Swift walked through the city of Angels, the cloests he had yet come to being at one with the gods again. He walked through the streets and came upon the statue of the archangels, his brethrin. Or rather his former brethrin. If they saw him here they would most surely throw him out or beat the hell out of him for defying the will of the gods. He sat there for a few moments and simply stared at it imagining he was back there and the empty hole in his heart was once again filled. How could they do this to him? He felt a momentary influx of anger that quickly departed. He deserved this, he had defied the gods. Was helping mortals worth his place among the stars? He sighed then tried to forget it all, the only way he could feel remotly peacful.

Sibia knew that road looked familiar. She had come right back to where she had started... Sanctuary of the Angels. But hey, if anyone asked her, she could always just say that she meant to come her. Heh heh. But on the bright side, she still felt that she had alot to learn here... so she might as well look around. Maybe there was an information center or something here that she could use?

Sibia continued to wonder about the street, absorbing the sights and sounds of the city. So many people here... she wondered about what they all might be doing. That young couple on the bench, looks like they are in love... That man walking down the street with a heavy looking bow on his back. He looked like quite the experienced adventuer.
Sibia continued to wonder down the street until she entered a square where the statues of the arch angels stood. Sibias attention turned to them. She giggled a little to herself, thinking that she knew the actual arch angels themselves very well, and these statues looked a little... 'off' somehow.

But not looking where she was going had been a failing of hers more than once. A small cobel stone that had become loose over time was sticking up out of the floor, just waitng for a suitable victim to trip over it... and sure enough, Sibia caught her foot on the stone, lost her balance and tumbled over.

"Ooooh! WoaaaaaaAAAAHHH!" *smash*

A few laughs errupted from various locations around the square. The specticle of an angel falling flat on her face must have been highly amusing for them. Sibia continued to lay where she fell...

"Aww, man. Owie."

Swift was drawn out of his wonderings as laughter rose up around him. It appeared people were laughing because some one had fallen over, as much as Swift liked the mortals some times he just didn’t understand them. They stood and laughed instead of helping.
"Please let me help you." Swift said and knelt down by the woman. She looked very beautiful, and almost had a glow about her. He helped her to her feet and brushed her off a bit.
"Are you ok? The streets of this city are full of knowledge and wisdom but that comes at the price of age." Swift gave her a smile, he wasn't sure what drew him to her but she seemed to remind him of times long ago. She seemed kind and generous and he could sense she had a good soul and spirit.
"I am Apodae Swift, ranger by nature." He smiled and bowed a little, "what might your name be?"

Sibia was lifted up from the floor by a stanger. The laughter that had persisted momentarily subsided, and people began to return to their activities.

"Are you ok? The streets of this city are full of knowledge and wisdom but that comes at the price of age."

Sibia wasn't sure what prompted the stranger to say that. If anything the street seemed full of broken roadstone, and was in need of some vital repairs. But she was glad that somebody helped her up, as she wasn't sure how long she would have just layed there feeling embarrassed.

"I am Apodae Swift, ranger by nature... what might your name be?"

Sibia looked up at the man who what helped her. He looked like a strong guy... but what caught Sibias attention instantly was his eyes. A shade of blue... but it looked like they had depth. They even looked a little familiar at first... and even the name 'Apodae' rang a bell in the back of her mind. But Sibia felt she had to be mistaken. After all, she had never met this man before in her life.

"Umm... thank you." Sibia smiled and giggled a little at her stupidity of falling over. But at least she was getting to meet new people again. "I know that must have seemed pretty weird, heh... especially since that was my 5th tumble here so far. Heh heh..." Sibia felt as though maybe she was being a little too honest about it all, and should probably change the subject. "Anyway, my name is Sibia. A pleasure to meet you Mr. Swift."

Sibia then felt a shallow ache in her left wing. She must have bent it a little when she feel over a moment ago... or was it from an earlier fall? "Aw, man. Ouch... er, hold on... just a sec." Sibia streatched out her wing in an attempt to releave the pain. It worked a little, but it still ached abit... maybe she had pulled something?

"Urgh... silly wings. I swear they are going to fall off at this rate..."

Swift's eyes widened, he hadn't registered the wings at first. He was glad of the fact that she hadn't recognized him otherwise she would not be treating him so nicely. Swift pulled himself together. He could not let her discover his secret he did not want to loose his only contact to the world of the gods.
"Please do not called me Mr. Swift, my friends just call me Swift. I would love to help with your wing but I am afraid I have no expertise in that area. Anyway I must say that it is a pleasure to meet you Sibia. " Swift said with a smile, he couldn't help but smile. An Angel, a real life Angel. He felt the closest to the celestial planes he had felt in a very long time. As for the being clumsy he knew that feeling all too well, he guessed she was only just getting use to life on the mortal coil. The mortals were so strange when compared to celestial beings, he knew though that she would eventually pick up all the knowledge she would need to live here.

"Please do not called me Mr. Swift, my friends just call me Swift. I would love to help with your wing but I am afraid I have no expertise in that area."

Sibia smiled again. Looks like she had met yet another kind person. This world seemed to be full of them... and she was starting to wonder what all the fuss was about. But even so... Sibia knew that there was darkness somewhere in this world that she would have to face eventually.

"That's okay... I've almost got it now." Sibia continued to fiddle about with her wing. The ache was still there, but at least it was starting to look presentable again now she had brushed some of the dust off. Sibia opened up her other wing, held out her arms a little and flapped them both in perfect synchronization, as if to test that they were both still working okay. Satisfied that they were, her wings folded up once again behind her.

Sibia looked back towards Swift. He was smiling a very happy smile, as if he was glad to see her. Sibia smiled back. She liked seeing people who were honestly happy about something. Sibia herself felt unusually comfortable around him, though she didn't know why.

"So then Mr. Swift... er, sorry... Swift. Just what brings you to this city? Seeking an Angel are we?" It seemed like a long shot assumption... but what else could explain that happiness in his eyes? Sibia was tempted to look deeper into them... but since she had so far learned that doing that made some people uncomfortable, she decided not to...

"In a way I guess you could say I am seeking an angel. Their advice anyway." Swift said, though he was unsure if that was really the truth. Technically he supposed it was right, he was looking for guidance on how to reclaim his former self, he was also looking for the person he had once been. So in a way he was looking for an angel after all.

"What about you Sibia?" Swift asked quickly changing the subject. "Are you just exploring the mortal realm to gain knowledge or have you been sent down here with a specific purpose?" He asked carefully, he was genuinely curious but he didn't want her to think he was prying in to other peoples business or even the business of the gods.

For a moment Swift fleetingly considered telling Sibia he was an angel, granted he would never reveal his fallen status. But he knew that if he told her he was an angel then it may spark her memory and she may remember who he is. So he decided against it. It was better for her to think of him as an ignorant mortal.

Sibia laughed a little. This guy was fun to talk to. He seemed very honest and upfront. She walked a short distance over to the statue of the arch angels and looked up at them for a few brief moments. Then with a jump in her step, she turned back to face Swift with a big smile, who was still watching her.

"Hahaha... I guess you could say these guys sent me here." Sibia wasn't sure if she should tell him that she was only a very young angel. It seemed that people in Arda looked up to angels, and telling him that she was still very new to this world might mean he won't take her seriously. But still... being the pure soul she was, she couldn't bring herself to lie or mislead him. After all, if he was looking for guidance from her, then he deserved to know just who the advice was comming from.

"... They did give me a mission actually, though it might seem a little weird if I told you. But well... You asked if I was just here to look around? Well, that's kinda what my mission is. Heh. To learn." Sibia hated telling people about just how inexperienced she was, even though she really didn't say 'i'm a newbie' as such. But she supposed it was also a good thing... after all, what better motivation could one have to learn about the world?

"But well... you said you were seeking an angel? Well guess what's right here in front of you? Why not come closer and tell me what troubling you? It's the least I could do to listen after the kindness you have showen me." With that, Sibia sat down on the bench at the foot of the statue and gently patted the empty seat next to her, inviting him to sit down and relax a moment beside her.

"Well if you insist." Swift said and took up the seat, it was strange acting slightly awed by an angel he was fifty times the age of but he managed to pull it off. He remembered being that young, being idealistic and full of dreams, all he wanted to do was serve the gods to the best of his ability. Now he was just a wreck of a once proud and noble being. He sincerely hoped she wouldn't wreck he life and career for some stupid noble quest, Swift didn't mind his own life being wrecked for the sake of humanity but he couldn't stand to see some one such as her do it.

"I guess you could say I'm looking for a way to prove my self to the gods. I feel they have grown distant towards me and I wish to get back in their good graces." Swift said simply, he was good at saying what he truly believed and what he needed to do without giving away all the information. As far as he wasn't concerned he so far hadn’t lied to her once and for an Angel that was a good thing. He may have been cast out from the place of celestial beings but he was still one of them, despite what they may think he still tried to be honest and pure.

"I guess you could say I'm looking for a way to prove my self to the gods. I feel they have grown distant towards me and I wish to get back in their good graces."

"Get back the good favor of the gods?" Had he lost it? It was unusual for the gods to forsake people... you would have to do something terrible to displease them. Something truely unforgivable. But that surely couldn't be case for this man sitting next to her. Sibia certainly couldn't sense any evil within him... maybe he was hiding something?

Sibia thought about it for a moment. However the more she did, the less likely it seemed. It seemed much more plauseable that he was having faith issues since did say he felt they had 'grown distant'. She understood these feelings to be fairly common in Arda, especially with the forces of darkness spreading across the lands. In that sense, she felt she couldn't blame people for questioning the abilities of the gods of light. Afterall, she had been created as a kind of last resort... which is never a good sign. But Sibia maintained her smile.

"Well... it true that the gods may feel a little 'distant' at times, but I assure you that they are committed to each and every one of us." Swift also said that he was looking for a way to prove himself. It was nice that there were people who thought like that. She'd have to mention this to the arch angels once her work here was done. "And if you truely seek to prove your worth to the gods... then you need only heed their words and do their bidding, like we all should. It's not hard... just, do what you know within your heart to be right and good. Then, the gods will surely smile upon you."

"Doing what I thought in my heart was right is how I got in this mess. As for heeding the gods words they stopped listening to me years ago." Swift said offhandedly. He thought he had said too much but there was very little information there. Maybe in a way she was right? Maybe the gods were just testing his resilience and his ability to stick to his beliefs and do what he think is right. No. They had been very clear with what must be done before he would be aloud back to their kind, some how had had to prove himself.
"I will listen to what you have told me. I am sure an Angel such as yourself knows the gods will better then I." Swift said kindly, he didn't want the young one to feel she was failing in her job to council others. Giving young Angels a confidence boost was the least he could do, after his little incident angels were not aloud to travel to the mortal realm as freely as in his day.

Sibia couldn't help but laugh a little more at what Swift had said. He really was a fun guy to talk to.

"Hahaha... It's hard to heed the words of the gods if you are the one doing the talking." Sibia felt like she was teaching the basics to a beginner. For somebody who appeared to have experience, it was a little funny that he didn't seem to know these things. But maybe that was the problem? "... To truely serve the gods, you need to do more than run around doing good. You need to really listen to what the gods have to say and obey their commands." Sibia looked away from Swift and noticed some children playing at the edge of the square in front of them. They were playing the game 'hide and go seek'... and they looked cute playing it.

"Do you see those children over there? It's hard to say what the gods have planned for them... Maybe they will grow up to become famed Warriors? Great Healers? Maybe even angels like me. I look at them, happy and smiling... and I feel I must fight to defend them were their lives in danger, which is what the gods expect." Sibia looked back towards Swift. "But not even angles can always understand the workings of the gods, and it may be that these children are not supposed to be saved. If that were the case... then they would tell me to leave them be. I wouldn't agree with it, and I could ignore them but... haha, well... big trouble. Do you understand what i'm saying?"

"... To truly serve the gods, you need to do more than run around doing good. You need to really listen to what the gods have to say and obey their commands."

Easy for her to say, he wasn't some little mortal who just needed general guidance. How was he supposed to follow the will of the gods when they had stopped talking to him? It was no good for him to assume what they wanted because he didn’t know anymore.

"Do you see those children over there... Do you understand what I’m saying?"

Swift understood perfectly, is was all well and good for them to defend mortals but if the gods say that they should not save some one then they had to obey. It was something even now he was sure he couldn't do. The painful memories of watching people from afar being killed when he could have saved them were as fresh in his mind as if it had happened yesterday. Of course he wasn't about to tell Sibia this, she obviously had a hard time not saving people but he hoped she grew out of that like most Angels did.

"I must thank you for those kind words, I have not been at ease with my faith for some time now. Your words have shown me where I have been going wrong. Funny how an Angel can even give some one like me, a ranger full of experience, advice." Swift smiled then looked around, what if Sibia were being watched closely by the archangels? Damn he couldn't let them think she was fraternising.
"I best be off." Swift said quickly, part of him wanted to show Sibia his wings just so she wouldn't get too friendly but the selfish part inside of him that hand developed during his time with the humans stopped him. "Thank you for taking time out to speak with me." Swift said kindly, turned, and began to walk down the street.