Chương 30: Sidorushka

Sid stared down the shirtless man sitting on the worship room's dais like it was a throne. His father always had a flair for the dramatic. That was how he ended up falling for Rina. The worst mistake any man could ever make in life. It looked like he had picked up quite a few spell tattoos over the years. Sid only remembered both of the man's arms being covered before the exile. Minato: the great witch of the East. It looked like he set out to prove the hysteria towards him right.

Only the most powerful and arrogant witches walked around exposing their bare chests. Minato kicked his dangling legs back and forth as residents of Embrace dropped random trinkets at his feet. He watched them with a royal scowl, but every once and a while he turned to Sid and smiled. Was he here just to ruin Sid's chance at seizing power? Minato surveyed the items below.

"Useless, useless, ooh I can use those feathers! That's useless, I guess I can scrap that thing for the wood and metal." He looked up.

"Come on, I know this is a monastery. Where's the spell components the mystics use?"" Dad," Sid forced out.

"Mystics don't typically use components. We rely on the Rose for our power!" That was one of the biggest misconceptions of the mystic order. Rina explained to Sid that a patient's own blood and flesh acted as a mystic's components for healing spells. Not that he had any reason to trust what she told him, but it made enough sense that he hadn't questioned it.

"Huh? No way you guys are skilled enough with magic to go without components." He looked back at the line of people holding offerings with cold eyes.

"I'm starting to get impatient. I need more than a few feathers and splinters to cast anything worthwhile." Sid crossed his arms.

"Dad, if you kill anyone here I will never speak to you again!"

"You already never call…"

"Wh-what?! I was stuck in a juvenile detention monastery! You know, the one your wife sent me to." Minato scratched his head.

"I don't think we were ever married, unfortunately."

"Ok, everyone listen up!" Sid faced the residents.

"I need a little time to speak to my father alone. Once again, I am so, so sorry for this." He glared at Minato.

"I swear he won't hurt anyone here."

"I haven't made any promises."

"Dad! Ugh…ok, everyone please hurry out for now; I'll come out and update you as soon as I am able." They filed out of the room, whispering to each other in a group panic. Couldn't Minato have chosen to visit Sid back at St. Jane's? He would've been useful there. Now he was yet another family thorn in Sid's side.

"What do you want to talk about, Sidorushka? Just looking to catch up after so many years apart?"

"Dad, how did you get to this island and did mom give you a class?" His eyes widened at "mom." He stared blankly at the air before jumping off the dais and getting up in Sid's face.

"Mom? Your mom? She's here?" He grabbed Sid's shoulders.

"Where is she? How did you talk to her? Did you see her? Did she mention me?" Ouch. Rina was avoiding Minato so hard that she didn't include him in her death game. She wouldn't even talk to him through a blue screen. Sid wished he had kept his damn mouth shut. Minato would never leave the island if he knew it was Rina's precious plaything.

"No…she's not physically here." At least Sid hadn't seen her in the flesh yet.

"I just got a psychic call from her recently. I was wondering if you had too and that's why you knew I was here."

"Sid!" He laughed.

"Who do you think I am? I always know where my children are."

"Oh, alright th-" Sid paused.

"Wait. Your CHILDREN?! As in plural, multiple children?"

"Oh right. I forgot you were too young to remember the others."

"Excuse me?!"

"Congrats, Sidorushka! You're a brother!" He traced a small tattoo in his palm and the purple flame that left it turned into a small explosion of confetti.

"You have two older brothers. Rolan and Milan." Minato's face sank.

"Well, you have Rolan, last I checked. Milan isn't with us anymore." Okay, no. This wasn't happening. Sid was not being told he had two long lost brothers and that one of them was fucking dead. This had to be a fever dream or some sort of hallucination Rina had cooked up for him. Maybe he was still in Limbo? The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Anyways, Rolan doesn't really want to talk to me these days. I'd try to stay away from him if you can. Tempermental, that one." Sid opened and closed his mouth. He leaned down and put his hands on his knees. What the fuck was happening? What the actually fuck was happening?! Life was a cruel joke. There was no purpose to it. Nothing mattered and nothing made sense. Sid had to get it together. Having a brother changed nothing about his current situation. Apparently the living one was an asshole anyway.

He had nothing to gain from prying further into his surprise family member's life.

"Okay. So you were here already, and now that I'm here, you've decided to storm my home and threaten the people that took me in?"

"You mean the people that have forced you into the role of a healer? The people hindering your true magic potential?" Oh, if his dear dad even knew the half of it. If he had a tenth of his father's proficiency with magic, he would've fled St. Jane's years ago.

"You know we're not supposed to go beyond healing. It's not what the Rose wants for us. Too much temptation."

"Oh honey." He pouted and cupped Sid's cheeks.

"What did they do to my poor baby? Did the shocks hurt you? Did they lock you in one of those dreadful penance rooms I heard about? Just say the word and I'll go kill them all!"

"You're too late. Mom already slaughtered them."

"Oh." He once again lost all composure.

"Are you sure she didn't mention me?"

"No, dad!" Sid shoved him away.

"She doesn't want to talk to you. You should just let her go. She's not worth the energy."

"Sodorushka, you watch your mouth! Your mother is the most powerful witch on Earth! Any man would be lucky to be her consort. She's going to rule the world one day."

"Alright, I know I exist, so I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure mom prefers the company of other women." Rina always talked about Minato like he was a chore. A means to an end. She rarely brought people home when Sid was a child, but the vast majority of her flings were with women. Minato was magically interesting enough for her to put up with for a while, but based on what she told Sid, she was done with him. At this point, he was what she'd call a "stage five clinger." What a disappointment Sid must have been.

She put up with Minato for his magic genes, and Sid couldn't even cast a healing spell. Hell, Sid would be pissed if he were in her position.

"I know about her flings, but I also know she makes exceptions for exceptional people." They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Sid, are you alright?" Allani asked.

"Does Mr. Sokolov remember me? Can I come in?" Minato stared at the door with wide eyes.

"Oh. Is that your little friend? The clown one?" he asked Sid in a whisper.

"She's here too…how nice." Sid noticed the sweat accumulating on Minato's forehead. Did Allani scare him? Why? She was always the perfect guest when she visited.

"Come in!" Sid yelled back, watching Minato for his response. Minato backed up until he was practically hiding behind the dais. It was a ridiculous sight. Allani walked in and he flinched at every step she took. Sid put his hand to his mouth to stop himself from giggling. To think the great witch of the East would cower in fear at a traveling clown.

"Um…hi Mr. Sokolov." She waved at Minato.

"It's good to see you again, aside from all the threats you've been throwing at these good people." Allani's displeasure seemed to send a chill down his spine. Sid watched with baited breath. Perhaps Allani would save him from this terribly awkward hit to his head mystic campaign. He could see the story forming in his mind. Allani had an amount of resonance the system could not calculate, and it seemed to be functionally endless. Maybe his father was picking up on that energy.

Something in Allani had an immense amount of magic energy. An agent of the Rose, sent with Sid as her guide to this cursed island. A woman powerful enough to send a great witch running away in fear. She would cast him out and return Embrace to its status quo. No one deserved to be worshipped, but at least he liked Allani. She'd make a fine hero in the story he needed to write for the fine people of Embrace.

"Careful dad, Allani doesn't take kindly to invaders here. She killed a woman on our first day." Allani stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Sid?"

"Allani, please don't be too mad. He's crazy, but he's still my father. Just let him leave this place and he'll never bother us again."

"Um…" She watched Sid as he winked at her. Still somewhat confused, she kept walking towards Minato.

"Yeah! You'd better leave Sid and the rest of these people alone. I don't want to have to take my…fists out?" Come on Allani. Born and raised a performer and she completely sucked at being intimidating.

"Sidorushka, listen to me, we need to get away from this woman. If you value your connection to the world, you'll stay away." Sid had no connection to anything, so he would happily ignore that advice. He ran to the window and opened it, gesturing for his father to step through.

"I won't listen to another second of your lies! Leave in peace before she gives up on mercy." Minato scoffed, but he obeyed. Sid made enough of a racket that residents of Embrace were starting to gather just outside the worship room. They watched Minato jump out of the window and fly off into the sky. Allani stood tall in the center of the room, her fists clenched at her sides. Sid ran up to the dais.

"Allani banished the witch! My father knows he is no match for a woman with as much faith in the Rose as her!" Allani still looked confused, but she went along with it and kept the fact that she didn't worship the Rose to herself. She laughed awkwardly along with the crowd and let them shake her hand. Sid would have to apologize for the entire ordeal later. For now, she'd have to accept the love and admiration. Sid had no business moonlighting as some sort of false god. But Allani… she was something special.

Sid wasn't sure exactly why yet, but he needed something beyond explanation to really get people to fall in line. And why not Allani? His loyal friend and ally. Yes, she would make a fine god with a little push from Sid, her faithful prophet.