Michael the Magnificent

Chapter 2: Enter Wilsuma

As they wandered through the forest with their horses, time seemed to drift by. The sun was still high in the sky when Michael looked up wearily. Adventure must be tiring even without danger, He thought to himself. Just when he wasn't sure he could sit upright any longer, they neared the end of the tree line and Michael finally caught a glimpse of an open meadow ahead.

Suddenly, he was more energized. Maybe a change of scenery was all he needed! As they trotted toward the opening, Michael looked around with amazement. Though he hadn't seen it through the thick trees of the forest, a town lay on the right side of the meadow. This town was nothing like the kingdom they had come from though.. this town was quite small with houses that very nearly looked to be made of leaves and sticks, quite like a birds nest if you can imagine it.

He looked at Sir Cuenca and noticed the smile on his face. "Sir Cuenca, do you know this place?" he asked.

Sir Cuenca nodded his head and replied, "Oh yes, Wilsuma will be a wonderful place to rest for the night. I had nearly forgotten it is the neighboring kingdom."

Michael's face grew quizzical. "Kingdom?" While the town was welcoming, it hardly seemed like a kingdom. In any case, it seemed more of a stop one would make on their way to a kingdom rather than a kingdom itself.

Still yet, they rode on side by side and approached Wilsuma. Just as they reached the edge of the peculiar kingdom, something buzzed by Michael's ear.

"Welcome," Michael heard a whisper say as he swatted at the creature. Immediately he regretted swatting, for who would feel right swatting at something that was trying to be hospitable?

"I'm terribly sorry, sir- er, miss," Michael apologized. He swiveled his head from side to side looking for the initiator of this exchange but to no avail.

"Oh you won't find it back around you after you flicked and batted it away. Could you blame it? Would you stick around someone who had swatted their hand at you?" Sir Cuenca chuckled.

Michael felt his face redden. "I didn't mean to. Honest. I thought it was just a bug of some sort til I heard it speak."

There Sir Cuenca's face grew serious. He pulled his horse to a stop and leaned in toward Michael who had come to a halt as well. "It spoke?" Sir Cuenca asked. Michael nodded. "This is a very good sign. Take care not to run the rest of them off now. They are a very gentle and embracing sort of creature, but hardly what you'd call chattersome. One discouraging move and they'll likely withdraw their welcome. And we certainly could use their help. Still, let's be on." And he began riding again.

Michael followed suit and continued to drink in the sights of Wilsuma.

As they drew closer, Michael noticed that the sky had begun to grow darker, and as it had the abodes made of twigs and grass and mud seemed to generate a glow. Indeed, now Michael could see that the very structures he'd hardly accepted as a kingdom had lit up the opening so it now seemed both warm and magical at the same time.

The flittering creatures in the air grew in number as they approached and when they had at last reached the first dwelling of Wilsuma they came to a halt and dismounted from their horses. Sir Cuenca rubbed his horse's back and whispered a few words in a sweet tone and Michael- feeling rather like a ninny- craned his neck up towards his own horse's ear and quietly stammered, "I-I-I'm not quite sure wha-what to s-s-say or if you even ca-ca-can know what I'm s-s-saying, but tha-thank you for letting me r-ride you." And he leaned back and stared into the face of the horse. The horse stared back blankly- as you or I would expect any normal horse to do after hearing a speech directed to it in any human tongue- but then, ever so subtly, winked his right eye at Michael. Michael jerked back and looked over at Sir Cuenca who was grinning as though he had witnessed an inside joke that Michael was not yet privy to.