Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, the healing was supposed to begin. The crippled, the maimed, and the sick all went to the temple, and waited to be healed. Among them was Golden Rain, who had been suffering from a sickness ever since she was young. She would cough profusely, and sometime, cough up blood. If she had not been healed by the shamans, she would’ve died long ago.

Meanwhile, the other girls were at the edge of the village. They were all just hanging out, when something caught Meadow Lily’s eye. She saw, at a distance, a group of warriors, coming towards the village. They got closer and closer, when she finally stood up on the rock and yelled out.

All of the villagers tried to get into safe places, but before they knew it… the warriors had arrived.

Meadow Lily looked long and hard at the warriors. They were the Holcanes from the city. Meadow Lily went to one of the huts, to retrieve some of the weapons that some of the village warriors left behind. She grabbed two daggers, and the ran out of the hut.

She saw one of the warriors go to the temple, and she ran as fast as she could. She caught up to him, and aerial kicked him in the face. Although he fell, he got right back up, and swung his macuahuitl at her. She was so flexible, she bent backwards, with her head touching the ground, and got up so fast, that she was able to swing the one dagger into his throat, and the other into his chest, killing him instantly.

Meadow Lily then grabbed the macuahuitl and stuck on of her daggers in her skirt.

Although Meadow Lily wasn’t having a hard time fighting, some of the girls were. Snow Drop was constantly being pursued by a Holcane with a red plume headdress, and a belt, with what looked a human spine. He would catch up to her, and just about to grab her, when she would stop, and since he was still running, she bent over and he would flip over her back.

Doll's Eyes was having a showdown with a Medusa-haired Holcane. He eyed her up and down, then charged at her. With a bow and arrow in tow, Doll's Eyes fire two shots at him, missing. But the shots stunned him, and as he looked back to see where the arrows landed, Doll's Eyes threw the bow aside, grabbed a large stick, and at the right moment, clocked him in the head. The Holcane fell, but recovered, and got up, and grabbed her by the shirt, lifting her up. She looked at him. He just smiled evilly. But, then, he saw Moon Orchid coming, and he threw Doll's Eyes to the side.

"Don't you touch my sister!"

"Moon Orchid!"

Moon Orchid grabbed a spear from the ground, stuck into the ground, spun herself around, until her feet came into contact with the Holcane's face. Moon Orchid saw that he was down, and turned to Doll's Eyes.

"Get out of here, now!"

Doll's Eyes listened, but she was soon caught by a Holcane with a feathered belt, who had to fight with her to get her down.

Meanwhile, Gentle Blossom was fighting a Holcane with pigtails. He was tough, but he was younger than her, and she was just a bit more experienced, contrary to what he thought. As he tried to slice her with his obsidian dagger, she would duck, kick him in the ankle, knock him down, and kick him in the ribs. The young man then got up, and again, went to go after her, and made contact, knocking her down.

"Get off of me!" she screamed, and kicked him in the inner thigh, to which he cried out in pain, rolled off of her, and she got up, to look for her sister.

As the other girls and villagers tried to fight off the Holcanes, Meadow Lily was also fighting, but also, looking around. All of a sudden, the leader of the Holcanes came charging at her, and hit her in the face with a club. She got up, and fought him. She would hit him with everything she had, but, he would deflect it. Then, she grabbed an urn, outside near the temple wall, and threw it at him, hitting him. But, it wasn't enough, for the leader clocked her again with his club. Meadow Lily fell to the ground, and looked up to really look at him. Her eyes widened, and she gasped…

“Father?”

The leader looked down at her, and had a mean expression on his face, but when she said that word, his expression softened just a bit… However, he still grabbed her by her throat and slammed her against the outside temple wall. Meadow Lily was about a good foot shorter than the Leader, and when he slammed her against the wall, her face was level with his. She looked at him, and and a tear came streaming down. She then looked around, and the villagers, giving up, were being taken captive. The leader, Zero Wolf, let go of Meadow Lily, and let her fall to the ground, but immediately grabbed her hands, and tied them, and let a medium-length rope lead her.

Meadow Lily sat amongst the rest of her village, and looked around at the destruction of the village. She saw bodies lying on the ground, and blood everywhere. She then looked to see where the others were, and saw that the elder sisters were tied to one bar, while the younger ones were tied to another. But, there was one who was not tied up: Gentle Blossom. The Holcane with the long three pigtails, who she was fighting against her before, and the Holcane who captured Doll's Eyes, were, not trying to have their way with her, but actually trying to tie her up. But, Gentle Blossom was not having it, and would kick the young men numerous times, until she finally got tired, and they tied her up: her hands and her feet.

Meadow Lily called to the girls, but got hit in the back by a Holcane, who had a dot on his forehead. He smiled evilly at her.

“Almost..”

Meadow Lily just looked at him, and glared. But, he just chuckled and walked away. Meadow Lily looked at her wrists and tried to loosen them, but to no avail. She looked up to the sky, and a single tear fell down her cheek.

Time passed by, and it was finally time to move. Meadow Lily was being lead by Zero Wolf, although it seemed he would have rather had her with the other captives. Meadow Lily looked back to see the other girls, and saw that they were right behind her. Meadow Lily looked at Star Gazer, and asked her something.

“What do they want with us?”

“I don’t know.” Was all that Star Gazer could say. Meadow Lily turned back around and walked right behind her father, and next the man who hit her. She looked at him.

“What is your name?”

He looked at her, dumbfounded because of why she would ask that.

She just looked back.

“It’s just a question. But, I guess you Holcanes are too good for even those.”

“The name is Middle Eye.” He answered, slightly shocking Meadow Lily. But, she composed herself, and nodded.

The way to the city was a long, and arduous journey. As they walked one of the cliffsides, the group noticed that rocks were falling from the moutainside. The rocks would barely miss the group, but, suddenly, one of the rocks got a lucky break, and smashed into the pole, holding Golden Rain, Cherry Jubilee, Wind Whistler, and Doll's Eyes. The rock smashed into the middle of the pole, and Wind Whistler and Doll's Eyes, who were holding up the rear, surprised by the rock, both fell off of the cliffside, but landed on a smaller cliff.

Moon Orchid and Snow Drop screamed out, and forced their guide to bring them over to where their sisters had fallen. Golden Rain and Cherry Jubilee were looking down, speaking to Wind Whistler and Doll's Eyes.

"Don't look down!"

"We'll get you up, don't worry!"

Golden Rain then looked at the Holcane with the complex feathered headgear.

"Well, do something!!"

He then looked at the Holcane with the pig-snout headgear, and he went over to a few others, where he then retrieved some rope. The Holcanes struggled to make a loop, and as they were doing that, Golden Rain noticed that the cliff that Wind Whistler and Doll's Eyes were on was slowly breaking off.

"Hurry up with that-- oh, they'll never make it in time."

Golden Rain placed her fingers in her hair, where she revealed a very small obsidian dagger, and cut her bonds. She then ran over to the men, who were stunned by her freedom, but even more stunned when they saw her knotwork, and ability to make a bit of a lasso. She then walked over to Cherry Jubilee, cut her bonds, and gave the end part of the rope and then, threw the other part to the girls.

Wind Whistler started to climb up first, and made it halfway, when Doll's Eyes started to also climb. But then, the rope started to tear, and the two made up past the tear, but didn't trust themselves to climb anymore. Wind Whistler looked up.

"What now?!"

"We'll pull you up!" Golden Rain replied.

With that, Golden Rain and Cherry Jubilee started to pull up the two, but, were slipping. They were struggling, and the Holcanes could see that. But, they didn't lose hope. With all of their strength, Golden Rain and Cherry Jubilee pulled up the rope, and then, in no time, the two other girls were up on the cliffside, along with everyone else.

The girls fell in a heap, and exhausted, Golden Rain had to sit down. Wind Whistler and Doll's Eyes went over to their sisters, who were both a nervous wreck the entire time.

Golden Rain, exhausted, started to cough a lot, and spit up some blood, but shook it off, and got up, but noticed that neither she, Cherry Jubilee, Wind Whistler, nor Doll's Eyes could be put on a pole. So, they were all then separated, and placed onto other poles.

During this time, Zero Wolf, noticed that the rest of the group was not behind him, and being the leader, went to inspect. Dragging Meadow Lily with him, he walked over to the rest of the group and then noticed the broken pole.

"What happened?"

None of the Holcanes answered, but it was Cherry Jubilee, the youngest, who answered.

"As we were walking, the rockslide was getting heavier. A rock came flying down, broke the pole into pieces, and two of the girls fell of the side of the cliff..."

Zero Wolf's eyes glared at the Holcanes, as if to say And you couldn't prevent them from falling?

But, Cherry Jubilee continued.

"However, they landed on a smaller cliff, and my friend and I got a rope, and we pulled them up. Now, since, I can tell, that you're the type of leader who wants everything perfect, we are all here and accounted for, I assure you."

With that, Zero Wolf scanned and saw the girls, scattered, but they were still there. He went back up into the front, with Meadow Lily in tow, who looked at the girls forlornly, and they all continued on, until nightfall.

After the hectic day, night finally fell. Meadow Lily, being the only one not connected to a bar, was sitting close by to Zero Wolf. She looked up at him, and examined him closely, and saw that her father’s eyes were the same color as her own.

Zero Wolf noticed Meadow Lily looking at him, and turned to looked at her. Meadow Lily gasped, and quickly looked down. Zero Wolf walked over to her, and stood in front of her.

“Look up, girl.”

Meadow Lily refused, and kept on looking down.

“Look up.” He said, more sternly this time, but Meadow Lily, again, refused. The third time, Zero Wolf kicked her in her knee caps, and forced her to look up.

Meadow Lily looked at her father, and just cried.

“This pain is nothing compared to what awaits you.”

Meadow Lily looked at him.

“You don’t understand. The pain I feel right now will never be overrode by anything in the near future. You left me and Mother by ourselves, and then you come into our village, raid the place, and look at me like you don’t know who I am. I am the daughter of your former wife, Sundance Rose, and you, Zero Wolf.”

Zero Wolf cringed at the name of his former wife. He closed his eyes and remembered the time he was with her, and that fateful day, when he decided to leave her for good. He did, and when he came home, and she had also left for good, along with their young daughter, Meadow Lily. However, Zero Wolf regained his composure and looked at Meadow Lily.

“No matter… you will soon be erased from my memories.”

With that, Zero Wolf walked away, leaving behind a distraught Meadow Lily, who just there, crying silent tears through the night, and until the sun would rise...