章 263: She Obtains an Older Sister

"I did. But I can't say what happened then." Briar sighed. "More importantly, after that, I went back to the resting place of my village. Even though time passed, the hole of her absence remained in my heart. No matter how many became dear to me, they only took up their own place in my heart, never filling in the hole. I came to realize that it's meant to be that way."

"What?"

"Only the person themselves can fill their hole in your heart." Briar explained. "No one else will do. That is what love is. Once you love someone, they are there forever." Briar said. "Not even God can fill the Mom-shaped hole. It's there for her and her alone, because He made it that way."

"He did?" Robin asked, surprised.

"He made a place for Himself there, as well. It's also a place that no one else can fill." Briar nodded with a warm smile.

"God huh..." Robin swirled the sand under her fingers.

Briar raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem to like that?"

"Well..." Robin wasn't sure what to say. "I... don't like God." She finally said.

"What? Why?" Briar asked, looking at Robin with concern.

"...Mom liked Him though. She liked Him a whole lot. And she wanted me to like Him too, but...I just can't now." Robin said scowling at the ground. Briar listened silently as Robin continued saying the words she had kept inside her heart this whole time.

"No matter how much she liked Him, He didn't do anything to prevent her from dying like that. If He knows everything, and is such a good person, why would He let her die like that? Why would He..." Robin's voice wavered as hot tears flowed from her eyes.

"Why would He have let all of that happen?"

Briar drew Robin into a hug as Robin started to cry, patting her on the back. Robin didn't know why, but she didn't feel averse to it. She almost felt like she was at home, even though they were out there, in the middle of the desert.

"She has died. And you can't see her anymore.

And yes, He did allow it to happen.

But that doesn't mean that He didn't do anything.

And it doesn't mean that He doesn't care.

Perhaps, you will find that it is precisely because He cared, that He allowed for it to happen, in order to prevent an even greater tragedy." Briar said softly, yet firmly.

"Why would He do that?" Robin sobbed.

"Because, just as there is a mom-shaped hole in your heart, there is a Robin-shaped hole in His own. And He is waiting for you to arrive and fill it." Briar said with a knowing smile.

"He has done many things for you that you will not know about until you come face to face with Him. Look, He already has led you to come meet with me. If not, we might have passed by each other without even knowing it."

Robin felt comforted, as if her heart was laid to rest upon the softest, most comfortable pillow. It had been a very long time since she had received this kind of care. The tears flowed even faster.

"How can you be so sure?" Robin asked, trying to wipe away her tears with the back of her hand.

"I can because... He has His own way of making His presence known." Briar smiled warmly, and ruffled Robins hair. "So don't be mad at Him anymore, okay? He's also a dear friend of mine."

"I sense bias." Robin took out a handkerchief and blew her nose.

"Perhaps. But it isn't the undeserving kind." Briar smiled, good-naturely. "You know, despite all of that, I still can't bring myself to hate you. Would you mind if I adopted you as a younger sister of mine?"

"....Huh? Where did that come from?" Robin asked, surprised at the sudden turn of conversation. In her surprise, her tears finally stopped flowing.

"You don't want to?" Briar asked, looking at Robin with an expression of 'I will respect your decision, but I really want you to, though..' Robin looked at Briar and suddenly laughed. How was Briar able to express everything she wanted to say with just a look like that?

"You know....I'd like that. I've never had an older sister, before." Robin agreed.

Briar smiled delighted. "Welcome to the family!" She shook Robin's hand playfully.

Well, it was also a piece of mischief upon Briar's part. Because one of Briar's adopted family members was also God. In fact He was the very one that Robin had said she despised earlier.

But Briar would not say anything about it for the time being...

----

Two days later, the sandstorm had blown over, and the caravan was able to continue with minimal damage, and no lives lost. The Sandstorm Bandits were placed upon an empty food supply wagon, after their bindings had been changed to a more secured magic iron handcuff.

"Finally! We've reached a town." Christian groaned. "Skye, can you contact Robin and ask where she is right now?"

Skye meowed, before closing its eyes and curling up into a ball.

The rest of the people were looking forward to resting in a proper inn, instead of a tent. Well, except two: Liam was looking at an oddly absent-minded Chelsea. Unlike her usual cheery self, Chelsea embodied silence these past two days. Chelsea was staring out at the sand through the cloth binding about her head, thinking deeply about something.

Finally, Liam couldn't wait any longer. He spoke up.

"A copper for your thoughts?" He asked.

"....pardon?" Chelsea asked, after realizing that Liam had said something.

"What are you thinking about?" Liam asked.

"This desert..." Chelsea paused, but said with an uncertain tone. "It is obviously nowhere near the ocean."

"That it certainly isn't." Liam agreed.

"It isn't near the ocean...but then...why does it feel so familiar to me?" Chelsea murmured. "It's almost as if, a long long time ago, it was once..."

"If a sea dragon says so, then so it must be." Liam nodded. "But even so, why should that trouble you?"

"That means this place was once filled with water, but now it's like this..." Chelsea hesitated. "I guess I feel it's a shame?" She tilted her head, not certain what was bothering her.

Liam lifted his eyes to the sky, and his expression changed slightly. "If I am to be completely honest, I also feel this place is slightly familiar. Almost like...perhaps I had smelled this air somewhere before."

"Isn't it interesting?" Chelsea visibly brightened, knowing that she was also not the only one. "I've never been here before, after all. So mysterious!"

"You were with your brother this whole time, weren't you?" Liam asked.

"Mhmm. We've been together ever since I was an egg in the oceans off the coast." Chelsea agreed. "We grew up in the same oyster."

"He must be quite the dragon, then." Liam said.

"Oh, he isn't a dragon." Chelsea replied. "He's a Kelpie. His true form is the pearl that accompanied my egg so very long inside the oyster."

Liam paused. "And you call him your older brother?" He asked.

"Because he emerged first." Chelsea looked at Liam as if it were a natural fact of life. "What's wrong?"

"... It's nothing." Liam looked away. He didn't want to say that he was jealous of the kelpie that was riding on Chelsea's tail as a 'brother' due to being slightly older than her.

"Is it the heat? I know I'm feeling a bit like steamed lobster at the moment, but the volcanic vents at the ocean's floor are much warmer than this, so it's okay for now." Chelsea said.

"You feel hot?" Liam asked in concern.

"It isn't too bad right now, since we're in the shade, but I probably wouldn't want to be out in the sunlight for too long here." Chelsea replied.

"I'll think of something." Liam said, as he looked around at the nearby stalls for an idea. The inn was located near the marketplace, so that shopping for essentials would be convenient.

He came across a stall selling cloth fans,.and approached it for a closer look. There were also a few other items in here that seemed interesting. He glanced over them before stopping upon a sea green parasol.

"How much?" He asked.