Fight of the Champions

Chapter Twelve - Jira

Fighting this battle was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She had fought several times before, in short skirmishes, but this was the place of warriors, of soldiers, of knights, not for scholars like her. Still, she fought as hard as she could, first with an eightfold blade, then, when it broke halfway through the battle, pulled the longsword she had strapped over her back.

It didn't take long for the group of them to finish off the soldiers. There were only a couple left when she heard the scream.

"AADIL!"

Jira's blade slashed through two soldiers and they fell to the ground, and then spun around to see Miko racing past the battle. She started running along behind him.

Finally, she caught sight of Miko personally fighting off Bahuma from a limp red haired figure. Bahuma vanished, and Miko fell to his knees, holding onto the other man.

Jira got closer, it was Aadil.

She got caught up as a few more soldiers came to keep her back, but in moments all of them fell to the ground from arrows flying in from the sky. Corvus dropped down from the skies and turned to her looking almost terrified.

"I- I- I tried to stop him—" she said in shock, shaking violently, "I mi- I missed—"

Jira's wide eyes watched as Aadil fell into Miko's arms.

In the distance, she could see Bahuma watching, with a strange, perplexed look.

She gripped her sword tightly and took a step towards him, but something held her back.

Zariah stood right behind her, fear in her eyes.

"I don't want him to hurt you too," she said with a frown.

The three of them stood back and watched Darmar finish up the last of the soldiers, and as the Gerudo all ran to their chief's side.

She made her way to Aadil's side. Miko let his body fall limply to the ground. He watched him with tears falling loosely.

Out of instinct alone, foregoing all past prejudice and hatred towards him, Jira jumped into action, crouching beside him, tearing off the armor and sleeve over his left arm, shoving it into one of the Gerudo guard's arms. She turned to the former captain of the guard.

"I need you to keep pressure on the wound, I'm going to wrap it up to stop the blood, then—" she sat back on her heels, her mind spinning, "I'll- I don't know- I'll try to keep his heart going,"

She nodded and did what she asked. Before she checked her bag for cloth, she took his wrist and checked for a pulse.

Nothing.

She squeezed tighter, muttering under her breath, "come on, come on,"

Still no pulse.

She heard someone crying behind her, a quick glance told her it was Zariah.

She bit her lip and went to work, wrapping cloth as tight as she could around his chest. His blood had already stopped pulsing out, a worse sign.

She kept working, and the more she tried to keep Aadil alive, the more she was sure he was dead. All of the signs were there, he was gone, there was nothing she could do. She looked over and saw Miko crying freely, his eyes locked into Aadil. She could still hear Zariah behind her nearly sobbing. She had to do this. She moved frantically now, her movements shook and she wasn't as precise.

A gentle hand held her back finally, the former captain of the guard, "There's nothing we can do for him now," she said sadly.

Jira nearly shoved her aside, but the woman pulled her back instead, ripping her from Aadil's side. She burst out of her grasp and her eyes fell on the man's dead body and she screamed in frustrated anger.