After arriving back at the smithy, Ozlo heads inside and grabs a pitcher of water. Burgin heads into the hall and starts asking questions. "Easy there lad, how was your first day?"
"Tiring." Ozlo replied.
"Yeah, I'm sure it was. I bet Boyd made you work them muscles something mighty fierce. Tell me, do you want to continue?" Burgin Asked.
"I think so." Replied Ozlo.
"Good, remember, don't let anyone make you do anything you don't want to do... Except for me of course. You have to help around the forge and earn your keep." Burgin said.
"Yes Master Burgin." Ozlo replied.
Burgin gave Ozlo a small smile before continuing. "That's a good lad, so give your arms a rest and then we'll see about helping you figure some things out."
"Figure things out?" Ozlo asked quizzically.
"Aye lad, combining the three shards I'll be giving you for your work and the four shards you'll be getting from the CDF you'll have well over ten shards. So at the end of the week you'll need to decide for yourself how you want to spend them. Or even if you want to combine them."
"Combine?"
A dark scowl filled Burgins face for a minute, before he seemed to recover himself. "Ahh, I'm guessing your "mother" didn't teach you about that. Let me explain boy." Burgin takes a seat at the table and pours himself a cup of water.
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"Shards are a piece... Wait, I'll go back to the beginning. Where do shards come from?"
Ozlo thought back to what little education he had received from the church before being deemed unfit for further learning. Racking his brain, Ozlo came up with the answer. "Monsters."
Nodding encouragingly, Burgin continues. "Right, and what are cards?"
"Uh... Magic?"
"Yes, well, yes and no. Is it magic... Well, probably. I've never been much for magic myself, didn't have the mind for it. Anyway, I'm getting off track. Shards are bits of the soul, monster souls, particularly strong animal souls, heck, even people sometimes drop soul shards under the right circumstances."
Seeing that Ozlo's attention was once again being drawn away from him, Burgin slapped the table. "OZLO. Pay attention lad."
"Sorry Master Burgin." Ozlo replied.
"Great, great... Anyway, you combine a bunch of lower tier, common shards. And you get a common card. What card it is has more to do with the nature of the monster and a bit of luck. Not to mention some scholars saying that ambient-"
Burgin slams his hand on the table again. "BOY!"
"Sorry Master Burgin." Ozlo once again replied, being snapped out of the beginning of yet another daydream.
"It's fine... I'll summarize. Get ten shards, you can get another card. And you only have one currently, so your soul can probably accomodate a few more before you reach a temporary threshold."
"Threshold?"
"Threshold, like, limit. Like when you eat too much and your stomach is full. That's your soul, can't fit too many cards in there just like you can't fit too many pies." Burgin said, gesturing to his stomach.
A slow look of understanding started to fill Ozlo's eyes. "Got it... Cards make your soul full."
"Exactly... Good work today lad, I suddenly feel mentally exhausted. Why don't you go practice your cold forging while I take a short break." Burgin remarked.
"Yes Master Burgin." Ozlo replied.
Muttering to himself Burgin sat down while holding his head. "That boy sure isn't a genius... But at least he's trying."