After a short walk, Ozlo arrived at the main cathedral and approached the Father.
Father Superior glanced down from his book and met Ozlo's eyes. "Ozlo, how are you doing today son?" The father asked in a kind, calm voice.
The Father Superior was a slim man with wispy white eyebrows and a shiny bald head. This was in contrast to Mother Patricia who was a portly woman with a permanent scowl glued across her face.
Roused out of his observation of the good father, Ozlo took a moment to process what the Father had said. "I'm alright today father."
Father Superior leaned back against the pulpit and studied Ozlo long and hard. After a few agonizing seconds under the fathers scrutiny, the father said. "Good, good. Are you excited to receive your first card and begin your apprenticeship?"
"Uh, yes father." Ozlo said aloud. But inside he was thinking. "More than anything... I can't wait to get out of here and start my life." But Ozlo knew not to show that kind of enthusiasm, lest he have his hopes dashed to pieces.
"Great. This reminds me of when I was a boy, back then you would only receive a card if you were deemed fit by the church. It all goes back to when-" Father Superior drones on and on and Ozlo finds it hard to focus. Ozlo always had trouble focusing on non physical tasks, especially ones that required long winded speeches or memorization. Something about the way his mind worked caused a fog to descend the second his hands weren't in motion or his feet weren't moving. Most tasks were fine, but the church long ago gave up hope on elevating him to a higher education and subjected the boy to menial tasks, lest he break something out of ignorance or annoy the higher ups.
Snapping out of his internal thoughts Ozlo started to pay attention to Father Superior. "So, I've decided that you should get a focus card. Specifically one dealing with memory and learning. Do you agree? Or do you think that you're better suited to pick a card that could fit your chosen vocation?"
"Chosen vocation?" Ozlo, who clearly hadn't been paying close attention, one of his many failing traits, just shook his head dumbly as the Father decided his fate.
Father Superior looked deep into Ozlo's eyes and sighed. "Ozlo, I know that it's hard for you to listen to an old man like myself, but please try to pay attention. Your entire future is at stake here and you look like you'd rather be on anywhere else." Father Superior reached under the pulpit and removed a card from a small box. Taking another deep sigh Father Superior said "This will have to do son, don't spend too much time inspecting it, just place it over your hand and focus on the way it feels."
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Excited and giddy the young man did his best to calm his nerves before reaching for the card. Gently taking the card into his hands Ozlo looked up and numbly answered "Yes Father."
Ozlo was about to ask what the next step was before he felt a tingling in his hand. "AH!" Before Ozlo can pull away, the card sank into his palm, sending an almost electrical charge through his body, causing him to fall to his knees.
Father Superior gave Ozlo a few moments to collect himself before asking "Are you alright my son? The first one can be a bit... Interesting."
After recovering from his tingling ordeal and regaining feeling back into his hand, Ozlo slowly answered. "I... Yes. I am Father."
The Father took a deep breathe before saying "I did try to warn you, but clearly you weren't paying attention. That initial shock is your soul trying to shift and grow to accomodate the card you've placed into your heart-deck. Focus on the card now that it's been assimilated, you should be able to understand what it does." Father Superior gestures to Ozlo who slowly seems to understand what he wants him to do."
Gritting his teeth and preparing for the worse Ozlo answers. "I'll try." Once again following the good fathers orders, Ozlo focuses on his card.
Scholarship: Rank common, growth/utility.
This card will increase the mental capacities of it's holder by 10% per level.
Current Level: 1
Required Soul Shards to level 0/10
"Ozlo, OZLO!" Father Superior shakes Ozlo, breaking his concentration on the card.
"Yes father?" Ozlo replied.
"Do you understand the card?" Father Superior asked Ozlo.
"Do I understand the card? I think so." Ozlo thought to himself. "Uh yes, I think so father." Ozlo responded to the father and waited patiently.
Giving Ozlo a penetrating look, the father replied after a few moments "Great, that's good... Now normally you would be given your choice of apprenticeship and be allowed time to make your decision. But you're not exactly a normal case. Your inability to focus is a great detriment to both yourself and others."
"Yes Father." Ozlo replied.
Ozlo wanted to argue, but he knew it was true. While the other children were able to focus for long periods of time, even going out of their way to learn and improve, Ozlo couldn't find the energy. He just couldn't clear the mental fog from his mind for longer than brief moments. This made him a burden in all but the simplest of tasks and he knew it.
Father Superior gave Ozlo a sad look. "Ozlo, I know you're not dumb, regardless of what Sister Patricia says. It appears as though you aren't trying, and while I hoped that wasn't the case, I fear I was wrong. Starting immediately you are to apprentice yourself with a blacksmith. Perhaps this simple trade will teach you some discipline."
Ozlo did his best to reign in his wandering thoughts and responded. "Yes Father."
Turning his back to him, the Father said."Ozlo, I wish you the best and know, you will always have a home here at the church. You may be... Simple. But we take care of our own, understood?"
"Yes Father." Ozlo dumbly replied.
"Now go."
"Yes Father."
...
...
With an exasperated sigh, the father turned back around and pointed to the door. "To the smithy, leave the cathedral, go left, report to Burgin. He'll be your new master. Obey his orders."
"Yes Father." Ozlo said, resigning himself to his new future.