Chapter 5- Casimir

Mina found her cabin near the rear of the train, in an old carriage car with faded red carpet and wood paneling marked by countless years of use. The room was barely a dozen feet square, with a pair of single beds, each set against one of the room sides and accompanied by a small end table, a personal writing desk, and a small electrical lamp. While snug, and its contents old and well worn, the room was warm and comfortable. There didn't seem to be any sign of someone else sharing the room with her either, which was nice.

She kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the left-side bed as the train rocked rhythmically beneath her. Everything happening still felt surreal to her. As if to reassure herself she wasn't losing her mind, she pulled the acceptance letter out of her bag and re-read it. She wasn't sure what she expected would happen if she did this, but for some reason, it seemed to make her feel better.

Mina kicked off her sneakers and pulled off her pants before sliding underneath the red woolen comforter of the bed. With the bedside lamp turned off, the only light in the room was a faint bit of moonlight bleeding through the blinds and curtains over the small window between the two beds. The car swayed to and fro, its wheels making their trademark clickety-clack as the train rolled over closer to the city. Within a few moments, Mina's eyes drifted closed, and she fell fast asleep.

When Mina awoke again, she was not in the train car anymore. Instead, she found herself lying on an ornate four-poster bed in the middle of a field of wildflowers. All around this little clearing, densely packed ancient trees lifted their leaf-laden branches over the flowers, turning the beaming sunlight overhead into a thousand tiny pinpoints of light that made the flowers seem to sparkle and glow as the leaves tossed in the breeze.

“You snore in your sleep. Did you know that?”

Mina jumped in surprise and turned. There, where nothing but wildflowers had stood only moments before was a second four-poster bed only a few feet from her own. Lounging across it was a devilkin man with ashen grey skin, glossy black ram’s horns, elegant features, and eyes the color of honey. He wore an outfit of wildly contrasting colors and patterns, as well as a rather large amount of jewelry. An earring at the point of his left ear connected by a thin chain to a second ring through the left side of his nose, and half a dozen sparkling charms hung from it. Mina looked at him in befuddlement, unable to process what exactly she was looking at, or where she was.

“...Huh?” was all she could finally manage to get out. The devilkin man propped himself up on an elbow to get a better look at her. He somehow managed to look both bored and amused at the same time as he spoke again.

“I said, you snore in your sleep. Did you know that?”

Mina opened and shut her mouth several times, trying to find some sort of reply. She absolutely did NOT snore! Second of all, where the heck was she? Who was this freaky weirdo staring at her like she was a child learning how to walk? And how on earth did she get here with him? Oh gods, had she been abducted?

The man must’ve seen the confusion, anger, and anxiety on her face because he shifted into a sitting position and rested his chin on laced fingers. The look of bored amusement, annoyingly, hadn’t gone away.

“I suppose you’re wondering who I am, where you are, and how you got here. At least, that’s what the look on your face is saying.” He said. As he spoke, his voice had a sonorous, musical quality that, for whatever reason, made her want to be less upset. She’d heard about some devilkin being able to influence people’s moods with their voices. More than a few people in her village were afraid of devilkin. They worried that even being around them would be enough to give them power to control you. She had always thought those people were stupid and backwards, but sitting here feeling how his words tugged on her, she found herself wondering if maybe they had been right to be scared.

“You could say that.” Mina said suspiciously.

The man grinned, revealing a perfectly white set of perfectly straight teeth. His canines were a bit longer than normal, giving the smile an almost predatory affect.

“Who I am is Casimir Penderghast. You may call me Cas, if you please. Second, where you are is still in the train car. You never left. And third of all..."

He raised a hand and gave the air a backwards flick of his fingers. Immediately, the area around Mina began to almost dissolve, like reality had been made of sugar and someone poured water on it. Within moments, she found herself sitting in the plain single bed in the cramped cabin room that she remembered falling asleep in. This time, however, a significant part of the open space on the other side of the room from her was now filled with an assortment of strange objects she didn’t recognize, as well as several travel bags and a half-eaten sandwich on a dining cart platter.

“Wha-? I….How?” Mina sputtered.

Casimir crossed his arms behind his head and laid back, seeming pleased with himself.

“Illusion magic. I was practicing when you woke up. I figured you’d be asleep a few more hours, or else I’d have warned you first.” He said.

"I didn't think magic was even a thing anymore." Mina said. "I've never met someone who still uses it."

"Nah, I dont expect you would have." Cas said, laughing. "There arent that many of use left. Nowadays, technology lets people do almost everything magi do without the decades of study. So most people wonder 'why bother' and spend their time doing literally anything else."

"So why do you study it?"

"Because there are things that you still can't do with technology, dear. Like, for example, something like this." He said, gesturing to a point in the air beside his head. An orange and black butterfly dissolved into reality before it began to litter idly around the room.

"Yes, I can see that." Mina said, watching the illusory creature flit about. After a moment, it landed on one of Mina’s hands and faded away. She could even feel its tiny feet tickling her skin before it vanished. "It's honestly pretty remarkable."

Casimir sat up and gave a mock bow.

"I will have you know that flattery will get you absolutely everywhere with me."

Mina snorted.

"Duly noted."

Cas grinned, then leaned lack again.

"So, what's a girl like you riding an old steam engine to Gnomon City for?"

"School. I just got accepted to the Caltriss Academy School of Dance." Mina said.

Cas slid his feet off the bed.

"No shit?"

Mina nodded, then picked up the acceptance letter and held it out. Cas glanced it over.

"Well, well. And on a full ride scholarship, no less. Consider me duly impressed, Miss..."

"Seras. Call me Mina."

"Well then, Miss Seras, it appears you and I have the same destination."

"Oh really?"

"Indeed. You're looking at a first year at the College of Arcane Studies. And yes, I'm sure you've never heard of it either.There's only like 30 other magi students in the whole place. But apparently one of them came to one of my installations and was impressed enough to insist on me applying. So here I am."

"Your installations? Like, art installations?"

"Yeah. I create free-standing Illusion experiences that allow people to have life-like immersive experiences. So, like, a scene from a movie, but you experience the scene as if it's real. You woke up in one of them. I figure I’m getting close to good enough to maybe start making them professionally. You know, get some marketing team with a giant pile of money to share it with me. But I’m not there yet.”

Cas began picking at something in his teeth with a fingernail. Mina only now noticed that his nails were obsidian-black and honed to fine points. Seemingly satisfied that he’d gotten what he was trying for, he glanced from his nails to her.

“What about yourself, wings? You a skydancer?”

Mina nodded.

“Been doing it most of my life. Was teaching a class in my village before I got surprised by the acceptance letter. Figured I’d give doing it for a living a shot, since it seems like everyone else thinks I should.” She said.

Cas looked at her flatly.

“Do you want to be doing this?” He asked. For some reason the musical aspect had disappeared from his voice. Instinctively, something flared up inside Mina in response.

“Of course I do! I’ve never wanted something more in my entire life!” She said. She’d never said it out loud before. But she knew in this moment is was the truest thing she’d ever said.

“Well, if that’s how you actually feel, then just say so.” Cas said, leaning back and closing his eyes. “No need to hide behind someone or something to make it easier for other people to handle.”

“That’s pretty rich coming from someone who wants to make fake realities for a living.” Mina said, rolling her eyes.

Cas opened one eye and gave her a sidelong glance.

“Art is Art. Honesty is Honesty. Sometimes the two mix, but oftentimes they don’t. I’m just telling you to be honest about who you are. No bullshit.” He said, another wolfish grin crossing his face as he shut his eyes again. “Now stop eyeing your pants on the floor and put them on. The dining car’s not gonna be serving breakfast much longer.”

Mina set her jaw. How on earth could someone be so charming and so insufferable at the same time? Since there was a lull in the conversation, she went to slide out of bed, before realizing she wasn’t wearing any pants. Blushing at the realization, she pulled the blanket up higher around her.

“Can you turn around please? I need a moment of privacy.”

Casimir quirked an eyebrow, and glanced down at the covers she had pulled tightly around her. He snorted.

“You needn’t worry about me, darling. You’re not my…brand.” He said

Mina narrowed her eyes.

"What does that mean?”

“It means I typically prefer boys, darling. Though I’ve never had a girl, so who knows? Maybe one day I'll meet one who broadens my horizons. But I doubt it."

“Well either way, I don’t want you watching. So turn around.”

Cas chuckled.

“As you wish. I won’t turn back around until I hear you latch the door behind you, if that makes you feel better.”

To his credit, Mina noted, he kept his word.