Big Mac walked with heavy feet through the thick snow. He was cold, tired, and hungry. The weather had not been kind to him, but it was especially cruel to his companions. He looked at his traveling companions and frowned. The smaller Strongheart had the perfect fur for the cold weather but lacked the body size. Ezekiel was far worse due to his thinner coat and the many metal weapons he insisted on taking through the journey.
The large earth pony stallion wanted to disagree with the zebra, but this was the only guide willing to take them this far. He looked up the mountain and sneered at the massive sight. The weather was becoming worse as they moved further up. Even with his large build and warm coat, he could feel the bitter chill in the air.
He was glad to have his traveling companions, but he would have preferred to do this alone. They were only doing this for their own reasons. Strongheart wanted to prove herself to her father. She wanted to show him she could be strong and was willing to fight for her family.
Ezekiel, on the other hand, was far different. He only wanted the money. He told them many times already that the yaks were a rich and proud race with plentiful resources. The yaks had their own rules and ways of doing things, and he was going to try and make a deal. If he could establish trade with them it would be a massive boon for his company.
Big Mac was more than a little skeptical, but there was no other choice. His homeland had been invaded by King Kray and his forces. He needed help fighting the invaders. He was not sure how his fellow Equestrians were going to fare alone. He had witnessed the horror from a distance. Unable to reach Ponyville before it burned to the ground.
Big Mac shook his head to clear away the thought away from the screaming memories and the endless smoke. He didn't want to think about his home being destroyed. He had to stay focused on his goal. They had no idea how long the trek would be, and it would be a long time until they found food or shelter. The large earth pony pulled out his compass. Just as he feared, it was still spinning around. He sighed heavily and shook it violently, hoping it would adjust itself.
"What are you doing?" asked Strongheart. She had seen him shaking the device, and he ignored her.
"I told you that's pointless!!" Ezekiel held up the map, fighting through his jittering teeth to get a rhyme out. "Too much metal around the abyss."
"Well, do ya have any better ideas?" Big Mac demanded. He was quickly growing impatient with the zebra.
"Just follow the path!" Ezekiel said as he pointed ahead. "We'll get there soon with a laugh!" He laughed in pain.
"Don't waste your energy!" Strongheart rubbed her hands alongside his so he didn't drop the map. "We have a long way to go."
"I am never ashamed." The zebra smiled brighter and winked at her. "Not when getting help from a dame."
Strongheart gave him a flat look, clearly not impressed with his charms. The stallion was handsome and very smooth, but she other priorities. Ezekiel just shrugged and walked ahead. She followed close behind, knowing it was a bad idea to lose sight of him. She wanted to be strong, but she also had to think clearly.
Big Mac grumbled loudly and trotted forward. This was going to be a long and dangerous journey. He wasn't sure if the weather would kill them first, or the monsters lurking around every corner. All he knew was that he was not going to give up now. The Apple clan depended on him. Applejack was still missing, Apple Bloom had left behind to gather survivors with Tender Tap. Granny Smith died in the flames that consumed Ponyville. That bastard, Caramel, was nowhere to be found. He had lost contact with Braeburn when Canterlot was destroyed and remade.
The earth pony shook his head. There was no time to think of the past. He had to worry about the present. He was not going to let Equestria be conquered. He had to keep moving forward and do what he must. He would have his vengeance, and then he would bring his sister back to her home.
"Look!!" Strongheart called out, pointing up ahead to a large shadow trenching out of the blizzard. "I see something!"
"Finally," Ezekiel huffed. "I thought I would freeze."
"Wait!" Big Mac held his hand in front of them. Much to his regret the shape wasn't a building or a structure of any kind. He could barely make out the outline of a massive creature rushing at them.
The silhouette broke away to reveal a giant monstrous yeti baboon-like creature. It rushed towards them at blinding speed. Big Mac grabbed his weapon. It was a massive war hammer made of solid iron. The weight of the thing was enough to make the average stallion buckle, but not the strongest member of the Apple Clan. Yet against this beast, a hit to the face only made it flinch away from trembling over them.
"A Bayeti!" Ezekiel pushed Strongheart out of the way.
"You know what this thing is?!" Strongheart asked.
"Yes! Bayeti are driven by sounds!" The zebra answered. "An ape-like species that lives on the mound."
Big Mac roared with little words and swung again as it passed by. This time it knocked him off his feet.
"With sound! That is how it's bound" Ezekiel reached into his satchel and pulled out a small whistle. However, the creature caught onto this and pounded the ground, causing snow to pepper their faces. This knocked the instrument out of the zebra's hand.
Strongheart was quick enough to roll out of the way, but Big Mac was unable to move out of the way in time. The yeti baboon grabbed him and threw him like a toy. It bashed him on the ground several times, each one harder than the last. He felt the bones creak beneath him, and he was sent flying. He was slammed through a tree and buried deep into the snow. He didn't get a chance to recover before the creature rushed at him again.
He could barely raise his weapon to block the monster's teeth. It was a miracle the creature ripped off his arms. He couldn't hold out forever. If he didn't do something fast he was going to die here. Panic rushed through his body. All his work to get here could be lost in an instant. Images of his family flashed by quicker than he could process. He didn't want it all to end this way. He had to do something, anything!
"Sound..." The word echoed in his head. He gritted his teeth and roared louder than he ever had before. Pushing so hard, he could have sworn he tore up his throat but it was enough. Bayeti retracted its rage for a moment. Just long enough for Ezekiel to get the whistle, roll over beside Big Mac, and blow hard. The sharp, ear-piercing noise made the beast howl with agony and cover its ears.
Big Mac rolled to his feet and smashed his hammer right into the creature's face. The combined effort only knocked it off its balance. It took another strike from Strongheart. She gave it her best tackle ever and it was just barely enough to push it off its feet. The beast's eyes widened as it began to tumble down the mountainside.
They all watched it disappear in the storm. Only then did they breathe?
"That was a close call," Ezekiel laughed. "I didn't expect it to fall."
"What kind of creature was that?" Strongheart asked, wiping the sweat from her brow. "That wasn't like any other beast I've seen before."
"That was a bayeti!!" Another voice echoed behind them. It was a loud and proud voice unlike either of them would speak at all.
All three of them turned around and saw snow departing to reveal the horrible truth. Standing mere feet from them was a giant seemingly endless wall. It was never a mountain they were charging toward but a massive barrier. The structure was made entirely of solid ice, and it seemed to stretch forever. At the top of it stood wooden walls and several cannons aimed at them. The structure was built so perfectly that the blizzard had covered their presence.
"Well done foes. We are glad you survived the beast." The proud voice chuckled at them. This brought their eyes to the source. A large yak standing near the biggest canon. "My name is Julius Ronford, and I welcome to Yakyakistan!"
"We found it?" Strongheart whispered, but the sound carried to everyone. "We found the fabled land of the Yak."
"Yup." Big Mac nodded. He could feel his heart soar with excitement. However, none of them knew the greater trails that lay ahead of them. The Yaks were a proud and very stubborn race. Finding them was only the easy part. Convincing them to help their plight, would be the true test.
******