Disclaimer: Legend of Mana and all of its properties isn't mine obviously.

Okay, so we now have the 2nd chapter (third actually but the very first one was Introduction, so I didn't count it in). I don't think that Iolite really speaks before, so I guess the nature of a silent protagonist stayed in her personality, and I couldn't really imagine that the reason our MC cried in the end of Jumi arc because of love for certain character so… I just put a weird taste that the MC could feel the sadness of Mana Goddess so he/she cried.

Anyway, let's start this chapter and I hope, I will see some review in the end even if there isn't any, I will continue the story until the end. Because I clearly state it that I'm not native English or have English as my 2nd language, I hope anyone who noticed my silly grammar mistake to point it out okay? ^_^

"Who are you?"

A question escaped the mouth of the silent Mana Children which was directed to the only remotely looking like a living being in the Underworld with a form of a Human Dragon. The Dragon looked down for a while, before scanned her from the tip of her shoes until the last strands of her hairs.

It surely sent Iolite a shiver as she stayed quiet under his sharp watchful eyes. Of course she wanted her question to be answered fast, but she saw it as an unlikely seeing how the Dragon, or more correctly, Dragoon eyeing her physical body. She did wonder what he had been seeing for the whole time from her. She was not a real beauty or anything with that definition. She was a pretty normal girl with some attitude problem. At least she never found herself interesting except the fact that she was the last of Mana Clan, not that she boasted about it.

After a good hour of examining his victim body, the Dragoon finally said, "My name is Larc. I'm a Dragoon that served a Dragon that gave me an order to obey. What was your name, woman?" he said matter of fact tone.

Iolite put her spears on the right side of her before she said timidly, "It's… Iolite, everyone call me Io," Io said introducing herself to the Dragoon, Larc, even if she felt quite scared even just by the Dragoon mere presence.

"Iolite… Iolite…" Larc mumbled Io's name for a little while, pondering about it as he squinted his eyes, seemed to think about something seriously.

Iolite never found it comfortable when someone practically said her name for several time, full name in particular, but she didn't have the courage to say that to the Dragoon. Iolite looked around her surrounding and she remembered about the pain on the back of her head from before. Was she just merely unconscious and got dragged to the Underworld? But then, who did that?

Iolite looked at Larc hesitantly. After a while of calming herself, she then asked, "How come I'm here?" Iolite asked softly to Larc who stood just a few feet away.

Larc looked at Iolite, finally looking at the Mana Children, before he said, "My Master wanted me to bring a strong warrior to help him in his important mission. And the one who dragged you here was me, I ask for forgiveness if I was too rough up there," Larc said answering the Mana Children question.

Iolite looked surprised for a while, but actually, it wasn't really a big surprise for her. She ever boarded the body of –supposed to be dead– Lucemia, entered the sealed Bejeweled City, and getting dragged in a world scale event, so entering another weird place like the Underworld didn't give her that much of surprise. Getting dragged on purpose wasn't pretty surprising for her either.

After all, she got dragged on almost everything big or world changing in Fa'diel, both good and bad. So, she only responded by a small answer of "Ooh…" and looked away to analyze the interior of the big room she was in.

Larc was intrigued by the quiet response of the one in front of him. He used to hear living being rambled on and on at getting dragged to the Underworld at the point of attacking him. But this girl didn't even flinch at his statement, as if she was used to go on the weirdest track possible in the world.

Her complete lack of words was a rarity itself. Larc used to think that the living being up there was pretty noisy and disgraceful, so seeing a quiet, reserved, and calm living being that get dragged into the Underworld and still remain the same made him felt intrigued.

Iolite turned her head to Larc, tilted her head a little before she asked, "Have any explanation to do?" Iolite asked with expecting voice. She never found herself in the position of a watcher that watched from sideline and found that she was more of the one to do things around in pointed direction.

Larc broke free from his trance and then he said, "Now you are in a state of Half-Spirit and Half-Living. The only one who could return you to the living was my Master. So, I will bring you to him, my Master reside in the deepest part of the Underworld and to reach him, you need to face a test. Do you understand?" Larc said before he asked whether Iolite understand what he meant.

Iolite looked away for a little before she asked, "If I say 'No'?" she asked nonchalantly, as if just trying to fish an answer she never would never choose in the first place.

Larc raised his eyebrow not at the actually not-too-weird question but more at Iolite tone when she spoke it. But he still answered anyway.

"You will wander in the Underworld forever until you get turned into a Shadoles. Because only my Master could change you back to your living status, Olbohn won't do it for you either," Larc answered half explaining about her couldn't be escaped fate.

Iolite sighed at this, clearly expecting that kind of answer. She closed her eyes before she used her right leg to kick the tip of her spears that got planted to the floor and spun it with her right hand before it rested on her right shoulder.

Io opened her eyes before she said, "I understand," she said with a stern voice. Whatever she got dragged at, better finish it fast before it got dragged for too long.

"I'll show you the way, follow me," Larc said responding at Io positive answer and her implication on actually going.

Larc and Io made their move to go to the deepest part of Underworld, to meet Larc's Master. When they met with some moving doll and a Vampire Lady, Io got ready into the battle by tightening her grips on the handle of her spear, and Larc did the same with his 2-Handed Axe.

Most of the monster moved closer to Io than Larc as if attracted to Io. At first Larc was worried about his temporary companion when he fought one of the moving dolls but later found it as unnecessary, a completely unnecessary worry, even.

Io gracefully stabbed the moving doll before she swept it at the direction of the Vampire Lady, smashing the monster to the wall with ease as if they were as light as feather. Both monsters grimaced in agony as rains of attack landed on them. It only took less than a minute for Io to make the monster disappeared from her sight and the Vampire Lady ended on the tip of her spears, dead. She looked back at Larc who seemed to watch her fighting when he was done with his part.

"Why these things moved when you pass?" Larc asked with a hint of curiosity.

Io looked away as she impaled another stab on the Vampire Lady now unmoving body. Io only answered, "I don't know," she answered with a bored yet sad expression. It's not like she didn't know the answer but she was reluctant to explain.

Larc found the answer unbelievable but he was still curious. Their partnership was temporary but when he found the way she used her lance, he knew it would be easy for her to pass the test later. There was something inside his companion that drew him to her, as weird as it sounded.

Larc quickly thought of a way to fish an answer while Io looked around the hallway, looking for a way. It didn't take too long for Larc to found a way and he immediately said, "An eye for an eye, I would answer your question if you answered my question. Is it fair for you?" Larc said with a hint of irritation.

Io looked back at the Dragoon who accompanied her during her visit in the Underworld, a visible surprise on her face. She could handle the surprise of getting dragged on anything not particularly tied to her, but this, was a surprise even for her. She never guessed that the Dragoon would press the issue further than she had let on.

Well, for a long time no one ever pushed the matter further and they would remain silent at her secretive attitude. So now that someone actually pushed the matter, she didn't know what to do.

Admitting an unmentionable defeat, Io said, "Who starts first?" she asked with a sigh at the beginning and the end of her question.

"Do you want to start first Iolite?" Larc asked with mentioning Io full name. He actually could count that as Io first question, but he decided to not use the loophole of his own idea.

Io flinched at the mention of her full name. Something about the voice sent a shiver down to her spine. Io only shook her head, to calm her own mind and to answer the offer, it's not like she had anything to ask the Dragoon. After all, she had a fear that her question might thread further than she had intended to say. She wasn't ready yet at least so she shook her head.

Larc examined the quiet traveler with judging eyes. It was a rare moment for him to see a being which resembled living being, as he used to see Shadoles everywhere, especially a girl not to mention. The Underworld even lacked a being that practically had a life. A lot insane and uncontrollable Shadoles dominate the land rather than someone that practically sane. Human or any living being that lived in Underworld seemed to lose their sanity at the process too.

But, Larc actually sensed something was… off from Iolite aura. Mana energy seemed to get concentrated around her like she was an amplifier or an eternal Mana Spring. It made the thing that devoid of soul yearned to drink the Mana energy from her, pretty much alluring danger to her direction. Maybe the reason why she got attacked more than him was because of this too, seeing how Iolite seemed to be a Mana Spring that would never went dry no matter what. He even felt the hunger a little bit. He pushed the instinct to the back of his mind and decided to think a lot more about his question.

Io waited patiently for the Dragoon beside her, Larc, to raise his voice. Good thing it didn't take too long for Larc after his train of thought being cut a little bit, as he finally said, "Where do you live?" he asked with calm voice.

Io was surprised at the question. She thought that Larc would ask why she was being followed by monster or maybe how she got the power to do that, but no, Larc asked a pretty much general question.

'Maybe it was because he respected my secret and privacy…' Io thought to herself as she listened to the question.

Io looked back at Larc for a while before she said, "I lived in the furthest side of Domina. I live in a cottage with two of my apprentice which look more likes my children. So, now my turn," Io answered with a nostalgic voice and finally saying a full sentence with more word counts than she used to use. She just remembered she left her two kids watching their home for 5 days already.

Larc was intrigued at the answer and the fact Io actually used more words and formed a perfect three sentence in one go. Clearly it gave him a little bit chill when he finally heard her clear voice. Io voice had a nice tune and melody, maybe because she learned some about instrument.

Io watched Larc's face after she answered his question. She pondered for a while and when she found one, she quickly asked, "How was your life before you die?" Io asked with soft voice and barely audible voice.

Larc of course heard it, being a Dragoon he was. He looked at Io who seemed to hesitant at her own question. Well, he did live in the Underworld, so he knew that she must thought that he had died which was true anyway. But he wondered why the sudden question? Oh yeah, their deal about questioning each other.

"Being a Dragoon like now, do you want to ask anything related to this?" Larc said while offering another chance for Io to ask a follow question.

Io knew it meant that when Larc asked a question, he may get a follow question too. But, she wanted to take the offer so she said, "Under the same Master like now?" Io continued her question with a follow up question.

Larc twitched his eyebrow a little before he answered, "No, I had a different Master when I'm alive," Larc answered with difficult expression. It almost seemed, in Io's eyes, that he missed his old Master from when he was alive.

But Larc looked up and said, "My turn. Why you wandered around the Macabre Tombstone?" Larc asked in visible curiosity. It's quite weird for any girl to wander around a cursed graveyard like that.

Io pondered about the question a little, she knew that what she would say would make the Dragoon thought that she was a freak, but she said it anyway, "I declined Pokiehl offer to go to the Underworld before, so now I looked for the entrance myself… until you dragged me down, of course," Io answered with a tone she kept to be as monotone as possible.

If Larc was drinking something right now, he was positive he would choke at the response. He quickly asked, "Why you wanted to go anyway?" Larc asked in clearly surprised voice. Now, who would want to go to the Underworld on purpose?

Io sighed as she said, "I know you would say that Larc. For a note, I don't want to die yet, so I'm not going to commit suicide. I did this because one of my apprentices, his name is Bud, wanted to meet the Seven, well… Six Wisdom, and all that was left was to meet Olbohn. So, because Olbohn reside in Underworld, I looked for the entrance," Io answered nonchalantly. At her answer, Larc was quiet.

'I do have my own reason though but… you won't believe me Larc,' Io thought to herself as she waited for Larc to speak about practically anything.

But now that Larc was completely silent, Io didn't want to ignite the conversation either, so they remain silent through their way.

So, for now it's the end of this chapter~ like I said, Iolite was a quiet girl but she spoke a lot when she needed to. Just not too often to say that she was talkative. I clearly made it out the reason about why the Hero/Heroine always got chased down by the monster, not the NPC (at least in my playtrough the monster always chased me around). But it didn't matter now anyway, so I hope you will take some time to fill the box below and submit it as a review~

And before I forget it, here is the preview for the next chapter!

Preview for Chapter 3

Larc and Io entered the room and soon Io recognized the being that sat in front of her. It had three pairs of hand like the god Asura and three eyes. Judging by its appearance and the place they were in, Io quickly recognized the being as Olbohn, the Wisdom that she had been searching and also the Lord of Underworld.

"Please… stay…"

"I understand…"