Sorry for the months' long delay. It took roughly six months just to figure out where this chapter was headed. I did some plotting for the rest of this fanfic. So, that's good! :) Also, I cross-posted and cross-reposted a lot of my fanfics over on this site and on Archive Of Our Own within the time. So, that's good, too. :)

Hopefully, I got Helen's iris color right. I was looking everywhere in this fanfic for her eye color, if I mentioned it at all. If I did describe her eye color before, in a previous chapter, then let me know in a review if this is right or wrong. Then, I'll update this chapter. Otherwise, I think we got it! :)

That said, enjoy. :)

A massive orange stone arch loomed near the village. As Janus made her way out of the spaceport, alongside her crew and the Whills, she looked up and saw this stone arch. She wondered its purpose and why it seemed like such a gaping area within the village itself.

"Come on! Move! This way!" one of the Whills' guards said, gesturing Janus forward with his metallic spear.

Janus looked on at the stone archway, before insisting to the Whills' guard, "Right. I'm coming, I'm coming now!"

Jock smirked. He whispered in her ear. "Why? You scared, Janus?"

Janus shrugged. "No, I'm not. I'm just."

"Well, move," the Whills' guard said, guiding Janus, Jock, Perseus, and Ellvara inside their own housing accommodations.

The moment Janus looked on at her friends, and her lover Jock, they all departed for their own guest houses. It was all at the request of the Shaman of the Whills, who grabbed Helen and placed her inside his house at the top of the stone arch. Janus sighed, gazed at the Whills' guard, and made her way inside her house.

To her surprise, Janus found the house accommodating.

After the door slid shut, Janus looked around her guest house. A stone fireplace stood in one corner, while a bed complete with quilt covers and white sheets garnished one part of the room. The walls were wide and circular, while an oven stood on one end of the room where the kitchen was closed off by open counter spaces. Arched windows garnished the walls, a wooden dresser stood where the bedroom was located, from where her bed was at, while the floors were made from wooden floorboards. Woven rugs hung out on the floor, all spread out.

It was a miracle Janus even saw the bathroom, next to the bedroom.

Janus sighed, wondering what she should do first. She ran into the kitchen and opened the cupboard doors, finding an assortment of food present in the cupboards, while a refrigerator and freezer was stocked with more food, as well as drinks, and ice.

It made her wonder why she was getting so many wonderous accommodations, and yet, she needed to know where the next Angelic feather was located. Surely, it must be in the village somewhere. It couldn't have fled out of the blue like that.

Janus sat down on a nearby bench, adrenaline breaching her heart. She didn't know what awaited her as he looked up at the nearby clock on the wall across from her. Just seeing the time, 11:11 pm didn't make sense to her. Was it night outside? Was it daytime? Something felt off about this place already.

She didn't know what she was about to endure. All she knew was that she was in danger. And that was not good to her. Not good at all.

She knew she must do something to slow her down, to ease her beating heart. But what? What else could she do? And where was Helen when she needed her? Janus feared she was in for a treacherous surprise, before the night was over and done with.

Oh dear! Whatever was she to do now, in times such as these? Janus looked around her, knowing then it was too late to turn back now. And Janus did not want to wait for something bad to happen to her. This much was clear as she stood up and made her way out of her house at last, and back into the cloudy village, where she could only hope that Jock, Ellvara, Perseus, and Helen were close by.

~o~

Helen was flung into her new home, the Shaman's house, at the top of the stone arch. She was amazed she was alive. She took in her new surroundings with wonder and excitement, wondering what else she would find here.

The Shaman's house turned out to be a wonderous place, with many rooms and even an entrance hall found in the middle of the house. The walls were decked out with several pictures and paintings, depicting the Light Side of the Force at work. The kitchen and dining room weren't too far away. There was also a parlour that stood out int his house, with floral garnished furnishings lining up the room.

A mirror sat at the top of the parlour's fireplace, where Helen knew something was amiss, the second she found a Whill staring back at her in the mirror's reflection.

Helen wondered how the Shaman's house was able to stay stable, but then they were on a flat surface atop the stone arch.

Helen heard the Shaman reaching out to her in her thoughts, "Like it? You'll be staying here with me. I can't have you wandering without me knowing."

Helen nodded, mature enough to know the difference to what being captured and being free looked like. "I understand, but what am I doing here?" She faced the Shaman of the Whills, as she asked him this question. She looked at him, speaking hotly to him, "Can I leave? Can I go back to my friends? Surely, they must be worried about me."

The Shaman raised his hand, causing her to be quiet. "You can leave anytime you'd like, but you won't get down. This stone arch only has one way to go, and that's down. You need me to get you out of here, if you truly wish to see your friends."

Helen lowered her head. She should have known there was no escaping this place alive. "Can I go to them?"

The Shaman inhaled slowly, breathing out when he knew Helen was looking at him, "You can, but it's rather late. Why not stay here? Unless you wish to join us all for a late night snack, it is that time of night to do so."

Helen blew a raspberry, admitting to him, "It's not late? It's only close to noon."

The Shaman nodded, admiring her, "Good eye on the time. I nearly had you there."

Helen looked at him now, curiously, "What do you want with me? With all of us?"

"I believe you'll know that in time. And indeed, we're about to have lunch right now. If you'd like, we can head down to the village together and grab something. How about it? Shall we go?" The Shaman extended his hand to her. Helen looked at him in wonder, as he declared, "Come. You can trust me."

"You were confusing me with the time. What makes you think I can trust you?" Helen asked, courteously.

The Shaman nodded to her in wonder. He sure was curious about her. "You're right, but you're very high off the ground. You need me to get you back down. If you're ready, then we'll go."

"And what if I don't?" Helen asked, courteously.

"Then you'll fall several feet down. And we wouldn't want that, Helen the Shapeshifter. What other choice do you have?" The Shaman asked her, continuously extending his hand down to her. "Come on. I won't bite."

Helen shook her head. "No. I don't trust you." She walked away from him, only to hear him laughing. Great. Just what she wanted. But then, she had no other way to get down to the ground. Maybe she had to trust him.

She sighed, lowering her head in shame, realizing what she had done. To her friends. To her companions. There was no say in what they could do to her, what the Shaman could do to her.

Helen looked at the Shaman now with renewed hope, as she took his hand.

The Shaman nodded, seeing a glint of hope in her eyes, "Then come. It's time."

"Indeed, it is," Helen said, admiring him now as she was jutted into the air by the Shaman, who wouldn't let her go. They glided down towards an open picnic area, where Helen's companions were near.

Helen bowed to Janus, the second she and the Shaman landed.

Janus could only stare at Helen for a second in wonder, angst, anger, and resentment, as one of the Whills' guards trotted her over to a nearby picnic table, where Janus sat down next to Jock, and across from Ellvara and Perseus.

Helen merely looked at her companions for a moment, before she and the Shaman of the Whills sat together at their own picnic table, where a miraculous feast awaited them as well as Helen's companions.

Helen would have been surprised if she was allowed to leave the Valley of the Whills, but that was not for her to say as she endured a marvelous feast with the Shaman. Helen gazed at her companions in wonder, wondering how they were faring without her around to keep them company.

~o~

Janus looked around the open dining | picnic area that made up part of the grounds near the Whills' village. Janus couldn't put her paw on it, but she felt as if she had been to the Valley of the Whills before, interacted with the Whills before, sometime ago in Janus' past.

Huh? Maybe the Angelic feathers would help her recall this time a bit more. That is, if she let the thought come to her, then all would be well!

The question remained: where were the next Angelic feathers? Where did the Whills put the three Angelic feathers in this region? And here, Janus suspected there were three feathers after all, when she thought she and her companions weren't allowed to explore this region for the Angelic feathers.

Maybe Janus had been mistaken.

Still, she needed to reach the Shaman of the Whills and ask him about it, if only Helen weren't with him.

Janus looked up at one of the Whills' guards, asking him, "Excuse me, but is there any chance you could grant me an audience with the Shaman of the Whills, your leader? I need to speak with him. It's about the Angelic feathers!"

The Whills gasped, taking a step back in the air to look at her. Even Helen couldn't resist looking at her with piercing yellow eyes, in an effort to calm herself down.

"Janus, what are you doing?! You can't—"

"Shh! Quiet Helen!" The Shaman of the Whills silenced Helen, leaving Helen stunned and cowering at the bright golden light emitted in her face, as the Shaman floated down to Janus, whispering in her ear, "That cave is filled with darkness. The Dark Side festers there. If you should go to that cave, you go alone. Your friends will wait for you while your search for the three Ravens' feathers."

He added fast, hopeful not to blind Helen with the bright golden light, "The Whills will accompany you, as will I, and so will Helen. We'll keep your friends here until we know what to do with them. Good luck, Janus! After you finish eating lunch, we'll meet you at the cave. Understood!"

Janus nodded, excited now, "Understood. Just tell me where to go and I'll go."

"Good," the Shaman of the Whills nodded. He turned to Helen, telling her, "Now then," he removed the light, curing Helen's eyes by moving his hand, tapping into the Force to heal Helen's eyes, before joining her once more at their picnic table. "Now, where were we?"

"Oh dear!" Helen cried, moodily feeling a headache coming on. She rested her scaly, purple dragon's hand against her face, as the Shaman wrapped an arm around her to calm her.

"There, there! You'll be fine," the Shaman said, soothing her to sleep.

Janus could only look at them for a second, before slowly turning away. She looked at Jock in shock, knowing then Helen belonged to the Shaman of the Whills.

How was that? It would seem that Janus is headed for the Cave now, somewhere in the Valley of the Whills. So, it'll be interesting to see how Janus survives and gets the three Ravens' feathers for her quest. :)

Thanks for reading. More to come. :)

~Aria Breuer