Our Dolorosa

The Short Chapter That Starts Everything Off

Life, is a strange thing. You never know what’s going to happen. Sometimes people come barging into your world without knocking and they change it forever. I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. Hi, my name is Aidin Rakkaus. I should probably tell you about what happened and why you're reading this. It started when I was fifteen.

    “Záhuba! Stop eating all the lemons!” Záhuba is a Gold who had been my moirail ever since he was moved to be raised in the Jade Cavern after his blindness was made apparent. He never had trouble getting around though, he learned to associate different smells with certain colours.
    “Why should I? You’re not my Jade.” He liked to play the ‘You’re not my guardian’ card a lot. I was just worried he’d get himself into major trouble one day.
    “I might not be but you don’t want to get in trouble with the Cerulean. Some say that she’s a pirate.”
“I’m not afraid of some blue pirate.” His eyebrows furrowed as he bit into another lemon. I could tell by his voice that he was getting annoyed.
“But you should be! She's a much higher class than us!”

All of a sudden I heard my name being called from within the cavern and I jumped. I had completely forgot I would be getting my first child. Being a Jade, I was expected to raise the next generation of our species. The Empress loves to conquer so almost all of the adults are on different planets fighting. This leaves us to raise their kids. I smiled weakly at Zahuba and ran into the cave as fast as my scrawny legs could go. When I reached the nursery Matka sent me a glare that I swear pierced my soul. Matka was my Jade growing up, she had a fiery passion for protecting the youth and compassion no one could match. Too bad that compassion didn’t shine through when she was angry.
“Are you aware that you are 5 Dobashes late, Rakkaus?” her voice stern enough to strike fear in even an Indigo.
“Y-Yes Ma’am”
“Any why might that be?” Matka wasn’t one to easily trust me, she was one of the two people who knew I had the tendency to lie.
“Záhuba and I, w-we were collecting fruit from the Cerulean that visits the cavern sometimes.”
Matka stayed silent for a dobash before she sighed heavily and softened her tone. “Fine. Just don’t do it again, Aidin. They’re waiting for you inside”

I nodded to her and scurried quickly inside the nursery. I was met with a row of emerald eyes seemingly glowing in the dark cavern. The oldest and wisest of all the Jades in the cavern are part of a group called The Dolorosas. They were named after the first Jade to raise a child on her own, after her all Jades started following in suit. The Dolorosas are charge of almost everything in the cavern, including the child giving ceremony. The eldest stepped forward and spoke up “Jade Rakkaus, today is the day you will receive the first of many children you are required to raise. You will raise them to the skill level they need according to their dot color. When their dot appears you must report to us the color. If they are a Lime or Fuschia you must return them to us. Any questions?”
“N-No Ma’am”
“Then I give you Laskavost Agape, may you raise her well.”

    One of the other Dolorosas stepped forward, in her arms, a tiny baby girl. She handed her to me gently and pressed a kiss to both of our foreheads. I bowed to The Dolorosas with the slight tip of my head and they let me out. Outside of the nursery, Matka looked at me with a soft and warm smile on her face. She pressed a kiss to my cheek and it said all that words couldn’t.

    I walked outside the cavern to meet Záhuba and his eyebrows furrowed with disdain. See, Záhuba was never one to particularly like children in the slightest. In fact, I was pretty sure he hated them. “What’s its name” he said more out of manners than curiosity.
“Laskavost”
“Seriously?” He looked to me as if I was crazy. “No, we’re giving her a nickname. How about, Kay. It’s short and to the point”
“You mean like you?”
“Yes-hey! I’m not that short!”
I snickered “Sure you’re not.”

We started walking to our loft. It was a small hollowed out area in the rock off of the main cavern. I couldn’t wait until Kay got her dot, then we would be assigned an actual building that would cater to whatever class they were. When we reached our little loft I placed her gently in the crib that was given to us. She cooed slightly and reached up for my hand. This, this was why I put up with everyone in the cavern. This is why I do my job. Moments like this. Of course she still hadn’t grown on Záhuba yet. He sat down on the far end of the loft, as far away from her as he could get. I sighed heavily and looked back at him. Back then I had wished nothing more than for him to like her, how I wish I had small worries like that now. Three days and we’d get an upgrade from the dusty loft depending on her dot, or at least, that’s what I believed at the time. What I didn’t know was what was waiting for us.