The Fallen Ch. 03

"I see your point," Chiaki nods. "But what if I'm not a random occurrence? What if the gathering of the five of us is all fate?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," I admit. "I did say 'you seem to be', after all. Maybe your connection to the rest of us will show itself eventually."

"Maybe. Either way I'm glad I got to meet the geeky little Erykah Gray and become her friend."

"Me too," I smile, realizing we've both finished eating. "Maybe we should be getting back to school?"

"As long as you're feeling better."

"I am. Call a taxi?"

"Naw," Chiaki drawls. "Let's run. Got to keep up my figure."

I give a huffing laugh. As if she needs to worry about that!

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you got a nice ass, girl," I say with my 'gimme a break' expression.

"Hahah!" Chiaki laughs. "Been checking out my butt, huh? I'll take that compliment in the spirit it was intended, so thanks."

"No prob," I smile, "and don't worry. Any checking out I do is purely platonic."

* * * * * *

It's only a little before noon when I sigh heavily and brace myself. I rap my knuckles against the wooden door of my father's dorm room.

"It's not locked," I hear his voice from inside.

I open the door and step within, closing it behind me. I look around and see that we're alone. Thomas sits atop one of the stools at his breakfast bar, still wearing his fancy, Italian suit. He looks to me with the bare hint of a smile on his lips.

"Hi, Erykah."

Seeing my father again causes a bit of my previous anger to resurface, and some of it creeps into my voice as I say, "Start talking, and it better be damn good or I'm out."

Thomas motions to the sitting chair near his work desk and says, "Please sit."

"Fine," I say, taking a seat.

"See that?" he asks, pointing to something atop his desk.

I look over and see a framed photograph. I pick it up and examine it. It looks well aged, like one of those old-timey, black-and-white pictures from when cameras were still in their infancy. The four people in the photo are dressed in archaic-looking clothing, and I immediately notice that Thomas is one of them. There's a young, pretty woman next to him in the picture, with a small boy and girl standing in front of them both.

"When people ask about it I tell them it's from one of those photography studios that does that kind of specialty photo. I tell them it's my sister and her kids."

Somehow I doubt that's the case, so I ask, "Who are they?"

"That picture was taken in 1913, one year before the Great War."

"Is this...was this your family?" I ask in a whisper.

"It was," he nods.

I sense the wistful sadness in father's tone, giving the impression this story doesn't have a happy ending.

"What happened?" I ask.

"They died six years after that picture was taken, each and every one killed by the Spanish Flu."

I frown. How terrible that must have been for him to watch his family die so young and in such a horrible manner.

"How could that happen? You couldn't stop it?"

"No," father says. "I couldn't, but that's a story for another time perhaps."

"Why show me this?"

"I was still relatively young, and their deaths hit me hard. It was a long time before I met a woman who was able to break through the walls I'd erected around my heart."

"Mom," I whisper.

"Yes. Your mother was amazing, and I had no choice but to pursue her and make her my wife. She wanted a child, but I was still afraid. I eventually granted her desire, but not before making a deal."

"A deal?" I question, hoping he elaborates.

"I couldn't stand the thought of watching another child of mine perish to something so horrible as what had taken my first family. I made a deal with two mages. In exchange for a large quantity of my blood they weaved an enchantment that would guarantee my child be born an Eternal."

"Something went wrong?" I wonder.

My father shakes his head and explains, "No, actually everything went quite right. A little too right. Your mother became pregnant, and the day she told me the happy news I examined the aura around my unborn child."

"Only there were two of us," I say.

"Yes. I was a bit shocked to find twins, both of whom had been imbued with the nascent spirits of Eternals."

My father pauses, and I wait expectantly for further explanation. None of what he'd said so far explains why he abandoned my mother and I.

With a heavy sigh he continues, "I suppose Cassandriel never explained 'the rule of two'?"

"First we've heard of this, but as we said before - our recollections have more holes than a block of swiss."

哲o. She has no memory of that,・ I shake my head. 的n truth, Cassie's details on our people's actual culture have been pretty nonexistent."

"You have to understand, daughter, we're part of a secret world that dates back almost two thousand years. Laws and rules have been developed and put in place over time, and we're expected to abide by them for the good of us all. One of these is 'the rule of two'. Put simply, this rule states that there may never be more than two of us living together in the same dwelling at the same time."

"Well that's just dumb," I frown.

Especially since we're violating it right now with five of us living at this boarding school.

"I'd never thought so until I was faced with the choice of breaking the rule or losing my children. I chose the former, moving your mother and I elsewhere before my unborn children could be discovered by my peers. I went into self-exile from our society, and succeeded in hiding from my brethren for almost three years. Despite the fear of discovery each and every day, they were the happiest years of my life.

"But then our people finally found me. I was faced with a choice once more, a detestable choice. Either voluntarily abandon one of my children or have them both taken from me."

"How can angels be such dicks?!?" I mutter, more to myself than to dad.

My father shrugs and says, "Not that I'm trying to be nonchalant about it, but I broke the law and had to pay the consequences. I made a huge mistake. Maybe if I'd come forward in the beginning...ah, but once a decision is made, good or bad, you have to live with it. In reality I got away with what amounted to a slap on the wrist."

"Still," I frown and grumble, "that's a stupid fucking law."

"To this day I still disagree with any law or rule that would tear a family apart, but there was nothing I could do. You see...even as old as I am, I'm still a small fish in a very big pond. To be a member of our Ruling Council an Eternal must be at least four hundred, and many of them are much older. The current Triumvirate are all at least ten centuries old. The leader of our people, the Chayot Ha Kodesh, is nearly 1800 years old. You have no idea how powerful such creatures are. There was no fighting them."

I can't even imagine...how alien would a person become after living for hundreds and hundreds of years? Do they even feel emotions any more? Would the suffering of a single father even register to someone who'd survived for so long?

I'm think I'm starting to understand. Although I'm still a little raw about everything, I'm beginning to feel pretty bad about my overly emotional reaction when Thomas revealed our familial relationship. After hearing all of this how can I possibly still be angry?

I suppose I'm not. I sigh softly, and my anger fades to be replaced by a deep sympathy. Faced with an unthinkable choice my father did what he had to. I stand and walk slowly toward him. He hops down from his stool a bit apprehensively.

I smile and say, "I'm not gonna hit again you, dad."

My arms snake around his waist, and I give him a big hug. He seems quite relieved and returns the gesture.

"I'm sorry," I apologize. "I had no idea. I was being stupid and childish."

"I'm sorry, too," he tells me. "I should never have threatened you after you hit me."

"Yeah, okay...so we were both kind of jerks," I say and release my embrace, stepping back a pace. "But, as I recently had a friend tell me...family forgives one another."

"Sounds like a wise friend," my dad smiles.

"You'd know," I chuckle. "She's your fake girlfriend."

"Chiaki told you about that, did she?"

"Yeah, she did."

My father places his hands on my shoulders with an utterly serious look on my face as he says, "You're my child, and I love you, Erykah. I am so proud of the beautiful young woman you've become."

I nod with a soft smile. I'd like to be able to return his words of affection, but I don't quite feel it yet. I don't want to lie, so I change the subject.

"No judgment, but I've gotta know...how did you chose which of us to take with you when you left mom?"

My father's hands fall back to his sides as he explains, "A boy needs his father, and a girl needs her mother. At least, that's what I told myself."

I nod again in understanding of my father's logic. It's good to know he put some thought into it and didn't merely flip a coin.

"There's still a couple of things I don't understand. Why does the rule of two even exist?"

"First of all, the more of us that gather in a single abode the more we draw the unwanted attention of other supernaturals, many of whom would kill us without a second thought. Think of it like moths to a flame, drawn by instinct toward our inner light. With only two of us we are extremely hard to detect, but we also have the safety of another Eternal to watch our backs.

"Second, in ancient times when we would gather in large numbers our people would be overcome by their own hubris. We tried to rule over humankind, using the excuse that it was for their benefit. The wisest among us reasoned that this was the very thing we rebelled against in the first place, and a consensus was reached to stop the practice. The rule of two is meant to keep us safe, and allow mankind to find their own destiny. In general it has worked well throughout history."

"I see," I nod. "This kind of leads to my next question. Why are you being allowed to break the rule now?"

"Something changed, something we didn't realize until two months ago with the awakening of Seraphinus. She is the first."

"Chiaki?" I question, a little surprised. "The first what?"

"Before I get into that I better explain a few things about our ruling structure and how we decide who is in charge of what."

"Okay."

My father sits back down on the stool behind him. I sit on the one next to him, the two of us facing each other. As he begins speaking I quickly get the impression I'm listening less to Thomas and more to Jerantalus.

"Has Cassandriel shared our people's story? Do you understand our origins and how we came to be on Earth?" my father asks.

"Yeah. Heaven, Lucifer, the All-Mother, the rebellion, the Abyss...I've got the gist of our history."

"Excellent. This saves me a lot of explaining. Before the rebellion, before the Abyss, before the All-Mother's vanishing, when we Eternals still abided in the heavens we were ranked according to the raw power we held within our souls. The more powerful directed, guided, and assisted the less powerful in their tasks. We were like a giant pyramid of worker bees, all dedicated to the will of the All-Mother.

"From lowest to highest our ranks were as follows: Ishim, Cherubim, Bene Elohim, Elohim, Malakim, Seraphim, Hashmallim, Erelim, Ophanim, and at the very top was the Chayot Ha Kodesh. There is only ever one Chayot Ha Kodesh. In the heavens this position was held by Lucifer.

"After our exile to the Abyss and our subsequent escape, we realized that only the smallest of us had gained our freedom. Only the Ishim were able to slip through that tiny crack in reality and ride a newly born soul to freedom.

"At first we had no real society, no real structure. We were free and simply content to revel in this, as well as reveling in all the new sensations being human brought to us. During the first five centuries we made quite a mess learning about our new existence. The oldest members of our species, most of them original incarnations, gathered at the very first Grand Conclave at the end of the year 516 AD.

"They decided to re-institute the old system of rank, allowing an additional level of ranking for every 100 years an Eternal has survived in their current incarnation. For example, as I am 122 I gained an additional rank at 100 years of age, making my Earthly rank that of Cherubim."

I interrupt with a laugh, saying, "Which gives you the unenviable position of playing babysitter to rebellious, newborn Eternals. Am I right?"

My father gives me a wry smile and says, "Well, yes as a matter of fact. Part of a Cherubim's duties entails keeping an eye out for freshly incarnated Eternals, though this is an informal task more than anything."

"Poor you."

"Bear in mind these ranks are, for the most part, honorifics only. By tradition, deference and respect must be paid to those of higher rank, but there is no real authority behind it."

"So our ranks are kind of like those 'good job' certificates they hand out in elementary school like free candy, eh? Oh, you scribbled a drawing of the sun with the wrong color? Good job! You win just for showing up!" I joke sarcastically.

My father laughs and says, "I suppose so. I never thought of it like that, but basically...yes."

Jerantalus takes a moment to regather his train of thought and continues, "It was at this very first Grand Conclave that our wisest and oldest formed the Ruling Council and drafted our first set of laws. At the same time it was decided to create a three-body system of governance.

"At the top once more, but by no means the final voice, was the Chayot Ha Kodesh. It was decided that this position would always be held by the very oldest of us all. It has only changed hands three times in all our history, always upon the death of the previous CHK.

"Directly below the CHK is the Triumvirate. As the name suggests there is always three members of the Tri-V. These three are elected by the Ruling Council, usually from within their own ranks, but there have been exceptions. The CHK must also approve all Tri-V members, ensuring they are not simply shills for the Ruling Council. The Tri-V act as advisers to the CHK and Ruling Council.

"In the event of a disagreement between the CHK and Council, the Tri-V are the final arbiters. However, when the CHK and Council are in agreement the Tri-V cannot overrule any decisions made. This system has worked well over the years, keeping disagreements civil and always granting the final voice to someone.

"Below the Tri-V is the Ruling Council. The Council has always numbered 77 souls, each overseeing a specific district of the Earth and elected by vote among the Eternals residing within their district. As I said before, to be eligible for election to the Ruling Council an Eternal must be at least 400 years old, making them all of at least Malakim rank or higher."

It's all so amazing my people have such an intricate system of government in place, but at the same time it all seems so strangely mundane. Voting...a system of checks and balances...Eternals may well have instituted the first successful democracy.

I jokingly ask, "So now that I'm eighteen where do I register to vote?"

"Age is irrelevant. Simply being an awakened Eternal gives you that right. Voting takes place at each Grand Conclave, which is held once every 50 years during the last week of the Gregorian calendar."

Whoa...if the first one ever was in 516 AD then that means...

"So there's a Grand Conclave coming up at the end of this year?" I ask.

"Correct. Members of the Council generally start campaigning a few years ahead of time, but be forewarned we might still be visited by a representative of our Councilperson some time soon."

"So what are these Conclaves like?" I wonder aloud.

"Imagine a family reunion ten-thousand strong. There's politicking and favor-currying galore, but it's also a lot like a big, week long party. I've been to two of them in my life, and some of my most vivid and pleasant memories are from those two weeks."

"Is attendance mandatory?"

"Not by any means. Those whose circumstance or personal preference bars them from attending may also vote by proxy."

I nod approvingly, saying, "Good to know. It's nice to be given a choice."

"Well, you have some time to decide. Anyway, back to our system of government. Each Council member appoints seven Governors over a portion of their territory. Each Governor appoints seven Overseers over each portion of this portion. The Governors act as general administrators who coordinate with the Council, while the Overseers participate in the more hands-on, day-to-day duties necessary among our people.

"It is with these Overseers that most Eternals interact when the need arises for someone in authority. They are responsible for settling local disagreements and acting as a 'sheriff-judge' of sorts. They also have the power to override the rule of two in order to form a Covey."

"What's a Covey?" I interrupt.

"A Covey is a small group of Eternals, never more than seven, that bands together when a local threat or matter of importance faces our people. When Seraphinus awakened I petitioned for and was granted the right to form a semi-permanent Covey with myself, Christopher, and Chiaki."

"Why?" I ask broadly.

"I'll get to that in a moment, but first let me finish tutoring you on our government. There are no rank requirements for the positions of Governor or Overseer, but it's unheard of for a lowly Ishim to be given such a responsibility. It's also highly unusual for a Cherubim to end up with such an appointment, but it has happened from time to time. Overseers and Governors are generally chosen from those who've attained the rank of at least Bene Elohim or Elohim."

My father pauses after his rather large presentation of the finer points of Eternal self-government. He looks to me, obviously trying to gauge the depth of my comprehension. It's a bit of a big bite to chew at once, but I think I understand.

"So, basically," I try to reiterate, "we answer to an Overseer who in turn answers to a Governor who in turn answers to a Council member. It's the Ruling Council, Triumvirate, and Chayot Ha Kodesh who determine the general course of law for our people, and it's the Governors and Overseers who enforce this."

"In a nutshell, yes," my dad answers, obviously pleased I've been able to keep up.

"Okay, so what does all of this have to do with us being allowed to form a Covey, and how does it involve Chiaki?"

"Well, it's actually more to do with Seraphinus. You remember I said she's the first?"

"Uh-huh," I nod.

"Our Earthly ranks were named to match the old heavenly ranks we used to go by. Up to this point every single Eternal who arrived on Earth would be considered a mere Ishim in the heavenly order of things."

My eyes widen a bit, and I ask, "You mean...?"

Father reveals, "Seraphinus is the first of the heavenly rank of Cherubim to escape the Abyss. The tear is becoming larger."