The garden's music filled my ears. I could hear its deep powerful song, even subtle changes became more pronounced telling me when Little Dragons entered and left from all over our sacred sanctuary. Standing amid that power I let everything go and without words let the garden discover my purpose for being there. Another low undercurrent of music started to make itself known. At first I heard a steady low beat similar to my own heartbeat. Eventually all the other music faded into the background as this one became my focal point. With each note I felt a steady pull into a deeper state and the surrounding power increased tenfold. An awareness that I was reaching the fulcrum slowly penetrated my brain but what really came crashing down onto me was the pure power I was accessing. A euphoria unlike any other rushing through me. Anything could be done here I suddenly realized, and the possibilities keep drawing me further into the fulcrum. Fear of dying tomorrow by that mysterious weapon vanished. The power here was too great for anything to hurt me. Instead, I focused on other desires, the planet project. I no longer needed anyone else to do it. There was enough power here to create more than a planet, a whole universe could be birthed!
"Come on!" another voice suddenly shouted. Mesmerized as I was by my feelings it took me a moment to register the other voice. "If I can just grab it! " the voice continued. I found the intrusion jarring and a surge of possessiveness for this place came over me! No one else should be here! The fulcrum's power was mine. Until that moment I hadn't opened my eyes but I did so now to see the intruder.
Huge swirling vortexes of energy consumed my body. The discomfort of the intense vibrations made it suddenly hard to breathe. Gasping I found the faint outlines of another Little Dragon completely engulfed in a tornado of energy. A look of intense concentration on their face, golden eyes closed. I felt the energy draining from my body and knew I would die soon. Desperate I lurched outward and found myself grabbing a hold of the stranger's arm.
Their eyes opened, and I saw anger in their depths as its face contorted in pain. "I don't need you!" they hissed, "Please leave and tell Jonathan to stop sending in Little Dragon's to assist. I am almost done," Their voice ended on a wheeze indicating the Little Dragon was suffering as much as myself.
After delivering the odd message, the stranger closed their eyes and the look of intense concentration returned. Seeing how quickly the Little Dragon recovered, I followed suit. The feeling of power also began to take hold again. The stranger was right something truly worth having was here! "Let go of me!" the voice then said reminding me I was still holding onto their arm. Slowly my grip loosened and my companion wrenched it free. "Go back!" the Little Dragon shouted at me. "I have worked too hard and too long to give up the power of the fulcrum to anyone else!"
Go back! I thought, never! I instantly knew with my whole heart and soul this power was meant only for me. "No!" I shouted in defiance.
I then felt claws at my throat as a wheezing voice said. "The other tried to take it from me too! I am not a killer, but I won't let you succeed. I will give you the same choice I gave them, either you be satisfied with a little of it or I kill you now with what I have already unlocked."
It became hard to breathe so I opened my eyes and stared into their face. Immediately the vortexes of energy swirling around us began tearing my body apart again. This time though despite the danger I wasn't as eager to close my eyes because I suddenly knew exactly how Felix got his weapon. "Did that Little Dragon have a name?" I loudly whispered, the vibrations and the grip on my throat made it hard to talk.
Confusion came over their their face claws loosening a fraction. "I don't know their name," the Little Dragon said in harsh voice for like me it couldn't withstand the energy tornadoes for long. "You should know if Jonathan sent that one and you."
A shiver of awareness came over me, "Is your name Julie Salmon?" I asked the Little Dragon.
"Of course I am!" she snapped impatient, clearly she wanted to close her eyes and forget about me again. "What is your choice!" she demanded.
Everything then fell into place in my mind. The only reason Felix was able to use the power of the fulcrum is because Julie never left. She chased him away by giving him the power to make the weapon! I began to search my memory for when Julie's expedition took place? A sinking feeling filling me as I realized it was long before I was even born. Glancing at her fierce face, it seemed incredible that she was still alive and had lost track of the centuries. I then felt obligated to tell her the truth.
"No one is looking for you because we believe you died a long time ago," I said to her. Julie shook her head disbelief all over her face. "But who was the other one who came?"
I then told her about Felix, the weapon he created and why I was here. She then detangled a tendril of energy from a nearby swirling tornado and to my surprise she placed it on my forehead! Its energy overwhelmed my senses for a moment and then she tore it off, a sad smile now on her face. "I learned how to read another's mind while I was here in the fulcrum. I can see you are speaking the truth."
She then took a deep breath before grabbing the end of a floating tornado. Fascinated, I watched as she placed her claws on either side of it. The vortex began to slow down until nothing more than a long energy strand lay in its wake. She handed it to me. "This is what I gave the other. When you leave this place, the strand will create whatever you need."
Something in her tone made me pause. "You are coming with me right?" I asked her as I took a firm hold of the strand.
Julie gave a negative shake of her head. "I have no interest in going back. I have learned too much here and yet there is so much more,"a haunted look in her eyes. "We weren't meant to come here. I know that now." She then fixed me with a hard look with her bright golden eyes. "You should leave," she warned. A second later her face began to glow, and I saw a giant ball of energy start to exit her body. She was dying! A fear that without her there I would become trapped here forever motivated me to hold the strand tightly as I asked the garden to take me out of the fulcrum.
The last thing I saw before returning was her now dead body being ravaged by the energy vibrations.
That ends Social Conundrums, Part XXXI. Next month is Social Conundrums, Part XXXII. Learn more about the Little Dragons by reading the earlier blog post series titled Humanity's Evolution.
If you enjoyed this story, please consider donating either time or money to your favorite charity. A few worthwhile ones are www.feedingamerica.org, www.doctorswithoutborders.org and www.givedirectly.org.
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