Eternity | T.J.

This Original Title Was Too Long

I Think Alex May Have Just Bribed Someone Into Letting Us Use This Pottery Studio.

     It actually didn't take that long to find a suitable pottery studio. Nor did it take that long to convince the owner to let us use it for a while, as only a few minutes after Alex had gone to talk to the owner of the place, the guy came running out with a large amount of money, looking very happy.

     " Have fun, lads! Brilliant! Ta!"

     " Thank you!" T.J. called after the man." And thanks for not getting involved in our Civil War!"

     When we walked into the studio, Alex was looking around at what she had to work with.

    " This might work," she muttered." Maybe..."

     "  Did you buy this place?" Magnus asked.

     " Don't be silly, I just paid the owner for twenty-four hours exclusive use, but I paid well."

     " In British pounds," my brother pointed out." Where'd you get so much local cash?"

     Alex shrugged." It's called preparation, Chase. I figured we'd be traveling through the UK and Scandinavia. I brought euros, kronor, kroner, and pounds. Compliments of my family, and by compliments, I mean I stole it." Magnus stared at her for a minute before she spoke again." Stop gawping and help me."

     " I'm not- I wasn't gawping."

     Alex ( wisely) ignored him." We need to push these tables together. T.J., go see if there's more clay in the back. We need a lot more."

     " On it!"

     Once we'd set everything up, she looked around again." Not enough time. Drying, glazing, firing-"

     " Alex," Magnus interrupted." If you want us to help you, you're going to have to explain what we're doing."

     T.J. and I both took a step out of Alex's attack range.

     The green-haired girl glared at my brother." You would know what I'm doing if you'd taken Pottery 101 in Valhalla with me like I asked you."

     " I-I had a scheduling conflict."

     " Stone giants have a tradition called tveirvigi. Double combat," Alex explained.

     " It's like Viking single combat, einvigi," T.J. said." Except with tveir instead of in."

     " Facinating," Magnus said with a hint of sarcasm.

     " I know! I read about it in-"

     " Please don't say a travel guide."

     T.J. looked at his feet.

     " Honestly, Chase, we don't have time to bring you up to speed," Alex said, beginning to grab tools." T.J. fights Hrungnir, I make a ceramic warrior who fights the giant's ceramic warrior, Willow probably comes up with a plan to get around the rules or makes an inspiring speech, and you play water boy, or heal, or whatever. It's pretty straightforward."

     Magnus stared at the clay, apparently still not getting it." A ceramic warrior, as in magic pottery?"

     " Pottery 101," Alex repeated." T.J., Willow, would you start cutting those slabs? I need slices one inch thick, about sixty or seventy of them."

     " Sure!" T.J. agreed." Do I get to use your garrote?"

     Alex laughed." Absolutely not. There should be a cutter or two in that gray tub." She turned to Magnus." And you, you're going to be making coils."

     " Coils."

     " I know you can roll clay into coils. It's just like making snakes out of Play-Doh."

     Magnus didn't argue." And you?"

     " The hardest part is using the wheel. The most important components have to be thrown. Alright guys, let's get to work."

     And so we did. For the next few hours, all we did was work on preparing the clay for Alex to use and listen to Duran Duran. While we worked, T.J. and I talked about battle tactics.

     Eventually, there were exactly two ideas for how I could help.

     The first was simple enough, I'd run out into the battlefield and start glowing in an attempt to blind Hrungnir, at least for a little while. The second was similar, I'd hide in various places and begin glowing to draw the giant's attention away from T.J. for a moment, although that one could only work so many times before he started ignoring the light. Neither were that helpful, but given the fact I couldn't actually fight the giant, there wasn't much more I could do.

     It was weird, being this useless. I knew I wasn't the most helpful of the group, in fact I often could do the least amount of help when I was in a group with Magnus, Blitz, Hearthstone, Alex, and Sam, but at least during those times I could do something.

     Still, rules were rules, and in order to get the needed information, we had to follow those rules, so I just had to stick with feeling useless for a day.

     ... In less sad news, we went to have dinner later that night after Alex threw some money at my brother and told him he was paying for food.

A/N: Sorry for the shorter chapter, I was expecting to write a bit more but it turned out most of the chapter was Magnus and Alex talking so there wasn't really much for me to write. I hope at least someone somewhat enjoyed this chapter, any to all comments from anyone about anything make my day, and just keep in mind the world is your erster.