Anna Irving's toes were cold, and the more she thought about it, the more upset she became. The cold months were coming and an inescapable chill filled the ranch. With only a thin, dirty scrap of cloth as defense, Anna found sleep impossible. Heaving a sigh, she wrapped her blanket around her shoulders and stood, the frozen stone beneath her feet sending a chill up her spine and causing gooseflesh all over her body. Walking might help, though with such a miniscule living quarter, Anna thought she couldn't really call it walking. Pacing would be more accurate. Hugging herself tight, Anna crossed the cell a few times while trying to keep her footsteps light. Popuri slept soundly across the room, though Anna could see her form shake with an occasional shiver. Anna hesitated for a long time, loathe to give up her bedspread, meager though it may be, but finally she took it from her shoulders to cover Popuri. Something about the little girl, no more than eight years old, made Anna feel sisterly.

"Anna?" A quiet, male voice penetrated the silence, causing Anna's stomach to jump into her throat. As Desians guarded every entrance, Anna hadn't exactly been expecting company in the middle of the night. Peering into the darkness, she inched closer to the metal door of her personal prison just as the visitor repeated her name, hushed but resolute. "Anna, wake up."

"I'm not sleeping," she whispered tentatively, straining her eyes to try to see through the small slit in the door. Desians never called hosts by their first names, and the voice on the other side of the door didn't sound arrogant or pompous. Doubts swirled through in her mind in nagging black circles. Was this a trap? Who else would be at her door at that hour? It was all too similar to one other incident two years ago and the memory made her chest tight with fear. She stepped back, eyes narrowed, as the door was unlocked with a thick, resounding click. Her suspicions all but confirmed she readied herself for an altercation. They would have to kill her before she let them desecrate her body further.

"You need to come with me. Now." The owner of the voice stepped into the room, bearing a lamp of bright flame. Shielding her eyes until they could adjust to the abrupt change of light, Anna started as realization set in. For the first time in weeks, she cracked a smile, rushing to the side of her unexpected guest as she reveled in the strangeness of a feeling akin to happiness.

"Talon?" Her surprise was audible. It made her forget her senses and Anna's question came out louder than she had intended. Making an effort to quiet herself, she grasped Talon's forearm as if to reassure herself that he wasn't a haunting. "Talon, how-?" It wasn't that Anna wasn't happy to see her old friend, his presence simply didn't make sense. Where did he get a key? How'd he get out of his cell? It was unlikely the Desians would agree to a midnight tryst between hosts. And, ever since the Desians had taken note of their intimacy, she and Talon had been separated and that separation carefully maintained. Though time seemed to pass differently inside the ranch, it had to have been close to a year since she had said her farewells. "I thought for sure you were dead, Talon. I didn't hear anything about you, even from the others at the workhouse, and I thought the worst and—"

He raised his hand to cut her off, a crooked grin dancing on his face in the light of his lantern. "Shh," he reminded her gently. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her from her cell, leaving Popuri sleeping on her cot. Anna glanced at the girl, wondering if she should take the girl along, but soon Talon was spiriting her far from sight. Anna couldn't even register what was happening, let alone question it. "I'll explain later," Talon finally answered. "But for now, we've got to go before—" The entire facility seemed to spring to life at once. The hallway was bathed in harsh lighting and Anna watched in amazement as every cell door in the hallway slid open and hundreds of opportunistic slaves rushed from their incarcerations as an earsplitting alarm began ringing accompanied by intermittently flashing lights.

Talon had stopped his dash, but held tight to Anna's head. She looked up to him, wondering why they were waiting as the realization of what was happening hit her all at once. Gears were starting to turn in Anna's mind as she watched Talon proudly surveying the chaos. Tearing his eyes from the scene, he stepped to the side of the corridor, pulling Anna with him. He gave her his most charming smirk and she saw the mischief in his eyes. Opening her mouth to chide his rash behavior, Anna remembered that before they had become estranged, Talon spoke almost obsessively of ways to escape the ranch, to cause enough confusion and chaos to manage an escape.

For the first time in a long time, Anna felt hope fluttering in her belly, but it was quickly squashed by the realization that they had left Popuri all alone. "Talon!"

He looked to her. "No time, Anna." She frowned, about to argue but thought better of it. If they were recaptured in an effort to rescue Popuri, their chances of getting out were cut in half. If Anna could get out and get help, she could come back for the girl…

By the sounds of it, every single cell had been sprung and Desians were rushing madly to contain the pandemonium. Some hosts were using any object they could as a weapon to defend themselves against their captors, others were scrambling to find an exit, avoiding the Desians as best they could. The unlucky ones were cut down mercilessly and screams soon joined the bedlam of sounds echoing through the halls of the ranch. Scanning the crowd, Anna noticed an all too familiar Desian lay his eyes upon the duo and she grabbed Talon's hand, panic making her foolhardy. "Let's go."

Anna pulled Talon for a while, fighting against the crowd that was frantic to get through the increasing defense of half-elves. They were the only ones venturing deeper into the ranch. After running aimlessly until the crowds thinned, Anna finally stopped, panting. She didn't sprint very often. Dropping Talon's hand, she looked up to him and almost burst into laughter at the look he gave her.

"Where are you taking us, Anna?" Talon asked. His face was twisted into a look of fascinated disbelief and his tone teasing. "You kind of stole my thunder, there."

The mirth that had nearly escaped her moments ago finally bubbled out in a long giggle. Talon joined in after a few moments, and they shared their first real laugh at the Asgard Human Ranch. Their exhilaration was short lived, however, as soon the shouts of Desians reached their ears. Her companion tried to keep his comments jovial and light, but Anna saw the fear behind his eyes, recognizing it easily because it was mirrored in her own. "I'm going to take the lead this time, if you don't mind, Lola." He held out his hand to her and Anna took it, warmed by the use of her old nickname. She hoped that she hadn't effectively ruined both their escapes. In the uncanny way Talon always had, he seemed to read her mind. "Don't worry, I have an idea. I'll get us out of here."

"My hero," she replied dryly, trying to use humor to deflect her fear. He gave her a tight, sideways smile and they were off. Anna was sincerely surprised with the ease that Talon navigated the corridors, taking them ever deeper to the ranch's heart. On more than one occasion, Anna tried to formulate a way to ask him if he was sure he knew what he was doing, but each time she realized that she hadn't a better idea. And finally she came to terms with the fact that she'd have to trust him implicitly to get her out of the ranch, as much as she hated feeling the distressed damsel.

Her sides were beginning to ache and her muscles burn when Talon stopped in front of a large, short-circuiting door. "In here," Talon said tersely, the Desians footsteps not far away from the sounds coming towards them. Anna slipped inside and was floored by the sight of the room. It was extravagant, almost out of place against the rest of the ranch, all blues and golds and lavish furniture. The carpet beneath her feet was warm and possibly the softest thing she could remember feeling. Forgetting the urgency of the situation, she couldn't help but wiggle her dirty, sore toes against the plush fabric. Off to the side, a harsh metallic sound rang through the room and Anna reluctantly pulled herself back into reality. Talon had located what looked like a ventilation system and as she walked towards him, she could distinctly feel a cool breeze wafting through. Is this…?

They were going to get out of the Asgard Ranch. Anna's heart pumped, nerves making her thoughts run in a hundred directions.

Kneeling down, Talon weaved his hands together to form a step for Anna, indicating with a nod that they were to make their way out through the vent. She ignored him, however, and grabbed hold of the bottom of the opening and heaved herself through. The space was cramped, dirty, and completely chilled from the wind coming through, but the musty draft she inhaled left the taste of freedom on her tongue. Trying to maneuver around to give Talon a hand up, Anna turned just in time to see a massive group of Desians push their way into the room. Talon started, looking behind him in a panic. Anna tried to grab him, haul him up to her, but one of the half-elves grabbed hold of Talon, nearly pulling Anna from the vent with him.

"Just go, Anna! Go!"

Adhering to the same thought she had about Popuri, Anna scrambled madly towards the fresh air, the voices of the Desians carried to her.

"Cut her off at the exit!"

"Lord Kvar's orders—host #101A to be reclaimed immediately!"

"…Well? What are you standing around for? Get going!"

The metal in the pathway was uneven and Anna's hands and knees were soon bruised and bloodied but she wouldn't stop for anything. Going forward was her only choice and if Desians waited for her at the end of this tunnel, she would simply have to fight her way out. Talon's sacrifice… Anna was surprised to find a sentimental tear streaming down her cheek, trailing a path through the grime caked onto her face. No time for such silliness. Anna put Talon from her mind and concentrated on moving ever further through the building.

It felt like minutes melted away into hours, but Anna wasn't conscious of her movements any longer. She was driven forward by winter air, the light in the distance, and the thought of her first breath of fresh air in over two years. Finally, she reached the end, and a rusted cover was the only obstacle between her and the forest beyond the ranch. She grasped two of the bars, wincing as the metal dug into her already wounded hands. With a great push, she tumbled forward, covered in much and cobwebs, but she couldn't help feel anything but excitement as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Anna was surprised to find that she was alone, no Desians were waiting for her. She dropped the grate, listening closely, but there were no sounds beyond a whisper of wind rattling the branches of the trees.

Well, if her captors weren't there, she surely wasn't going to wait patiently for them to catch up. Relishing the frost on the grass that melted beneath her feet, Anna hastened to the protection of the forest, thanking the Goddess Martel for her protection. At first, Anna kept up a steady jog, but soon she was out of breath and anxiety made every harmless sound seem an imminent danger. It was too quiet in the area, especially with an escaped host wandering the grounds surrounding the ranch. And not that the fact filled her with any sense of self-importance, but she hadn't been a typical Exsphere host for quite some time.

A quiet crunch echoed behind Anna and she turned brusquely on her heel to face the origin of the sound. She was prepared to fight tooth and nail against the Desians if need be—she wasn't going back. Feeling extremely ill-equipped against a potential enemy, she searched the ground for anything resembling a weapon. For want of anything more proper, she snatched up the thickest, sharpest branch she could find and held it in front of her as a makeshift weapon.

"Hey," came a deep voice, and a tall, lean figure appeared from a thick cluster of trees. Anna paused, nearly dropping her staff. Before her stood a familiar stranger from the ranch. She had often seen him speaking in low voices with Kvar, observing the hosts, and overseeing Exsphere installations. He had been present in the background when her crystal had been mounted. Women in the ranch were willing to overlook his role at the ranch as they swooned over his charming looks, but Anna had heard a thing or two of his reputation: he was notorious for being a heartless killer.

Kratos.