Duality by Rowan Erlking (classic books for 13 year olds txt) 📕

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

Please don’t hate me! I want to come home for summer, but Ludy is the bossiest woman alive. She says a proper midwife does not go back and forth like it is school. She says I can go home for two weeks this year, but no more. What do you think? Should I make a ward to trap her then sneak out?

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

Summer vacation was hopelessly boring without you. Two weeks is way too short. Dennik agrees with me. I’m sure you got his letter telling you so. Maybe I should send mayflies after her.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

If it is any consolation, I was bored in Kibilla the entire vacation, and Ludy got almost no work this summer. She is pinching pennies and checking her paper currency for counterfeits.

That aside, you know that boy I wrote you about? I’m not seeing him anymore. I told him about Dennik and he flipped out, telling me I was cursed for trying to help him. I told him to go to Donleri and jump in the bay.

I’ve enclosed another great recipe for curing acne. I have about six of them. I guess there are degrees of it. Let me know how that turns out.

Malkia

*Year Three*

Dear Malkia,

I’m back in the top class for my year. I keep testing high for some reason. The class is full of the same stiffs. No fun here. Luckily, the teacher for this year is a more amiable kind of guy. I think I will like the third year.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

I’m a woman. It is official. Ludy is taking me home to see Dad for my checkup then I’m to go register at the Yapan town hall if all is right. Weird, I never expected it to happen when I was only thirteen. I don’t want to be on the registry at thirteen. Thirteen is too young to be eligible for marriage. I just don’t feel ready. I just don’t.

Ludy keeps wanting me to wear these flashy outfits to show off my curves, but I think now that it is best that I keep with the plain outfits. I would be a tease if I dressed to invite the men in but then tell them to go away, don’t you agree? Bernum, help me. I don’t know what to do about this. It scares me.

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

I agree with you. I think Ludy is a flake. She may be a powerful Herbalist, but her magic cannot possibly redeem her from leading so many men on like she does. Head Magician Jimmit is one of her man friends, I think. He says that Ludy is a flirt. I asked him about her a few times. He kind of smiles and sighs, but then shakes his head as if Ludy is a fantasy rather than a real woman. I suggest you dress so that men don’t stare at your curves at all. Fight with Ludy over it if you have to. Tell her that if she keeps pushing you to dress like a common woman, tell her I will curse her—and tell her with a straight face.

Be strong.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

It has been a while since I last wrote you, not since winter break. In your last letter you told me about how Motik has fallen in with the wrong crowd and is now making fun of you. What I say is, don’t worry. Motik will come around. He’s just jealous because you won that third-year magic competition. You are becoming a great magician, Bernum. There is no doubt about it.

An update for me. Ludy and I have been arguing lately. She’s very insistent that I go to these social occasions all dolled up, and one day I just decided to quit playing by her rules. She slapped me and called me a brat, so I set a drawing spell to make ants crawl into her bath salts. When she found out, she sent a spell making all my work dresses attract moths. So I sent a spell into the kitchen causing the soap to foam up to fill the room. So she sent this spell into my bedroom that set fire only to all the love letters that old boyfriend of mine had given me (like I care about that). So I sent a spell that made it so flies were attracted to her hair, and so she sent a spell to me making my feet itch. Well after that, I just off and stomped out. And she chased me down, begging me to come back, because (as she put it) I was the most brilliant witch alive and she never had more fun than with me.

So, I came back—but on condition. I didn’t have to dress like her anymore. Congratulate me.

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

You are crazy. I read your letter to Head Magician Jimmit. He and I laughed so hard. I’m happy for you. Congratulations!

I wish it were so easy for me. If I tried to go into a magic war with Motik, I’d squash him. Then he would hate me more. I think it is best that I just continue my studies and hope Motik comes to his senses. Maybe I’ll offer him acne cream.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

Another year gone. I’m insisting on coming home for a month this summer. Ludy doesn’t have a choice. We’ll get to celebrate our birthdays together again. I’m insisting on it.

See you soon!

Malkia

*Year Four*

Dear Malkia,

Summer break was way too short. I don’t even think a month is enough to consider as sufficient. I wanted to do more together. Oh well.

Anyway, I think I’ll be ending up in the top class from here on. Motik has a new best friend. His name is Pouline. Pouline hates me, always has. He thinks I am a show off. Am I?

By the way, I got our painted picture set up next to my bed and the guys started asking me if you are my girlfriend. I think you are too pretty for your own good. All of them have been drooling over you. When I told them you were my twin sister they all got excited for about five minutes. Then they stared at me as if they had to kill me off to get to you. So, be forewarned that some jerks around here might seek you out.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

Thanks for the heads up. Actually, I get harassed a lot here. I didn’t want to let you know about it because I find it embarrassing. If it is any consolation, the girls here reacted the same way when they saw your picture. You’re a good-looking guy. They also drooled over Dennik’s picture. It was strange, actually. I guess when they can’t see his hands or his foot they actually see him for who he is. Weird.

Anyway, Ludy has me starting in another part of the job. I’ve been reading up on demons lately. She is full against creating demons, but you remember that book we read when we were kids—that Kirrel? I found out how it is made just yesterday. It is in her books. Nothing about how to cure Dennik yet.

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

All your letters these past few months have been such a help to me. I just want you to know that. It has been hard with Motik and Pouline ganging up on me all the time. I don’t get it. I just don’t get it.

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the library lately. That, and in detention. I got into a fistfight with Pouline, and I was the one who was blamed for starting it. I swear I didn’t. Head Magician Jimmit has been talking with me about staying on during winter break so we can attend a magician’s convention in Westhaven Township. It is just right below the Brein Amon border. I will get the chance to meet other magicians as well as exchanged ideas. I want to go. Can you help me by going home for winter break to comfort Dad? I know he will be sad if neither of us come home.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

We missed you during winter break. I couldn’t stay the entire time, and though Dad said he was glad you were working hard to find the cure for Dennik, I really think he would have preferred you were here. Dennik is looking very well. He’s started the hard-core work in the shop now. Business has also picked up, but I think Dad told you about that already.

Write us soon.

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

Sorry I didn’t write sooner, but the start of this term has been hectic. I’ve been selected to be a teacher’s aide for the first year spell writing class. I get to mostly teach Westhavenese writing skills to the beginners. I guess after being praised for handwriting by Head Magician Jimmit so often the teachers decide to put it to the test. Head Magician Jimmit says that at our school lately we’ve gotten too sloppy in our magic methods and we ought to retrench. I don’t know why, but that word just makes me think we are going to war.

About the trip to the Westhaven Township, I met magicians from Brein Amon there. They are the top magic workers in the world. There were a handful of magisters there also—something I think you should find interesting. A magister is a magic user that combines magician skills with herbalist skills. So, I was thinking, we really are magisters, aren’t we? Head Magician Jimmit talked a lot with the magisters, but all they focused on was how to practically apply magic skills for the destruction of demons. They talked mostly about this one demon hunter that’s become really famous—a Corporal Macoy. All I know about him is that he’s some kind of child prodigy that has been inventing spells to help in his demon-hunting work. Creepy.

Anyway, I have to go write out my lesson plan for my first class. Wish me luck.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum, 

How odd it is how time can go so fast. It will be summer soon. We hardly exchanged two letters after winter break and Ludy is planning on taking me back to Donleri for summer. I think she just likes to walk around in swimming suits. She likes showing a bit of leg and cleavage. It is so annoying.

I have another boyfriend. His name is Dokerin. He’s tall, and he’s only fifteen. We mostly play around. He lets me just have fun, which I like. No pressure to put out.

Anyway, I’ll see you soon. I’m going to make Ludy take us to Yapan for at least three weeks. She doesn’t like Dad very much. She says he’s too judgmental. Dad is just trying to protect me.

Malkia

*Year Five*

Dear Malkia,

I have a girlfriend. She’s in town, a merchant’s daughter. We have to sneak out to see each other, but it is so worth it. Her name is Lolan. You’d like her. She is so sweet. And she is so pretty.

I’ve been hanging out with a new bunch this year. Motik and Pouline are still at it, funny thing is, it doesn’t bother me so much anymore. I spend most of my free time with Lolan anyway. But hey! This does not mean I have neglected my search for a cure for Dennik. I’ve been cataloguing books in the library, listing the ones I have already searched through. I am enclosing copies of spells I want us to try out. Tell me what you think.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

Dokerin and I broke up. He is such a jerk. And a player, and a creep, and a turd, and a lowlife, and a liar, and a cheater. Do you know what he did? He told his friend he only liked me because he thought I was loose like Ludy. He expected me to seduce him, and when I didn’t he started to ask me if I was playing him. Can you believe that? OOOOOH! I slapped him so hard.