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

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

Lolan is so wonderful.

I’m glad you dumped Dokerin. I hope he never figures out about the flies. But if he accuses you, say your brother the magician cursed him. That will spare the both of you.

School is school. Nothing new to say except that I miss you.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

I expect you to bring Lolan home from Yolund for winter break if you are serious about her. I want to meet her. She has to have my seal of approval, as I won’t give you up to just any old girl.

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

What can I say? I’m sorry. Lolan wasn’t allowed to go and I didn’t want to leave her alone. I know, I know, the visit was too short. On an up note, while I had the school to myself for the vacation, I got a ton of research done. So, all those spells enclosed are yours.

Enjoy!

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

It feels like forever since the last time I saw you. Ludy and I travel a great deal. I’ve gone through libraries of several Herbalists’ and you have what I have learned. I heard about that famous magister recently, the one you told me about. That Macoy guy eradicated an entire parasite demon bird infestation. It was said an entire town up north in Brein Amon was filled to the brim with those demons and their nests. Scary. I wonder, though. Maybe we ought to write him. I hear he knows a ton of magic and he might know the cure for Dennik.

Tell me what you think.

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

Write a strange magister? I’ve since heard that he is really a demon. I’m not so sure that is a good idea. It is said he steals knowledge from other people’s heads, and that’s why he knows so much. I’ll talk to you during the summer break. You have to say no to Donleri this time. Make some excuse. Just come back this summer.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

Ok, you’ve convinced me. I’ll see you in the summer.

Besides, Ludy had a new man and she wants to spend some alone time with him. Ugh. She makes me sick.

By the way, how come you don’t write about Lolan anymore?

Malkia

*Year Six*

Dear Malkia,

It was so wonderful. I was so glad to see you again. Wow! Now we can start our sixteenth year right. I have one last year towards graduation. The new kids look so little. I keep wondering how I must have looked to the sixth and seventh-year students when I first arrived. Some of the new kids are so cocky, and one (this pipsqueak) keeps following me around. It is so annoying.

Yeah. Lolan got married this month. It was so depressing. Like I told you during the vacation, I had no clue she was seeing that other guy. I wish I could hate her for it, but then again, she wasn’t exactly playing me. She just hadn’t made her mind up yet. But her new husband is a man in a good job, so I can’t entirely blame her.

I miss you already.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

Business has shot up this past year. We have been so busy with so many births, so many health remedies, so many other things. Ludy says my training is basically done. If I want, I could go somewhere else and establish myself as a midwife. I need to get legally certified though. I’ll be working towards that this year.

Lately Ludy has been calling me her competition. It is so stupid. She’s like, old. I’m only sixteen. It isn’t like the people I’d want to be with are the same people that she’d want, for pity’s sake. We’ve been fighting again—and that is so stupid. To be honest, I don’t think she wants me to go yet. She has a funny way of showing it though.

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

Your last letter was really funny. How many guys are after you again? Holy Heavens of the East. Please tell me you haven’t become a player. You weren’t dressed like that at the winter holiday, which, by the way, was too short. Why did you stay so briefly? That Herbalist was a pain as usual.

As for me, the oddest thing happened between Motik and me. You know he is near flunking out. Pouline’s fault, I think. He’s a bad influence. Well, anyway, I was in the library as usual researching a cure for Dennik when I overheard one of the punks bullying Motik to steal some tests for them. He never did have much of a backbone, and he is so scared of flunking out that he agreed. Well, even though he’d been a punk towards me for the past few years I felt so bad for him, so much that I sent a shower of book onto the jerks and got them detention for causing a ruckus in the library. Motik saw me and knew I overheard. I don’t think he’ll steal the tests, because he thinks I’ll tell the Head Magician if they do cheat. He’s been watching me funny ever since.

Oh, I also enclosed a few more spells I want you to have. I’ve already tried out the last ones you sent to me. Thanks. They were really helpful. Head Magician Jimmit thanks you too.

Bernum

*

Dear Bernum,

A lot of time has passed and quicker than I wish it had. I’ve been busy. I’m glad you are now friends with Motik again. I told you he was just jealous the Head Magician liked you. I’m glad he didn’t get expelled.

By the way, I’m glad you didn’t get expelled. What were you thinking? Just because the Head Magician likes you doesn’t give you the free pass to sneak out to Bandardan for a party. Motik brings out the troublemaker in you. I’m glad you are happy, but you need to be more careful.

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

Motik is coming home with me to Yapan for a week this summer. I want you to meet him. He’s planning on interning in Todanna nearby, and I promised him we would show him around. That means you tell Ludy that you must be home when I am home. No ifs, ands, or buts.

See you soon!

Bernum

*Year Seven*

Dear Bernum,

I can’t thank you enough for insisting I go home for summer. I had so much fun. I can see why you like Motik so much, though he still is such a troublemaker.

Ludy is taking me to Donleri for vacation as soon as I finish this letter to you. It should be fun as ever. I have gotten fond of the bay city. They know us there. I have people already planning a welcome back party. I got the invitation yesterday.

On a more serious note, I was thinking about leaving Ludy to go to the Northborder Township. I hear there is a large Herbalist library I can access that might help me in my search. We’ve been looking for seven years, and so far all the spells I’ve found are good for building inanimate things, but not in messing with the structure of hands and feet. That is, the spell could wear off and Dennik will regress or, more likely, his hand will become demonic. I don’t want that. I figure we need a good construction spell, one that just shifts around the bones in his hand and foot. But one like that would take a while to write. I’ve been studying how spells are written and I’m sure you’ve recognized the basic pattern too. The problem is, I’m afraid it will hurt Dennik. Maybe, maybe we ought to think more in terms of surgery. I feel so stupid suggesting this, but in Brein Amon I hear their medicine is amazing. They might be able to physically just move the bones in his hand to the right shape and fix his foot. I don’t know about his other hand. I’ll keep researching.

Malkia

*

Dear Malkia,

I haven’t gotten a letter from you in a long time. Usually you write me in about two weeks, occasionally apologizing if you miss writing after a third week. What’s going on? Give me a head’s up.

Bernum

*

Dear Malkia,

You have never failed to answer my letters before. Write me. I’m getting worried.

Bernum

*

Dear Malkia,

Where are you? Why haven’t you written me? Are you mad because I haven’t given you an update? Fine! Nothing new is going on with me. I’m doing well in my classes. The middle of the term is nearly here. Motik and I are getting into trouble together and his grades are up. He says hi and to write me before I go crazy with worry.

Malkia, write me. You certainly had better be writing Dad. You know what he’ll do if you don’t.

Bernum

*

Dear Malkia,

I am officially freaked. You haven’t written for three months now. If you don’t write me soon, I am going to leave school to hunt you down.

Bernum

*

Dear Malkia,

If Head Magician Jimmit hadn’t caught me and put me in detention, I would have come to Kibilla after you. He’s put a binding spell on me to keep me from breaking out of the room. I’m really scared. Malkia, you have got to write me! Where are you?

Bernum

*

Dear Malkia,

You’d better be home at winter break, or so help me….

I wrote Dad and told him everything. If he weren’t sick, he’d be hunting after you right now. Write us now!

Bernum

It was with great haste that Bernum rushed home to Yapan during the winter holidays. He called out to his father the moment he hopped over the fence into the yard, scattering the pigeons that fed there. Dennik scrambled out of the house first, hobbling over the yard to Bernum with anxious anticipation.

“Malkia has not written at all since that last letter,” Dennik said, leading Bernum into the house. “And Dad’s sickness has gotten worse. He thinks someone either poisoned him or cursed him. Can you find out?”

Bernum nodded, rushing in. They went directly to his father’s room where the man lay on his bed, panting to breathe. Crouching next to his bed, Bernum said, “Dad, I’m here.”

“Malkia,” the Pharmacist murmured, staring at the ceiling. His lips were chalky and cracked, his eyes bloodshot with his dark skin looking ashy.

“I know. I want her here too.” Bernum then looked to Dennik who was already supplying his father with a brewed tea to drink. “Tell me the symptoms once more. I need to figure this out.”

“It’s not natural,” Dennik said while helping his father drink. “He has these sweats, and he has been vomiting. It is hard to keep anything in him. It is like he is reacting to a poison. It’s not a natural cold.”

Nodding, Bernum pressed his fingers to his mouth, thinking. “Yes. If it were just a cold, you would have already cured him. You’ve learned everything Dad knows here in the shop. And Malkia had passed along Herbal spells to you also, right?”

Dennik nodded. “I tried every expectorant spell I knew. But this