ME, IN TOWN

The first memory transferred on a breezy summer day. It wasn't a very important one, but it was enough to arouse suspicion. I'm Camila Legend, a wizard of Chrystal. I was walking down the streets of town, going to the Magic Shop to get my Adamantium wand fixed.When I strolled into the Magic Shop, I almost dropped my wand. The books were gone! Bana Silvercast, the wandmaker, had always loved reading. So I casually asked where her books had gone as I handed my wand over the counter.

"Books?" She scoffed. "What are you talking about? I've never had time for books, what with all these careless wizards breaking their wands. Now, if you'd like your wand repaired, please excuse me." Then she tramped to the back of the shop to work.

MERCHANT TYSON'S TRADING POST IN THE WOODS

Now, if I hadn't noticed the book memory turn up later, I would think that Bana was having a great day. She was usually much grumpier than that. Anyway, a few hours later I was going to Merchant Tyson for some new boots. I saw him reading, of all things!

"What's with the books?" I asked. "You're usually counting your gold or checking your stock!"

He scowled at me. "Well, you aren't very observant!" He huffed. "How am I supposed to entertain myself while all those slow-as-molasses wizards poke through my stock?: With that, he went back to reading. I decided to skip the boots and call my friends, Skylar Rivers and Jenna Mythshade. Skylar read a lot of mysteries, and Jenna was an awesome detective.

JENNA

SKYLAR

I told them about the memories, and found out something from Jenna. She had been visiting the Academy, and her teacher friend, Ms. Bronzeshard, had no idea who she was! Skylar quickly accused the Old Woman.

The Old Woman is a memorist, a powerful wizard who can manipulate memories. She is responsible for making the magic-less forget any magic they have seen. It's not a fact, but there's a rumor that she knows how to implant fake memories as well. Jenna didn't want to proceed without evidence, but she suggested Professor Grouch, a powerful wizard who taught at Diamond College. We came up with a list of suspects, and then went out to question them.

SUSPECT NOTES

Bana- Probably not. Got mad when I mentioned the books, but didn't seem to know anything other than that.

Merchant Tyson- Maybe. He kept accusing the Old Woman.

Old Woman-Very likely. Couldn't question her directly, but Public Records Online said that she was arrested for creating a fake memory of a festival that never existed.

Professor Grouch- Possibly. Knew a lot about the mind and the recent transfers.

Creela Wood- No. She's the Professor's best student, but had been out of town with her friend Vana when the transfers happened.

Madame Lianne- Maybe. She works at Diamond College, and knows a lot about telepathy.

Liz Mountainlight- No. She works for the Chrystal newspaper, and knows everyone's secrets. It's not strange that she knew about this.

We decided only to spy on our top suspects, which were the Old Woman, Professor Grouch, Tyson, and Madame Lianne. Skylar volunteered to check out Diamond College. Jenna agreed to spy on Tyson, and I went into the Forest of Beasts to spy on the Old Woman.

I ran the whole quarter-mile to the Old Woman's house. I didn't find anything, but as I was leaving, I saw something flutter in a stump. There were two notes in it. I copied them on a separate piece of paper. They said:

Mee tingsc hedu ledfo rnex tsund ay. Che cklan dof Yobro, se eifi tisa fe.

-Captain

Lan Dof Yobro saf e, rec ruit srea dy. -Spy

THE FOREST OF BEASTS

They seemed to be in a code, so I took them to Jenna so she could decode them. My phoenix, Flair, noticed some monsters on the normal path, so I took the long was home. She sat there for a while, and then got it. "So, basically, the Captain wants to meet in Glacial Mountains. He or she needs a location, and wanted "Spy" to make sure it was safe. The spy says it's safe, so that's where they're meeting." 

I was about to ask how her Tyson spying went, when Skylar burst in the doors. "Guys! I caught them in the act! The memorists!" She collapsed into a chair.

JENNA'S HOUSE

"Wait-what did you see?" Jenna asks.  

"There were two of them. I had walked down to Madame Lianne's classroom, but she wasn't there. I went down to her office, but she wasn't there either. I knew she was in the building because I talked to Creela Wood, who said she had seen her about half an hour ago. I was heading to the School of Storm, because that's were her familiar is, when I heard a man and woman's hushed voices around the corner, and one of them said, "memory...blah blah...something about the Land of Yobro.." And I turned the corner, and I saw-" Skylar's face went blank. 

"And who did you see?" Jenna urged. 

Skylar looked confused. "I didn't see anybody," she said slowly. "I was just telling you that I didn't see her, so I walked to the School of Storm, and found her falcon familiar, who said she had some urgent business." 

"But you just said you were-" Jenna and I share a look. Whoever it was must have seen Skylar and switched her memories before she could tell us. 

MY HOUSE

The next morning, when Skylar and I were packing for the trip, my phoenix familiar, Flair, started screeching. "What?" I asked. She cast a spell. "Oh, my wand." I remembered that Bana still had my Adamantium. What was taking her so long? She usually finished within 5 hours. Shrugging, I grabbed my spare (a Magite) and headed off with Skylar. 

When we got into the Glacial Mountains, Skylar said she knew of a cave that was a great gathering place. We used her map to fast-travel there, and sure enough, we saw some cloaked figures. Skylar said she was going to temporarily infiltrate, and try to figure out what was going on. She pulls on some dark robes, and goes off. I shift my leg to get the blood flowing again, and a hand clamps over my mouth. 

THE GLACIAL MOUNTAINS

My hand is on my Magite wand instantly. I cast a Conjuro spell, and a discoball the size of my head slams into my attacker. Not my first choice for an assault, but, hey, at least it worked! As my attacker groans and crumples to the ground, I turn around and am welcomed with a tackle. I slash with my dagger, and here a yelp of pain. But I drop my dagger in shock, and two more pairs of hands grab me. a strange smell drifts through the air. Where the heck is Flair? Then everything goes black.

MY PRISON (BLINDFOLD VIEW)

I awoke to total darkness. I realized I was wearing a blindfold, and kept my mouth shut. "Well, what are we going to do with her?" a woman asks. I think I recognize her voice, but I'm not sure.

"She knows too much. We'll have to dispose of her." The Professor's voice for sure. "I have already sent Tyson out to find her friend." Okay, so now the Merchant's involved.

"Well, if you want to kill her, stop wasting my time." the woman says. Uh-oh... now I know why I recognize that voice. Bana!

"Very well," the Professor says, and clicks a bullet into a chamber. I shake my head until the blindfold falls off.

THEY ARE MOST CERTAINLY GUILTY!

I start to think of my options. My Magite lays broken on a table. Chains bind me too tightly to jerk or reach for my dagger, which Bana probably confiscated. What am I supposed to do? I deflate. But wait! I hear a fluttering of wings. Flair!

I feel heat on my chains, and they fall away. Flair must have melted them. I jump up and snatch my dagger. Flair soars towards the Professor, who is still in shock, and carries his gun off. He stumbles away from her, and into the fire.

Bana draws her wand, but Flair blasts it with flames. She is smoldering.

I toss my dagger and run. I don't want to see if it hit or not, but I hear a cry of pain behind me and keep running.