Draken Hood: Where Loyalty Lies

Prologue: The Briefing

"So, you accept this mission, Draken?" The man in front of me was dressed in black, and covered in shadow. His black, tall-backed chair was turned away from me. His voice was broken up, gender-less, and I couldn't see him at all. But I knew what Mordon truly looked and sounded like from years of being one of his elite, and child.

"Yes. I am ready," I replied smoothly, steadily, my own voice distorted by the magic on my cloak's button clasp.

The mission was simple. I was to steal a magical artifact from King Haulani's treasury. Didn't matter which one, as long as it was a more... powerful one.

All of Mordon's elite had stolen magical items, and we each had our own, personal, magic item. Mine was my dragon-skin cloak. With the hood up, no one would see my true figure. All they would see would be my shadowed limbs, and glowing, slitted, olive-green eyes, set deep into the cowl. And, my voice would be distorted, sounding like a heavy, broken-up, man's voice, similar to Mordon's own voice distortion.

This was the first time the item was going to be from the King. All the times before, the items, magical or not, were from a museum or private collection. No matter, all other times I could slip in and out like a shadow, a phantom, and no one would notice until they needed the item, and sometimes not even then. I expected this mission to be only a little more challenging. Maybe not even that.

"Good... good." I could detect Mordon smiling, even though his back was still turned, and his voice gave no such emotion. "I expect you back in a week. You may go." I stood to leave, but as I neared the door, he called, "Oh Draken?" I stopped, and looked back. He was still facing the wall.

"Yes Sir?"

"Don't underestimate the Kapu. They are more powerful than you might realize."