Obtaining the Blade of Shadows

[Everett Dealer]

5 YEARS AGO

"What'll it be stranger?" questioned the barkeeper. "The rooms are clean and the food is good." This was directed at the tall young man you had just entered the tavern.
"Just a beer and a sandwich, friend." said Everett Dealer as he sat down at the bar.
"I aint seen yer face around here before, son. You a traveler? Perhaps you'd like to stay the night. "
"Just passing though. There's still some day left and like to stay moving. Sure is a lovely place though." Everett smiled as he talked. "What's the word around town?"
The bartender's friendly smile fell. "Oh... well. Actually we're facing some dark times. Several children have gone missing."
"What." Everett said in a flat monotone, becoming serious instantly.
"It's true. So far nine kids have disappeared. Even the mayor's baby girl, who's no more than 13 months old. They are just, here's your food, disappearing in the night. Every one in town is scared for there kids. I don't even let my own boy out after dark anymore."
"Hmmm, maybe I will stay awhile."Everett then tucked into his meal.

That night as Everett prepared to sleep, a wordless scream rent the air. Everett rushed out of his room, and down the stairs to the main room. There he saw the bartender comforting his wife, who was close to hysterics. "What happened? Whats going on? Who screamed?"
"It was me." The wife tearfully explained. Our boy's been taken. I was tuckng him into bed and I must of dozed off because I woke up and he was gone and the window was open and he's probably be taken by goblins and it's all my fault and, and, and... The woman spoke faster and faster until she utterly broke down.
Probably not goblins. They steal goat kids, not human ones. And I've never heard of them be so bold as to enter houses. thought Everett. But he simply said "Show me." So the barkeeper showed Everett their room. Everett leap out the window and began to examine the ground. "There are some faint tracks here. I can follow them but I need to leave now." He got up and started to follow the tracks.
[color=green]"Wait, you can't seriously be going out there by yourself. Wait here while I gather the town." said the bartender, still inside the house. Everett agreed and told the man to hurry.
After ten minutes Everett lost his patience. He leaped back into the house and found the wife. She was a lot calmer now, probably due to the half-empty bottle of whisky in front of her. "If I wait any longer the trail while go cold. I need to go now. When the mob get's here tell them to follow me. I'll mark the trail so it's easy to follow." The wife nodded, so Everett rushed off.

Some time later the trail led to a cave that had unnatural light coming from it. Everett entered the cave and was greeted by a sight that stunned him. Inside was the barkeeper's boy, a man shrouded in a dark cloak, and the source of the glow, several rings of glowing, floating, arcane runes. The man was muttering under his breath and completely oblivious to his surroundings. The boy was lying on the ground, unconscious. But most stunning was that a pure white light flowed from the boy, flowed through the arcane rings, and transformed into darkness. The shadow gathered in front of the man in the cloak.
Just as Everett returned to his senses, the last of the light was drawn from the boy and his last breath escaped. The orb of darkness hung there a moment, then began to change shape. Everett was sized by a vengeful rage but did not lose him self to it. Instead he snuck up behind the mage and drew a dagger from the folds of his cloak. Just as he prepared to sink the knife into the back of the mage's neck the man stopped chanting.
Startled by the sudden silence, Everett looked up. The darkness had formed a large sword and seemed more solid. The sorcerer exclaimed "At last!" and reached out to grab the blade. Everett beat him to it though, leaping over him, grabbing the blade and rolling into the shadows in one swift, sudden movement.
"What!" roared the mage, as he jumped to his feet. "You insolent cur! You dare interfere with my plans? I will end you!" The mage wordlessly summoned two orb of fire to his hands and stared intently at the point where Everett disappeared. "If you give the Blade back, I will let you live."
"If you want it back, take it!" Everett said as he leapt from the shadows behind the mage, slicing him in half. "You lived as a cliche, you get to die with a cliche."

As morning broke the mob finally reached the cave. Inside the cave they found the two halves of the mage, the bartender's son you had been respectively covered and a note. It read I an terribly sorry. I arrived too late to save your son. If it's an consultation the bisected man drowning in his own blood you see before you is the one who has been taking your children and killing the them.
I just realized. He never told us his name."