In the shadow of the Siege of Vienna, a young Akhal Teke colt is born in the unrelenting desert. Khan is trained as a warhorse and earns the friendship of Inga, a zebra-horse crossbreed that serves as his cranky packhorse. All mares sing prophecy over their foals, and Khan is given a shocking warning that he will race the horse gods themselves, deciding the future of all equines and men.