As I have already told you, the day started clear and warm. The warm haze made the air shimmer and Nmai looked particularly beautiful I have to admit. Nanaki seemed to be far more playful that day as well. Perhaps it was the air that did it, who knows?
I was lying on the edge of the canyon, near where the great telescope sits. That was…is my favourite spot to lie when the weather was particularly warm. The air there is cool and extra sweet to the tongue, Nmai particularly liked the air there, she said it was more… peaceful.
Nanaki however preferred to play near the great candle; he loved to hear the roar of the dancing flames, and to feel its intense heat upon his back. He always use to lie by it at night, its steady crackle and the warm heat gently drifting over him always sent him to sleep, a talent which neither Nmai or I had.
When the great flames went out Nanaki was the one to send the alarm. He loved that place, it had never gone out in all his life- it was unnatural to him to be in his place and not feel the heat of the candle flow over him. He came to me more upset than ever I had seen him.
"Father, father! The candle…it's…it's gone out!" I remember the stir it caused as he ran up to me crying…crying because the candle had gone out. That is how much it meant to him.
"Hush Nanaki, think before you speak." I tried to calm the poor boy down. However it was not easy.
Nanaki paused after that to catch his breath. I can hear the great racking sobs as I remember. After a moment they stopped and he tried again.
"It's the candle Father. It's gone out!"
"Gone…out?" I didn't understand at the time, the words did not sink in when I first heard them. How could the Great Cosmo Candle go out? It was unheard of!
"Yes Father! The flames…they are gone, there is only smoke"There was a murmur throughout the Canyon, this had not happened before. How did this happen? Was it an omen?
People began to accuse Nanaki of snuffing the Candle, however that soon stopped. Everyone who knew Nanaki knew that he loved it more than anything, how could he do that to something so important to him? It was unimaginable.
So people began to rebuild the Cosmo Candle, gently coaxing flames back through the battered logs and scarred firewood.
Nanaki stood nearby, trembling all over as he watched the flames slowly come to life. You could sense the worry deep in his heart. Nmai tried to comfort him as they watched but it was only seeing those flames once again crackle and dance that pacified the worry in his heart and made his eyes shine again.
To see him so happy made my heart sigh, for his happiness was my own, as was Nmai's. They were my life… And they are all I live for even now.
Once the fire had been rekindled, the whole Canyon seemed to calm down, including Nanaki.
Nmai however seemed to be suddenly subdued, she became quiet. She wouldn't even talk to me; she just sat at our place, breathing that fresh air.
She'd been up there for a few hours when I went to sit with her. She just lay there, staring at the sky. The heat had cooled since the morning and a light breeze had begun to lazily swirl in the air.
Nmai shivered. Thinking about it now I believe it wasn't the air that made her shiver. She had a sense of foreboding. I could sense it in the air around her. It made the fur on the back of my neck stand on end.
As I wandered over she sat up. When I sat beside her she began to talk to me.
"Isn't it beautiful?" She turned and looked at me, a hint of a smile lay behind her eyes, however there was sadness there too.
"It is a good view isn't it?" I tried to sense what was wrong, however I couldn't see, not then anyway.
She smiled, "I remember when you first showed me this place, how the air seemed to taste particularly sweet that day." I nodded silently for I knew she had not finished.
"And when we brought Nanaki up here, how he played with extra energy when he was up here. Did you not notice?" She chuckled "Now it seems he has that energy with him wherever he is."
She turned to look at me. Her eyes seemed sadder than I had ever seen them to be. I remained silently, willing her to go on.
She paused then, taking a deep breath and savouring its sweetness. I could see she had a lot on her mind. She was always like this. She could predict things happening, like Nanaki. I knew something was going to happen, and I knew Nmai was going to tell me what it was. And I also knew it was not good.
"Seto, I sense something"I nodded
"Something…something is coming"I shook my head "nothing comes here anymore, only friendly tourists." Of course as soon as I had said those words I knew it was more than that
"no no NO Seto! That's not it! You know me more than anyone, why do you not believe me?" I saw the tears of frustration prick at the corner of her eyes.
"No I didn't mean it like that. Of course I believe you, I just don't understand"
She smiled at me shaking her head, "Something is coming," she looked at me "Seto, I do not like this"
"Do not worry my dear," I told her "I shall protect you from anything that comes".
Anything that comes. She trusted me; those few words seemed to sooth her despair. Yet I did not soothe the worry in my own heart, for I knew Nmai was right…
Something was coming. And that something did not sound friendly.