Blades of Jodah

The silence in Jodah's austere retreat was explosive. He, the fel hunter, stood in the middle of the room, and before him stood the source of his headache, two copies of it.

On the right, Lololoshka, returned from captivity. His impeccable posture and cold, clear gaze behind his glasses spoke of one thing: he was the perfect blade. A weapon that transformed the master's will into a precise strike. They had fought together for years, their connection a honed dance without a single wasted movement.

On the left, leaning against the doorframe and cleaning a fingernail on the blade of his own coat, is Jon. A substitute. Found in a hurry when Lololoshka was kidnapped. He, too, was a "sword," but his style was more reminiscent of a meteorite strike: wild, unbridled, and incredibly effective at damaging anything in his path, including, sometimes, Jodah's targets.

The collision was inevitable.

"Well, old man," John began sarcastically, not looking at Lololoshki. "Did that time spent in someone else's attic do you any good? You look rested. While you were gone, our master got used to real firepower, not ceremonial swings."

Lololoshka slowly turned his head towards him. —A firepower that last time set fire to a hay barn instead of a barn full of possessed people. The master had to pay compensation to the peasant. Three months. "It was a tactical fire to create a smokescreen!" John retorted. —The curtains are all around us. We almost suffocated.

Jodah, arms crossed, watched. He heard more than just an argument. He heard the clash of two principles: impeccable, but perhaps outdated, precision, and brute, destructive, yet victorious force.

"Enough," his voice, quiet but clear, cut through the argument. Both "swords" fell silent, staring at him. "Lololoshka is my blade. My precision. My memory of how to fight." He turned his gaze to John. "John is my fist. My unpredictability when all plans fall apart. You are both needed."

A disbelieving silence filled the room. Then John snorted. —So, we'll take turns now? He on Monday, I on Tuesday?