Mjorn didn't reply. He backhanded her across the face so hard Kathleen fell back. Piper and Selena moved as one to catch her.

It was beyond cruel. Selena's mouth dropped open, but she didn't feel helpless anymore. In fact, she was pretty sure she was going to get hurt herself because the words that rose to her lips weren't respectful in any way.

"What is wrong with you?" she bellowed at Mjorn. "Have you lost your mind? What did she do to you?"

The warrior turned like he'd just realized she was there.

"The harbinger's fated," he stated, as if her entire existence boiled down to being tied to Ragnar for life. "Your crimes are worse than I expected, Kathleen. This time, I really will execute you."

Execute.

The word echoed in Selena's head, flying around and bumping into things, refusing to register.

Kathleen had stood up, straightening her clothes and wiping the blood gushing from her mouth. The fury burning in her green eyes matched the expression on Piper's face and Selena doubted she looked any better.

"Can I hear my charges first?" she asked coldly. "Or is this something that no longer happens as well?"

Selena couldn't believe her ears.

"No," she blurted. "There is no discussion about this. No one is getting executed. That's insane."

Mjorn gave her a harsh look that told Selena the man wasn't used to arguing with women. Even Kathleen was silently shaking her head, telling her to back away. Selena didn't think she could do that. There were some things she was prepared to accept about her new life on Luminos, but there were lines.

They were still humans, not some animals.

"Ragnar has made it very clear I should show you some leniency," Mjorn growled, "but this is the only warning you'll get, female. Don't get in my way while I'm conducting my duties. I see the harbinger hasn't put a leash on you yet, but you'll learn. He'll train you to behave."

Not just some animal, a damn dog.

"Screw you," Selena snapped. "I'm not going to be trained. I'm not going to respect your absolutely barbaric lifestyle and cruel punishments."

She could have heard a feather drop in the Hall of Earth following that. Mjorn's soldiers were staring at her and so were Piper and Kathleen. They both looked like gaping fish, which would have been funny if it hadn't been so tragic.

I think I just got all three of us killed.

"What did you say to me, female?" Mjorn asked, the deep growl of his voice making Selena physically take a step back.

The warrior looked ready to kill. She had no idea whether he was prepared to do that.

"I'm going to give you one chance to apologize," Mjorn said, regarding her, his cold eyes unblinking. "Right now, female. Or not even Ragnar's name will protect you. That is not how a female speaks on this world."

Selena was breathing heavily. The fury that was burning in her veins was so intense she didn't think she could have stopped it from taking over her mind if she'd tried.

"Yeah, I have something to say," Selena answered.

"Make it good," Mjorn warned her.

"Selena..." Piper and Kathleen said together, but it was too late.

She'd put up with a lot during the past few days. Abduction, murder, humiliation only topped that list. Every step of the way Selena had picked her battles. Now she faced one where she couldn't back down.

Luminos was a horrible world, but she saw now that it had utterly lost its mind.

"Fuck you," she said, very clearly and very loudly.

She didn't know what she'd expected to happen. Selena could still feel Ragnar's shadow somewhere behind her even if the harbinger wasn't there. She didn't have a clue of whether that really mattered to Mjorn or not, but she had to speak up. If any woman on Luminos could, it was her, no matter how many days she'd spent on the world.

Mjorn's thin lips curled into a crooked smile.

"I see," he said. "You don't even need Kathleen to corrupt you. I see that the harbinger has landed himself a real cunt, just like his brother. I'm beginning to suspect that there is something wrong with that bloodline if they keep getting females such as you."

Turning to his warriors, Mjorn ordered:

"Bring her to me."

He took a step back and unsheathed the heavy, massive sword all Nayanor warriors carried. It was taller than Selena.

Reality hit her. She'd lost it for a moment in the eye of her anger storm, but when a warrior grabbed her by the hair and pulled her toward Mjorn, it all came back.

Piper and Kathleen moved like lightning bolts, throwing themselves on the warrior's hands, trying to pry her free and stop the man. There was screaming in the hall, but Selena barely registered it.

All she saw was Mjorn's pitch black, merciless eyes and the inhumane smile on his lips.

"Let go of her!" Kathleen was yelling, beating at the warrior’s face with her fists, but another pulled her away. "Mjorn, in the name of gods, show mercy to her! She's been here a day!"

Piper had slipped away. Selena saw her screaming into the comm device on her wrist.

"Harbinger!" Piper howled. "Harbinger, the Hall of Earth! Hurry!"

Mjorn heard that too. The long, razor-sharp blade rose above his head. Selena tried to struggle free, but couldn't. She tried to say something, anything, but she'd somehow forgotten the entirety of language.

Life flashed before her eyes, but not in the way she would have thought. There had been nothing noteworthy or good enough to remember on Terra. And impossibly, Ragnar's image appeared before her eyes as the last thing she'd ever see, other than Mjorn.

"Harbinger!" Piper yelled again.

For a moment it sounded like she was relieved.

It was too late. The blade came down and Selena screamed, gaining control of her voice again.

A deep, mighty roar cut through the hall.

Everything else happened too fast for Selena's human vision. Mjorn's blade never connected with her, being swatted out of the way like it was a fly instead of a weapon heavier than her. In the next second, Selena was showered with hot blood and the hand in her hair gave away.

It fell on the ground beside her.

Selena cried out in horror. Then, Piper and Kathleen were dragging her away.

"What –" Selena began to ask but then she saw well enough.

Mjorn stood a few feet from them, seething with rage. The sword in his hand was held at the ready and the warrior looked ready to kill.

That was nothing compared to his opponent.

The man facing him was a god of war. Selena could hardly believe that it was Ragnar. Everything about the harbinger fit. The armor was his and so was the tall, gigantic sword in his hands. Towering over everyone else in the hall, her fated faced Mjorn.

Yes, everything was right except for one thing.

The look on Ragnar's face made Selena believe every word Kathleen had told her before. She'd thought the harbinger's eyes were stormy before, but now Ragnar had become that storm. His blistering gaze forced Mjorn's soldiers to back away and even Mjorn himself didn't seem eager to attack.

Blood was still trickling from Ragnar's sword and the man who'd torn her hair lay dead on the ground, cleaved in half.

The harbinger shook the crimson off his sword. No one dared to breathe as he growled in a voice that sounded like it was coming from hell itself:

"No man nor god lays a hand on my fated and lives to tell the tale."