A/N: IMPORTANT! Please vote on the final poll to decide Ammy's pairing. I will be closing the poll next Monday 20th October so for the 140 people at least who have read the last chapter and not bothered to read the end author note go back and read it and then vote. No matter what if you haven't voted in the poll by next Monday it will go down and the pairing will be decided.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Chapter 11 (31)

Fairies, myths and dragons

"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?"
―John Lennon

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

The radio clock blared out a song and Teru sat bolt upright in bed. Her hair tumbled down around her sweaty face, neck and shoulders and her chest heaved as she gulped in air desperately.

Tears were streaming down from her eyes and despite the cheery song on the radio, something about sunshine and roses or something along those lines, Teru could not stop weeping. Her Giant Schnauzer, Reagan, lifted his head from where he had been slumbering at the bottom of her bed and whined softly.

Teru crawled out from under her duvet and scrambled down to lay next to the furry dog. She curled up next to him with his head tucked into her shoulder and she wept into his warm fur. Reagan laid still and quiet, breathing softly and comforting his owner.

The radio continued blaring out songs interspersed with short and benign chit chat from the hosts and Teru could not summon the energy to turn it off.

Finally the tears ceased and her breathing calmed and Teru was able to wipe her wet cheeks with the back of her hands and push the wealth of her hair over her shoulder. Strands stuck to her sticky and sweaty skin and she shivered with slight revulsion at the sensation.

Reagan watched as Teru walked around the bedroom gathering clothes and turning the shower in the bathroom attached on. No one else lived in the small cottage but Teru and Reagan was her only companion. The woman had deliberately chosen a cottage off the beaten track and whilst it was a fair drive in to her veterinary practice there were many reasons to appreciate the quiet and stillness of the countryside around.

When Teru was finally cleaned and dressed, light make-up covering the dark semi-circles that had begun to form under her eyes she descended the short flight of stairs and peered into the fridge looking for something to eat. Her fridge and her cupboards were bare. She couldn't remember the last time she went grocery shopping and she cursed as her stomach growled. Her little crying fit that morning had put her back by half an hour and if she didn't leave soon she would be late for her first appointment at the clinic.

"Reagan!" She called and the giant, beast of a dog came lumbering down the stairs and followed his owner out the door and into the Land Rover parked outside the cottage.

Teru hummed softly along to the radio as she pulled out of the drive to her cottage and onto the main road. The roads were lightly iced and she was careful driving around the windy bends and curves that followed the lye of the land. Winter was coming and the bare trees sparkled in the slowly rising sun as the frost that coated them caught the weak beams and multiplied them into a shimmering display. Small birds flew in and out of the hedgerows that bordered the tarmacked road and they wheeled and twirled beside the passing car like tiny acrobats.

Teru found the tension that had been present since she woke slowly easing away. She was normally a very level-headed and calm person… Normally. She did have her moments of drama and could be like a terrier worrying at a bone when she was unhappy. For her to wake soaked in sweat and terrified and heart-broken for no reason was completely out of the blue however.

She had tried to think back to the dream, which must have obviously been, to try and remember what her unconscious mind had concocted that caused her to react in such an animalistic and fragile way but every time she thought she had the dream it slipped further away until finally she could not recall a single detail.

The road finally merged into the town and Teru saw that her favourite coffee shop was just opening up. Glancing at her watch she saw she had enough time to pull up and buy a hot chocolate and a pastry before going to work.

She parked the big car on the edge of the pavement and left the warning lights on as a precaution but there was barely anyone around this early in the morning save for a few joggers and a couple of dog walkers.

Reagan too came into the coffee shop and padded closely next to his mistress. Teru knew dogs could be sensitive to human emotions and Reagan quite clearly felt as unsettled by his mistress's behaviour as she had been.

Teru looked at the cake counter surveying the pastries and had made her decision when a flash of platinum blond hair caught the corner of her eye. Inexplicably her heart leapt into her throat and she whirled around trying to see who it was. There was no one.

Not a single scrap of cloth or hair to suggest anyone had been standing next to her. The café door had not opened or closed and the only other person in the cheery café was the poor waitress patiently and worriedly waiting behind the counter to take Teru's order. Teru glanced around again before smiling sheepishly at the waitress and placing her order.

Glancing down at Reagan whilst the girl was making the hot chocolate and wrapping up the pastry Teru noticed that the dog was sniffing at the air where she had thought she saw the blond haired person. The Schnauzer shifted uncomfortably and sneezed before padding to wait by the door his gaze fixed on Teru.

The waitress handed over the drink and paper bag and Teru quickly left the café not wanting to cause any more of a scene. Reagan was walking unusually close to Teru's flank. She had always been able to allow the Schnauzer to roam about off lead as he would not leave her side except for short bursts and he never went further than a couple of metres distance from her but today he seemed exceptionally clingy and Teru rubbed her hand in the thick but soft fur on his head.

It seemed they were both out of character.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~~

Teru entered the vet clinic and saw the perky and cheerful secretary grinning at her.

"You're late!" Abigail chirped and dashed around from behind the desk. "Did you meet someone? Have a late night?"

Teru stared up at the tall girl and wondered how she was so chipper for so early in the morning. Abigail was in her early twenties and loved her job at the clinic. She was always happy and smiling and normally Teru found it quite endearing but right now she rather wanted to go into her office and have a peaceful five minutes, not discuss her love life or lack thereof.

"No Abigail. I did not have a late night. You know the only man in my life is Reagan. Isn't that right boy?" Teru glanced down at the dog pressed tight against her thigh and his tail wagged and he woofed lightly at her. When the albino looked back up at her secretary she winced at the disapproving look the younger woman was giving her.

"No offense Reagan but a dog is not the same thing as a man. Someone to hug and cuddle and kiss and do other naughty things with!" Abigail winked and then peered at Teru's face.

"You sure you didn't get laid? Cause you look tired."

"I did not have a man round last night. I went to bed and then had some weird dream that made me wake up in a sweat and crying my eyes out. It took me half an hour to stop bawling like a child. Now I cannot remember what the dream was but all I know is that I am really tired and confused." Teru snapped lightly and then flinched. There went her temper.

Abigail ceased interrogating Teru and instead pressed a neatly manicured hand to her boss's forehead.

"You don't feel hot. And you don't look that tired. Just put a little bit of colour on your cheeks and no one will notice. You sure you're okay to work today? I can call in Sophie or Dave to cover you?"

"Don't worry Abigail. I'll be fine. We aren't too busy today anyway by the looks of it." Teru peered over at her schedule and saw the few check-ups scheduled were mainly routine checks on various beloved pets of the area. "Could you walk Reagan for me at some point though? I haven't had time today and I might not feel up to it later on. Depends on if I can squeeze a nap in between seeing Elvis the West Highland Terrier and Queenie the male lizard…"

Teru quirked her eyebrow at the names people gave their pets. It was always better to laugh at them beforehand if possible. Once she had made the mistake of laughing at a Chihuahua named Thor, after the god of thunder, in front of his owner. Needless to say Thor the Chihuahua never returned to her practice.

Abigail sniggered and petted Reagan on the head.

"No problem boss!" She chirped and then suddenly winced as the front door swung open. "By the way did I tell you we were getting an intern? No? Whoops? Well here she is!"

Abigail bounced around and slung an arm around the timid looking blonde girl who had heavy rimmed glasses balanced a small button nose and was pushing them back up frantically as Abigail's enthusiasm had knocked the spectacles from their delicate and precarious perch.

"Kloe Thorn allow me to introduce the vet who will be your mentor for the next few weeks, Teru Penrose. Hope you enjoy working together! Come on Reagan, I think we can squeeze in a walk before the practice officially opens!" Abigail grabbed a lead and a few bags from the counter that were specifically left there for dogs and darted out the reception with the Giant Schnauzer trotting along behind her.

The creaking door slowly shut and Teru stared in abject horror at the intern who was frantically looking anywhere but at Teru. Finally when the creaking (screaming) door fell silent the albino coughed and held a hand out.

Kloe gingerly took Teru's hand a shook it lightly before clutching her files and books to her chest.

"I promise not to bite?" Teru joked and watched as the intern managed to let out a small smile. "Come on then, I'll show you around and get you a locker for your stuff. You won't need any of that here. Hands on work and I'll give you chapters and reading material at the end of the day depending on how well you do today."

Teru swigged her hot chocolate down and dropped the empty cup into the bin before leading Kloe through to the back room. The staff room had a small set of lockers, similar to those found in a gym or school, and each had a name and number on it. Teru plucked the key from the bottom locker and handed it to Kloe.

"Pop all your stuff in there including your mobile. You can check it during breaks but I won't have it out in the practice. Too many incidents have been caused by interns more interested in what's happening on Facebook than the animals that are under our care for me to trust any person with a mobile in the practice." Teru smiled gently to take the bite out of her words and then began to take her coat and scarf off, hanging them up in the locker before pulling out several hairbands and a brush.

Kloe too placed her belongings in the locker and then sat tentatively watching Teru braiding and pinning her hair. The intern was surprised at the woman's dexterity as her fingers pulled impossibly thin strands of hair into an intricate and complicated braid that began to form in a mere matter of seconds.

Teru wasn't even looking in a mirror to do it, her gaze was clouded over as if she was lost in thought and the detailed braid was all finger-memory. When the albino was finally finished Kloe let out a low whistle that broke Teru from her day-dreams.

"That's impressive." Kloe said and gestured to Teru's snow-white hair that was no longer trailing on the ground. Teru pulled the long braid over her shoulder and looked at it. She bit her lip to prevent herself from making a surprised exclamation for the woman had never been able to braid her hair this well and never with such a complicated weave.

"Thanks." Teru said and then led the intern out from the staff room straight into the kennels where the dogs required to remain at the veterinary practice for whatever reason overnight, all suddenly woke and began barking.

Teru rubbed her forehead as one particularly large Doberman named Daisy leapt at the mesh on the door and the intern let out a squeak and darted away. Daisy was one of the gentlest dogs Teru had ever met and if Kloe reacted this way to everything it was going to be a long, long day.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Days passed in a similar manner to that strange day when nothing seemed to go right for Teru. Every morning for two weeks she woke with tears pouring down her cheeks and her heart in her throat and the feeling that her soul was split in twain.

Everywhere she went she kept seeing flashes of people that she thought she knew. People with blond hair or brown eyes or big red beards. Children with dark curly hair made her double-take and gasp in the street only for them to turn around and have freckles or green eyes and a buck-toothed grin.

Feeling like she was losing her mind Teru went to the doctor who said it was probably stress from work catching up with her. She was prescribed sleeping tablets and a few weeks off work to relax and recuperate.

Grudgingly Teru had booked the time off work and spent a week or so doing odd jobs around her cottage like mending the fence at the bottom of the garden, painting the spare room a different colour, re-organising all her books which had ended up piled up in her bookcase and around the rooms in no particular order.

Her mother, frantic and concerned for her daughter's health called every day and every day Teru had the same conversation with the same answer: 'I'm fine.' Those two words seemed to have become the thing she said most in a day and it was particularly irksome when she visited her friends who were married and had children and said that she needed to get back on her bike, back on the horse, out into the world and that there were plenty of fish in the sea. Teru knew a man would not magically solve her problems and after a couple of visits with the same spiel being thrown at her she unplugged her phone and only answered her mobile if it was the clinic or her mother.

Abigail was a godsend and she and Kloe had become fast friends, Abigail's bright and bubbly nature balancing out Kloe's reserved and timid character. The two younger woman had come round often to Kloe's house and brought ice cream and chick flicks to cheer up Teru and she had to admit it was nice to just kick back in her pyjamas with her dog curled half on top of her, watching films that she would never normally have time to watch nor even consider.

It was during one such film, Jane Eyre, (which had been picked by Abigail who was on a period drama phase) that a fortune teller appeared on the screen and began to tell Jane her fortune when Abigail squealed and proclaimed the three of them (meaning herself, Teru and Kloe) should go and have their fortunes told.

Teru had scoffed and Abigail had launched into some long and dramatic speech about inner balance, knowledge and possibly Feng Shui but Teru had zoned out quite some time ago. Finally the albino woman agreed if only to shut Abigail up so that she could watch Mr Rochester plead for Jane to forgive him and the pretty blonde woman squealed and immediately began looking for fortune tellers in the local towns.

Kloe also agreed but looked warily through all of Abigail's suggestions before picking one and suggesting that after they go and get a spa treatment and have some pampering. That of course went down well with Abigail and she booked three consecutive sessions with the fortune teller for the next day and a spa treatment that would take up the rest of the day.

Teru had merely shaken her head and agreed to go, the ice cream and Jane Eyre far more appealing to her especially when coupled with her comfy red sofas and warm dog on her toes, but the following day she wished she had been paying more attention to what Abigail and Kloe had been doing when the three of them were standing outside 'Erebos's Emporium of the Exotic'.

"Where are we?" Teru glanced around the street which seemed fairly normal with its generic high-street brand shops, the occasional charity shop and coffee shop dotted along between various other buildings such as estate agents and opticians. Erebos's Emporium of the Exotic looked even more out of place considering it was right next to a small convenience store and the other side was a gift shop selling cheap and tacky birthday cards and wrapping paper that you always had to wrap a present in twice because the wrap was so thin the present could be seen through one layer of paper.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Kloe stammered and tugged at Abigail's arm. The taller blonde shook the intern's hand from her and nodded authoritatively before striding to the door and pulling it open.

"After you ladies!" She said gleefully and then pulled and pushed Teru through. Teru stumbled over the step into the shop and blinked rapidly as her eyes were forced to adjust to the darkness of the shop.

She breathed in and immediately began coughing and choking her eyes watering as strong and pungent incense flooded her senses. Kloe too looked rather queasy and pinched her small nose between forefinger and thumb to block out the potent smell.

"That's disgusting!" Teru coughed and rummaged in her bag for a bottle of water to try and wash the taste from her mouth. Not only did the incense make her eyes water and her nose itch it now seemed to coat the inside of her mouth like a fuzzy, ashy layer.

A male voice chuckled from the back of the shop and all three women turned to peer amongst the exotic goods for sale to see who was there. Behind several stuffed monkeys with weird waistcoats, dreamcatchers that had twigs and other strange things like bone woven into them and past a wrack full of spears and swords a dark haired man appeared.

Abigail let out a low whistle at the man's appearance. Tall, dark-haired, with finely chiselled features and a lithe grace to his movements he was not the stereo-typical person one found in strange and exotic shops. In fact he looked rather like he should be on the runway.

"I apologise ladies. Dragon's Blood Incense is an acquired taste and some find it quite repelling. Usually those who have experienced the mystical and the magical. I myself find it quite-invigorating?" The man said and he dropped the incense stick into a glass of water where it went out with a fizz and a hiss.

"It's quite alright." Abigail said flirtatiously and pushed her way down the shop and past Teru and Kloe who were still choking on the remnants of the smoke. "They have weaker constitutions than I do."

The man smiled pleasantly but it did not seem to reach his eyes which remained dark and cold.
"Or maybe your friends have experienced events beyond this realm…"

Abigail's flirty smile faltered at his dismissal of her and she turned to look back at Teru and Kloe looking rather sheepish and upset. Teru bristled at the man's words and the small albino strode up until she was standing next to her friend.

"Maybe another scent will be more to everyone's taste?" The man continued as if he couldn't sense the tension and anger that was filling Teru's body and the glares that she was bestowing on him.

"Dragon's fire to calm and soothe, Witches' Curse to purify and remove negativity and Demon's Lust to heighten your senses and make you open to the future." He plucked several sticks from different trays and lit them all, dotting them around the shop swiftly and efficiently.

"Now ladies, I assume you are my next three appointments? I am Erebos, the fortune teller. Which lady wishes to go first?" He smiled charmingly and bowed whilst gesturing to the back of the store where a curtain was draped to the side and the three women could see a low table with two cushions either side. A crystal ball and other strange objects sat on a bookshelf along the wall and Teru squinted and thought she could see Tarot cards.

Whilst the women looked amongst each other trying to encourage one of them to take the plunge and go first they were interrupted from their silent conversation as a black cat yowled loudly above their heads.

Kloe let out a startled scream and leapt back from the wardrobe she was stood next to as the cat clawed at her gold hair.

"My apologies. He can be quite demanding and irritating at times." Erebos grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck and pulled it from the wardrobe to place it on the shop counter where it stood with an arched back and its fur rose as it hissed silently at the three women.

"Silence Tuk, behave." Erebos said and glared at the skinny black cat. Teru's head whipped round at the cat's name and she stared at the feline. It was skinny, no doubt about that but it did not look underfed, rather as if it burned off more energy than it could consume. The cat's ribs protruded ever so slightly from his fur and his knees were knobbly and his fur looked ratty.

The bulbous eyes however looked so familiar and Teru stared at them with vague recognition.

"I'll go first, then Kloe and then Teru." Abigail said and marched over to drop down on one of the cushions. Erebos smiled politely and dropped the curtain down as he too slipped into the booth.

Kloe and Teru were left to their own devices and the blonde began to explore some of the exotic items that littered the shelves and displays in the shop. Teru on the other hand marched over to the cat and plucked it up to stare at it.

The moment she laid her hand on the feline's body a sharp pain spiked her head and she clutched at the counter as her vision faded and she saw a brief flash of what looked like a great hall where fire raged along one wall, a towering inferno that was not burning anywhere else.

Tuk the cat yowled quietly as he hung limply in Teru's grip and she glanced over the cat with both a vet's eye and her own frantic mind. Despite being thin, Tuk had a bulbous protruding belly, like he had gorged himself recently and his belly had distended to accommodate the sudden intake of food.

Another vision assailed Teru and she dropped the cat to clutch at the counter. The incense wove around her and shaking her head and blinking she stared around the emporium and objects seemed to leap out at her. An octagonal mirror set in jade, a light-wooded bow carved with delicate patterns, an axe that had thick blocky patterns upon it, a white cloak that was stained brown at the hem, a coronet made of silver flowers, vambraces with a white tree and stars imprinted upon their surface, a pipe with a dragon's mouth as the bowl and its tail as the stem, a doll dressed in bright red fabrics with fairy wings that was playing a flute and a ring made of silver that had two serpents entwined around a green gem that seemed to glow with a fire in its depths and a golden crown of flowers was held in one snakes mouth whilst the other snake bit the tail of its fellow.

Teru was shaken from this strange dream-like state when Abigail pressed her cold hand to Teru's hot forehead.

"Are you alright?" Abigail asked worriedly.

"Fine, fine." Teru brushed away the blonde's hand and sat down in a plush armchair with winged sides that exhaled a puff of dust as she sat.

"I believe it may be the incense." Erebos said as he loomed over the now seated albino. Teru shifted uncomfortably and wished she had Raegan at her side. Erebos made her uncomfortable, even his name felt heavy and twisted in her mind and she could not bring herself to say it with her tongue lest it tainted her mouth.

"What do you mean?" Abigail asked warily and she glanced at the various incense sticks that were dotted around and were still burning.

"They affect everyone differently. Some find their present minds and souls soothed or lightened whilst others of a more spiritual nature find their bonds to this realm and plane of existence released. I believe your friend is one such gifted person." Erebos drawled before quirking his fingers to Kloe who suddenly seemed to have some recognition of the fortune teller and glared up at him.

The blonde intern glared from behind her thick rimmed glasses and strode by him to the partitioned area where she dropped down and plucked the Tarot cards from the shelf. Abigail did not notice Kloe's irate manner as she was too focused on Teru but the albino saw Erebos wince as he dropped the curtain once more.

Tuk the cat padded along the counter to Teru's shoulder where he draped himself around her neck, his protruding belly digging into her neck uncomfortably and his wiry whiskers tickling her opposite cheek.

"Are you sure you're alright boss?" Abigail teased. "If the spiritual plane is too much for you when Kloe's finish we can pay and leave. No need for you to go in with the whacko."

"Why? What did he say to you?" Teru asked dreamily and gazed up at her friend who frowned and sucked her gritted teeth.

"Nothing that I didn't already know. Made assumptions about my relationships and the only thing he said correct was the gender of my baby, but I already knew that." Abigail frowned and rubbed her hand over her stomach.

Despite her incense fuelled haze and slightly delirious state Teru could see Abigail's stomach clearly as if for the first time in weeks. A small bump was protruding from the woman's stomach and Teru gasped.

"How far are you?" She smiled up at Abigail and the blonde blushed and nibbled at her red nails.

"Just about 13 weeks? Found out the gender when I went and had my 12 week ultrasound last Thursday. It's a boy!" She squealed and clapped her hands together.

"How wonderful." Teru said dreamily. "I bet your partner is pleased."

Abigail nodded and blushed lightly.

"Mitchell is very happy. We're buying a new house together and moving all our stuff. I'll still be at the practice though, but I might have to take a few months maternity leave when the baby comes."

Teru rose unsteadily from the comfy armchair and embraced her friend, mindful of the purring cat draped around her shoulders.

"I'm happy for you Abi. Take as much time off as you need."

Abigail's eyes welled up with tears and she wiped them away hastily so that her make-up didn't smudge.

"Thanks Teru! My parents haven't been very supportive. They've never approved of Mitchell and don't like that we aren't getting married before the baby's born." Abigail bit her lip nervously and glanced towards the back of the Emporium before turning back to Teru.
"I, we, were hoping you might agree to be Junior's godmother? You know in case anything happened to us. It's just Mitchell's parents live halfway round the world and you know what my parents are like and neither of us have any other siblings so the baby will either end up with grandparents who think a child should be seen and not heard or with Mitchell's parents who are so absorbed in their research that they would forget all about the baby…"

The blonde rambled on for a while and Teru smiled at her nervousness before placing her hand over the younger woman's mouth and halting her mid word.

"I'd be delighted to be godmother." Teru said and hugged Abigail once again.

Their embrace was interrupted when Erebos tapped Teru on the shoulder.

"You last then madam?"

Kloe made to grab Teru's hand but was stopped when the cat draped around the albino's neck hissed and stood up on her shoulders.

"Yup. Just little old me." Teru turned to Abigail and Kloe. "Why don't you guys go on outside, get a cup of tea or something to go from the coffee shop two doors down? When I'm finished I'll pay and meet you at the spa in a few minutes? We can have a drink before our appointment."

Abigail nodded and grabbed Kloe's wrist the intern protesting a couple of times but after feebly trying to remove Abigail's hand gave in and stumbled along after the taller blonde.

As soon as they were gone Teru's smile fell and she stared warily at Erebos. The man was still smiling that fake and cold smirk that did not reach his eyes and when he brushed past her Teru felt cold seeping from him.

He locked the front door of the shop and swung the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed' before leading Teru down to the back of the shop where the table and the crystal sat.

Erebos sat down on the cushion and looked up expectantly at Teru. The albino woman remained standing, the slight height advantage making her feel slightly safer. Seeing that she would not be sitting any time soon Erebos sighed and began to shuffle the tarot cards that lay on the table.

"So distrustful Teru, or would you prefer another name? I aim to make things comfortable after all…" He grinned maliciously when Teru gasped as another shaft pain drove through her head.

She shook her head trying to throw the heavy blanket that seemed to be supressing her thoughts off. It was as if a shaft of light had fallen into a dark room and other beams of light were trying to break through but the darkness was swelling and shifting to try and force the light back. Recollection and memory drifted in and out of the light and Teru thought for a moment she felt whole, like there was nothing missing before that sensation vanished again.

"You know what's wrong with me, don't you?" She said coldly.

"Hmm, of course. After all it is because of me you are even here at all." Erebos smiled maliciously and turned one of the Tarot cards over to reveal a picture of a skeleton in a black cloak holding a scythe.

"Death card," Teru said and glanced up at Erebos. "Death I presume?"

Erebos/Death laughed. "In a manner of speaking. We have met before Teru. You came into my audience chamber but before I could take your soul my sisters intervened. That will not be happening today however as you have quite conveniently sent my most troublesome sibling to get coffee with your pregnant secretary."

"Kloe?" Teru knelt on the cushion and watched as Erebos/Death revealed the High Priestess card the woman on the card clothed in blue and instead of her hair being covered by a white turban like cloth blonde hair streamed down her shoulders and twisted on the floor with roots that had broken through the ground and entwined around the black and white pillars.

"Indeed. Kloe or Klotho has taken a keen interest in you Teru, mainly because of your unique soul, and also because her lover has been championing your cause. She managed to slip in when I brought you to this existence."

"Well, why did you bring me here? Why do I feel broken all the time?" Teru asked and watched as he fanned out the cards and held them out to her.

Teru reached out and plucked a card one by one, each time laying them face down until Erebos drew back and would not let her take another. Then he reached over and turned the first card over.

"The Moon." The card was beautifully painted with a crescent moon decorated with silver flowers covering the otherwise dark background. "You are confused which is understandable, I did after all wipe your mind. Gave you back what you used to be but it seems even my powers are limited and thus you are as confused as you were when I returned you."

Erebos tutted and shook his head mockingly before turning the next card over.

"The Knight of Swords, how predictable. You must travel to seek the answers you need, a quest if you like. A quest to find your heart's desire."

Teru reached out tentatively and picked up the Knight of Swords card her eyes travelling over the image of a dark haired man with his head bent down and his sword driven into the ground whilst his hands clasped the hilt. Behind him a battle waged on and Teru squinted thinking she saw a face she recognised before the recognition drifted away like smoke over water.

Erebos frowned as Teru ceased paying attention. He knocked the table lightly and Teru's head jolted back up to stare at his. He turned the next card over and laughed a low, mocking and cruel sound that sent chills running down Teru's spine and Tuk the cat shifted uneasily on her shoulders.

"The Lovers," He sneered "Your heart and mind are in conflict Teru, you need to decide which one to listen to. If you do not decide then you cannot achieve the quest that lies before you."

Erebos shuffled the remaining cards once more before pulling two out of the fan himself. He laid the first down in front of Teru but held the second back for himself.

Teru reached out and flipped the card over to reveal a large Wheel with three women sitting beneath it, one with red hair, one with blue and another with gold. Threads were woven in and out of the wheel and down one side of the card there lay a ruler with numbers dotting its surface and a pair of scissors hung in the top left hand corner. A broken spinning wheel sat in the bottom right hand corner and the blonde woman was bent over it as if weeping at its ruined and mangled form.

"The Wheel of Fortune." Teru murmured and laid the card on the table. Erebos/Death sucked his teeth angrily as he saw the image decorating the card and he snatched it up angrily before dropping it into a goblet of water that sat on the table. Teru arched an eyebrow at this fit of temper and Erebos/Death glared back.

"The Wheel of Fortune, a turning point, destiny, possibilities, change." Erebos listed the interpretations in a sarcastic manner and watched as Teru cocked her head on the side in thought. "What you decide within the next few minutes will change your life or after life forever…"

He turned the final card and Teru wrinkled her nose at the picture of the Devil. A creature with grey skin and big bulbous eyes, flappy ears and a protruding belly. Tuk the cat draped around her neck let out an indignant yowl at the picture and his claws sank slightly into Teru's shoulders.

"You hold the keys to your freedom. If only you knew where they were and how to use them then maybe you could be whole once more…" Erebos/Death offered and he waited for Teru to acknowledge his words.

"What do you want?" She said.

"How about a wager? I owed you a debt, which has been repaid by bringing you here, but now you are unhappy, my sister is unhappy and the gods of other realms are unhappy. If I make a wager with you no one can dispute the outcome whether you succeed or fail. What say you Teru?"

She licked her lips nervously and thought a moment before looking up at Death.

"What will I get if I win?"

Death chuckled and drank from the goblet that was now lacking the Wheel of Fortune card.

"If you win, I will give you another choice, when you made your last one you were not exactly… of sound mind and the gods are displeased with my deceiving you and so I shall be honourable and ask you once more when you are of relatively sound mind and I will also give you a life of your choosing, you can save anyone, anywhere even if they have already passed into the afterlife."

Teru breathed lightly considering Death's option. It was too good to be true.

"And if I fail. What do you want from me?"

Death chuckled.

"If you fail, which I believe you will, I will take the person most precious to you from life and you will become my personal slave, plaything and be cast into hell for millennia. Your precious person will also suffer under my hand and I will make you watch a thousand times until your voice has faded from your begging and your hands are raw from beating the ground futilely."

"It does not seem a fair exchange." Teru said with a slight note of fear in her voice.

"Fair?!" Death cried and he rose to his feet and circled behind Teru to whisper in her ear, his nails suddenly wrapping round her throat and scratching slowly across the tense column of her neck.

"You have already won once when you gambled with me, even when you did so unknowingly. But it is a gamble my dear, and you have not got a lot to offer me bar your soul. That is the thrill of this wager, this bet, this challenge, this gamble… It's all or nothing Teru."

Death curved his hands around her neck and squeezed possessively as if yearning to snap her neck and she gulped against the fear and terror that rose up her throat and tried to spill out in a horrified scream.

"You will honour your word?" She gasped as her hands rose to her throat trying to pull his strong fingers from her skin.

"Of course." He drawled and stepped back. "I am a god but I cannot go back on a gamble I make even if I wish to. Sign the contract dearie and the game can begin…"

A piece of paper appeared on the table with the terms of their bet laid out on its surface. Death had already signed with a flamboyant, cursive signature that read 'Lucifer Lord of the Underworld' and Teru picked up the quill that lay next to it and slowly signed her own name.

"Excellent. You have thirteen hours to discover what you have lost and at the end your life will be mine." Death cackled and swept the contract up.

"Give me a clue." Teru rose to her feet and demanded.

"That was not in the contract!" Death snapped.

"Neither was the time limit. I'll accept your time limit if you give me a clue, otherwise you are going back on your word Lucifer." She grit her teeth against his rage and held out against his power that buffeted her like the sea buffeting a cliff face. She did not dare glance at the timer that begun on her phone the moment she signed the contract to see how long Death's temper tantrum had already cost her.

"Fine." Death snarled.

"Mouth-less but I will tell you a name that is not mine,
I will show you the years I have seen but I have no eyes,
Memory I have but I have no mind.

What am I?"

Teru scribbled the riddle down and by the time she had looked up Death was gone, the door to the emporium had swung open and light was streaming in to the otherwise dark and oppressive room.

Teru strode through the exotic items and general rubbish towards the exit eager to try and solve the riddle and win back what she had lost but her eye fell upon a ring that glinted in the sunlight. The same ring that had pierced her incense fogged mind. Two snakes with a coronet of golden flowers and a green gem that burned like fire.

Teru picked up the small glass case that held the band within and smashed it against a stuffed bear and the tinkling shards fell to the ground. She plucked the silver ring from the cushion and slipped it onto her thumb. Despite being sealed away in the glass case and probably gone untouched for months if not years the ring felt warm against her skin, as if it had only recently been removed from someone else's finger and their warmth was filling her.

Teru smiled savagely and strode from the shop into the sunlight all but forgetting the thin cat draped upon her shoulders like a scarf.

She looked at the riddle that was scribbled upon the back of an envelope and turned to run down the street, she had 12 hours and 45 minutes to solve Lucifer's riddle and find what she had lost. Starting at her home seemed the best idea and she leapt into her car and peeled out of the car park sending other vehicles swerving out her way.

"Mouth-less but I will tell you a name that is not mine,
I will show you the years I have seen but I have no eyes,
Memory I have but I have no mind.

What am I?" she muttered and her brain frantically thought as she drove.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Seven hours later Kloe pulled up Teru's drive in the fading light as the day drew towards night. Climbing out of her car Kloe shivered. The temperature in the countryside was significantly lower than in the small town that she had driven from. Her breath plumed in great puffs like dragon smoke as she gasped at the bitter cold that nipped at her cheeks and fingers.

Mere seconds after she had grabbed her coat from the back seat and slipped the warm winter coat on Kloe heard a great crash from the cottage that lay only a few metres away and she whirled round in shock.

Every light in the house was on she could see that one of the windows had just been smashed when a large and heavy ornament had been flung through it. The ornament looked to be a gaudy thing, a cross between a laughing Buddha, a frog and some strange looking Dwarf. Kloe wasn't quite sure what it was but before she could investigate and contemplate further she was distracted by the anguished and frustrated howl that pierced the air.

She barged at the front door not waiting to knock and was surprised when the handle gave with no resistance. Teru had not bothered to look the door and Kloe flew through and immediately fell over Reagan who was lying in the hallway with his ears pressed tight to his head and his tail tucked under his legs. Soft whimpers were coming from the Giant Schnauzer and after Kloe managed to roll over to see what the Schnauzer was looking at she too was surprised and horrified by the destruction that lay in front of her.

Teru's abnormally tidy home looked like a bull had run through it. China, glass and other things lay smashed on the floor, photographs had been ripped from frames and the wood bent beyond salvation. Chairs lay haphazardly around the dining room table which had been turned on its side. Glancing towards the kitchen Kloe could see various pots and pans had been flung around and were now all dented and scratched as if Teru had been throwing them like a madwoman.

Kloe clambered gingerly to her feet and slowly walked to the living room that lay behind the coatrack. Her booted feet crunched down on broken ceramics and glass among other things such as torn paper and a selection of winter flowers that had been cast aside when their container shattered.

Her entrance was by no means quiet but when she finally laid eyes on Teru she let out a scream as the albino was sat propped against the overturned sofa and was clicking away on her laptop oblivious to the ruins of her home.

The destruction was far worse in the living room and Kloe held back a horrified gasp at the TV which was sitting in the corner smoking slightly.

Teru glanced up and saw the blonde and her pink eyes narrowed.

"Hello Kloe or would you prefer Klotho?" She said sarcastically before huffing and clicking away at the laptop once more.

"Oh. I see he told you." Kloe or Klotho said sheepishly as she picked her way through the destruction. As she came towards Teru the albino swore she saw the blonde's appearance shift no longer the small timid intern with large glasses but a medium height woman with a lithe figure and long blonde flowing hair that streamed down her back and an air of confidence.

"Whichever you feel most comfortable with I guess." The blonde said and Teru grunted.

"What has my brother done?" Klotho said and she perched on the edge of the overturned sofa to peer at the laptop screen only to see pages of riddles open on the screen. A Tarot card had been tucked into the bottom corner of the laptop and Klotho saw it was the Knight of Swords.

The goddess held back a grin. It seemed Teru knew something was wrong for certain now and she had the drive and motivation to find out exactly what it was. Her satisfaction faded almost instantly when she realised Lucifer must have done more than spill some of the truth to the albino.

"Made a bet, gamble, wager, deal." Teru grumbled and scrolled down the website page her pink eyes flashing through the words at speed.

"You didn't?!" Klotho yelled and leapt up.

"Course I did. Not like he gave me many options. Besides I can't live another day feeling this broken, like bits of me are missing. I have 6 and a half hours to find what I've lost and if I win he'll give me another choice and save a life of my choosing. If I lose I become his slave or plaything for eternity. Either way I'll know what's wrong with me."

"That explains the overturned house." Klotho muttered. "I can't believe you accepted his wager. My brother's deals always have a price."

"Are you going to help me or are you just going to moan at me?" Teru snapped and surged to her feet her hair streaming behind her. "Cause if you're just going to tell me off then you can sod off and do it somewhere else to someone who cares. Right now I have a limited time to solve a stupid riddle and find what I've lost."

The albino stormed upstairs to the attic and pulled down the last box that had been tucked away in it. She had taken the entire contents of the attic down and pulled every box or bag apart searching for some other clue. Bags of baby clothes, boxes of children's books, her collection of limited edition Disney dolls, souvenirs from her travels and many other things had been piled up in the dusty space. This last box was small and had been shoved right in the corner of the attic.

Teru rubbed her sleeve over the dusty cover and pulled the box open only to reel back in horror and drop the box and its contents all over the floor. A police bag emblazoned with the word 'EVIDENCE' lay inside with several items visible within its clear surface. A shattered mobile phone, keys, a wallet and a torn purse, a diary and clothes.

Swallowing nervously Teru tore into the bag with the Stanley knife she had been using to cut the tape on the boxes until now and pulled the clothes out.

There was a t-shirt with some amusing picture or phrase on it but Teru couldn't read it as a jagged hole had been made in the centre of the shirt and it was soaked with blood. The dark skirt and leggings were also stiff with blood and Teru gritted her teeth against the urge to vomit.

She recognised these clothes as her own. But she couldn't remember ever getting in any situation where they would become ruined and blood-stained. Placing the clothes in the box Teru twisted the silver ring on her thumb nervously, the feel of the snakes under her fingers comforting in an odd way before she reached into the bag and pulled out the diary.

Opening it up she saw that her name and contact details were written in the front.

Absorbed in her reading Teru went back down the stairs and wandered unseeingly past Klotho. The goddess glanced at the timer on Teru's phone. Time was running out. Klotho could not help Teru however for giving aid to the albino would be considered betraying her brother and breaking her vows to remain above the mortal realms events.

Teru was flicking through the weeks with speed her eyes skimming the times and meetings scheduled within the diary's pages. Finally she reached one page that said 'Chester Zoo' Train to Manchester pm and a few times had been scribbled in after the morning time of 8:00am.

The following pages were blank.

Teru flipped the diary back to the front to read the year. Curled gold numbers were stamped into the leather cover 2012. Teru shakily reached into her current handbag which had been abandoned on the coffee table along with her phone and car keys. A similar black leather diary was held in her hand but the year was different: 2014.

Teru gasped and clutched her head as her mind screamed in pain. Images floated into her mind's eye and passed again as quickly as they had come.

"I've been missing for at least two years." She mumbled through her frantic thoughts and Klotho listened intently. "Makes sense now. When I woke up that first morning everything was dusty and the boiler took ages to kick into life to make water for my shower. The fridge was empty which was why I stopped to buy a drink and a pastry at the coffee shop… None of this is real."

As she said those final words things in the room began disappearing silently. There was no flash or smoke, no bomb or crack as they disappeared. The items didn't even fade out of existence rather they just simply vanished as if Teru blinked and they were gone.

The TV, the bookcase, the photos, the phone, the rug on the floor in front of the fireplace, the mirror that hung over the mantelpiece, everything disappeared until Teru and Klotho were sat in a bare room where only the comfy red sofa, the laptop, Teru's handbag, phone and car keys and the two diaries remind.

Teru turned to the hallway and saw Reagan standing there, strong and supportive as he had always been and her eyes widened in horror and she fought the urge to blink. Unfortunately her eyes betrayed her and when they flew open again the dog was gone.

She moaned and dropped her head on her knees with a feeling of despair.

Klotho let the woman have a few minutes but then she glanced at the timer once more. It seemed this realisation had taken longer than both women realised and Teru was down to three hours.

"Come on Teru. Don't give up now." Klotho encouraged softly and her encouragement was echoed by Tuk the cat who trotted into the room. When Teru refused to move however the ugly looking cat flattened his ears and swiped his claws across Teru's hand.

The sharp pain broke her from her despair and she sank into the sofa lost in thought.

"Mouth-less but I will tell you a name that is not mine,
I will show you the years I have seen but I have no eyes,
Memory I have but I have no mind.
What am I?" She mumbled and traced her fingers along the fabric of the sofa cushions. When she reached the edge of the cushion her finger brushed over something that was not fabric and she frowned.

The albino reached down the side of the sofa and pulled out an envelope with her mother's name on it. The envelope had been torn open and the contents shoved hastily back inside. Teru glanced up at Klotho and Tuk and both goddess and demon cat nodded for her to pull out the card within.

The card was depressing, that was Teru's first thought as she looked over the sad looking bouquet that had been drawn onto the white surface. Lavender sprigs had been tied together with a limp and tired looking blue ribbon and were posed in a vase. Fancy calligraphy was written down the side of the picture and Teru sucked her teeth at the bluntness of the card: 'My thoughts and prayers are with you… I'm so sorry for your loss.'

"Well, that's cheerful." Teru said sarcastically before opening the card to read the contents. Her mother's name was at the top and before Teru had even read the first sentence her heart had sunk deeper in her chest and she felt more broken than she had before she had even begun to explore what was missing.

'I'm so sorry for your loss. Teru Penrose was a valued and dear friend and she will be missed at the Acorn Hill Veterinary Practice. She has been an inspiration to me since I began at the Acorn Hill and I still keep expecting to see her walking in the door, hair drifting in the wind and her black hat perched jauntily on her head. I had intended to tell her my secret. The day after the accident I was ready to tell her how Mitchell and I were getting engaged.

I know you will feel her loss greater than I but I hope with time you will be able to come to the practice to see the small memorial we have placed in her honour.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do. Reagan is welcome to stay with Mitchell and me as I know he will mourn the loss of his mistress and I think we are finding comfort in each other.
My deepest condolences once again,

Abigail Carter'

"Well, shit." Teru said dryly. "That explains quite a bit then."

"You're taking this very calmly. Much calmer than I thought you would." Klotho said warily.

"I could flip out about it. In fact I really, really, really want to do that. But that won't stop me from feeling broken especially as it turns out everyone including my own mother thinks I'm dead. What I want to know is how I died and why the hell I've been walking around with people and talking to them when I've been dead for the past two years."

Teru had a sudden spark of inspiration and dove for the 2012 diary flicking through until she reached the date under which Chester Zoo had been scribbled. She typed the date into a search engine and added deaths and her own name and hit the enter button.

As the search engine worked Teru nibbled her bottom lip and twisted the ring on her thumb agitatedly. Tuk the cat decided he was fed up of all the drama and climbed up and onto her shoulders to drape himself around her neck once more.

The webpage loaded up and Teru scrolled down the results until she reached a local newspaper which had the title 'Tragic accident kills two locals'.

Clicking on the page Teru was surprised when a picture of herself flashed up on the screen and next to her image was a similar cheery photo of her ex-boyfriend Jack. She sped through the article taking in the details and briefly looking at the image that had been taken of the car that was crumpled around a thick tree trunk and the fence that was wrapped around the vehicle, posts driven into the metal of the doors and barbed wire had torn jagged lines in the paintwork.

Teru scribbled down where the accident was before shutting the laptop and shoving both it and the diaries into her handbag.

She scooped up the car keys and her mobile, briefly glancing at the timer which now read 2 hours 47 minutes.

"Coming?" She said to Klotho as she strode through the front door.

"Of course. I will not leave you alone when you are so close." Klotho smiled and clambered into the passenger seat of the large Land Rover.

"Any ideas about the riddle yet?" Klotho asked as Teru sped down the country lanes like a woman possessed. Luckily nobody else appeared to be out driving tonight as the albino was tearing through the windy roads barely staying on the correct side of the road.

"I think so." Teru muttered. She kept her eyes fixed on the road every now and again glancing at the timer that was sat on the dashboard, the numbers rolling down over and over again.

She came round one particularly tight corner and the car tires squealed as the rubber ground against the tarmac and as they crested a rise in the round Teru swore and slammed the brakes on.

A black stag stood in the middle of the road. The same road where Teru guessed she had met an accident. And as Teru stared at the stag she recognised it.

"You were here when I had my accident." She whispered and her eyes widened as her mind remembered. She remembered coming in on the train, she had taken the train because her car was in for repairs, and she had gotten the last train of the evening. It had been raining and she had called a friend to give her a lift. Jack wouldn't because he broke up with her on the phone that evening. He had said she didn't care. That she was too busy with her job, which was true, that she didn't want to be with him seriously.

She had waited by the church. Then got in the car. But it was Jack, drunk, plastered, hammered Jack at the wheel. Teru had tried to persuade him to stop. Let her drive. He wouldn't listen.

There was a stag in the road. Tall and majestic with a head full of heavy and sharp tines. Teru grabbed the wheel and swerved to avoid the stag. Another car was coming from the opposite direction. She swerved again but this time lost control of the car and crashed into the tree.

There had been a voice talking to her telling her to stay awake but Teru remembered her body feeling heavier and colder.

"Teru?" Klotho said tentatively and laid her hand on the albino's trembling arm.

"I remember. I died. I died two years ago. This stag was there, I swerved to avoid him and then again to avoid another car. So what is it that I lost?" She mumbled her eyes fixed on the stag that was staring back just as intently.

Suddenly the deer whirled around and began to run down the road a black blur in the headlights of the Land Rover.

"No you bloody well don't!" Teru snarled and thrust the car into gear before chasing after the stag. She had no idea what was compelling her to follow this deer but she knew the answer she needed would be found wherever the stag was going.

Klotho smiled as Teru continued her quest. Time was running short but the goddess had no doubt that Teru would beat Lucifer's challenge. Gambling would win.

The Moirai placed her hand on Teru's wrist and a thread bracelet appeared. Different coloured strands made up the weave: gold, silver, royal blue, emerald green, vermillion, burgundy, forget-me-not blue, royal yellow, white, royal purple, red, chocolate brown, white gold and magnolia. They twisted and turned in a spiralling pattern that held each and every colour with every curl and shift of the weave.

Teru did not notice however as the stag led her to a car park. She pulled up slowly and parked the roaring vehicle plunging the world into silence. The albino reached in the glove compartment and pulled out a flashlight, flicking it on before clambering out of the car.

She did not notice that Klotho had vanished as if she was never in the seat next to her. Her full concentration was on the church and graveyard that lay before her.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Teru's heart felt as if were about to explode. It was pounding in her chest threatening to break free of her rib cage, ringing in her ears and blocking all sound. She could even feel her heartbeat in her little finger a strange and odd sensation.

Tuk the cat yowled as the woman pulled open the metal grate that screamed in the blackness of the night sending the woods around them into silence as night animals were momentarily frightened of the sound.

A light mist lay in the air and the beam from Teru's torch seemed dimmed by it. An owl flew overhead like a white spectre, wings silent against the black sky and Teru spun as it landed on the tower of the church.

She glanced back down, swinging the torchlight, searching for the answer to her riddle. As the beam from her torch swung round the stag was suddenly in the shaft of light, closer than Teru had thought he could be. She could almost reach out and touch him.

He tossed his head, shaking the great antlers on his head and struck at the ground with his cloven hoof.

"What do you want?" Teru whispered and then to her amazement the deer moved away through the gravestones and tombs, picking his way through with ease whilst Teru slipped and slid behind him on the wet grass.

The stag stopped before one gravestone and waited for Teru to arrive at his side. Her torch lit up the area where recent flowers had been laid and the white stone had been cleaned.

"You know the answer now do you not lass?" The stag rumbled deep in his chest and Teru nodded mutely. For indeed she did.

She knew the answer to the riddle and she knew what she had lost. The bracelet around her wrist began to glow brightly until it drowned out the light of the torch and the stag was forced to back away with his eyes closed.

"Lucifer!" Teru shouted and the darkness which had been surrounding her cracked. Shafts of light poured in as the bubble which had held her captive shattered into a thousand pieces and came crashing down around her.

The graveyard and woods disappeared as the reality Lucifer had woven broke with Teru's success.

Instead Teru or Amaterasu stood once more in the Halls of Death facing down Death himself. Amaterasu felt herself once more and she could feel a fire burning in her core. Her eyes flashed from pink to gold and she felt a tail swishing the ground behind her.

"I believe that's my win dearie." She said mockingly and laughed as the King of Death railed against his defeat.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

A/N: This chapter is 21 yes 21 pages long! I feel so proud of myself especially as it's over 10,000 words long! I know there was no Middle Earth but I felt this chapter was a turning point for Ammy as you will find out in the next few chapters!

Please leave a Review about this chapter! I'd love to know if any of you knew or worked the answer out to the Riddle without searching for it on the internet! First person to give the correct answer and an explanation as to why will get the next chapter dedicated to them! :D

For those few of you who have ventured over to my Hobbit fic and have been disappointed with the lack of reviews for a year (sorry?) I have updated and am writing the next chapter as we speak. Well not literally as I'm writing this at the moment but I already have half the next chapter of Dirty Paws done! If you are following B&GWD and haven't checked out Dirty Paws yet please do! I'd love to see more of you reading about Kiyiya!

Thanks to:

unicornsinpink300- did you vote on the poll? Otherwise I can't count your request!
Counting Sinful Stars- Things are bad, but hopefully this chapter makes things slightly better? Slightly? A tiny bit? Not much but at least it's better than nothing?
Shades-Soul- Please vote on the poll otherwise I can't count your request as I don't know if you've voted on the poll already and are just asking again to try and further the Arammy cause!
Emzy2k11- Thank you my faithful reader. Hope this chapter does the fic justice.
AnimeHuntress- Glad it's interesting. I'd hate for anyone to be bored, heaven knows I'm not; I'm going mad keeping track of both Dirty Paws and B&GWD plots and the various crossovers that are going between them. I am indeed basing the animal forms off the Chinese Zodiac. To an extent, for example rooster is probably not going to turn Ammy into a chicken. That just isn't useful to anyone, except if she was laying eggs or if they were going to cook her, which isn't going to happen. Thanks for leaving a review!