Ersia: Raven Dawn

Lisabelle has no idea about where Viena is, or whether Randia was with her or not. Yet, she has but only one clue - The Great Cathedral of Aine. She took every shortcut she knew, hoping that she would not be late. However, due to her mind being unclear, she occasionally bumped into people and stuff.

The girl ran through the vast capital city, until finally, the giant dome of the famous blue cathedral came into sight, peeking from the tall straight white wall that enclosed the entirety of the building complex. The decorative flowers filled the front side, followed by the wide man-made lake which held the statue of Aine in the middle of it.

One could say that The Blue Cathedral - also known as - The Great Cathedral of Aine is an architectural marvel. However, this time, Lisabelle couldn't care less about any of that. She didn't come for the beauty of the well-maintained landscapes, the purifying evening choirs of the people of the robes, nor for its services of healing and worshipping. She is only here with one thing in mind.

Soon, Lisabelle ran past the main gate of the cathedral, and she saw a bunch of novitiates talking with each other.

"Excuse me . . . Sisters! May the merciful blessing of . . . The Holy Mother . . . ! Light your path . . .!" Lisabelle gasped for air.

"May she reward all the devoted," the novitiates answered.

"You look so distressed, young girl. What can we help you with?" One of the novitiates gently patted on Lisabelle's shoulder.

"I'm looking for a little girl!"

They are looking at each other, confused.

"There are lots of little ones in the loving haven of The Holy Mother," the seemingly oldest one of the group replied.

"No! You don't understand! She came with her dad! A medevist! A very tall and bulky man! They were supposed to help around here!"

The novitiates whispered to each other. When all seems hopeless and Lisabelle's frustration grows, the youngest one of them steps forward. She looks fidgeting and twiddling with her finger like she is reluctant to say something.

"Sister! Do you know something? Can you help me?"

"I-Is her dad wearing a black turban, and looked rather handsome but gloomy?"

"Yes! Yes! Wait - what? Well, I guess his eyes are intense," Lisabelle tilts her head, thinking.

"Alice! How could you?!"

 "How obscene! Impure thoughts!"

The other novitiates started to scold her, but Lisabelle stepped between them as if to protect her.

"I'm so very sorry! I just had to make sure! I-I just want to help!" Alice covered her face in embarrassment.

"Thank you so much, Sister Alice! I will not forget this! Now, can you tell me where they go?"

With the help of Alice, Lisabelle went to the flea market, the very place that Viena had planned to visit for the day. She is running nonstop like her life depends on it. Every time her legs slow down, she remembers her bitter past, and it propels them forward through sheer emotional power alone. She covers four kilometers of distance within 16 minutes. 

Whether it's luck or bad luck, after quickly and carefully glancing at every alley, stall, and store, she finally found Viena. The little girl was surrounded by six people almost twice her size. It looked to Lisabelle like Viena was being led by those guys somewhere deeper into the alley where even the bustling sound of haggling didn't come through.

The furious young lady immediately grabbed an old broom that belonged to an old, sleeping peddler. Though the handle is quite thick, Lisabelle was able to crack the end of the broom rather easily with a single stomp of her leg. Now, with the spiked edge of the broom, she charged through the last of the group silently. Her intention is clear - she is settling for a kill and nothing less.

"STOP!"

Someone screamed in their direction and the group went alerted and turned their heads to the source of the voice. It turns out that Lisabelle was aiming for a lady - presumably in her late twenties. In that slightest span of time, she could grab a hold of the broom, albeit barely. However, she is quickly getting overwhelmed by Lisabelle, and the broom pierces through her thigh. The lady was screaming, but not for long, as Lisabelle immediately sent a powerful blow to her chin that was so strong it broke her jaw and knocked her half-unconscious.

"VIVI, RUN!" Lisabelle screamed at the top of her lungs as she took out a scissor she used for knitting from her bag, and brutally pulled out the bloodied broom till the wound splurted from the damaged femoral artery.

Instead of running, Viena was standing there crying in fear of what Lisabelle did, just as everyone else was screaming. Mistaking it for being tears of pain from being assaulted by the group of adults, Lisabelle turns even more enraged and takes a dashing stance once more.

"YOU . . .! I WILL KILL YOU ALL!"

Before Lisabelle committed even more harm, suddenly someone grabbed her by a rear-choke hold.

"Lisabelle! Stop it! Calm yourself!"

The man was no other than Randia who had just been walking slightly slower than the rest of the group.

Despite his attempt to stop Lisabelle, the girl was in so much anger that she turned deaf. Being choked and rendered breathless as her body was being lifted off the ground, she needed to think fast to turn over the situation. She then performed an unthinkable feat of combat as she threw the scissors toward the broom and flung the inner hole of the scissors with the edge of the broom before swinging and launching it backward beyond her head, right to Randia's face.

The blades of the scissors landed just right into Randia's left eye and also a part of his cheek below it, making a deep gruesome wound. Then again, when they all thought all was done, Lisabelle fought more instead. She used the bloodied edge of the broom to stab Randia's choking arm repeatedly with both of her hands, as powerfully as she could.

In the horrifying sight of Randia's muscle being torn and pierced and gouged by the wooden splinters and shafts, the man didn't even flinch or even show a sign of pain. His stance remains strong, and his face stern, as if all that was done to his body was nothing but the blow of the wind. No one could even blink as they witnessed the retaliation lasted for a while.

Slowly but surely, Lisabelle's absurd strength faded and her body turned limp. In her fading sight, she saw Viena running over to her but was held back by the other adults.

"Vivi . . . N-No . . . ."

Everything happened so quickly, and they are rendering everyone helpless. Those who present are only moving out of reflex, losing their order of logic in gasps and fearful silence after witnessing such a display of unexplained barbarism. Only Randia was able to react accordingly to the unprecedented events and take control of it right after.

Still, no matter how much everyone wants an explanation, there is something more important to do - tending to the wounded.