Studio 30 Plus: Problem Solved

Yay!  After several weeks of craziness, I finally just made myself write the Studio 30 Plus prompt this week.  We got humiliating and/or ignominious.  Here's the next part of the Weather Riders story.  Be sure to check out other great responses over at Studio 30 Plus through the button below.

                “Then let us hear the lagniappe you propose.”

                “Let me ask you this first.  Have you used anyone who was strong and healthy from your group to try to fix this?”

                Edward’s brow furrowed as he rubbed his chin and stared at the ground.  Then he looked up at me and shook his head.  I went on before he could put words to it.  The words he’d use didn’t matter.
                “I think that’s the problem.  The weather takes what is given to it.  The very atmosphere is influenced by the smallest stimuli.  I think that if you repeat the ceremony with someone from here, it may work.”

                Edward and Micah looked abashed.  Neither would meet my eye.  The silence drew out until I began to fidget and stared at Caiden, begging him to do something about it.

                “Well, this is humiliating.  Edward and I have been searching for an answer for more than a month now.  We bring you here and within a couple hours you see something we’ve missed all this time.  And you offer it as a bonus to the terms releasing you.”

                I reddened a little, “I just didn’t want the children to die.  They’ve lost enough already.”

                “Then the person we must use in the ceremony must be me.”

                Micah whipped around to stare at Edward, “Why??  There is no way we can sacrifice your powers.  What will we have left?”

                “What will we have left if I do not, Micah?”

                Micah looked away.  The rider who’d accompanied Caiden here signaled to Caiden he was leaving.  Caiden made a couple quick gestures that looked like some kind of sign language.  Then the rider took off, careful to stir up as little dust as possible.

                “I have a dumb question as you two are still at odds over who should and should not sacrifice himself for this.”

                “What is your query?”

                “Do you have to give up all your powers?  I mean, what if you both gave up a little.  Would that be enough?”

                “I do not know.  We have not tried what you suggest.  We have followed the old texts.”

                “I hate to break this up, but now that Shayna’s solved at least some of the problem here, I am taking her and we are leaving.”

                Edward and Micah sketched slight bows toward me.

                “We appreciate your assistance.  Do not fear.  You are free and will not be harmed again by me or mine.  Micah will guide you back to the main highway.”

                “Don’t worry about it.  We got here just fine.  We can find our way back without help.”

                There was something in Caiden’s tone that brooked no argument, and scared me.  He did not like these people on a level that went beyond a philosophical disagreement.  Venom lurked behind those words just waiting for the fool who prodded enough to discover it.