[Novel] Journey Part 1 Final Chapter "Khotan"

Kala rushed toward Uppala with Jala.
Supported by Kohong running beside her, Uppala gripped the reins desperately while enduring the pain.
"Keep running! I'll catch up soon."
After calling out to her swaying back, Kala increased speed and, while keeping the horse on the left running, leaped onto Uppala's horse.
She caught Uppala just in time as she was leaning and about to fall from the horse. Her clothes were already stained with bright red blood. The arrow remained pierced slightly above Uppala's left hip. Contrary to the color of the blood, her complexion was deathly pale. Uppala leaned her body against Kala, limp.
"You endured well."
Considering the severity of the injury, it was necessary to get off the horse and treat it, but the enemy who had likely struck Uppala was closing in from the left. With no other choice, Kala snapped the arrow at the fletching and kept running.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Leave this to me and keep running. You'll see the gate soon."
Kohong hesitated for a moment, but immediately increased her speed again.
Meanwhile, the horse carrying Kala and Uppala slowed down due to the extra rider. Seizing the moment, the enemy pulled up on the left and slashed at them. Kala supported Uppala with her right arm holding the reins and fought back with her left hand alone. At that moment, another enemy approached from the right. Kala kicked the belly of the enemy's horse on the left violently, causing the horse to go wild and throw the enemy off. The one on the right fired an arrow from close range.
"Ugh."
Taking an arrow in her right shoulder, Kala froze for an instant.
"Looks like this is the end for you, too."
Just as the enemy smirked and raised his sword, he was struck by Shata's arrow from behind and died instantly.
"Kala, are you okay?!"
Shata, who had caught up, pulled alongside while running.
"I hate to admit it, but I owe you one again."
Kala pulled the arrow out of her right shoulder with brute force.
"Is this the time for that?"
At that moment, a gate painted black came into Shata's view.
"That's it! The gate!"
However, that was short-lived joy. Several enemy riders were still closing in from behind, and in front of the gate, an even larger cavalry unit was lined up facing them.
"New arrivals. Aren't we being caught in a pincer attack?"
The new arrivals lined up in two rows without a single flaw and, at a signal, aimed their bows at them.
"This is the end."
Shata closed his eyes involuntarily.
The sharp, high-pitched sound of bows tearing through the air.
The next moment, instead of arrows raining down on them, the arrows flew high, far over their heads, and struck the remnants of the Tuyuhun behind them.
"Huh?"
What caught Shata's eyes as he stood in confusion was a brightly raised flag. And engraved in its center was the character "Yu" embroidered with gold thread.
"They're Khotan soldiers!"
The Khotan soldiers fired a second volley. Behind them, they heard the sound of enemies being struck down with short screams and falling from their horses.
The remaining enemies turned around and fled one after another.

"As I thought, that guy is useful. Just as I expected."
Kala jerked her chin to urge Shata to look ahead.
Emerging from behind the cavalry was a familiar figure in monk's robes.

"I'm glad I made it in time. Is everyone injured?"
"The princess was struck. Can you call a doctor, Lanshengdan?"
"I'll go call one immediately."
Kala held Uppala and lowered her, and eventually, a stretcher returned with Lanshengdan.
Shata watched them go with a bewildered expression.
※※※
"You tricked me again."
Because Kala was sleeping like the dead from injuries and exhaustion,
it was several days after arriving in Khotan that Shata was told the sequence of events.
He heard that Lanshengdan had disappeared because he had been sent ahead to Khotan to ask the King for rescue.
"Well, this time it was a gamble in a sense, too."
It was a forced attack while not being able to deny the possibility that Lanshengdan might be colluding with the Tuyuhun again.
Fortunately, Lanshengdan did not betray them, and the King of Khotan acted quickly. Uppala also survived, although her condition still needed observation.
"That's fine and all, but couldn't you have told me first? Do you not trust me that much?"
Shata wrapped a new bandage around Kala's wound, pulling it tight as if taking out his frustration.
"Well, no, what, that..."
Just when he thought she was stammering unusually while grinning, Kala burst out laughing the next moment.
"It's that face."
"Huh?"
"I just couldn't help it, wanting to see that face."
Kala, who had kept her mouth in a straight line ever since receiving the King's order, laughed openly for the first time in a long while.
Come to think of it, when it was just the two of them, she was someone who would laugh like this occasionally. Over trivial things.
"Stay by my side from now on, Shata. I'll trick you sometimes, so show me that pouty face again occasionally."
...That's why I can't leave this person's side, Shata thought while looking at that smiling face.
...Probably forever.
※※※
After recovering from her injuries, Uppala's wedding was held without incident. Waiting for that day, the group decided to leave Khotan.
"So, you're really leaving."
"Yeah. Give my regards to the King."
Kala said while loading luggage onto the horse.
"What will you do now?"
"Return to my old life."
Kohong decided to remain in Khotan as a lady-in-waiting for Uppala,
and it was decided that Lanshengdan would enter a temple in Khotan.
The villagers, who had dwindled to a few, each received rewards and returned to the village ahead of them with guards. As for the tax exemption that had been their long-cherished wish, there would likely be an order from the royal castle later.
"Is Jala going with you too?"
"A troublesome piece of baggage has increased."
Jala, who said he wanted to find what he could do not just for the village but for the country, decided to act with the two of them for the time being.
"According to him, he 'wants to see the wide world'."
That might be good too. Having left the small world of the castle, I also learned many things.
"You might forget about me. But I won't. Meeting you, and what you taught me."
"...Forget it."
Kala's answer was blunt. It wouldn't hurt to be a little charming at the very end.
"Live hard enough to forget. The winds of foreign lands are sometimes cold."
"...I suppose so."
"I'll tell you one last thing."
Once everything was ready, Kala said.
"Your brother is dead. A long time ago."
"..."
"What's left is a sister."
Just as she tried to ask the meaning of those words, a strong wind whipped up the sand. While Uppala closed her eyes involuntarily, Kala got on her horse and, with her two companions, dashed away from the scene.
"Wait!"
She tried to follow, but the strong wind and sand tangled around her feet, and Uppala stumbled and fell to her knees.
"I told you not to push yourself yet."
By the time Kohong helped her up, the companions she had traveled with were already far away.
Uppala watched those shrinking backs for a long time.
※※※
"Lord Alisha, a report from Tuyuhun."
"What is it?"
"The group of soldiers sent to track them has been wiped out, and the party has entered Khotan."
The man called Alisha, after a silence, kicked the head of the messenger who had come to report until he was satisfied.
"Lord Alisha, please stop."
Ignoring the man who appeared to be a retainer beside him trying to stop him, he stomped on the messenger's head repeatedly and violently.
"Damn you, Shanshan scum. You managed to maneuver well."
"Lord Alisha..."
"This is not the end. For the sake of our country's restoration, I will definitely... them..."

Journey Part 1 End