I started my search in an unusual direction, that being behind me.

For one I was just curious if I could even turn around, and the second reason was that I was just plain curious. What I saw was both surprising and unsuprirsing, as there was just another mountain, albeit one that was larger than all others. Towering over the surroundings it went so high that it pierced the cloud cover, and presumably kept going for a while.

The sides were nearly sheer at points, and nothing grew up there, nor were there signs of anyone having tried to climb it. The only useful bit of information I gathered was that there was a stream further up, one which could probably be diverted with minimal effort. I would just need to either grow a longer arm, or somehow move, neither of which seemed possible at the moment.

I filed away that information for now, and silently enjoyed the fact that at least I had my back to the metaphorical wall. Plus it kinda made me feel a bit like the eye of Sauron, what with my ability to see incredibly far if I focus. A reference I didn't even know I was capable of making, though one I was glad to have as the lord of the rings was a great series.

Pushing aside my urge to start quoting Tolkien, I continued to inspect the valley, starting with the closest part. The flat expanse of rock directly beneath me wasn't overly large, probably just big enough for a half dozen houses if needed. That being said there were five separate plates of various degrees of flatness which connected it to the bottom of the valley.

These levels were divided by a thin trail which wound up the side, a path as treacherous as it was narrow. I’d need to expand that, though if I did, I could create an entire city minas tirth style with very little effort. All I’d need to do would be to add a wall along the edges, some gates, and a wider series of paths and it would be nearly impossible to assault.

Such considerations wouldn't be useful for a long time however, and I focused on the ground at the base of the incline. For nearly a dozen kilometers there was what looked like rocky plains, where little grew save for shrubs and stubby grass. I couldn't see anything wrong with the soil however, so simply removing the stones would likely turn it into perfectly arable land.

Though I wasn't a farmer, and didn't exactly know a lot on the subject, so I once more refocused my attention elsewhere.

Scanning from left to right I noticed that a good thirty or so miles away there was what I could only describe as a rocky wasteland. Nothing green grew, not even grass. Holes filled the area, and a single muddy creek ran through the center of it all. I was about to look away when I noticed that there were signs of movement, so I narrowed my gaze, focusing on it.

What I saw was as confusing as when I first saw the cadre of strange ponies worshipping me. Only this time the weird dog people didn't seem to be much for prayer, and only seemed interested in digging. As soon as they emerged out onto the surface they angrily popped back beneath the surface, seemingly looking for something.

Whatever they were looking for didn't concern me, as there were no signs of any wayward ponies over there. Turning away, I noticed that there was an odd building nearby, as well as one of the three exits to the valley. The structure was made of stone, only that didn't exactly do it justice, as it was not built from rock, but rather carved from it.

Cut out of the hard exterior of the mountain itself, the thing looked like the entrance to some ancient dwarven city. I could even see inside slightly, where I noticed that there was a short hall supported by enormous marble columns. At the end I saw what appeared to be a giant set of double doors, each big enough to admit an elephant with ease.

That wasn't all though, as the entire place was immaculatily decorated, and there was even a short road extending out onto the valley. Time and disrepair had taken its toll on that however, though the entrance remained resplendent save for all the dust. The humanoid figures standing in recesses along the walls were also visible, though fine details couldn't be made out due to the angle.

They didn't appear human however, as I could see that one had hooved feet and horns on their head. Minotaur, I swiftly gathered, which was slightly disappointing since I was not about to meet a dwarf, though a minotaur was a close second. Evidently they were not the wild beastmen from myth if they had managed to construct such a thing.

My heart yearned to explore the entrance more thoroughly but I filed that away for later.

Turning next to the small mountain pass nearby, I noticed that it was conspicuously close to the giant doors. I suspected that it was likely artificial given its placement, though I didn't inspect it any further at that very moment. Instead I continued on, glancing past the plains, forest and grasslands beyond to where I noticed several houses.

Not hovels, or leantos but honest to god homes built from wood and constructed with care. They were mostly hidden in the rocky slopes halfway up a mountain on the far side of the valley however. This seemed to be purposeful, as if however lived there was attempting to live away from the prying eyes of others.

An assumption made even more likely given the fact that there were no roads leading up to the small hamlet. Only a small dirt path which wound up the side and was rendered mostly invisible by the careful placement of several bushes. Though once more intrigued, I looked just long enough to see if there were any ponies in the area, and after finding none I moved on.

To where I saw another path leading through the mountains, this one more well maintained then the other I saw earlier. It was suspiciously close to the tiny, seemingly uninhabited village so I put that thought aside for now, only for something to catch my gaze. A single solitary creature had leapt from a cliff and was gliding towards the ground at an incredible speed.

Its slim, athletic form was mostly hidden from beneath the tight, form fitting black armor it wore. From what I could tell was that this was likely some kind of avian that had much in common with a pony. Sporting hooved back feet, clawed forelimbs, and a pointed beek, it seemed like an intelligent carnivore of some kind.

Its appearance didn't last long as it swiftly disappeared into a nearby thicket, vanishing beneath the many boughs.

Just another thing to study at a later date. I thought to myself before continuing on. Right, let's start from their tracks and go back from there. Enough lollygagging.

Starting back at the bottom of the hill leading up to my resting spot, I easily tracked the mass of hoof prints back to their source. Which went near the woods, then arced back to the right, avoiding several minor obstacles before reaching the largest entrance to the valley. This time it wasn't a tiny little turkey trail running through the boonies, but an honest to god pass cut from the stone.

It had evidently not been maintained though, so boulders and shale had filled it almost completely. At one point it had likely been a simple matter to get from one end to the other, but that time had long passed. Now whoever tried to pass through it was only slightly better off then roughing it through the untamed wilderness all around.

There were no signs of ponies however so I backtracked, paying closer attention to the tracks. Sure enough, I located where a mass of hoof prints split off and went into the woods, driving a spike of worry into my heart. None were particularly deep however, giving me a bit of hope that at least no inquisitors had moved to follow them.

This might not be the boon I hoped it was however, as the forest likely contained enough dangers by itself. Without of course, adding a bunch of crazed religious zealots aprently ready to massacre children at the drop of a hat. That thought wedged itself deep in whatever equivalent to a brain I now had, and I sped up my search.

My gaze narrowed, and I willed myself to see through the mass of green which obscured my vision. Doing so seemed to drain a pool of something at the base of my soul, though it felt relatively full at the moment so I ignored it. Scanning for any signs of movement, or the recent passage of any lost little ponies, I quickly found something.

Though it was definitely not a pony, as it resembled a large, unpleasant rooster with the wings of a dragon. Its body was strange, as if whatever cruel being that had made it had simply mashed a chicken and a winged serpent together. Incredibly ugly, and with a temper to boot, it was currently chasing down a partially petrified wolf that had strayed too close to its lair.

The wolf wasn't going to make it far, and I didn't stay to watch in order to confirm, turning my gaze northward. Nearly a kilometer away was what looked like a creek, one which was occupied by the usual assortment of critters. As well as what looked like an enormous crocodile the size of a fully grown bull, and covered with a heavy layer of rocky plating.

It was hard to even spot, as its exterior was covered with moss, and small plants, making it blend in with the ground. Only its beedy emerald eyes could be seen poking out from the mass of green that covered its hide. Thankfully it didn't seem to have chowed on any ponies lately, and the area around its resting spot was undisturbed by hoof prints.

Moving on I found what looked like a chimera hunting nearby, its three heads all seeking out prey. It was surprisingly difficult to spot amidst the sea of foliage, despite a good quarter of its body being striped like a tiger. The other side at least had some kind of camouflage as it had the heavy, shaggy fur of a grizzly bear.

Its tiger head was low to the ground, nose sniffing constantly while its partner, the bear head stood a little taller. Its tail was that of a king cobra only it was the size of a python and grew from the chimera’s backside. This dark shape zipped around, checking under rocks, and peeking up into trees in the hopes of finding sustenance. Its claws were unbloodied, as were its fur, and it hadn't seemed to have caught anything recently so I ignored it.

It wasn't long before I found more signs of movement, only to be disappointed when I discovered yet more animals. These two rivaled the chimera in size, which itself was nearly as big as a sedan and likely twice as heavy. Their relative sizes were about the only thing they had in common however, as one looked like a giant mole and the other an odd mix of bull and serpent.

The mole creature stood as large as a grizzly, which was slightly smaller then the bull naga that was a good two feet taller. It also didn't seem quite as fast as its opponent, though its hide showed no signs of damage despite getting hit repeatedly. The horned snake beast lashed out with a headbutt one moment, and a visious swipe of its tail the next though neither left a scratch.

The mole tried to retaliate, but was much slower than its enemy who dodged out of the way. Seeing that this was going poorly for it, the mole beast used its two enormous sets of claws to begin digging. Within seconds it had constructed a surprisingly deep hole, and vanished into it, leaving the bull behind.

I didn't pay attention to what happened after however, as I was once more on the lookout for any ponies. I did not however find any ponies, though I did see a small pack of what looked like two headed wolves relaxing in a small clearing. Though perhaps wolves werent quite the right word, as they had the floppy ears of a domesticated dog.

Either way there were no signs of a recently eaten pony in their midst, or any hoof prints so I continued on. And on, and on, with my irritation rising the longer I failed to find any sign of the missing ponies. Their tracks were nearly impossible to see after more than a few feet into the forest, and worse still the woods seemed rather lively today.

I even made out the shimmering form of what looked like a flaming bird, though I put it out of my mind. I knew that if I looked for more than a second or two I’d inevitably end up studying the strange phoenix-like creature for far too long.

Movement drew my gaze towards a crevice visible in the midst of the forest, one home to many creatures. Enormous eels made their homes in the stone walls while enormous birds reminiscent of rocs flew about the top. There were even odd looking triceratops creatures who were hunting by throwing rocks using their tails.

Each sight was more curious than the last, though I ignored it all, even the one with the giant worm creature. A difficult thing to do, let me tell you as this thing’s face split apart to reveal rows of teeth and several tentacles that shot from its throat. Its coloration was also bizarre, though I stopped myself before I could continue my inspection of the football field sized critter.

Focus. I thought to myself.

Turning my attention once more to the forest, I noted that I could feel whatever reserve I had beginning to grow dry. Searching such a wide area so quickly was taking its toll, and I began to worry that I may not be able to locate them.

Then I found what appeared to be an enormous bear made of stars, a sight which I would have usually ignored. Except for the fact that it was attempting to stick its paw inside what appeared to be a cave. One that contained the terrified faces of nearly three dozen ponies all crammed into one tiny little space.

It must have been tight, and I was immediately tempted to demand Earthbreak take a group over there. That was until I realized that they were probably around thirty or more kilometers away, meaning any rescue attempt we may launch would be in vain. The ponies I had with me were already exhausted, and barely able to crawl into the cave I opened up a few minutes earlier.

Even now I could see that they were barely able to keep their hooves under them for even a few feet. A fact which I could not avoid, no matter how much I wanted to.

And I did wish I could ignore it, as being able to watch them struggle in vain against their attacker made my blood boil. Sure I may have just met these strange creatures but they were so innocent and pure that it was hard not to grow attached to them. I just wanted to reach out and crush that stupid bear so badly that I couldn't help but slam my fist down against the rock wall.

“Wh-what was that?” Quick Quill shouted, sprinting over to me.

“I have located your friends, but they are being attacked by some manner of strange purple bear,” I replied. “Don't move. I’ll protect them.”

“But I-” she began, but I didn't hear her.

I barely even registered the hushed whispers that rang out through the group though I did pick up the words Ursa and Major from their midst. They meant little to me, and I focused myself on doing something to protect those poor ponies lost in a dangerous world.

The feeling of burning some manner of energy returned, and this time I embraced it, giving it all it needed. My eyes closed completely, my body fell slack, and for a moment I felt as though I were in two places at once. When I looked around once more I found that I had inhabited a chunk of earth several meters away from the monster.

Alright, now let's show this guy who's boss around here. I thought to myself.

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