Honor-A Short Story

Villains are always the hardest to get right. Their personality and backstory has to be perfect for them to have the right goals (AKA making your main character’s life terrible 🤣). 

So, of course, I had to write a short story to develop my villian of The Search for Alis. Now, I am posting it for you guys to read! 

***

Coffee was practically the only thing that kept her alive. After all, taking care of Regnum City was tough. 

Zaria stared out the open window, her hand on the half-empty coffee mug in front of her. Her eyelids drooped as she studied the sunlight as it filtered through the early-morning fog that hid Regnum City from the tower. 

Mornings were Zaria’s favorite time of the day. Nobody bothered her, everything was calm and peaceful, and nothing could go wrong. 

Something always went wrong in this city, no matter how hard Zaria tried to keep it together. 

Probably had to do with the problem everyone had with her leadership. They thought the way she kept the city safe was wrong. 

They were wrong. Regnum City had to be protected. The people who lived here were not ready to see all of the technical advances from the world beyond. After all, what would they think when they saw everyone with cars and IPhones? And when they saw how terrible the world had gotten beyond the border? Nobody wanted to see that. 

No, this city was the best thing for them. Somewhere where they could be secluded from the rest of the world without worries. They could be protected in a controlled environment as they had for so many decades. 

Besides, Zaria’s father had done it exactly this way before he died. She was honoring him by doing it the same way he had done. 

There was nothing she could do for her father anymore but honor him. So she would do that until the day she died. 

Zaria lifted the mug to her lips, but the coffee tasted more bitter than before. She groaned inwardly. So much for calm mornings when she had to think about her duties in the city. 

She pushed her chair back, getting to her feet. She walked to the sink.

Her head was beginning to throb. It was too early for a headache, before any of the stressful things happened. 

She set the mug in the sink and turned on the water. She scooped up the water, splashing it onto her hot face. 

A knock on the door interrupted her. Zaria turned off the water, spinning on her heel. 

“I’ll be there in a second!” She snapped, making sure her holster was secure on her belt and throwing on her jacket. She walked to the door, throwing it open. 

Outside, a tall young man with dark black hair stood with an air of respect, though his face was grim. 

“What is it?” Zaria asked, crossing her arms.

The man took a deep breath and toyed with his hands. “Well, um…miss, there has been a group caught at the border, trying to escape. The patrol wanted your permission-”

“You know the policy! You don’t need my permission to follow the policy I gave you permission to follow! Go tell them to follow the policy!” Zaria growled, waving him off. It seemed like every day they had another group try to escape. She just wished they would simply do as she had asked them to do, not ask her permission every time. 

The young man nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Sorry!” He hurried off, typing something into his tablet as he ran. 

Zaria smirked. She liked that she was respected. That she wasn’t just ignored because she was a girl who was just barely twenty-seven. 

Perhaps it was because everyone knew she was like her father. Everyone knew that. She even looked like him. Ava always looked like-

Zaria blinked, shaking her head. No. She was never going back into that track of thoughts. The thoughts that she hated her sister. The memories of their mother. 

She gritted her teeth, closing the door to her room. She had an execution to carry out. 

***

Zaria was unsure of how she felt about killing someone. Over the years, she had grown used to it. But it always shook her soul every time she pressed the trigger on the gun. 

She followed behind the two Shadow Lizard members. They were both tense, as if they expected the worst to happen. 

Killing someone wasn’t the worst thing. It had to happen for the good of the city. At least that is what her father had always said when he came back from overseeing an execution. 

Zaria didn’t know what to believe as a child when she heard that. It always seemed slightly wrong. Now, she knew it was necessary. She had to do it. Teach them a lesson. It was to keep everyone else safe. 

With this new fire lit in her spirit, they entered the center of the city. 

Six patrol members were pinning down a group made of three adults, two women and one man. All three had their heads bowed. 

The patrol leader looked up when Zaria entered the clearing. 

“These three were leaving the city,” He said in a deep voice, his tone level. 

Zaria brushed past the two members, her eyes studying the three people. She didn’t look too long. It always hurt more when she knew the faces of those she had killed. Her hand grasped her gun. “You know what to do.” 

Simultaneously, she pulled her gun out of the holster at the same time as the other patrol members. 

“Ready.” She lifted her gun, taking a deep breath. “Fire.”  

She shut her eyes as she pressed the trigger, the bang from the guns shook her. She turned away. Her heart was pounding in her chest and tears were in her eyes. 

How could she just do this with a cold heart? Murdering innocent people? 

No. She shook her head, lifting her chin. They were not innocent. This was the way her father had led. She would do it the same way. It was the only way to lead a city like this. 

Zaria clenched her fists. 

In her mind, she saw her mother’s face. Her mother didn’t agree with her father in most ways. They were practically opposites. Her mother thought killing was wrong, though she wouldn’t say it to her husband. 

That’s why Ava and Zaria were always at odds. Zaria was her father. Ava was her mother. 

Even though Ava had taken her mother away. 

Zaria growled. Now was not the time to think of this. To have a mental breakdown again. She had to be a strong leader. If any citizens were watching the execution and saw her break down into tears, what would they think?

She had to be strong. Push the emotions down. 

Honor her father. 

***

I hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! 

~A.J. Syngraféas