Bil, What Was Your Childhood Like?

Again, Bil responded with a shake of his head, "No. I've never met anyone else with this problem, other than my father. But he died before I even knew what veita was."

"... Then, how do you know that?" Nelphy questioned, baffled yet earnestly staring at Bil.

"Hmph, how indeed? … Let's just say I learned from a very credible source," Bil answered while testing the rice with a fork. "Nelphy, get the plates ready. Jash, set the wash water aside."

They followed orders without a word. After being with Bil for years, they knew how secretive he was about his past. Just the mention of Bil's father could be considered a major victory compared to everything he'd told them throughout the years.

At the same time, Bil found the flattest rocks around for makeshift tables. All open coals were returned to the fire and the food was laid out on the short yet long stones. The boiling water was put beside the dirty cutting board and dishes, for washing everything afterward.

"Alright, let's dig in!" Bil didn't wait as he grabbed duck stirfry and a cockatrice leg. He filled a little bowl with some rice as well, setting it aside while chomping into the crunchy, fried bird. "Mmm, you made a great choice, Jash!"

"Mhmm!" Jash groaned, enjoying a cockatrice leg.

Nelphy savored the duck stirfry, enjoying it one bite at a time. "I love your stirfry…"

Together, the family took their time with their meal. They made sure to taste everything and wasted nothing thanks to their large appetites. To no one's surprise, Nelphy shifted her tempo and devoured her food before everyone else. Jash and Bil weren't too far behind though, cleaning their plates only a minute later.

"Aaah… Now, for dessert."

Nelphy stared at Jash, who did the same. Then, they turned to Bil and the small chocolate cake that suddenly appeared in his hands.

Sighing and smiling, Bil said, "Happy Birthday, Jash, Nelphy."

"Thanks!" Jash shouted, licking his lips.

"Thank you!" Nelphy replied, grabbing a cleaner but smaller plate from her pack.

Bil cut the small cake into three pieces, handing everyone one large slice each. "To you two, and lives ahead of you," Bil toasted, lifting his plate to the sky.

Jash did the same, stating, "To all us, and to our new lives in Frantoch!"

"To everything we've been through, and everything ahead of us," added Nelphy.

With a quick clink of plates, all three of them tore into their cake. It lasted a few moments at most, but they all sat and savored the sweet yet rich chocolaty taste lingering on their tongues.

"... Do you have any more questions for me, or should I start handing out the gifts?" asked Bil.

Rebounding from his full stomach, Jash stretched. "Hmm… What was your childhood like?"

"You're interested in me, on your special day?" Bil chuckled, getting determined nods from Jash and Nelphy. "Fine, I'll let you know…

"... My life was nothing special. Frihet didn't exist yet. I lived with my father outside of a small city, away from everyone else. I wasn't allowed to leave our fenced area. My father would only go into town once a month. But we'd frequently get visitors, and not the friendly sort…"

Bil smiled but it didn't feel like one to either Jash or Nelphy.

Readjusting his headwrap, Bil continued, "Every few days people would gather outside our fences. They'd shout and taunt my father. They'd tease and belittle me as his son… Sometimes, they'd throw rocks or rotten food…

"But my father never told me why he was treated that way. I just had to live with it. Until he died, one day… I was seven when I buried my father. It was in our backyard, right beside my mother's grave. She had passed birthing me…"

Gulping, Nelphy trembled in her seat. Jash was both full of questions and filled with silent respect. They both watched as Bil calmly sat there and recounted the tale like it was only a stroll through a park.

"After his burial," Bil continued, "I went to town for the first time. But I had to wait a week. The entire day of the burial, I had stones and rotting food thrown at me. That went on for days, until the path was finally clear enough to enter town safely.

"When I reached the city gate, I was immediately stopped by the city guard. But the usual crowd wasn't there. The guard stopped me until a group of priests from the state church appeared. They questioned me about my citizenship. And that's when I learned that neither I nor my father were citizens of that country. My father had refused to have me baptized. I also found out that he had been excommunicated from the church, and, by state orders, he was constantly prosecuted to remind him of his past treason.

"..." Bil paused for a moment, amazed to see how intrigued they both were. "... I was then offered the mercy of their god via baptism. I was also promised a new home in the church's orphanage, and the chance to be adopted.

"But the moment I asked for some time to think it over, I was rushed out of the city. I was told to wait outside, to help me realize the true benefits that baptism could bring me…"

Scoffing, Bil glared into the fire from under his headwrap, "When I asked for food, they threw moldy bread over the city walls. When I asked for a blanket, they tossed me a bug-infested rag. And when I started walking back home, I was told such actions equated to rejecting god and citizenship…"

"So, what did you do?" Jash asked.

"What else? I walked home. Where else would I go?" Bil kicked some dirt and sarcastically chuckled. "That's all I could do. Despite everything that had happened to me because I was my father's son, I could at least understand why he went through that. Why he wouldn't let me enter the city. Why he refused to argue with anyone that stood outside our fences. Why he was determined to never explain the reason for the persecution… I realized that there was no reason to begin with, only resentment for not complying with orders."