“Freeze!”

On a path avoided by those who are cautious and frequented by thieves, several cries altered the tranquility of the passage.

“Hands behind your head!”

Two young men were shouting at who moments before was just an ordinary traveler, walking to his destination.

It was no surprise what was happening on this path.

The geography of the place had contributed to it being a road known in the surrounding area for its little mobilization. Made of earth, with potholes and stones that cut in half any possibility of moving massively in the middle of it, the path wasn’t suitable for traveling on wheels as well as on foot. In addition, due to the presence of small hills that bordered the road and the unpredictable apparition of fog, the risk of colliding or stumbling increased the chances of suffering an accident.

In conclusion, a dangerous path for people and vehicles.

But that wasn’t the only reason why the Oyogue Path was dangerous.

The presence of bandits was known by the inhabitants of the nearest city.

They used to steal especially in the early hours of the morning when the city just woke up. That was the best time they found to operate without being discovered, protected by the still deep darkness of the remnants of the night. Likewise, the lack of security on the Oyogue Path was due to the inactivity of the Forces of Order, who used to begin their surveillance activities with greater diligence once daylight and eyewitnesses reminded them that they should work to protect citizens.

However, this wasn’t always the case.

An elderly man had the misfortune to walk the path in solitary company when the sun would still rise in up to half an hour. In other words, the old man was a victim of this robbery because with his carelessness he had created the necessary conditions for it to happen.

“Enough.”

A third person spoke, immediately interrupting the young people's exclamations against the elderly man.

Aaron Escalante.

A man with a powerful voice.

An individual capable of pronouncing words that bent people's will. Where that voice came from was that of a man with a calm aura, but strong in appearance. Covered by a mustache, a long beard beyond the chin, and by hair grown up to the neck, the aura conveyed by this man was one of respect. If it weren't for his scruffy hair, he would undoubtedly have a neater look in his image.

“Understood, Aaron.”

“We just wanted to make sure.”

The two young men accompanying Aaron moved to one side when they specifically heard that word from the man now approaching the old man.

That they both walked away without protesting was a clear indication of the differences that separated them as individuals. Starting certainly from the fact that they didn't have the same physical musculature as Aaron, this didn't mean that their bodies were out of shape. Only, at first glance and by first impressions, it was easy to identify who was the most powerful member of the three.

“Remember that he is an older person.”

Who Aaron referred to as an “older person”, was an elderly man who was surrounded as their center of attention

An elderly man with a white beard and a very fragile physical constitution.

As an older person, the one with the last few years to live, his tired appearance was noticeable due to the effort he made to stay on his feet. If it weren't for the wooden staff he was holding, the safest thing to say would be that he would only be able to advance a few steps without falling. That was how weak the man was. However, one more aspect made his appearance stand out.

Two light blue eyes, very close to being crystalline, were staring at the three men aimlessly. For Aaron, it was the only thing he could say that reflected some life in the old man.

The old man, with his old age and state of health on his shoulders, besides the numerical disadvantage he faced, had nothing to do to avoid being assaulted. Aside from his null resistance, his presence in a path known in the vicinity for being dangerous wasn't due to chance.

A few kilometers to the north of the Oyogue Path was located a port city of marvelous natural sceneries and attractive constructions due to their cultural, historical and religious value. With pleasant beaches, churches and museums full of archeological pieces and history to tell of the place; the city was frequented all year round by tourists.

This city was named Boggio.

The locality was known by the citizens as a close escape for relaxation and enjoyment, away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city.

To get to Boggio, access was mainly via the North Highway, a fast road that linked the capital with the other coastal cities in the north of the country. Since the capital was located close to the middle of the country's territory, this point was taken as a reference to name the road system.

Thus, the road to the north of the capital was called North Highway; and the road to the south, South Highway.

Therefore, it was logical that the North Highway was the preferred access road, both from south to north and vice versa, for all those travelers who wanted to move directly from the capital city to Boggio.

In addition to this road, it was also possible to arrive from another road, to the northeast of the city of Boggio, although not with the same influx as the North Highway. Even by boat it had become more common the arrival of visitors. For this, the small fishing port had been conditioned to receive larger ships. In this way, access to the city allowed visitors to travel both at sea and on land.

And among these, one of the options that enriched the experience of traveling to Boggio implied the most basic way of moving.

During the last year, the form of access to the city that gained popularity among travelers was crossing the Oyogue Path on foot.

A few kilometers from Boggio, near an intersection of the North Highway leading east, was a tourist attraction that fit with the lifestyle that more city dwellers adopted as ideal for relieving the stress of their responsibilities.

“Did this old man come from the Harek Community?” asked one of the young people who had stepped aside from the path.

The Harek Community.

An ecological space of spiritual retreat.

Inhabited by followers of a religion dedicated especially to a supreme being; the members of this community had as life style humble life, prayer, gratitude, removal of the vices and harmony with nature.

Known in the news for being a self-sustainable ecological area, it offered its visitors the opportunity to get involved in the religious activities of the community, as well as the possibility of experiencing a lifestyle very different from the city, based on vegetarian food, spiritual growth and simple living.

“It's the most likely. If not, why would he come walking from that direction? I don't think he appeared here out of nowhere.”

The address the other young man was referring to was the beginning of the Oyogue Path.

To the north of the Harek Community, leaving the domains of their territory, was the Oyogue Path, a dirt road that connected the community with the city of Boggio. Bordered to the left by the sea and to the right by the North Highway, the main difference that the Oyogue Path had with the North Highway was the state of the surface, the former being a flat terrain (in some sections), but not asphalted; while the second one was entirely flat and asphalted. Because of this, the Oyogue Path was very occasionally used by vechicles.

However, there were those who preferred that dirt road. The reason why travelers, like this elderly man, from time to time took such a lonely road as the Oyogue Path was due to two reasons presented to them on the journey.

The first one because, as crazy as it might sound, it could be as dangerous to go on the road as on the path if one didn't take due care. The problem was that the vehicles that traveled the North Highway had to go through a long sector that was difficult to handle before arriving at the intersection of the track that preceded Boggio.

In this stretch of the North Highway, the state of the road was optimal, but the humidity coming from the sea caused it to become quite slippery for motor vehicles. Many car accidents happened because the vehicles skidded in the curves. But that wasn't the reason why the previous stretch to Boggio was difficult to handle. Since the North Highway was built so close to the sea and in several stretches at the edge of the cliff, the fog that covered the coast at the same time also affected the road. As a consequence, many accidents happened due to the decrease in visibility caused by the fog.

The second reason was that, unlike having to pay for a transport to the city, walking was cheaper. The distance to be covered wasn’t excessively long and a traveler accustomed to walking could go through the Oyogue Path without getting too tired. However, a third reason overcame the others and Aaron knew very well why:

To enjoy the landscape experience, you must be part of it.

And the Oyogue Path, even with the danger attributed to it, had a particular charm that encouraged people to venture along its dirt road. Mysterious, relaxing, challenging. Whatever adjectives were used to describe it, usually attracted tourists and onlookers alike who wished to experience a stroll by the ocean and breathe in the rare vegetation that grew in an arid environment such as the one surrounding Boggio.

“Old man. Cooperate and you won't get hurt.”

Old man.

The provisional name with which Aaron referred to who they forced to stop. Of course, he didn't need to know his victim's real name in a situation like this. About two minutes later and each would follow his respective path. The old man with less burden with which he went out. And Aaron and company, slightly richer than when they arrived.

As a result of their criminal activities, a small fortune they accumulated. With the number of tourists increasing and the lax vigilance to take care of the entire path at all times, Aaron and company had no difficulty to steal without being detected. Also, the dense fog that covered the place helped them to hide their presences, especially in the first half of the Oyogue Path.

Therefore, it was no surprise that they had a considerable amount of money in their hands.

With this, it would be the fifth robbery they'd perpetrated in the week and also the fifth time they repeated those same words. “Cooperate and you won't get hurt.” Exactly over and over again. What made each robbery different was how they referred to the person in question. Traveler. Peasant. Husbands. Woman... and now an old man. Each of them was reckless in crossing a path known to be dangerous.

Fame that the three contributed that the path acquired...

BOOM!

At that moment, a loud noise was heard.

Altering those present, everyone's attention was immediately focused on the place of impact.

On the curve closest to their location, near a rocky ledge, the raised dust made it difficult for them to see exactly what had happened.

Apparently, something heavy had fallen from the height.

“Did a bird drop its prey?”

For Aaron it was a possible scenario given that a few kilometers in the second half of the Oyogue Path, after crossing a bridge, there was a place full of vegetation and water ideal for the habitat of numerous species of birds.

Coming closer to expecting to find a half-eaten body of a small creature, that idea was immediately erased from his mind as the dust dissipated.

“And this?”

Aaron was astonished to see the scene in front of him, allowing his countenance to lose some of its usual tranquility and seriousness.

This far exceeded all the possibilities he had imagined for the object that fell.