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Description
Sky's new ref!
Link to his old one: here

This story got a major overhaul, namely that humans were removed completely and Sky's design was updated. Also, I decided to give him a bird companion. Because I feel like horses and birds go well together. I don't have a better explanation than that.

Name: Skystride
Nicknames: Sky (preferred), Goldie, Golden Boy
Gender: stallion
Age: 18 years old (human equivalent)
Breed: Thoroughbred
Height: 14.3 hh
Phenotype: golden bay rabicano
Genotype: Ee/Aa/nRb
Markings: white rabicano markings on belly and flanks, white "Matchem arms" at base of tail, small dash of white on right hind heel, very small star (not visible at this angle).
Eyes: deep aqua-blue
Build: on the smaller side, with a notable crest. Long-legged and lean.
Mother: Roxana, Thoroughbred, greying bay - Ee/AA/nG
Father: Suncatcher, Thoroughbred, black rabicano/golden bay chimera - EE/aa/nRb // Ee/Aa
Other notable relationships:
Aleksander - Thoroughbred stallion. Friend/herdmate.
Brush - Colorado Ranger mare. Friend/herdmate.
Lina - Akhal-Teke/Arab mare. Friend/herdmate.
Kanaretah - Nokota/Spanish Mustang stallion. Friend/herdmate.
Hei - Heihe Horse mare. Friend/herdmate.
Jarli - Brumby stallion. Friend/herdmate.
Altyn and Khamsa - Akhal-Teke stallion and Arab mare, respectively. Sky's adoptive parents.
Solarian - Thoroughbred stallion. Primary antagonist.
Bird companion: Sama - Saker Falcon, red-gold variety. Female. Her name is the Arabic word for "sky."
Bond marking color: sky blue
Home: Desert Territory
Personality: laid-back, adaptable, thoughtful, honest, patient, hopeful. The fire in his veins, rather than being directed to scorch others, rather fans the warm embers of his heart. His capacity for goodness and his belief in the basic decency of other horses is as wide as the sky he's named after. It is incredibly rare for him to get truly angry - if you actually manage to pull it off, you should almost count that as an acomplishment. And then maybe run, because while he doesn't get mad often, it can get pretty ugly when he does.
History:
Skystride was born in Forest Territory, in one of the many sprawling cities, although he was too young to remember it. He was barely a few months old when his parents fled with him to Desert Territory to the south, on the run from the High Leader's officials. He didn't remember his father at all, and barely remembered his mother. They left him with a kind couple with no foals of their own, a pair named Altyn and Khamsa. And then they left. Sky didn't know what ever happened to them, or why they felt the need to run in the first place.
So he grew up in the desert, racing over dunes under a sky wider and bluer than a foal could imagine. He knew Altyn and Khamsa weren't his real parents, but they shied away from telling him too much about his real parents. This only fueled his curiousity, but he recognized that pressing them would only make them clam up more. So, he bided his time, sure that he would learn the truth one day. All he knew about them was that they were both Thoroughbreds, well-known as the Breed of Kings, the breed that every High Leader since the organization of modern equestrian society had been. Why they had felt the need to flee and give their son to a family in Desert Territory, far from the Leader's Court in Forest Territory, remained a mystery to him.
When he approached adulthood, it came time for him to participate in the Wind Trials - the yearly racing contest held for coming-of-age horses to see if they were destined to have a bird companion. Horses who bonded with birds were automatically elevated in the eyes of their herdmates, and female birds in particular were associated with leaders. Typically, female birds only bonded to horses who deserved particularly high ranks or prestige - it was nearly unthinkable to imagine anyone but the High Leader and his closest advisors having a female bird. Sky didn't care if he got a bird or not, but he wouldn't deny that there was something exciting about watching the birds gather overhead before the race, undulating clouds of feathers in every color under the sun.
His parents had warned him to hold back a bit in the race, to not run as fast as he could. It was dangerous, they said. Sky thought they meant physical danger, that they were afraid he'd hurt himself racing over the sandy dunes. He dismissed their worries. He'd been running on sand his whole life. He wasn't worried.
He ran the race of his life, flying far ahead of the other horses. The only one to match pace with him was a bird - a magnificent golden Saker falcon, soaring ahead of her peers.
Yes. Her.
It didn't occur to him until the race was over that maybe his parents had meant something besides a danger of tripping in the race.
Because he didn't like the way the Court Officials were looking at him at the end of it.
That night, Altyn and Khamsa ordered him to begin packing, hurriedly explaining why as they threw supplies into saddlebags for him. Once, they said, there were three families of royal Thoroughbreds, each descended from one of the three prime deities - those descended from Matchem, a descendant of The Sun; those from Herod, a descendant of The Wind; and those from Eclipse, a descendant of The Sky. Each was known for a different set of traits - Matchem horses for their small size, cresty necks, and natural speed; Herod horses for their larger size, strength, and durability; and Eclipse horses for their adaptability, energy, and sensitivity. Over time, the Eclipses became greedy for power, and gradually banished or eliminated the Matchems and Herods. They kept this a careful secret from those outside the court, in order to avoid potential public outcry against their consolidation of power.
Sky's parents, they said, were Matchem horses. They had been some of the few remaining in the court, their threat level deemed low enough for them to be left alone. With the ascension of High Leader Solarian, however, they lost their last shred of safety. Solarian was paranoid, and determined to eliminate them. So they fled, seeking refuge for their son. They didn't know what happened to them after that.
In the midst of their explanation, Court Officers came to their home, demanding that Sky be handed over to them. Altyn and Khamsa made him flee, and he escaped into the desert with his bird. He didn't know what happened to them, but he could see the smoke from his home in the distance. He had no choice now but to keep moving.
Sky didn't know where to go, but he did know one thing: he was going to find out the truth. The truth about his parents, about Solarian, about everything the Court had been hiding. And he was going to find some way of making it right.
He set off in the general direction of Forest Territory, with only his bird as his companion. She seemed to understand the immensity of his mission - he could feel it through their bond. And their bond also revealed to him her name: Sama.
Sky has no idea where his journey will lead. But he'll find his way through it, one way or another.
Playlist: here
Extra:
- His appearance is based on a mashup of that of the real horses Matchem and the Godolphin Arab - Matchem was a bay with "Matchem arms," a rabicano trait, at the base of his tail, and the Godolphin Arab was a bay with a small spot of white on his right hind heel. Sky's golden bay color is based on descriptions of the Godolphin Arab in Margeurite Henry's book King of the Wind.
- He is definitely a marathon runner - he does best at race distances of two miles or more. And he can do it fast.
- His cresty neck and small size are traits associated with horses descended from the Matchem/The Sun bloodline.
- to clarify the deities: The Sun is based on the Godolphin Arab, The Wind is based on the Byerley Turk, and The Sky is based on the Darley Arab.
- Due to being raised in Desert Territory, he has a preference for desert-style adornments. He is highly partial to stuff with tassels.
- Likes to wear his mane and tail long and loose.

Description
Sky's new ref!
Link to his old one: here

This story got a major overhaul, namely that humans were removed completely and Sky's design was updated. Also, I decided to give him a bird companion. Because I feel like horses and birds go well together. I don't have a better explanation than that.

Name: Skystride
Nicknames: Sky (preferred), Goldie, Golden Boy
Gender: stallion
Age: 18 years old (human equivalent)
Breed: Thoroughbred
Height: 14.3 hh
Phenotype: golden bay rabicano
Genotype: Ee/Aa/nRb
Markings: white rabicano markings on belly and flanks, white "Matchem arms" at base of tail, small dash of white on right hind heel, very small star (not visible at this angle).
Eyes: deep aqua-blue
Build: on the smaller side, with a notable crest. Long-legged and lean.
Mother: Roxana, Thoroughbred, greying bay - Ee/AA/nG
Father: Suncatcher, Thoroughbred, black rabicano/golden bay chimera - EE/aa/nRb // Ee/Aa
Other notable relationships:
Aleksander - Thoroughbred stallion. Friend/herdmate.
Brush - Colorado Ranger mare. Friend/herdmate.
Lina - Akhal-Teke/Arab mare. Friend/herdmate.
Kanaretah - Nokota/Spanish Mustang stallion. Friend/herdmate.
Hei - Heihe Horse mare. Friend/herdmate.
Jarli - Brumby stallion. Friend/herdmate.
Altyn and Khamsa - Akhal-Teke stallion and Arab mare, respectively. Sky's adoptive parents.
Solarian - Thoroughbred stallion. Primary antagonist.
Bird companion: Sama - Saker Falcon, red-gold variety. Female. Her name is the Arabic word for "sky."
Bond marking color: sky blue
Home: Desert Territory
Personality: laid-back, adaptable, thoughtful, honest, patient, hopeful. The fire in his veins, rather than being directed to scorch others, rather fans the warm embers of his heart. His capacity for goodness and his belief in the basic decency of other horses is as wide as the sky he's named after. It is incredibly rare for him to get truly angry - if you actually manage to pull it off, you should almost count that as an acomplishment. And then maybe run, because while he doesn't get mad often, it can get pretty ugly when he does.
History:
Skystride was born in Forest Territory, in one of the many sprawling cities, although he was too young to remember it. He was barely a few months old when his parents fled with him to Desert Territory to the south, on the run from the High Leader's officials. He didn't remember his father at all, and barely remembered his mother. They left him with a kind couple with no foals of their own, a pair named Altyn and Khamsa. And then they left. Sky didn't know what ever happened to them, or why they felt the need to run in the first place.
So he grew up in the desert, racing over dunes under a sky wider and bluer than a foal could imagine. He knew Altyn and Khamsa weren't his real parents, but they shied away from telling him too much about his real parents. This only fueled his curiousity, but he recognized that pressing them would only make them clam up more. So, he bided his time, sure that he would learn the truth one day. All he knew about them was that they were both Thoroughbreds, well-known as the Breed of Kings, the breed that every High Leader since the organization of modern equestrian society had been. Why they had felt the need to flee and give their son to a family in Desert Territory, far from the Leader's Court in Forest Territory, remained a mystery to him.
When he approached adulthood, it came time for him to participate in the Wind Trials - the yearly racing contest held for coming-of-age horses to see if they were destined to have a bird companion. Horses who bonded with birds were automatically elevated in the eyes of their herdmates, and female birds in particular were associated with leaders. Typically, female birds only bonded to horses who deserved particularly high ranks or prestige - it was nearly unthinkable to imagine anyone but the High Leader and his closest advisors having a female bird. Sky didn't care if he got a bird or not, but he wouldn't deny that there was something exciting about watching the birds gather overhead before the race, undulating clouds of feathers in every color under the sun.
His parents had warned him to hold back a bit in the race, to not run as fast as he could. It was dangerous, they said. Sky thought they meant physical danger, that they were afraid he'd hurt himself racing over the sandy dunes. He dismissed their worries. He'd been running on sand his whole life. He wasn't worried.
He ran the race of his life, flying far ahead of the other horses. The only one to match pace with him was a bird - a magnificent golden Saker falcon, soaring ahead of her peers.
Yes. Her.
It didn't occur to him until the race was over that maybe his parents had meant something besides a danger of tripping in the race.
Because he didn't like the way the Court Officials were looking at him at the end of it.
That night, Altyn and Khamsa ordered him to begin packing, hurriedly explaining why as they threw supplies into saddlebags for him. Once, they said, there were three families of royal Thoroughbreds, each descended from one of the three prime deities - those descended from Matchem, a descendant of The Sun; those from Herod, a descendant of The Wind; and those from Eclipse, a descendant of The Sky. Each was known for a different set of traits - Matchem horses for their small size, cresty necks, and natural speed; Herod horses for their larger size, strength, and durability; and Eclipse horses for their adaptability, energy, and sensitivity. Over time, the Eclipses became greedy for power, and gradually banished or eliminated the Matchems and Herods. They kept this a careful secret from those outside the court, in order to avoid potential public outcry against their consolidation of power.
Sky's parents, they said, were Matchem horses. They had been some of the few remaining in the court, their threat level deemed low enough for them to be left alone. With the ascension of High Leader Solarian, however, they lost their last shred of safety. Solarian was paranoid, and determined to eliminate them. So they fled, seeking refuge for their son. They didn't know what happened to them after that.
In the midst of their explanation, Court Officers came to their home, demanding that Sky be handed over to them. Altyn and Khamsa made him flee, and he escaped into the desert with his bird. He didn't know what happened to them, but he could see the smoke from his home in the distance. He had no choice now but to keep moving.
Sky didn't know where to go, but he did know one thing: he was going to find out the truth. The truth about his parents, about Solarian, about everything the Court had been hiding. And he was going to find some way of making it right.
He set off in the general direction of Forest Territory, with only his bird as his companion. She seemed to understand the immensity of his mission - he could feel it through their bond. And their bond also revealed to him her name: Sama.
Sky has no idea where his journey will lead. But he'll find his way through it, one way or another.
Playlist: here
Extra:
- His appearance is based on a mashup of that of the real horses Matchem and the Godolphin Arab - Matchem was a bay with "Matchem arms," a rabicano trait, at the base of his tail, and the Godolphin Arab was a bay with a small spot of white on his right hind heel. Sky's golden bay color is based on descriptions of the Godolphin Arab in Margeurite Henry's book King of the Wind.
- He is definitely a marathon runner - he does best at race distances of two miles or more. And he can do it fast.
- His cresty neck and small size are traits associated with horses descended from the Matchem/The Sun bloodline.
- to clarify the deities: The Sun is based on the Godolphin Arab, The Wind is based on the Byerley Turk, and The Sky is based on the Darley Arab.
- Due to being raised in Desert Territory, he has a preference for desert-style adornments. He is highly partial to stuff with tassels.
- Likes to wear his mane and tail long and loose.