In the beginning, there was Man. In many ways, Man was an animal, like any other; Man had to eat, Man had to drink, Man had to sleep, Man had to mate. In many other ways, Man was special.

Man had the ability to look at a thing, and to see it as something else. From the stones and sticks of the earth, Man made claws and fangs, for he had none. From the skins of his prey, Man made pelts to keep himself warm, for he had no fur. And from anything he saw, Man made his dens, for Man was Smart and Good.

Man was also magic. By waving his paws, Man could cause the inanimate Things of the earth to fly, or cause them to stand straight, as if grown from the ground. Man could even tame the red flower, which he called Flame.

For the longest time, Man was alone, and lonely. He lived in his dens, fearful of the night, for while his eyesight was keen, his ears were dull, and he could not smell. He could not sense those evil things that stalked the night.

In time, Man’s mate gave unto him a child, and Man became resolved. Man cast his gaze upon the world, on the things in the waters, the flyers in the air, and all the beasts of the land. And Man smiled, for he saw one who could help him.

Wolf was very like Man. Wolf, like Man, hunted in groups. Wolf, like Man, could run for days without tiring. And, most importantly, Wolf, like Man, was fiercely protective of his offspring.

Man strode forth to Wolf’s domain, and spake unto him, saying “Great Wolf, whose nose is keen and whose hearing is great. Great Wolf, tireless hunter, I see that you and your family are hungry.”

And Wolf, wary of Man, for Man’s magic and intelligence were dangerous, spoke. “Man, crafter of things, tamer of Flame, you are not wrong. We have not eaten lo these many days. Yet you are fat with plenty. Your hunting has been Good. Why should not your flesh feed my family?”

And Man smiled, saying unto him, “indeed! The hunt has been good! I have so much food, I can’t even eat it all. Which is what brings me here. Great Wolf, I have a deal to propose to you. Help me hunt. Guard my home, my mate and my children. I will shelter you, and your mate, and your children. I will give you a warm place to sleep, and all the food you can eat.”

Wolf considered this for a long time, but the promise of food, warmth, and a safe place for his pups was too alluring to turn down. And so, Wolf and Man became the fastest of friends. And this was the First Covenant of Man.

Wolf grew to love Man, with a fierceness and loyalty unrivaled. Wolf even defended Man against other wolves, and Man gave him the name Dog, meaning Brother-Friend.

But Dog and Man were still unprepared for the evil spirits that stalked the night, and so Man cast his gaze once more upon the earth, until he saw Cat.

Cat was a fierce hunter, terrifying in her deadly ferocity, beautiful in her liquid grace. But Cat’s gift was that she could see the spirits that haunted the night, and she hunted them.

It came to pass that Cat fell heavy with child, and she had no place safe for her kits. But Cat, like Man, was smart. She knew that Man’s home was a safe place, for Man had Flame and Dog to guard him. Even the Great Cats, Tiger, and Lion, and Cougar, and Leopard, and all the other hunters feared to attack him, and so Cat made a decision.

Cat braved the scorching Sun of Day, openly coming to Man’s home, and she begged him, saying “ho Man, greatest of hunters. I beg of you a favor. I am heavy with child, and cannot hunt. I cannot defend myself from my enemies, and I request Shelter in your home.”

And Man, bemused by Cat humbling herself so, asked her “oh Cat, whose eyes pierce the darkness, who senses those things that are unseen, what can you offer me, that I might take you unto my bosom?”

Cat prostrated herself, the first and last time she would ever do so, and spoke “if you will guard me and my children, I will offer my protection from the evils of the night, disease, vermin, and the demons that afflict Man. I will drive all who seek to harm you from your home. I will be playmate to your children, defender of your goods and seeds, and I will sing for you.”

Laughing, Man said to her, “a Cat singing? This is a new thing. What songs does a Cat sing?”

And so, Cat sung for him, and Man was calmed, and sorely moved. “Very well, Cat, I accept. Come, share my home, and sit in the warm places.” And this was the Second Covenant of Man.

For ages, Man and Dog and Cat lived together in joy and happiness. But Dog and Cat had been mortal enemies before the Covenants, and old enmities die slowly. Dog and Cat shared an uneasy peace.

In time, Man discovered more magics, and he altered Dog and Cat in his image. Man gave them hands, and taught them to walk upright. Man taught them to think, and to reason, and he gave his magic to them, calling it Science.

In the ages that passed, Dog and Cat became as Man.

But, old enmities die slow, and dogs and cats went to war. For a century did they fight, fang and claw, and they neglected Man in their bloodlust.

No one to this day knows what happened, or what stopped the war. All we know is that, while we fought, Man lay dying. When the Supreme Alpha and the Empress of the High Places finally declared a truce, Man was all but gone from the earth.

Some say that another race, from the stars, came and slaughtered them with war. Some say that disease had ravaged them. What all agreed on was that we had broken the Covenants, and Man’s loss was both our faults.

I remember the Last Man. He was old, his hair gone white and his face lined and creased with age. As we stood at his death bed, I and the Supreme Alpha, we wept bitter tears at our failure.

“Do not cry for me, my friends.” Spoke the Last Man. Turning to the Supreme Alpha, he rested his hand on his golden-furred head. “You are a Good Dog.” And the Supreme Alpha wagged his tail sadly. Turning to me, he said, “and you are a Good Cat. Will you sing me to sleep?”

And though my ears were laid back, my whiskers drooped, and my tail hung listlessly, as tears fell like rain, I sung the Last Man to his eternal rest.

PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRR

Lest we forget, young pups and kittens, though we now tread the stars, our story is one of failure.