~~~~
Fulenthen stared into the man's eyes, willing him to understand. Fortunately, the Sukker hadn't been in him very long, so he still had a mind to come back to. After a few seconds, Graig nodded, a look of wonder growing in his eyes. She rose.
The other Descendants stood still, their expressions ranging from shock to awe to delight. The humans still on the balcony were confused and frightened, huddled protectively around one another. Fulenthen suddenly realized that she was the center of a great deal of attention.
Alleathon rescued her. "Well done, Sister! Now, we should hurry and sort out the rest of these before the Gontozenels can escape." He gestured to the group of people huddled at the feet of the other Descendants. She nodded briskly and moved toward them. Another movement caught her eye, stopping her.
Beythan stepped forward, out from the protection of his guards, who were not pleased with the action. Before he could speak, though, a reply sprang to Fulenthen's lips.
"He is clean, my lord president. The Gontozenel is no longer in him, and he will heal in time. This is what I bring to the Descendants and to Alluvia. The ability to free Drones. The ability to completely trap Sukkers. We ... now remember how to do this, and ... we will now free all of Humanity from its slavery." The last word held a bit of growl.
Beythan looked closely at her. He looked at the man, Graig, who now sat upright with his head in his hands. "He is ... free of the Sukker?" he repeated quietly.
"Yes, Mr. President. I-- I am not certain, but I think that perhaps he will not be so easily taken again. If ever." She'd lost hold of that wild connection with the beast, which paced inside her, so she wasn't completely certain. But the words felt right to say.
The president stood, frowning in thought, so Fulenthen continued on toward the captured Drones. Some were still conscious and screamed weakly as she came near. They could sense the beast. She ignored them, ignored everything, and drew on the ability she'd just learned. Drawing on the now-willing beast, she began pulling Gontozenels out of their hosts.
The extraction was not as quick or as simple as with the first man. His possessor had taken him perhaps a month before; many of these had held their hosts for years. Those did not let go without a fight, though they had all been partially drained by the balls, and the Hunter eagerly slurped up what energy they had left.
"I need the ball, the one that took this one's energy," she murmured to no one in particular.
"Ah, how do-- well, here they are. Can you tell which one is which?" Sonelion replied just as quietly, motioning for the rest to give over their devices. Fulenthen nodded, homing in on the one that hummed in unison with the man she now held. Picking it up, she swiftly activated it, not watching it open. Pulling the Gontozenel completely from its hiding place, she forced it to join the rest of itself in captivity. She moved silently through the group, working as quickly as she could.
Not all the humans would survive. Some had been consumed by the Gontozenels, some had long since given over to madness. One woman simply died. Of the four dozen or so they had caught, nine were mentally dead, fifteen wore such haunted and hollow looks that their survival might not be a blessing, and the rest wore dazed expressions.
She could hear the cameras going off behind her and Alleathon speaking to people. He was answering the questions they wanted to ask her, and she felt the deepest gratitude she'd ever felt in her life. She couldn't face strangers now. She could hardly stand to look at the other Descendants. The beast was cooperating and scarcely paid her any attention, but how long would that last? Fulenthen-- Sylenn desperately wished she could be anywhere but here.
Laillmen stepped up next to Alleathon, further shielding her from the gathering crowds. One by one, the others realized what their leaders were doing and helped out when their prisoners were dealt with. Naichen and Kiemelen began carrying the women Fulenthen had freed into the building, speaking quietly to them and passing them off to medical attendants. Heleathon and Lithilon did the same for the men. Sonelion began discussing something with the guards, but Fulenthen's world had narrowed to the Drone in front of her at that moment. Fankrethen, Xaylen, and Vyenthon helped her with the dwindling number of Drones. Vyenthon never left her side.
Long before she finished, Fulenthen felt dizzy. The beast was as happy as It could be, eagerly glutting Itself with energy, but that didn't sit well with Its host. The overflow of ... essence made her feel nauseated. Doggedly, she went on to the next, and then the next. Finally, she looked and saw that there were no more.
Before she could collapse on the stone floor of the balcony, Vyenthon put a gentle hand under her elbow. "Just a bit longer," he whispered. "Let us get back to the Temple; you can rest as long as you need to there." Sluggishly, she nodded.
The return trip was a blur. She remembered making polite farewells to the president and his entourage, walls and light passing by, and one particularly intense stare from a man in the hall, but nothing else. She didn't even recall falling into her bed.
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