A.N. So yeah New chapter Probably won't be as long as the last that was just a complete freak accident so sorry if this chapter doesn't make ends meet I just wanted to get the next chapter up. I may include some Victoria later and if not in this chapter than hopefully in the next, kinda depends where this one leaves off with Mia and Dorene.

Disclaimer: I only own my characters and no one else.

Chapter 39

*Mia's POV*

I followed Darren and his friends as they led us to a large open cavern with tables and chairs and the smell of food that filled the space. We found a table and sat down and soon after bowls of some sort of soup was placed in front of us and I stared warily into the light brownish liquid. Along with the soup, baskets of stale bread were placed in front of us and large barrels of Wine, Water, and Blood (I kept as far away from those barrels as I could). I sat for a few minutes to see what Darren did and was shocked to see him pick up the entire Barrel of Blood and begin drinking form it.

The vampire that Darren and I had met earlier as well as the other Female Vampire, the one we saw in the clearing, were both giving me these strange looks as if they didn't know what to make of me, which I guess was understandable seeing as how I was with the wolves up to this point and I only showed up due to Darren finding me and bringing me here. I tried to ignore those stares and dipped the spoon I was given into the soupy substance in front of me and lifted it to my mouth. As it reached my mouth Darren yelled out startling everyone at our table including me, causing me to spit out what was in my mouth.

I looked at him startled and confused by his out burst just like everyone else until Darren grabbed the back of my head and turned it down towards the soup.

"Mia, look." I did as he commanded and looked into the bowl and nearly threw up at what I saw, leathery, furry, bats and or pieces of the once living creatures floated along the surface of the liquid, everyone at the table stared at Darren in the same confusion that I was staring at him with moments before.

"Darren, what was the point of yelling at her when she is probably as hungry as you?" Asked the female vampire who sat on the other side of the table.

"I yelled Arra, because my friend is a Vegetarian." Darren explained for me, The female, Arra, stared at me in confusion this is probably unheard of for vampires I looked to Darren hoping that he would come to my rescue and explain for me. "I would love to explain but it is really just a long story to get into." Darren simply stated which I for one had to agree that it was in fact complicated.

I pulled my notepad out of my pocket and wrote a quick note and showed it to Darren reading the first part in his head then reading the second part out loud.

"She doesn't eat meat because she feels like she's losing a part of herself when she does so." I nodded the turned when I picked up the familiar footsteps of Harkat approaching, I turned then smiled when I saw the beaming little person limping his way over to our group.

"Darren! What are you..." Harkat stopped mid sentence when he saw me smiling in his direction. "Mia! What are you doing here!?" I shrugged and turned back to the batty soup, grimacing at what I almost put in my mouth. Harkat joined us at the table and placed the cage of Madam Octa in front of him, he turned to me. "Really Mia what are you doing here? I thought you were at the Cirque."

I wrote a note and showed him. 'Long Story' Harkat seemed to except that and let me be. He and Darren began talking and then I heard the mention of the search party that Darren had to lead. Darren turned to Dorene who during this entire exchange sat silently with her head down tears still streaking down her cheeks.

"Dorene if you don't want to you don't have to come." Darren said softly to the mourning girl. The girl in question looked up wiping the tears from her face and fiercely shook her head.

"Darren, don't you dare think that this would stop me from coming." She snapped at Darren as she made her way to the tunnels along with who knows how many other vampires. Darren turned to me. "Mia we may need you help, will you come with?" He held out his hand which I ignored and stood up and made the gesture telling him to lead the way.

I followed Darren into the tunnels fully aware of the stares that those behind us were giving me We reached a large open cavern and the smell was faint but it was there and it brought back memories that were better off forgotten. I fell to my knees clutching at my shoulder where a scar was located. the vampires behind us scattered around the room and began looking for signs of the purple skinned beasts.

"Darren is something wrong with your friend?" I could hear Dorene ask from somewhere to my left. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and nearly flinched away but stopped myself before that could occur. "Mia I'm sorry for not thinking about this if you want to you can head back."

Darren's words didn't even reach me, as I stood up on unsteady legs and cast a glance around the cavern that we stood in. I didn't need to look for signs that the monsters were once here because the smell still lingered in the air and I could smell it from a stronger source coming from a tunnel at the other end of the cavern.

I walked over to it and could feel eyes staring at my back and hear footsteps as they walked in the general direction that I walked in. I inhaled again down the tunnel just to make sure my nose was right and nodded, turning to Darren I pointed down the tunnel and nodded.

Darren got to my side. "You sure they went down this way?" he asked as the rest of the vampires gathered around the opening. I frowned and nodded making my point clear that I was Positive that they went down this way. Darren turned to the others in the cavern and yelled out to them so that they all could hear.

"My friend has confirmed that the Vampaneze were once in this cavern but through this tunnel and have made up base within one of the other tunnels!" In the crowd gathered an outburst came which rang out throughout the entire cavern.

"And just what makes you think we should believe an outsider like your friend!?"I had a feeling that this would happen, but it was all I could do to just stand there and listen to Darren as he argued my case for me. I fidgeted a little as my case was still argued for me by Darren as much as I wanted to argue it myself, I had to figure out a way of talking like I did in those sewers all those years ago.

A new voice joined in the argument, "I think that you should give the girl some credit after she not only braved the barren land outside, but she also lived in it when the promise of warmth and food was just within her reach!" I turned to Dorene, shocked over her outburst.

With that all the arguments died down to low mumbles between the vampires and then died out all together. A vampire stepped forward, who Darren obviously knew. "Darren can you find your way back to the caves on your own?"

Darren stared at the one eyes vampire. "Yeah but, Vanez, I want to help with the search." Darren stated to the vampire. The vampire, Vanez, patted Darren's back and shoved him in the direction that we just came from. I turned to follow him but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"If it is all right with you miss, I think you may be able to get this search over with faster." I turned to Darren who just nodded and assured me that I would be fine if I stuck close to Vanez.

"And Dorene you can head back with Darren." Dorene nodded and made her way out of the cavern with Darren following close behind, and with that I only looked back once before we completely parted ways.

*Dorene's POV*

Darren and I made our way back to our rooms in silence I kept my eyes on the ground, but they suddenly caught sight of a glint of metal located at Darren's side. I brought my eyes up a little to look at it and was shocked at what I found. "Darren what is that?"

Darren pulled the object from his side and held it out to me. "I was going to hang on to these until I could avenge him," He paused probably thinking about his next words. "but I think you need it more then I do." With shaking hands I grabbed ahold of the handle and brought it close to my chest tears once again falling.

I wanted to kick myself at this point due to my behavior since I found out about his passing, I would've never have cried in his presence, but maybe it was the lack of his presence that was the cause of all my tears. "Thanks Darren." I whispered under my breath as I continued my way to my room.

I looked at Darren and could tell my his features that he was worried about his friend from the cirque, but the way I saw it was that if she could withstand the weather outside for as long as she has she could probably stand up to anything. We continued to walk in silence, a silence which was broken when we reached our rooms and Darren spoke his fears out loud.

"Do you think Mia will be okay?" I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Darren there is not a doubt in my mind that she will come back unscathed." Darren looked up and I could tell that wasn't what he was worried about.

"Dorene you don't understand," he paused, took a deep breath, then continued. "something happened in the past where she and another friend of mine were taken by a vampaneze." I stared at him then realized that, that was why Mia collapsed to her knees in the cavern, she was able to pick up on the faint smell that was left by them.

"Darren I think your friend knew what she was walking into when she went with them and I think she'll be able to over come her fears and return." I said as I went into my room and he went into his. In my room I went crawled into the coffin and pulled the lid over me, curled up with the dagger in its sheath, wishing once again that Gavner were still here.

*Victoria's POV*

I kicked at the rock in front of me, knocking it forward a few feet, I caught up to it and kicked it again, this continued on as the Cirque continued to move further and further behind me, I didn't even turn back once. I scratched at my arm under the long sleeves as I continued on my way my few belongings in a pack that rested against my back. I decided that I waited long enough for her to come back and so I left seeing as how she left because of me in the first place.

I looked around at my surroundings which seemed familiar, but for some reason I couldn't remember why they seemed familiar, I looked at the buildings and shrugged off the feeling. Going through town I continued kicking at the stone in front of my ignoring the stares that people gave me. After awhile my stomach growled and I realized that I had run out of money a while back.

I looked around hoping to find some odd job that would earn me even a little money, at first glance I saw nothing so I ignored my stomach and continued hoping to find something soon.

As the sun set I gave up looking for work and began looking for a bench to sleep on or a tree to sleep under. As I was looking someone from behind me tapped on my shoulder. I turned and saw a young teen, A girl who was clearly a few years older then me.

"Um, are you looking for someone?" The teen girl asked. I thought about lying to her but decided against it.

"Actually I am looking for somewhere to stay the night,' I paused and thought against continuing but continued anyway. "but I don't really have any money so I was just looking for a bench or something." I stated truthfully.

The teen looked at me a look of deep thought coming over her, "Well you may be able to stay at my house but I will have to ask my parents." She said then took my hand and began leading me in the direction that probably lead to her house.

On our way she turned to me, a smile wide on her face. "It'll probably do my parents good to have someone in the house." I was confused by the statement but continued following her all the same. We finally reached her house and as we stood on her porch I realized I didn't introduce myself and the fact that neither did she.

"Oh Sorry, Um... My name is Victoria Hart." It felt weird saying my last name after leaving it out of my name for so long. The teen girl looked up from her crouched position by the doormat and smiled.

"Right, sorry, I'm Annie, Annie Shan."

A.N. And thus that concludes this chapter and I was able to include Victoria finally, I am so proud of myself. Did any of you expect that Victoria would run away from the Cirque let along run way? Cause I had planned that for a long time now and was happy that I was able to finally introduce that part of plot into the story finally. : D

In other news Trick or Treating was today, I saw I think an Anna and Elsa from the movie Frozen and so many other great costumes this year but have yet to see any amazing game costumes on my doorstep, I mean how hard is it to make a child a Link Costume or Zelda costume, how about Sora or Kairi, heck I would even take a Mario at this point.

Until Next time Peace, Love, and Virtual Hugs.