And So It Came To Pass...

In the beginning, there was the Covenant.

They kept to themselves in groups,

speaking in voices foreign to the human ear.

A female called Zinnia was considered

the wisest of them all.

And she was not one to trifle with.

Feared for her fierce nature.

She was nonetheless respected

for her position of authority.

Life for those in the Covenant

went on for thousands of years.

Perhaps much longer.

Rules were established and rules were broken.

Whenever the inevitable disputes arose,

Zinnia served as judge; her word was law.

They grew in numbers and eventually

became a very diverse population.

Food, land and water were plentiful.

Then things began to change.

Strange-looking invaders began to appear,

and that changed EVERYTHING.

Where previously they had only to

concern themselves with each OTHER,

they now faced an entirely new danger.

The invaders were not only killing,

but kidnapping their members,

and treating them with unspeakable cruelty.

Then they began taking away their land,

until finally, they outnumbered those

who remained in the Covenant.

Even though many of the invaders, called

Friends, came to care for those in the Covenant,

eventually, the situation became intolerable.

So, they sought the counsel of Zinnia,

who promptly called for a summit,

where all were encouraged to speak.

For days upon days they discussed the

few options available to them.

Many wanted to attack at night as revenge.

Zinnia attempted to convince them that,

as their chosen leader, she should be the one

to attempt to secure a peaceful solution.

The spokesman for  their Friends,

a lawyer sympathetic to their plight,

explained such a plan would be too dangerous.

Whereupon they suggested THEY

would attempt to effect an end to the

conditions forced upon members of the Covenant.

Feeling their Friends were better prepared because

they lived among them and spoke their language,

they agreed to their representation.

After several days the Friends delegation returned

and met with Zinnia to discuss the results

of their meeting with the invaders.

Sensing that the news would be unfavorable,

Zinnia sat and listened patiently,

as the leader of the Friends spoke:

"While some are sympathetic, and making

headway in your fight, many invaders are

wealthy and care only about their money.

They consider themselves far superior.

Some even profess ignorance of the

horrible conditions in which you live.

We were able to persuade some to

survey the damage they have done.

Upon their return, many were in tears.

They promised to do all they can to improve

your standard of life and return the freedom

you originally enjoyed before our arrival.

I believe they are sincere in their statements,

and feelings, and would suggest we give

them time in which to change their heartless ways."

Zinnia reflected on this for a moment,

and in a very low voice, said she would discuss

 it with the entire group before deciding.

This is how the matter ended.

For the time being at least.

When the agreed-upon period of time elapsed

with little changed in their lives,

the Covenant came to their final decision.

A decision that would eventually affect the entire Planet.

When they no longer had enough food or water,

the few remaining members, along with their Friends,

chose to find a new home.

One morning, in early Summer,

the village of invaders awoke to an

unimaginable shift in their reality.

All the animals had left in the night.

The Panthers, the Lions, the Wolves;

every species was gone. Vanished into thin air.

In their shock at this occurrence,

they moaned and despaired of their plight,

while somewhere far away, Zinnia roared.

.

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panthers   trifle   covenant    lawyer     zinnia