Transfer of power.

[Plot Device]

It's been nearly a month since the rebel attack on the capital, Sasuke sat in front of a map of Bern with his face in his hands. On the map there was various markers to indicate major attacks, the largest one being the capital. Dragging his hands down his face he started to stare at the map, he couldn't figure any of it out. To him the attacks were random, he didn't know the land or real battle strategies and couldn't formulate anything based on his advisers.

It wasn't long before a group of soldiers came bursting into the room, Sasuke quickly rose to his feet, "I thought I said I did not wish to be bothered." Then men lined the room, a man wearing fancy clothes had entered the room. He knew who it was, it was a royal messenger, normally he brought bad news. "You have yet to yield any results, nor have you proved to be worthy to keep your current position. Since the attack here we began to review possible replacements and we recently came to an agreement. We sent a messenger to inform William Saint of this conclusion, he will be replacing you. You have 24 hours to pack your belongings and vacate the building."

[Elias]

The last month was definitely one to be checked into the 'not boring' column, undoubtedly to be a great chapter in the story of his life one day. Since the word got out about Wyatt's little 'miracle' left and right Elias had been pestered for more 'miracles' and of course Elias obliged because he was totally awesome like that. He spent most of his free time in the infirmary healing the wounded, and the rest helping Wyatt walk again. He barely had the time to brag, but naturally he worked it into his work. THE CRIMSON MAGES HEALS YOU! He would say, laughing almost like a madman while the staff went zip zop zoobity bop and brought those dying dudes back to green healthy red. He was starting to understand how the staff worked a bit better now, he could perform some awesome healing blast of coolness about once a day or so.

It took a lot out him though, seriously, he like almost collapsed after using it each time. A more intuitive man may have gathered that meant he was doing this his body was clearly not ready for, using the staff as a sort of catalyst to temporarily increase his skills to that of a experienced cleric for a moment before taking it's heavy toll, but he thought of it as being exhausted from the pure awesome flowing through him. None of his patients had been as far gone as Wyatt though, in fact it was a miracle Wyatt SURVIVED long enough for Elias to get to him. It just meant Wyatt was awesome, though that was to be expected, red hair and all. Most of the people he helped were just super bloody and junk, mostly flesh wounds and none of it overtly magical scarring or painful inner damages. Still they were miracles all the same, and even if the big heals were only once a day or so the medics were relieved to have some help. Elias working away with his weaker staves as well, draining them of their magical essences almost down to the nub.

He was tired, but it was a happy tired. After walking around all the time aimlessly it was kinda cool walking around with an aim. "Hey Wyatt, how's my favorite crutch reliant blacksmith?" The explosion of shaggy red hair poking into the building before his head followed, a wide grin on his face. There was probably something important going on somewhere, but that wasn't nearly as important as what Elias was doing. Visiting his friend, naturally. Hey wasn't sure if Mana was around, but she probably was, she never ventured far away. Her and Wyatt were so super close, it was a bit awkward to intrude, well to someone that wasn't Elias that is. They found themselves a third wheel, Elias found himself the one big wheel and those two the little side ones like on a tricycle. Call it being socially retarded or just being incredibly charismatic, but Elias had little issue walking in whenever he wanted.

[William Saint]

"Concentrate fire outside the stairwell! Stop their advance!"

Captain William Saint, of the Capital of Bern snarled angry orders out to the soldiers around him. Archers mostly. They were the game changers in city battles like this. The rest of his soldiers here consisted of heavily armored men like him who happened to have managed to keep arrows from going through their eyes so far. The helmet he wore left only a slit to see through, but it was better to be safe than sorry. At least until the lack of situational awareness became a liability.

At the moment he simply hoped to Elimine that this plan was going to hold. He wasn't sure how bad the situation looked to citizens inside Bern. He didn't know if they realized that for a time, the Guard had been pushed straight out of one of their own towers along the wall. This attack was a result of that. He and a small unit of knights had moved under cover of night, and smashed through the occupation before it could solidify. Unfortunately, now he and his bunch had been cut off from their own reinforcements, by what looked to be an assault force which had planned to move through the tower. William's archers and knights could only hold off so long before they would fall, and he'd already lost more than he wanted to admit. The enemy was bottlenecked at the stairs leading up to the tower, but shields were beginning to make their way up to the entrances.

The mage next to him went down, and William turned to see a handaxe stuck in the head of his slumping comrade.

"Dammit!" William quickly shifted his short bladed broadsword to his shield hand and ripped the axe up and out. With a roar, he flung the axe down the stairs at the wannabe hero who had taken it on himself to disrupt the peace that the Bernese Guard had worked to maintain. It was quickly caught on the man's shield, but that wasn't the only thing it had to withstand. Throwing caution to the wind, William hurled himself down the stairs and used his shield arm like a hammer. The rebel hero's shield splintered, along with the man's arm a moment later. His pained yelling didn't have a chance to escape though. A crushing sound of Captain Saint's blade crunching his throat in stopped the yelling prematurely. William looked down the stairwell, and saw more rebels trying to come up. This wasn't working....

Hell with it. I'm not dying trapped up in a tower! And with those thoughts, William charged down the stairs. The Rebels tried to stop him, javelins bounced off his armor, and he took a ringing blow to his helmet, but the Bernese Captain pretty much crushed whatever didn't get out of his way from the shear weight of his armor.

Then the problem came. He took a bad step. Or an enemy tripped him, and William hit the ground hard, even in his armor, perhaps because of it, he was winded. He looked up just in time to see doom slain by providence. He'd been about to be killed by one of the damned rebs, when he saw the tip of a pike jut through the front of his enemies stomach. Blood splurched across him and the already soaked floor, as his enemy fell forward, leaving a woman standing there. A woman in red armor. It was one of the Bernese Wyvern Riders.

"Captain, reinforcements are here. Riders are dropping from the sky onto the buildings housing enemy forces, even as our foot soldiers storm the plaza.... You are to report to the council of Bern immediately." He'd seen her before. Hair pulled back in a small bun. Clipped tones. Always efficient....

He gave a quick shake of his head, and pushed himself back to his feet, stabilizing himself against the wall for a moment before looking to her again.

"There's a battle to be finished here. I'm not leaving until they're completely dispersed."

"Sir, my message was for you to come immediat-"

In a fit of anger, William stepped forward, and shoved the rider back against the wall as he moved past her. He stepped to the actual doorway and looked out. What he saw was that she was telling the truth. Bernese loyalists were pushing through the plaza, arrows taking lives from both sides.

"The council can burn for all I care! Get yourself back out here soldier! And get to work. The sooner we finish this up, the sooner we can all go and find some rest."