Crou followed Micah until she was instructed to go on ahead. She followed his direction down the dimly lit stairs and into what she perceived as darkness. She was here to grab a so-called "weapon" and be done with it. After this, she was finally set. Her every need handled in exchange for work that sounded rather straight forward to her, fight the shadow creatures. Simple. More rewarding than pulling up trawling nets, that's for sure.

She wasn't given much more in the way of instructions though, so when she finally reached the bottom and was met by the small room covered in runic tiles, she was more than a little confused.

These didn't look like weapons at all, she decided. Was this some sort of hazing joke? Did they expect her to just stand there and hope a weapon materialized out of thin air and after hours realize one wouldn't and head back up to be laughed at for falling for that one? All kinds of scenarios buzzed in her mind and soon she was starting to convince herself to just leave and call Micah an a** to his face.

Static.

It was almost like a whisper, but distorted. Electronic. It was coming from the stone closest to her. She couldn't understand what it was saying, if it was even saying anything or just making sounds.

Some sort of prank was becoming more and more feasible.

No.

She turned around as she could swear she heard someone directly behind her clearly say no. Her eyes were wild with fear upon realizing no one was there. This whole situation felt creepy and wrong. As if the walls themselves were watching and judging her. Her breathing was heavier as she breathily stated, "this isn't funny."

Silence.

She backed up into the wall, the runes behind her glowing brighter with her touch.

A child's distant laughter echoed through her thoughts.

She quickly moved away from that area of wall as if she'd been physically burned by it.

"I'm leaving," she threatened while backing up towards the opposite wall and closer to the stairs she came from.

Clssrr...

The voice was hard to make out, quiet and distant, but she was sure it was beckoning to her.

She couldn't tell where it was coming from, even as it repeated itself. Her heart was racing. She turned to leave when her hand brushed past a stone, the stone, eliciting a strong reaction from it.

STOP.

It was clear, undeniable, and she froze in her tracks at the sound of it.

It is I.

The voice declared, as if Crou knew what it meant. She didn't. "You, who?"

Yoo hoo yourself, now pick me up.

She slowly turned her head and peered down at her hand, still touching the side to the stone. She stared at it as if disbelieving, was this what Micah'd meant when he slipped in the word 'partner'?

"What?" She asked quietly. She wasn't sure this was safe at all.

Pick. Me. Up.

What part of this wasn't she getting? Well, she was getting it, she just wasn't... sure. She looked around for any hazard signs but upon seeing none, gulped hard and then dug her fingers in along the edges of the tablet and pulled. There was immediate give and then a bright blinding light and Crou was suddenly juggling a huge heavy hook - and might have dropped it.

The weapon let out a loud groan of displeasure at the horrible mistreatment it has already incurred. What the jack do you think you're doing?! Don't DROP ME!

She was startled by the very clear voice she was now hearing and fumbled with picking the weapon up a second time.

You know what, just go ahead and put me back right now. I clearly chose wrong. Go back to your little pod now, go on, shoo.

For once in her life, Crou ignored orders and grabbed the hook a third and final time. Holding it out in front of herself tightly with both hands. She began to talk to it a bit more loudly than needed, not that talking out loud was even required.

"What. Are. You?"

Jack you're dense, I'm your weapon. Hanta, to be precise.

"What. Is. A. Hanta?"

Wow... that is the stupidest question I've ever heard. Hanta is my name. Also, quit talking like that. You sound even stupider somehow.

"Okay."

There was a long awkward pause as Crou looked at the hook then the stairs, then the hook again. She side stepped and then began walking back up the stairs, slowly, backwards, as if she was the top person in a scenario involving moving a couch up a flight of stairs. Only the thing she was lugging was a giant hook.

Seriously though, you can just go ahead and put me right back...