I'm back again. First:

kodachi827: Yeah, it seems a bit rushed, but I needed quick action to interest people. As for why Giffca, he was the best choice. You'll see why soon.

baka-schala-neko-chan: You think it's turning out good? Thanks. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

…Man, only two reviews? That's harsh. I can think of five possible reasons:

1. You're upset that Elincia didn't show up.

2. You're upset that Giffca died.

3. My chapters are too short to warrant a review.

4. I lack description.

5. You all didn't notice I updated.

I've tried to fix some of those problems in Chapter 3 (but Giffca is still dead; deal with it). I hope you enjoy chapter three:

In the forests of Gallia, Ranulf races along at the smell of a comrade's blood. He fears that he may be too late, but hurries nonetheless. When he arrives at the clearing that Giffca's corpse lies in, he resumes his human form and stares in disbelief. Silence weighs heavily for several minutes, and then he gradually comes to terms with the remains before him.

"…Master Giffca," he spoke, though no one was nearby. "How could this happen? He's second only to our King in terms of strength." But as Ranulf got a hold of himself and studied the ground more carefully, he discovered worse. "These footprints are of an heavily armored beorc. They come out of nowhere and vanish. And there's only one set of them. What's more, based on the little movement, the fight was over before it began." A chill ran down Ranulf's spine. "Who on Tellius has such power? Even King Ashnard was vulnerable to Master Giffca, but whoever did this killed him without breaking a sweat. This isn't right. I must inform my King at once." At these words, he changed into a jungle cat. He took one last look at the lion before him, and sprinted off in the direction of Castle Gallia.

As Ranulf rushed to Inform King Caineghis of this development, Reyson was already there informing the King of the Black Knight's return, of the information he revealed, and of Giffca's decision to battle him.

"And at Master Giffca's command, I fled, leaving him alone with that human." the White Prince finished.

"I see," the Lion King replied. "You did well to listen to him. You would not have lasted long against the Knight had you fought him." Reyson nodded, but was clearly angry that he was unable to avenge his clan himself. A royal soldier came in, bowing, as was custom.

"Your Majesty, Sir Ranulf has just arrived. He wishes to speak with you. He says it's important."

"Very well. Send him in," Caineghis replied.

The soldier left, and Ranulf came in shortly afterward. He was out of breath, amazing considering his laguz energy, and King Caineghis noticed it immediately. "My King," Ranulf spoke heavily. He didn't want to believe it himself. "Master Giffca is…dead," he said at last. The guards at the entryway turned to the cat, knowing not to disturb the king's conversation, but unable to brush off this news.

"Are you certain of this?" the King inquired gravely.

"I am. I saw his body with my own eyes." Ranulf was getting a hold of himself. There would be time for sorrow later; the king needed to know what happened. Ranulf continued, "He died by a beorc's hand, one who was heavily armored and possessed tremendous strength and skill with a sword. I can't imagine anyone with such power."

"Prince Reyson has just finished informing me that the Black Knight has returned. If my shadow was able to be killed, it proves that this Knight is no imposter."

"The Black Knight! How's that possible your highness? He died five years ago."

"It's the truth," the heron chimed in. "I saw him before me."

"…I fear this may only be the precursor to something greater about to unfold." King Caineghis had a distant expression. "We must act quickly to ensure Gallia's safety. Which direction did the Knight head for?"

Ranulf responded, "It appears that he continues to travel with warp powder just as before. He could be anywhere."

"In that case, chasing him would be futile. The other nations must be warned, but Gallia cannot be left defenseless. We must first send a small group to Crimea. Ranulf, join with Mordecai and Lethe and go to Melior. Queen Elincia must be notified first. Once that is accomplished, seek out General Ike, for his strength will be important. Meanwhile, Thaldar," he was speaking to one of the royal guards, "Tell all troops to strengthen defenses in the southern mountains."

"You mean the Goldoan border?"

"Correct. If there is a large force, it will come from there. Move out."

"At once." the guard left.

"With all due respect your highness," Ranulf said, "Why Goldoa? Wouldn't it be smarter to increase northeast defenses to prepare for Daein's attack?"

"I truly hope that is the case. Enough. Go and fulfill your assignment."

"As you will." Ranulf exited quickly, confused, but with trust in his king.

Hours pass. As Gallia mobilizes at her King's command, Elincia has no idea the troubles that will soon unfold. She sits in her quarters, which are lavishly decorated as only royal rooms can be. As she stares at her silk-lined bedspread, she once again tries to clear her mind and focus on the more pressing matters. Finally, she gives up and decides to ask for advice. She knocks on her retainer's door.

"Yes? Who is it?" came the voice of Lady Lucia.

"It's me." Elincia replied. She noted to herself that she enjoyed talking with Lucia; she could simply say what she felt and not worry about being a Queen addressing her subjects. As she realized that sounded like something Ike would say, she again became gloomy. Luckily, Lucia's response helped clear that, if only temporarily.

"Oh, please come in." Elincia entered the room, which was almost as refined as hers, and stood with her hands at her sides. "Please sit down."

"Thank you." She took a seat at one of the chairs at a small table, relieved that she could talk to someone about this.

"What can I help you with?" Lucia asked kindly.

"It's about…" she faltered. Happy as she was to talk about it, she was having difficulty doing it. But her years as queen had made speaking much easier, so she said, "…my lord Ike."

"Ah…" Lucia understood immediately. In fact, she'd been wondering when this would come up. "You miss him, don't you?"

"Yes. But also, with him constantly in my mind, I can't concentrate on ruling this kingdom. If I can't find a solution, I may become weak in the eyes of the people."

"Well, I can assure you that won't happen." Lucia spoke as if to a younger sister. "The people love you, so don't worry about that. But as for Ike, I'm not sure. The two of you need to talk with each other."

"Well yes, but when? I've no time to myself to leave the city, and I don't want to mess up his plans by summoning him."

"Yes, that is a problem." She thought for a moment. "I have an idea. Your coronation anniversary is in three weeks, and he'll certainly come to that without a summon. The two of you can talk then. Until then, just look forward to that to keep your mind from losing concentration."

"You're right. Thanks Lucia, I feel much better."

"I'm glad I could help," she replied.

As the two chatted, the Black Knight was busy in Goldoa's palace. The palace was very ornate, every inch carved right out of a mountain, giving a sense of an otherworldly design throughout all its columns and arcs. In the lobby before the throne room, the Black Knight stared at the expressionless laguz who were supposed to be guards, and smiled inwardly as they let him pass.

"Slow-acting medication. First the poison does nothing for several hours, so no one suspects something's wrong. Then the mind is warped in only a few minutes. It truly is a marvel of science." He stepped into the throne room, stopping only to admire the columns that reached up over a hundred feet, and approached King Deghinsea, who surprisingly uttered several words.

"Craven…this was…your…doing…wasn't…it?" he had difficulty speaking, only able to say a syllable or two before pausing.

"So the Black Dragon King is as strong as he's rumored to be. You can actually resist the medication, however feebly it may be."

"Damn…you"

"Well, even if you can resist, you cannot disobey. I order you to begin mobilizing troops. Tomorrow, we begin a campaign that will end this world." Deghinsea followed the orders, and the Black Knight laughed. "Lehren's Prophecy will soon come to pass."

As the Greil Mercenaries set up camp on their way to Zalgo, Ike felt a chill engulf his body.

"Something feels wrong. I hope I'm just imagining things."

Well, there's chapter three. Not much Ike action, but what could he do while he heads for some port town? Anyway, please review me this time. Only 2 chapter 2 reviews hurts. These chapters are getting longer, so don't expect a quick update. Until later.