The Twins

Chief Herold looks shocked. He shakes his head in disbelief, "So, can all of your people do something like that?"

I laugh and shake my head. "Nope, just twins like my sister and I. Twins used to be one being until they grew too powerful so they had to be split into two beings."

Chief Herold looks interested. "Okay, tell me more."

"My sister is different than all the other angelic beings. She would do anything for those she loves. She saw the entire world differently than the rest of us. Different than me," I say softly, looking down at the table cloth.

"I'm not sure I understand," Chief Herold says, adjusting himself in his seat more comfortable. We've been sitting here for a long time. 

I smile up at him. "Myself, and all others saw the world as black and white, good and evil, yin and yang. While my sister... she's the only one that can see in shades of grey." I smile fondly at that. My beautiful sister talking in that passionate way she does, telling me exactly what I need to hear even if I don't want to.

Chief Herold rubs his mustache in thought. "So, explain it to me again, angelic beings are born of GOD's wishes? And humans are born of angelic beings' wishes?"

I nod. "Yup."

Chief Herold nods. "Okay, so tell me what happened next."

Fifty-three years prior:

I curled up on a cloud and closed my eyes, basking in the warmth from the sun. I stretched my wings to their fullest extent. The air blew through my feathers. I felt Jacobi before I saw him soar through the air and land on my cloud. I kept my eyes closed and waited for him to speak to me.

First, his hand ran down the side of my face, then his voice came, "Angel, why must you always leave the courtyard for the open plains?"

A grin fell upon my face. "It's a place of peace and serene silence."

He tapped his white wing, thoughtfully, against my own. I scooted to one side as he laid down next to me and spread his wings out as well. Both of our wings were stretched high into the sky, his just slightly shorter than my own but wider in order to catch more wind. The natural sign that he is to be a warrior and I am to be a guardian to those in heaven.

Our wings tapped against one another idly in thought. Soon, Jacobi's training to become a warrior of heaven would be complete and I might never get to see him again. 

I leaned up on my elbows and looked down at Jacobi's peaceful face. He looks up at me with clear violet eyes.

"How long till your training is done?" I asked.

Jacobi grinned slowly, a hint of pride in his voice as he says, "Not long now, Angel. Gonna miss me?"

I smacked his shoulder gently and smile, not wanting to admit how right he was about that. "Come on, let's race back to the courtyard."

He nodded and we both lept off the cloud and free fell together for a moment, letting the wind ruffle our hair and feathers, before fully extending our wings and veering left. Although my wings are longer, his were built for speed and strength. I also happen to be litter than him too.

We both soared through the sky. He and I circled around one another until we get to the courtyard. Many small winged children played with one another. My old den mother, Ryolga, waved at us once we landed on the stone floor. One of the small children, a boy named Jose, ran up to Jacobi and started asking him about being a warrior-in-training.