Plot

[Zenyatta]

Hilzaria's Past

Full of Spilled Blood and Secrets

Most stories about kingdoms begin with describing how peaceful and quiet the land was before the dark times hit. Hilzaria does not quite match that template.

This land has always had its conflicts. Kings are never satisfied with what they have and therefore want to expand upon what they have. From the dawn of time it seemed that Hilzaria was having battles between kings as they all sought more power or more territory. No one was ever happy with what they had, even up to the very end.

The last true five kings that Hilzaria had were no different from their ancestors. Belden, Trahern, Valon, Avital, and Kawena always wanted more once they had their taste for power. However, it was each king's advisor that kept Hilzaria from falling into a war and having only one king control all of the lands. Tensions were heavy between the kings, but their advisors always kept them satisfied with things within their own homes that they needed to keep safe. This caused the kings to be defensive, rather than offensive.

This method of peace-keeping, however, could only protect the kings from so much. Fifteen years ago, something began attacking the five kings, taking them down one by one. No one ever knew if it was disease or foul play and no one could ever find out. It was a strange occurrence, but life moved on and heirs moved to take over their promised crowns, just as their predecessors had done for generations upon generations. This was not the end of all of the tragedy, no. It was only beginning. It was not long into their rule before these heirs were also found dead and then before the next successors could even mention taking on the roles expected of them that they were also killed.

Steadily death moved through the royal lines picking off stallion, mare, and foal. If a horse was related in some way to the Five Kings, they were in grave danger. Over the years, herds disbanded, heirs went into hiding but it did not help. No matter where one of royal blood went, they did not last long in that area. Before too long, Hilzaria was cleansed of all of its royal horses.

Or so the murderers thought.

After the complete decimation of the familial lines that the advisors had all served under and that their ancestors had served under, they banded together as no one else would have them. They were just as cursed as those that carried the Five Kings' blood and any horse in contact with them would most likely suffer the same fate. Ostracized by nearly every surviving horse, the advisors clung to each other for support and also to the one flicker of hope they had heard through gossip:

There was one heir left. Who could prove it was really true as those connected by blood with any of the kings had been hunted down and killed? It really couldn't be proven, but the advisors could not turn down that kind of hope when all else seemed lost. It became their life's goal to find this last heir and when they began dying off of natural causes, they passed their quest on to their children. Now these horses search for...

THE LAST KING