Rewriting His Past

We

"What are ya thinking?" Pyrite inquired while cocking his ears upward in interest.

"We can't get too much past my mother." Micah's eyes and voice were lowered. Pyrite drew him even nearer to his side.

"Giving her the impression that she is getting what she wants is more important than getting something past her." Dusk gazed into his empty cup and saw, in his tea leaves, what appeared to be flying birds looking up at him from the landscape. "She encourages you to be entrepreneurial and launch a business."

"Yes, that's right." Micah raised his head, a scowl marring his face. "I do not want to begin one. That would be reckless."

"I do," Dusk said, leading them down the path of his idea. Even though he had previously brought up his dreams in class, he felt a little awkward talking about them. This felt different. It was because he was speaking about it for the first time to a person who was actively paying attention.

"Sunshine, I understand where ya are going with this." Pyrite leaped to his feet while swaying his tail. Micah is left to support himself by placing his hands on the vacant seat. "We will support your business. Ya will appear to be guiding us in the direction she wants." In time with Pyrite's swaying tail, Dusk nodded, his heart thumping loudly. Pyrite's happiness made Dusk happy, too. It felt odd. As he placed his hand on his chest, Dusk believed he could feel his heart thumping. He never had his heart race so fast for something outside of fear. "You're an amazing guy!" Dusk set his empty teacup on the table, unsure of how to reply.

"I do not see that going on for too long." Compared to Pyrite's outright approval, Micah's thoughts were a little more sensible. "I can only claim to have been interested in it for a short while. I have attempted it before by funding projects."

"I am not asking you to sponsor my idea or even to pretend to be interested in it." Leaning back in his chair, Dusk told them. "Micah, your mother does not agree with your desire to start a family." Dusk wanted Micah to achieve his goal. Nobody's dreams ought to be crushed because of something so gloomy.

"No," Micah said, narrowing his eyes at him in thought. Pyrite cocked his head in his direction; though his tail was slowing, it was still moving side to side.

"We'll need to cut ties, at least financially," Dusk said, watching for any unfavorable facial expressions. Dusk said, keeping an eye out for any unfavorable expressions. "Being completely honest, I am still unsure of what the business will be at this point. However, it is a means of generating income and independence." Dusk emphasized the independent part. His mother wished for him to be a self-sufficient omega. Let us hand it over to her.

"She wants an independent, strong omega." While thinking, Micah raised his hand to his mouth and mumbled into it.

"It surpasses all of our previous ideas," Pyrite said, standing with his arms folded.

"She does not need to be aware that we are trying to become independent for any reason or that our ultimate goal is to start a family." Dark said his plan was straightforward. It had its holes. However, it will do until they have a better idea. It is more of a wrap over a gaping wound where stitches are needed. Dusk had some practical knowledge of both. Bleeding injuries and eluding an intrusive family's grasp. After his previous rejection of them, would they still trust him?

"Let us try it; at the very least, it will demonstrate our bonding, and even a queen cannot sever a bond." Micah smiled and raised his head to speak. "Then, let us come up with some business ideas for you. My mother will not openly act if I present her with a plan." Openly acting. What a troublesome phrase! It is not as if he had any other plans, so Dusk will take it. He would quickly run out of options if all he ever did was flee to another nation. He should remain firm at this point.

"I believe I saw some paper in the bedroom." Pyrite pushed back the bookcase and walked into his bedroom. They knew this place better than he did. Dusk chuckled and shook his head. He did not feel stressed or overawed; rather, he felt at ease. Although he might not have it, they might. All of them together. By the lay lines, Dusk would have to get used to that. We.

"Pay attention to the part you want; you do not need to assist with the business part. Which areas would be good to live in if we were looking for a home?" Although Dusk had overheard people discussing what he had said, he knew nothing about it. "Focus on that."

"No, Dusk. Together, we will work out the details." Dusk did not believe he had heard Pyrite say his real name yet when he suddenly heard it when Pyrite's voice came in. He brought up that word again. We. Although it seemed so easy, remembering and understanding it proved to be very difficult.

"You said it yourself. We," Micah said. Taking the papers and pens from Pyrite on the sofa, Pyrite sat down firmly. Taking one of the pens for himself and clamping it between his teeth.

"We're in this together." Pyrite pulls the cap off the pen and sets his paper on his lap, "despite the difficulty in reading my sloppy handwriting. "

"You intend to employ your magic skills, right?" Micah smiled as he spoke. "I can put up with this boring business stuff as long as I get to raise our kids," Micah chuckled. "Before, it was just to get my mother off our backs."

"Now it's to raise our family," Pyrite said, rubbing his head with the pen end. "You're making tokens, then? I do not think ya will choose the adventurous path. No offense, Sunshine."

"None taking." Despite the fact that it was his idea, Dusk was too shocked to say anything else. They accepted it wholeheartedly.

"You could create better teleportation tokens using space and time magic." Micah claimed this while putting his concept on paper.

"Could a token be used to freeze monsters? Since you are able to manipulate time?" Like he was in a classroom, Pyrite raised his hand.

"I have no idea, but that would do well in sales." Dusk said, feeling receptive to the notion. The two who came before him welcomed him effortlessly. Without hesitation, encouraged his aspirations. It was amazing how fast his life had turned. "Few people are capable of storing things." Dusk leaned forward, delighted to speak with them further.

"Although there are bags, they are pricey. Every adventurer has a dream of getting one." Pyrite said, writing that down too.

"If you can make them available to regular people, the market will change." While noting that, Micah said. "Tokens are easily produced, but the magic they contain is difficult to create."

"Then, would I be capable of doing that?" A tiny bit of uncertainty crept back into the blissful bubble that Dusk was in, prompting him to wonder.

"Stop worrying; ya still have that little thundercloud up there." Pyrite raised its finger toward the rumbling Word. "Before I can find a sword, I am sure he will help ya understand your magic."

"For blood mages, that is true. Once you start, it is impossible to stop them." Micah smiled at Word and nodded. "What is his natural form like?"

"I only remember something big, fluffy, and white." Looking up, Dusk noted that it was difficult to imagine that a powerful creature could transform into a tiny green owl.

"I am sure we will see it at some point; we ought to get him a big yard. When we search for a location," Pyrite remarked, returning to the papers on his lap. "Especially when I am out on adventures, I do not want to hold him back."

"You want to be an adventurer?" A guard potion or something that kept him close to Micah, Dusk reasoned, might be something he would like. Getting far away from that teacher who is too enthusiastic.

"I enjoy the thrill of the hunt as well as swinging my sword. It is ingrained in me." Pyrite chuckled. "I need to find my sword first."

"Pyrite, I am confident you will have it soon." Micah said, rubbing Pyrite's arm.

"It goes without saying that I need one that can support my swing. We all have goals to pursue this year," Pyrite said as he turned to face Dusk.

"I will do everything I can to help you both." With his fist raised, Micah spoke. "It will make me happy and placate my mother."

"I will get my sword, and I know you guys can work out your magic." Pyrite remarked that he appeared more assured than Dusk ever could. In an effort to find half of his strength within himself, Dusk smiled and nodded.

"For your token work, Pyrite can gather monster stones." Micah slapped his hands together. Monster stones needed for tokens? Now, Dusk was more intrigued by them. In his former country, monster stones were used for cultivation or to make weapons.

"Can do," Pyrite nodded, "first we need to help Dusk with his schooling."

"I will require a few books." Dusk noted he was going back to the fundamentals and learning from books rather than other people.

"Ask your teacher for their recommendations on the best ones." Micah grimaced. "They discussed hiring a private tutor for you. Since Mr. Ruby has no desire to teach something as powerful as a blood mage."

"Is that the reason I have this week off?" Dusk inquired, he felt good. He could attend class tomorrow.

"It is due to mage fever, but the truth is that we are still awaiting the tutor." Micah said while sighing and shrugging his shoulders. "When we return to the dorm, we investigate the rumors and learn when the teacher will arrive."

"Asking his mother is out of the question; it is best to keep her at a distance whenever possible." Dusk raised his hands and shook his head in response to Pyrite's statement.

"I never would have thought to ask that of either of you. I do wonder if my school payment will cover this private instruction." In Dusk's opinion, the cost of tuition is already excessive for a school that is so prestigious. Dusk reasoned that getting a private instructor would be unheard of.

"Never in a million years would they dare charge you after you pass out due to their lack of attention." Micah's eyes narrowed. "Let me know if they even try."

"Micah has a gift for connecting with people; his network could put his brothers to shame." Pyrite turned to face Micah, his eyes glistening with open pride.

"I would not question it," Dusk had only recently come to know Micah, but based on Coal's response to him and the school's, Dusk could tell that Micah enjoyed the love of the nation.

"Speaking of dorms, Micah, I think we ought to leave," Pyrite said, setting the papers down. "I want to stay, but we have to sign in every night or..." Pyrite stood up and rubbed the back of his head.

"Or the queen will know?" Dusk summed up the issue in one sentence. Micah grinned, but sadness could be seen in his eyes.

"I wish we could stay..." With each word, Micah's head droops. Dusk felt his heart ping with pain. "We'll be back first thing tomorrow morning." Any indication of sadness was gone from Micah's eyes and face as he raised his head with a broad smile on his face.

"We need to stock your cupboards!" Pyrite put his hands on his hips while giving a head nod. "Goodnight," Looking up, Pyrite stated. "Until we return, ya are on duty." Word responded by opening one eye.

"Sweet dreams, Dusk." A kiss swept over his lips, leaving as fast as it came. Dusk felt his face flush with a hot heat. "Now we're even." Micah whispered, looking him dead in the eyes. Mere breaths from each other. Dusk could make out the light blue flash in his deep blue eyes. He could not feel his own breathing until Micah winked.

"Night Dusk," Pyrite uttered, placing a hand on Micah's shoulders as if to restrain him. Dusk would not be aware if he was. Their romance was still too young.

"Micah and Pyrite, I bid you good night." All of Dusk's blood was rushing to his tingling lips, and he was struggling to stand.

"Go easy on yourself, eat, and rest." Pyrite extended a finger. Micah reached into his pocket and took the teleportation token out.

"Word, keep an eye on him!" Pyrite dragged Micah outside while he yelled. Word descended and landed—or, more accurately, flopped—on Dusk's head with a snorting noise. After leaving with laughter, Dusk was left alone.

"Without them, the cabin feels empty." Dusk surveyed the area; inside, it had changed from being cozy to being big and empty. Word yawned and cooed while lying on his head, belly first. In case he disturbed his dozing familiar, Dusk walked with one hand raised. At least he needed to make a quick catch. When Word yawned again, Dusk said, "Let us take a rest," feeling his eyes get heavy. "Let us hurry up tomorrow, alright, Word?"

Before Dusk could close the bedroom door, word had already begun to settle in the bed. While listening to Word's snores, Dusk yawned and changed into his pajamas before going to bed. Only once did he wake up, and it was with a swift coo that he returned to peaceful, dreamless sleep.

"Greetings, Micah and Pyrite." They arrived not long after dawn, which pleased him because he liked to get up early. Word was in the kitchen, munching on some of the leftover vegetables.

"Have ya had a meal?" Instead of responding to his greeting, Pyrite questioned. "Ya should heat this up before you go eating it," he said as soon as he entered the room and went straight to the kitchen. Word and Pyrite are left to argue in the kitchen. Word wasn't too keen on getting his vegetables heated up.

"Eating cold food is perfectly acceptable." Before moving here, Dusk used to eat at this temperature.

"Wolf folk are serious about their food." Micah grinned and spoke. "I became a skilled cook for that reason. Come on, let us go." Pyrite was in his kitchen, holding a frying pan, when Micah called to him. Both Word and Pyrite looked upset. In unison, their eyes darted from the pan to the food.

"I will go to the market and get you something hot to eat." When the pair accepted the offer that Dusk made, they left the house before Dusk had time to feel the breeze rush by.

"Those two have bonded quickly." While Dusk locked his door, Micah joined the two and laughed. It was happening quickly. That did not bother Dusk anymore, and while he was in town, he forgot about all the problems that were mounting. He was having fun for the first time in his life. Watching Word and Pyrite argue over snacks at the market, and while the two salivated over their next snack, Micah assisted him with his grocery shopping. On their first trip to town together, Micah suggested they stop for lunch at a small, private place, and he once again suggested they stop there.

"It is a gorgeous place." After being quickly ushered through a small kitchen by an elderly bear folk, Dusk found himself in a tiny slice of paradise. The tall bushes were adorned with the tiniest white roses that Dusk had ever seen. Their scent wafted through the air—a soft, sweet scent. That smelled entirely too familiar but was also unfamiliar to him. The area was entirely green; the only thing on the sparse, light-green grass was a blanket. It is difficult to believe that this is in the middle of a city.

"My friend, the café owner, lets Pyrite and I use it whenever we are in town because he likes me." On his heels, Micah whirled. "He sympathizes with my situation to some extent because he is the youngest son of a well-known merchant." Micah Behind him, Pyrite was removing Word's claws from the sizable picnic basket. "Speaking of circumstances, we have an update on ours. Let us eat and talk."

"Okay." Dusk nodded and turned to face Word, who was hopping from foot to foot while hissing at Pyrite. Pyrite growled in response. He would have called them liars in his head if they had told him that this was going to be his life moving forward.

"It is time to eat, Pyrite. Quit playing with Word." When Micah rebuked Pyrite, Word jumped to Micah and cooed subtly, as if Pyrite had thought of it all. In his recognizable beading gaze, Dusk was certain he noticed a cunning gleam. He slid onto Micah's shoulder and tucked himself under his chin.

"TCH," Pyrite clicked his tongue, grinned at Dusk, and said, "Clever little ankle bitter, for sure." Though he was aware of Word's actions, he looked unconcerned. "He's an interesting one, Dusk."

"True," Dusk sat down next to Pyrite on the grass and remarked, "More than me." Micah himself sat down. Word was curled up on his lap like a happy ball of fluff. "It is wonderful that he thinks highly of you two." Dusk hadn't thought about it before, but if they clashed, things would have gone from bad to worse real quick.

"Mate bonds and familiar bonds follow parallel paths that end at the same place in a person's heart. We both want our partner to be happy, so it would be even stranger if we did not get along." Looking down at Word, Micah said. "Tell him I am right, please." Dusk felt warmly repaid, and that was all the response he required.

"Here ya go," said Pyrite after dividing the food and placing a fruit bowl in front of Word. Who jumped in with a cheery chirp. With a bunch of grapes hanging off his head, Word appeared extremely silly.

"Silly little owl," Dusk said, leaning forward and grabbing the grapes from the owl's head. "Your food will not be stolen, I promise. Go at your own pace." Word sat down after chirping in agreement and cocking his head to one side to eat a grape with his talons.

"Ya know you're a handsome man when ya smile." Pyrite handed him a plate with what appeared to be a hearty meat sandwich on it and said. "I've got to encourage you to do that more often."

"You two look better than I ever will." On his cheeks, Dusk felt a heat rise. Handsome? Him? That combination of words has never been used before. Pyrite's strong physique or Micah's good looks, along with their both easy smiles. That Dusk would deem attractive, but never himself.

"I know I am pretty, but you qualify as dashingly handsome." Micah said. As he spoke, Micah tapped his lips and searched the sky's brilliant blue for an explanation. "There are many types of handsome." Micah turned to look at him with his bright blue eyes, and Dusk had never felt more justified in his position. Micah was beyond pretty; he was more stunning than the roses that surrounded them.

Pyrite interjected, "Before Micah starts down that path again." Pyrite spoke while biting into his sandwich.

"Hey!" Micah puffed out his lips into a pout.

"Let us discuss school; ya can return tomorrow." Pyrite said, ignoring Micah's indignant gaze. "Mr. Ruby invited an old acquaintance of his to instruct ya. He would rather deal with a class than one blood mage, it turns out." Although he shook his head, Dusk knew that, in his shoes, he would also feel this way. The golden coin in the pile of manure was Dusk's position.

"Mr. Elm. I couldn't find out much about him other than that he's been on sabbatical. He is an expert on familiars and a mage." Micah frowned. "It is odd that I cannot even find a whisper about a person."

"Ya should have seen him last night! He muttered in his sleep while his teeth were clenched in rage." Pyrite snickered. His fangs were on display before they vanished into the last of his sandwich.

"Possibly for the best, I suppose. In other words, he has not accomplished anything noteworthy." Someone famous would have been a hassle for Dusk because he did not need any more attention directed at him. Of course, a notorious person would present the same issue. "There is nothing to draw attention to." Micah continued to tremble, and Dusk noted that his eyebrows were still drawn together in a frown.

"However, I would like more details than just his name." Micah nibbled on the sandwich's edge.

"We will be with him; it is still within our guide week. Nothing for either of ya to worry about." Pyrite spoke while sticking up both of his ears. The air was filled with a low growl. It was coming from Pyrite. Dusk, surprised, turned to face him. Word landed on his shoulder. His feathers were all fanned out, and he was emitting a low hiss. Micah got up and stepped behind Pyrite.

"A fight is taking place inside." Pyrite growled out, his arm fanning out to bring Micah closer to his back. Micah was calm and kept his eyes on the door. Dusk stood up and retreated slowly towards the bushes as Pyrite growled. Like them, he kept his eyes on the door, but unlike them, he heard nothing.

Dusk pulled out a teleportation token from his storage and said, "We should leave here."

"But the café owner," Micah added, grabbed Pyrite by his elbow. Dusk shook his head.

"Being noncombatants, we are a liability to Pyrite." Dusk looked at the now-rattling door. "We will check on him when we return." Micah was a prince; it might be nothing, or it might be more than a rowdy customer. Better off not taking any chances.

"Do it, Sunshine." Pyrite barked, his voice low. Picturing the safety of his cabin, Dusk snapped the token. Micah, Pyrite, and Word vanished when Dusk snapped the token. Somehow, he was left behind.

"Dusk Wooddancer—or should I say Dusk Black—it is time you realized your place." Both the name and the voice were recognizable. Dusk was unable to explain how she knew, but when he turned to face her, he felt his blood dry up.