Not long ago, I wrote a snippet featuring Agni and Kalama. I was unsatisfied with how it turned out, so I dwelled on it while I figured out what to do with it. I’m now ready to release it back into the wild. Enjoy!
AGNI AND KALAMA
Agni and Kalama marched slowly back and forth on one of the fortified walls of Ta-Koro.
“I’ve been pondering the virtue of Duty a lot,” said Kalama as he passed Agni.
“Is that so,” said Agni in response. After a few steps, the two Ta-Matoran reached the towers on either side, lifted their weapons, turned around and slowly marched in the other direction. Agni looked straight ahead.
“Keahi suggested it,” added Kalama as he passed Agni. “To ponder Duty while I march to pass the time.”
“Is that so,” said Agni in response. Privately, he thought about telling Kalama to ponder silently. Privately, he also cursed Nuri for pairing him up with the Matatu-wielder yet again. He had made sure to keep his replies as brief and colourless as possible, so Kalama would get tired of trying to start a conversation with him. Unfortunately for the Miru-wielder, this strategy has time and time again been proven to not work. Yet he kept trying…
As he reached the other side, Agni let out a quiet groan. Then he lifted his weapon, turned around and marched slowly in the other direction. Kalama soon came near. Agni prepared himself for another onslaught of words, when a voice came up from the village entrance below: “Ho, guards!”
The guards stopped, looked at each other, then went to investigate. Below, they saw a familiar yellow Rau – Keahi. “Ho, ho, ho, my friends,” the Rau-wielder sang. “The deputy captain wishes to speak to you two.”
The guards took off at once. “Deputy captain,” grumbled Agni, as he descended down the ladder with Kalama. “Why does Keahi oblige that officious black Komau-wielder by calling him captain?”
“He likes being on Nuri’s good side, I suppose,” thought Kalama aloud.
I was being rhetorical, koli-head , thought Agni, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
Nuri stood in front of the stone relief of Jala’s hut. He was acting deputy while the Captain of the Guard was away. He crossed his arms in his lap and gently tapped his right foot as he spoke. Agni thought this gesture was a poor imitation of the Captain’s posture, a feeble attempt to display authority. But that was nothing compared to the deputy captain’s voice.
“There have been reports from some of the farmers of possible Ranama activity in the Fields,” he said, oozing pomposity and a try-hard sense of importance, at least from Agni’s perspective. “I would like you to investigate and, if the reports are true, try and eliminate the threat.”
Agni bowed, trying to look respectful. “Certainly,” he said. “I will leave immediately.”
Nuri’s eyes narrowed. “I think you misunderstand me, Agni.”
Agni straightened his back. “How so?”
“I was referring to both of you.”
Agni’s gaze raced from Nuri to Kalama, then back to Nuri. He gulped. “With all due respect, I believe I can-”
“Do the job on your own?” interrupted Nuri. “I’m sure you believe that, Agni, but I have decided otherwise. You and Kalama will investigate together.”
“But…”
“That’s an order!” the deputy captain yelled. “Dismissed!”
Agni saluted, knowing full well there was no use in arguing with Nuri. He walked out of the hut and, when he was sure he was out of the deputy’s earshot, started grumbling loudly.
“What’s the matter, too hot for ya?” The voice belonged to Keahi, who was standing nearby.
“What do you care?” spat Agni, who had no time for his fellow guard’s antics. Unfortunately, Keahi wasn’t going to let up.
“Let me guess, he sent you on assignment with Kalama?”
Agni exhaled sharply, telling Keahi everything without a word.
The Rau-wielder laughed. “Come on!” he said, slapping his comrade on the shoulder. “Don’t be such a gloomy sort. Kalama can be a very pleasant Ta-Matoran!”
As if on cue, Kalama emerged from the hut. “Ready when you are!” he called.
Agni looked at Kalama, then back to Keahi.
“Pleasant for you,” he grumbled.
“Aft the farmer told me you can derive the principle of Courage from Duty,” said Kalama, as the two Ta-Matoran guards made their way to the Lava Fields. “I’ve been wondering how for some time now – what does Courage have to do with Duty?”
Agni had been trying his best to ignore his companion, only occasionally mumbling something in response when Kalama was expecting a reply.
“Well, what do you think, Agni?”
“Hm?”
“What do you think, how do you derive Courage from Duty?”
Agni inhaled sharply. “Perhaps,” he said, shooting a meaningful glare at Kalama, “it has something to do with keeping your mouth shut when you’re on assignment!”
The Miru-wearer looked away, hoping that his response would finally bring about peace and quiet.
“Why are you like this?”
Agni stopped in his tracks. “Like what?”
“You always act like such a Kane-Ra when you’re around me,” explained Kalama. “What is the matter with you?”
“What is the matter with YOU?” erupted Agni with unexpected fury. “Why do you keep trying to engage in Ga-Matoran small-talk with me?”
Kalama looked hurt. “I just… wanted to be friendly, that’s all. There’s no one to talk to in this village besides Keahi. But I’m almost never on ■■■■■ with him. I thought I could be friends with you, Agni, since we work together so often.”
Agni wanted to reply in anger again, but Kalama’s sad look softened his response: “I… forget it. Let’s just go and sort this Nui-Rama business so we can go home.”
“Ranama,” corrected Kalama. “Not Nui-Rama. They’re also called Lava Frogs. They are amphibious Rahi, they live in lava flows and they-”
“Yeah, yeah sure, whatever. Let me deal with it.”
As Agni finished, they came to the edge of the fields. Lava flows of various widths moved sluggishly across the barren rock. Some of the smaller flows had already stopped and were beginning to cool. Steam hissed from these cooling streams and flew into the brilliant blue sky. Lava Farmers would usually collect the cooling lava in carts and wheel them to the Bay not far from here, where they would use the basalt as fertilizer. Currently there were no farmers to be found – rumours of Ranama had scared them away and left their tools abandoned. The only inhabitants were small groups of Infernavika, who greeted the guardsmen with docile chirps.
“You said these frogs are amphibious, right?” enquired Agni.
Kalama looked at Agni with brief confusion, then nodded.
“Here, take this,” said Agni, giving Kalama his bident and picking up a nearby shovel. He then dipped the shovel in a nearby lava flow. A lone Infernavika shrieked and flew away.
“What are you doing?” asked Kalama, clutching the two bidents in his arms.
“Combing the lava for frogs, that’s what.”
“Ranama attack when you come near them! You’re supposed to throw rocks into the lava to drive them away!”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Agni, I’m serious! They could be anywhere in the lava!” Kalama sounded genuinely worried. “If you provoke them, they’ll-”
“It’ll be fine! Relax!”
Kalama huffed, gripping both bidents in his palms and following his fellow guardsman. One thing I’m certain of, he thought to himself, is that this right here isn’t Courage. He scanned the lava ahead. A bright red and yellow shape seemed to be peeking out. And his companion was headed straight towards it.
“Agni, wait!” he called.
“Leave me alone,” huffed the Miru-wielder. “I can deal with this.”
“You don’t understand! You’re coming near it! Move ba-.”
The Matoran stopped, as the shovel hit something hard. The remaining Infernavika screamed and disappeared into the sky. The guards stood still for a moment, eyeing the lava with precision. Kalama gripped the bidents hard.
Agni laughed. “False alarm. It was probably just a ro-.”
“LOOK OUT!”
Kalama pushed Agni to the ground. Just then, a long, hot stream passed their Kanohi, only to swiftly return from where it came. The Matoran looked up, carefully, and gasped. The giant Lava Frog emerged from the flow, hissing and glowing.
“What is that?!” yelled Agni, who was already being dragged away by Kalama. The Rahi pounced, barely missing them as it landed where they stood a second ago.
“Take a wild guess!” snarked Kalama.
The Ranama turned to face them.
“Here!” added Kalama, showing a bident in Agni’s direction. He then picked up a stone with his free hand and chucked it towards the Rahi. “Eat this!”
The frog faltered and groaned but was undeterred. Kalama stood with his bident extended in his other arm. He was about to pick up another stone, when another yell came from behind him: “And this!”
It was Agni – he threw a disk at the Rahi. The disk bounced and the frog yelped. Wasting no time, Kalama picked up his own disk and threw it. They continued with this attack, until the frog turned and, wailing profusely, jumped into a nearby lava river and swam away.
Agni holstered his disk, still reeling from the shock of combat. Kalama turned around to face him.
“You… saved me,” mouthed Agni weakly.
“You can be glad that I did,” spat Kalama. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d be Ranama-bones! What were you thinking?!”
Agni scratched his Miru. “I… wasn’t thinking…” he admitted sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”
Kalama’s mask turned red. “You could’ve just listened to me, you know! You could’ve taken heed of my warnings instead of trying to run mask first into things!” He sighed, then turned away.
“No,” he said, his voice now suddenly calm and filled with regret. “I’m the one who should be sorry.”
Agni was surprised. “You? For what?”
“I should’ve seen you were uncomfortable around me. Maybe if I didn’t keep prying into you, you wouldn’t be so dismissive of my warning earlier.”
Agni looked at his comrade, confused. Then it was his mask that turned red. Redder than it already was. “Listen, koli-head,” he said, “don’t you try to shoulder the blame. I’m the one who was acting foolishly here. How about you stop feeling sorry for yourself and go back to ripping me a new mask hole like a proper guardsman?!”
Kalama stared at him, his eyes narrowing. Agni stared back. They both stood, looking at each other, as if ready to unleash the wrath of Makuta on each other. But they didn’t do that. They chuckled. Then they began to laugh.
“By Mata Nui,” said Agni in between bursts of laughter, “we’re both koli-heads.”
Kalama cackled in agreement. After that, they calmed down.
“You know,” said Kalama. “I should probably report this to the captain.”
Agni’s smile dropped instantly. “Do you really have to?” he asked, worried. “Please, I promise I won’t complain anymore!”
Kalama smiled back. “On second thought, maybe I don’t,” he said. “Come, let’s go back to the village. We’ve got to tell the farmers they can return.”
Together they made their way back to where they came from.
“You know,” said Agni. “I think I figured out how you get Courage from Duty.”
Kalama looked at his fellow guardsman inquisitively. “How so?”
“Your sense of Duty gives you the power to face danger. To protect your friends from danger. And that power is Courage.”
Kalama laughed. “That just might be it,” he said.
Behind them, Infernavika returned to the Fields.