Unburnt Breakfast

Every long night eventually succumbs to dawn, even in times of battle and war. Though the morning sun shone down it couldn't reach the small family tucked away in the mountain cave.

".. Jash.. Jash… JASH!"

"I'M AWAKE!" blurted the boy, springing up to his feet before he could rub his eyes. "I'M READY TO FIGHT–"

Konking Jash on the head, Bil chuckled, "There's no battle, so no fighting. Hurry and eat some breakfast before we set out."

"Uh-Yes, sir!" Jash patted his cheeks to get some blood flowing, then sat down with a joyful smile. "Huh, eggs! And they're not burnt!!"

Proud to hear that, Bil groaned with satisfaction. "You're welcome!"

Confused, Jash filled his plate and looked to Nelphy. "I thought–"

"The angels passed through the night. Bil checked earlier," Nelphy said between bites.

Nodding, Bil finished packing his things. "I found those in the woods and thought eggs would be a good addition to breakfast."

"So they fought off the angels?!"

"... I'm sorry, Jash, but the town was destroyed," Bil answered, sitting down across from the kids. "I'm sure a search party will check the area after news reaches a city, but for now we know nothing about survivors."

"Then… How come we can celebrate with food..." mumbled Jash.

Putting a hand on Jash's shoulder, Bil answered, "Because we survived. And if anyone else is still alive, they'll be doing the same as us."

".. Okay.." Jash grumbled, finally stuffing his face with fresh cooked scrambled eggs.

"How is it?" asked Bil.

Half smiling, Nelphy replied, "You didn't burn them, but did you season them?"

"I…. didn't.." Nodding in disappointment, Bil took a mental note. "I'll need to buy more salt in the next town."

"You know there's more to food than just salt, right? And don't say pepper, because there's so much more than that too," Nelphy stated, catching Bil off guard. "Good job on not burning the eggs, but if you want to cook, maybe take some lessons."

"Cooking lessons? I'll think about it…" Putting his mind at ease, Bil loaded his plate with jerky and eggs, grabbing some dried fruit on the side. "For now, let's dig in!"

"Umm. Can we eat outside, since it's safe now?"

Bil halted his fork but quickly nodded. "Sure. That's a good idea. I just didn't want to leave the cave before we took down camp."

"Well, we can come right back…" Jash reasoned, nodding in hopes Bil would nod too.

Playing along, Bil nodded. "Alright, let's go get some sunshine."

"Yeah!"

"Thanks, Bil!"

Jash and Nelphy shouted with childish glee. While Jash tried to race out of the cave, Nelphy was more careful with her food. Soon, they were outside and took in a big breath of fresh air.

Nelphy got ready to sit at the empty campsite but Jash had other plans. He sat on the cliffside, dangling his feet against the mountain wall.

"Wanted a view?" remarked Bil, sitting down beside the boy. He resumed eating without skipping a beat. However, he noticed Jash's new sense of hesitation. "... It looks a lot different now, doesn't it?"

".. Yeah. It does," replied Jash.

"Go ahead and take it all in. The remains of Emor are a tribute to the pride of Emor's citizens," explained Bil, speaking between bites. "They fought a god knowing they would never win. So instead of giving up, they ensured that the god didn't win either."

"What do you mean?" Nelphy asked, sitting on the other side of Bil.

Closing his fist, Bil laid his arm across his chest and placed the fist over his heart. "They made sure that the god found no resources and no converts. Even if the god would prevail in battle, the god found nothing. It was a wasted effort for the god and angels. That's one of many reasons why the citizens stood proud."

"But still… If you had joined, then–"

"Jash, there's no way I could've." Bil argued, "If sacrificing you two would save thousands or hundreds of thousands of lives, I would refuse."

Stunned by the sudden serious remark, Jash couldn't say anything. And neither could Nelphy.

Bil continued, "You two mean everything to me. You are my purpose for living. I will give up anything I must to protect you."

"But.. those people matter too!" shouted Jash.

"They do. And they have people who care about them the same way I care for you. But sadly, they had no means of protecting themselves," reasoned Bil. "Even if I had joined them and faced the enemy before the angels attacked the city, what might've happened to you two? I'd be leaving you with people too weak to fight a single angel.

"Even if I chose to face the god head-on, what would stop the angels from destroying you along with the city? I would never be able to face your mother if that happened. And I would never be able to live with myself…" Pausing, Bil put his arms around the kids for a makeshift hug. "Jash, if you want to protect everyone, then you'll have to become stronger than everyone."

"I'LL DO IT!"

"And I mean everyone," continued Bil. "Do you have any idea how many gods and devils exist?"

"N-no!" stammered Jash, not giving up. "But I'll–"

"Did you know there's a ranking system among angels and demons?"

"I-I.. I didn't know that."

Sighing, Bil went on, "Did you know that deities also have a ranking system? Meaning, every deity is different than one another?"

"No. I didn't know that…" Jash groaned.

"Then guess. Based on the destruction you see in town, where do you think the attacking god was on that scale?" Bil questioned. "Do you think that god was at the top of the rankings, near the middle, or at the bottom?"

"It must've–"

"Gods and devils aren't items or objects, Jash. They're more similar to humans than you'd expect," Bil corrected. "Don't act like they're throw-away items when you don't have the strength to back that up."

"... Then, what do I call them?" Jash argued, "They can't actually be–"

"They are legitimate gods and devils," stated Bil, disappointing Jash. "However, what's wrong is humanity's expectations of deities.

"Deities aren't omnipotent, omnipresent beings. They live and breathe in their own homes, ruling their respective territories like glorified kings. And every god and devil was at one point human, so–"

"WHAT!?" Not only did Jash shout, but so did Nelphy.