The darkened jungle was at once illuminated in red and orange as Samaria drew fire from her fists, and despite the heat running through him, Lagi shivered and the hairs on his arms stood at attention. When Samaria’s gaze joined his, however, she extinguished the flames and relaxed back to the jungle floor.

“What are you doing here, Lagi?” she asked him. He might as well have asked her the same question. What reason did she have for leaving the party? What with the guest of honor clearly favoring her and the rest of the tribe swooning at the sight of it.

He opened his mouth to respond, but she continued speaking. “You know, you almost knocked me over earlier. Thought you could challenge Kaipo, huh?”

Lagi couldn’t help but laugh at this. He couldn’t think of anyone in the tribe who would legitimately think they could challenge Kaipo and win, and certainly not on a night like tonight when he had the power and the ego of the gods running through him. Why had Lagi attacked him? He wondered himself. It must have been because he wasn’t thinking at all.

“I think the drink is seriously going to his head,” continued Samaria.

When it was clear she was finished speaking, Lagi ventured to the spring, passing his hand into chilly water and splashing it onto his face.

He stared into the water, hoping to find his reflection but instead only seeing that of the stars above. He continued looking down at the spring -- at the water and at the stars -- as he responded to Samaria.

Ignoring the question about why he was in the jungle, he opened with a jab at Kaipo, something he had been wanting to say to someone for many years. “He’s not that great, you know.” He splashed another handful of water onto his face, massaging it into his chest and neck, before clarifying, “Kaipo, that is. He’s not as great as everyone thinks. He’s strong, sure, but that’s not all that is important when it comes to being a great warrior. Even I know that,” and his voice cracked just barely (not even enough for Samaria to notice, he was sure) as he continued with the next words, “even if I’m not a warrior myself.”