Solar Eclipse

Zduhach chased his father until the others disappeared far behind them.

“Stop running and fight like a man!”

The half-god fired an arrow which grazed Dazhbog’s thigh.

“Hey!” Dazhbog yelped. “Watch where you’re aiming! That could’ve hurt!”

They kept running until they reached a forest. Golden trees surrounded them in every direction.

This was the part of Buyan the gods had reshaped.

“How could Mother ever love a coward like you?!”

Dazhbog suddenly spun around. “Who are you calling a coward, you failure?!” He hurled a fireball at Zduhach.

The half-god effortlessly dodged it.

Dazhbog sighed. “Do you promise not to hurt me if I stop running?”

“Can you please stop being so pathetic?!”

“Stop talking to your father like that! You’re alive thanks to me!”

Another fireball formed in his palm.

“And you’re gonna be gone because of me!”

“Alright, fine!” Dazhbog hurled the fireball into the ground. “I challenge you to an official battle!”

“But we’re already fighting!”

“No, no, no, my stupid boy.” Dazhbog raised a finger. “I want a fair hand-to-hand fight. No weapons. No powers.”

“Huh?” Zduhach tilted his head. “Why would I do that when I can just fill you with arrows? I’d be putting myself at a disadvantage!”

Dazhbog smirked. “Did your mother raise a coward?”

Zduhach flinched.

His swollen eye twitched. His wounds had stopped bleeding, but his face was still covered in bruises.

Then he took off his quiver and tossed his bow aside.

“Now you’ve done it.”

The father and son walked toward each other.

Dazhbog cracked his knuckles. “We from the Far East were trained to kill with our bare hands.”

“I wonder if I inherited that from you, too.”

They locked eyes.

And then they lunged at each other.

Their fists collided.

Every punch was intercepted by another fist. Every kick was stopped by another leg. When Dazhbog ducked, Zduhach ducked. When Zduhach spun, Dazhbog followed.

It was like watching one man fight his own reflection.

“A child can never surpass their own parent!” Dazhbog shouted as their fists collided again. “Parents are superior! Children are nothing but tools made to make their parents look better!”

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

That moment of hesitation was enough.

Dazhbog swept Zduhach’s leg from under him.

The half-god hit the ground.

Dazhbog kicked him in the stomach, as Zduhach curled up on the golden grass.

Another kick struck his knee.

“Aaargh!”

Dazhbog crouched beside him and glanced over his shoulder.

The burning halo behind his head was much weaker than usual.

“Look at this. That idiot Veles took most of my power and yet…” He turned back to Zduhach. “You’re still no match for me.”

Zduhach huffed but his mind raced.

There had to be something.

Some clue.

How had the others defeated the gods?

What was the loophole in their power?

How did their relics work?

“Who even are you?” Dazhbog tapped his palm against Zduhach’s forehead. “Your body is defined by me. You gained godlike attributes just because I decided to mate with your mother.”

Zduhach stared at him, breathing heavily.

“And your mind?” Dazhbog tapped his forehead again. “That’s even worse. Everything you ever did was because of that weaver. You fight because she told you to. You came all the way here because you wanted to avenge her. You’re nothing but an empty shell carrying my blood and her desires.”

Zduhach remained silent. He hated him. But the bastard had a point.

Why had Zduhach been fighting all this time? For the people? Sure.

But wasn’t that because his mother had taught him to protect them? He hadn’t even left his hometown until she died.

And when he could finally choose his own path…

“You might be right…” Zduhach spat out some blood. “When I met Dragomir, my first instinct was to shackle myself to him. Then to Milena, too.” He looked away. “I’m afraid to walk my own path…”

“Then why fight it?”

Zduhach looked back at him.

Dazhbog smiled.

“I’m offering you a path. A path to actual godhood.” He extended his hand. “You don’t have to change, son. You like shackling yourself to other people, don’t you?” His smile widened. “So bind yourself to me.”

Zduhach stared at the hand.

“It’s true. Maybe I never really thought for myself…” He slowly pushed himself back onto his feet. “But I did make one decision of my own back in Nav.”

Dazhbog’s smile faded.

Zduhach raised his fists. “I decided that I’m going to kill you with my own hands for everything you did!”

He lunged.

Dazhbog shifted his weight, caught him…

…and slammed him straight back into the ground.

Blood sprayed from Zduhach’s mouth.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” Dazhbog looked down at him. “You decided to kill me just because she died. That decision isn’t yours.”

Zduhach froze.

Dazhbog grinned.

“And look at your body. You don’t get stronger or weaker based on people’s faith. You were born like this. The only biological godlike being in the world.” Dazhbog pointed his thumb at himself. “And who gave you that?”

Zduhach clenched his teeth.

“I did love your mother. Just like I loved all the other women. But whenever I give something… I receive it back.” Dazhbog straightened and took an exaggerated breath. “That’s why those poor women chose to desperately search for me in Prav after I abandoned them. They didn’t even make it out of Leshy’s forest.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“So you finally understand.” Dazhbog spread his arms. “I gave you strength. You inherited my power. And most importantly…”

He pointed at Zduhach.

“…I gave you life.”

Zduhach stared at him.

“You can hate me. But every time you fight to stay alive, you’re protecting something I gave you.”

Zduhach’s eyes widened.

“So go ahead, son. Try to kill me with that life.”

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then Zduhach crawled toward a nearby perfectly smooth tree and leaned against its trunk.

“No.”

Dazhbog frowned. “No?”

“I didn’t know you my whole life. I didn’t need you then.” Zduhach folded his arms and pulled his knees toward his chest. “And I don’t need what you gave me now. I’m done fighting.”

Dazhbog slowly approached him. The tree behind Zduhach began to melt from the heat of his weakened halo.

“You give up?”

Zduhach lifted his chin.

“I do.”

A faint thread stretched from his wrist. Dazhbog stopped. The thread passed beside him and continued behind his back.

“But he doesn’t.”

Dazhbog turned.

Another Zduhach stood behind him.

His cold dusha.

Unlike other cold dushe, its eyes weren’t nervously darting around.

They were fixed entirely on Dazhbog.

“What the…? Your dusha shouldn’t be able to leave while you’re awake!”

“That’s what I thought, too. Because that’s what Mother told me.” Zduhach glanced at his cold dusha. “Turns out I found my own way.”

Thin threads appeared between the dusha’s fingers. “And although your accursed blood helped me awaken it…” The threads crossed one another. “…this part isn’t yours.”

A piece of cloth began to form.

Dazhbog laughed. “Are you trying to defeat the Sun God with a blanket?!”

The threads continued weaving.

“It’s a shroud.”

Dazhbog’s smile vanished.

“And it seems my dusha wants to give you a funeral.”

“You little…!” A fireball erupted in Dazhbog’s palm. “A child will never surpass their parent!”

He hurled it straight at Zduhach.

Zduhach watched it coming. Every instinct screamed at him to move. And yet…

“If this life belongs to you… you can have it back.” The fireball closed in as it reflected in his eyes. “I always wanted to name my attacks…” His cold dusha threw the shroud over Dazhbog’s halo. “…so I think I’ll call this…”

The fireball struck Zduhach’s face. Flames burned across half of it and blasted him against the melting tree.

“…Solar Eclipse!”

The shroud swallowed Dazhbog’s halo entirely.

His heart pounded. His legs gave out. For the first time, Dazhbog lay in his own shade.

Zduhach forced himself back onto his feet.

His cold dusha quickly wove a small piece of cloth and handed it to him before retreating back into his body.

“Y-you…” Dazhbog struggled for breath. “You accepted my challenge… No powers… Why did you…”

Zduhach pressed the cloth against his burned face. “People’s lives are at stake. You think they care how I won? They need a result, not chivalry.”

“Are you… going to kill me now?”

Zduhach looked down at him. “Yeah. That’s what I thought I should do.” He paused. “But that was Mother’s path. I’m done walking it.”

Zduhach turned away.

“You’re going to live. And repent for everything you’ve done. A prideful bastard like you will hate that more anyway.”

“I can’t believe…” Dazhbog’s eyes slowly closed. “…a son surpassed his parent.”

Dazhbog fell unconscious.

“No. You were still stronger than me, Father.” Zduhach managed one more step before collapsing beside him.

Chapter 49: END