About 35 years after the birth of Asterix and Obelix...
The summer sun beat down on the forest relentlessly; casting its warm, golden rays into every nook and every cranny. It sifted through the lush, green leaves of the wood; dancing on the forest floor in a shifting patter of light and shadow. The shade was dark and cool in contrast to the shriveling heat of the summer sunshine. The light caught the small, flowing streams; glinting off their refreshing surfaces. All was still and quiet, other than the soft songs of the forest birds and the gentle hum of insects. Shafts of sunlight descended all around; dust motes drifting within them. In short, a beautiful summer day bathed in color and cloaked in an intense humidity.
Asterix stood perfectly still. He didn't move. He was smiling as his eyes wandered over the peaceful scene; absorbing it and ingraining it into his memory. The Gaul took deep breaths of the heated air around him. It certainly was hot; perhaps the hottest summer they had had in years. But Asterix didn't mind much. It was weather like this that came hand in hand with this calming peace. Romans rarely attacked during these summer days; the heat being more than they could handle in their fabric uniforms and heavy, clunky armor. The Romans would leave the Gauls alone for most of the month. Not that the Romans were exactly enthusiastic about tangling with their indomitable foe. No, things would remain peaceful for quite some time. Asterix, however, still made it a point to scout around, in case some unforeseen threat should raise from the calm.
Asterix stood in the shade, feeling relief from the sun as a gentle breeze drifted through the forest. It felt good to be out of the village. It had been several weeks since any adventures had found their way into the short Gaul's life. And, even though it felt good to have a break, Asterix found himself wishing that something would happen. He wasn't one to sit still for very long. His life had always been one thrilling adventure after another. It kept him on his toes; kept him alert and occupied. But it was times like these, when all he had to do was wander the woods, looking for trouble were there was none to be found, that Asterix began to grow increasingly restless. Not that he wanted trouble; he just wanted something other than this dull drag that remained the same day after day. He longed for the slightest bit of excitement; something to do.
The little Gaul sighed, preparing to turn and continue his stroll when suddenly, out of the clear blue sky, something enormously large and heavy landed right beside him, causing him to give a cry of surprise. The force of the object's impact made a thunderous sound, seeming to shake the very foundations of the earth. The quake threw off Asterix's balance, causing him to stumble back and trip to the ground. He sat there, eyes and mouth open in shock, looking up at the giant hunk of carved stone, commonly known as a menhir, towering over him. It had only missed him by inches.
The sound of light, high-pitched barking filled the air. A moment later, a tiny, black and white dog raced into the clearing. The pup gave a few yaps over his shoulder, signaling to someone behind him. The dog seemed quite pleased with himself, until his little eyes fell on Asterix. The pup gave a concerned whine, running forward to nestle at the short man's side. Asterix gave the dog a gentle pat as he carefully picked himself up off the ground.
"Dogmatix?! Dogmatix, where are you, boy?!" The voice came from within the forest somewhere to their right. Asterix wasn't surprised to hear it; in fact, he had expected it.
"He's over here, Obelix," Asterix called back, and Dogmatix added a bark to confirm that it was true.
There was a moment in which the sound of heavy footsteps was heard, along with the crackle and crunch of shrubbery being crushed into the earth. Then, lumbering at his own pace, Obelix stepped into the clearing as well. His eyes lit up when he spotted his two closest friends.
"Ah, there you are, Dogmatix," the giant Gaul hummed happily. He reached down and Dogmatix ran forward to jump into his master's arms; licking Obelix's nose in joy. The big fellow chuckled, sending Asterix a smile. "Hello, Asterix! I didn't know you were out here in the forest! I've been teaching Dogmatix how to fetch, you see." He beamed with pride, ruffling the pup's ears.
Asterix shifted his gaze between the tiny dog sitting in Obelix's palm and the huge stone now partially embedded in the ground. It was more than obvious that Dogmatix would not be able to even budge the menhir, never mind fetch it. Obelix was the only one who could lift it, really, due to the permanent effects the Magic Potion had had on him. Oh, the others could do it with the help of the Magic Potion, but Obelix was even stronger than that. The big Gaul always forgot his own strength. He forgot, quite often, that the others couldn't always do what he could. And because of that, Obelix often did things that were harmless games to him, but were rather hazardous to the rest of the Gauls. Throwing menhirs being one of the main ones.
Asterix remembered a particular time in which Obelix had accidentally dropped a menhir on Getaix, their village druid. Now that had been a disaster! The druid had completely lost it; running about and laughing hysterically for quite some time. Luckily, things had all worked out in the end, and Getafix had returned to normal. But it was a frightening example of what an ill-timed menhir throw could result in; one that had stuck in all the Gauls' memories.
The smaller Gaul crossed his arms over his chest and fixed his friend with a chiding glare. "Obelix, what have I told you about throwing menhirs in the forest? You can't see well with all the trees, and you could hit someone. You very nearly hit me!" He gestured to the immense stone that was about five times his size. It would have crushed him like an insect had it landed on him.
Obelix looked over at his rocky possession. It had settled deep into the grass, making it seem as if it had always been there and always would be. To him the stone was practically weightless, and Obelix found it hard to understand how such a tiny, little menhir could be such a problem. But Obelix knew better than to argue with Asterix about this subject, and so he muttered an apology and then quickly changed the subject.
"Any luck on the patrols?"
Asterix's scowl quickly morphed into a smile. He knew that by 'any luck' his friend meant 'had he run into any fun Romans to attack'. If there was one thing Obelix loved more than throwing menhirs, it was giving the Romans a good pummeling. Not that Obelix was cruel; far from it. It was just sort of a sport with him, and he never caused any serious damage to the soldiers. Black eyes and bruises was as violent as any of the Gauls would ever get with them.
"Sorry, Obelix," Asterix chuckled sympathetically, "I've been all through these woods this morning. You're the first soul I've seen since break...fast..."
"Speaking of breakfast, why don't we head back to the village and...Asterix?...Asterix are you listening to what I'm saying?"
The smaller Gaul had turned abruptly during their conversation to look into the forest, and was now standing perfectly still. Obelix was cross at first, thinking that his friend was purposely ignoring him. But then he noticed how tense Asterix had become. He was standing in an odd way, as if he were ready to run at a moment's notice. He was breathing very shallowly; an attempt to better hear...something...But what really got Obelix's attention was how Asterix's hand was hovering over the little, green gourd of Magic Potion his friend always kept strapped to his side. Asterix only used it when it was absolutely necessary; when there was great need or danger.
"Asterix..." Obelix lowered is voice to a whisper. "What's wrong?"
"I...I don't know." Asterix remained as he was for several long moments more, then he seemed to relax again. His hand moved away from the magic potion on his belt. He gave a tired sigh, looking up at his concerned friend. "I thought there was something there for a second...but it's gone now."
"Was it a Roman?" Obelix asked hopefully.
"No." Of that Asterix was certain.
"Well, then what was it?"
"I don't know; I didn't see it."
Obelix blinked in confusion, his face twisting into a puzzled frown. "But if you didn't see it, how do you know it wasn't a Roman?"
Asterix was gaining a somewhat confused expression himself. "I...I don't know how to explain it." He shivered a little, despite the heat of the day. "I...I guess I just knew it was there. I could feel it." He stared in the direction that feeling had come from, but still he saw nothing.
Beside him, Obelix and Dogmatix exchanged looks; the big Gaul tapping a finger repeatedly against his head. Asterix noticed the motion and looked up at his friend sharply. When Obelix gave him a guilty look, Asterix simply couldn't keep a straight face.
"Oh, come on, Obelix," Asterix chuckled, giving his friend a playful shove that didn't even budge him. "Let's head back to the village. I've got to give Chief Vitalstitistix my report."
Obelix looked pleased with the idea, but he was still a little concerned for his friend. "What about what you...felt?"
"Oh, I'm sure it's just the heat getting to me," the smaller Gaul assured. "Just my imagination."
"You sure? You're not ill?"
Now Asterix laughed. Obelix might not be the brightest man who ever lived, but he certainly had a big heart. He was always worrying over others, but especially Asterix. It had been that way for many years; ever since Obelix had fallen into Getafix's cauldron of Magic Potion when he was a little boy. Before the incident, Asterix used to defend his plumper companion against the bullying of the other boys. Afterwards, when Obelix gained permanent strength, it seemed he was always trying to repay the favor. Asterix appreciated it, and it made their friendship all the stronger.
"Yes, Obelix, I'm sure. Now lets go."
With that, the two Gauls and their canine friend made their way back toward their village. It was nearly midday now, and the heat had reached its highest. The air was stale with it, breathing in thick and humid into their lungs. They left the shades of the forest for the sun-pressed stretch of grass between the woods and the village walls. All seemed well enough, but, despite Asterix's assurances, the little Gaul still couldn't shake that feeling that something wasn't quite right. Like they were being watched, and he had to fight the urge to whirl around and face the forest to look.
...
The sound of yelling and shouting in the village alerted Asterix to the problem long before he actually saw it. Picking up his pace, he rounded the corner to be greeted with the sight of an intense fish fight in full swing. Fish and other bits of assorted mackerel were strewn all over the square. Dust was billowing up all around the teaming pile of rage-filled men; legs and arms kicking out in all directions. To the side, Unhygenix and Fulliautomatix, no doubt the start of the whole brawl, rolled about, hitting each other with fish. The rest of the men were either fighting with their fists, feet, their helmets, or, in one fellow's case, an unfortunate chicken who had chosen the wrong time of day to take a leisurely stroll.
Asterix stood watching, arms hanging loosely at his sides and his mouth agape at the mess the menfolk were making.
Fights like these were not uncommon. In fact, it wasn't unusual to have two or three a day. It had become a part of life in the village. Sometimes even the woman participated. Obelix found it a fantastic sport and good 'practice', as he called it, for when they next visited the Romans. Asterix, personally, rarely joined in the rowdy exercise. He disliked the brute force it displayed, especially Gaul against Gaul. It was an opinion that Asterix shared with Getfix wholeheartedly.
Beside him, Obelix clapped his hands in excitement. "Oh! A fight! Come on, Asterix! Let's join in!"
Asterix shook his head resolutely. "No, Obelix. You know what Getafix said before he left. We have to stop this before it gets out of hand." He took a few steps toward the mass of jerking arms and legs and dust. "Hey!" No one noticed. Asterix cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled louder. "Hey! Stop that!" Still no response. Asterix was just about to try something a little more drastic, when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. Looking up he found it was Obelix. His big friend gave him a nod and took a deep breath. Asterix suddenly thought to cover his ears, and was very glad he did.
"STOP FIGHTING!"
Obelix's voice was amazingly loud, as well as deep. The sound vibrated the ground beneath their feet, and was probably heard as far as Rome. The brawl came to a grinding halt as all the Gauls let out a gasp and covered their own ears. The dust settled and the punching stopped. The echoes of Obelix's shout were still hanging over the village somewhere as they all turned to face them.
Fulliautomatix winced, testing to see if the shout had finally dissipated. He found that it had and instantly marched toward the two Gauls with a look of anger pasted on his red face. The others were not far behind him.
"What do you think you're doing?!" he grouched, jabbing a finger into Obelix's enormous stomach. He glared at the bigger man, demanding an answer, but it was Asterix who provided that.
"What do you think you are doing?!" he retorted sharply, jabbing his own finger into Fulliautomatix's taught chest. "We're not supposed to fight when Getafix isn't here!"
"And why not?!" Unhygenix piped up hotly. His face was red too. In fact, all the Gauls looked terribly flushed and overheated. It suddenly struck Asterix that the heat might be affecting the mens' moods. Summer weather had made them restless too; they just had a different way of releasing it than he did.
Forcing himself to calm down, Asterix spoke more gently. "If somebody gets hurt during a fight when Getafix isn't here, we have no Magic Potion to help heal the wounds."
"Aw, come on, Asterix," another Gaul spoke up. "It's not like we're going to get that rough."
Asterix sent the speaker an exasperated look. The fellow was covered in bruises, many of which looked quite nasty. He let his gaze fall on the others, and they all lowered their eyes, knowing how foolish a statement that had been. They did get that rough. Quite often. From time to time, someone would get hurt; more than just a bruise, and Getafix would heal them and then lecture them all about the danger of being too rowdy. But the fights would always start up again, sometimes only a few hours after Getafix had lectured them.
Asterix sighed. "Getafix will be back in a couple days. Do you think you guys can keep from wringing each other's necks until then?" As he gave them all a stern star, Asterix had to try hard to keep from smiling. He might act all tough on them, but he was really fond of what these people were. But he couldn't stand for anything to happen to anyone. And, at the moment, they had no way of treating anything serious. Even though Asterix had a little bit of Magic Potion, that was for emergencies, and the little warrior wanted to avoid those at all costs. They'd have to be extra careful, until the druid's return, and Getafix wouldn't be back for a few more days yet.
The druid had received a message from Carnutes three days before, saying that the Council of Druids were meeting for a matter of 'great urgency' and that he was required to attend. The message had been sent by the Venerable Druid himself. Asterix had wanted to go. Not for his own sake, but for Getafix's. There had been more than one occasion when some enemy or another got it into their heads that if they captured the Gauls' druid, then the Gauls would be helpless. And, though that was essentially true, the Gauls cared just as much for Getafix's safety as they did for his skill. The druid had been a friend to many of them since they were children. Asterix and Obelix couldn't remember a time when Getafix hadn't been there for them. Of course, that had largely to do with the fact that the druid arrived only a day before their birth. Getafix was almost like a second father to Asterix, which was why Asterix fought so hard to convince druid to let him accompany the him to Carnutes.
But, this time, Getafix had refused. The druid had insisted that he would feel much better about leaving if Asterix remained in the village. He wanted the little Gaul to help Vitalstitistix keep things in order; keep the other villagers from throttling one another. But Asterix felt there was more to it than that. Since the arrival of the message until the time Getafix left, the druid had been very agitated; almost fidgety. It made Asterix nervous and worried. But, despite his objections, Asterix finally agreed to stay behind. He did so grudgingly, but, really, he had no choice in the matter. Getafix could be extremely strong willed, and, as village druid, he really did have the authority to tell Asterix what to do.
Asterix finally managed to get the angry Gauls calmed enough to promise they wouldn't have any more brawls...at least for a while. They all went of, grouching as they went. Asterix could feel his own temper simmering within him. It was the heat. That was the problem. The heat was making them all irritable, and snappy. But, somehow, Asterix was able to push it down. He had to keep his cool, so to speak. As village warrior, a lot of people looked up to him. It would not do for him to give in to his agitations.
Once everything was settled, Asterix told Obelix he would return in a moment. "I have to report in to Chief Vitalstitistix."
Obelix nodded. "I'll meet you over at your hut." He smiled as he rubbed his stomach, and Asterix already knew that he would be entertaining Obelix for lunch. That was fine by him. Asterix and Obelix did that quite often; it had become a sort of tradition. And so, with a nod, the two Gauls headed in their prospective directions.
Asterix swiftly made his way toward the Chief's hut. He had actually already passed it, back when he and Obelix had first entered the village, but Asterix had been distracted by the fight and had gone on by. Now, as he returned to his leader's abode, he saw that Impedimenta, Vitalstitistix's wife, was outside sweeping. She was kicking up a lot of dirt, which made one wonder what good the sweeping was actually doing.
Impedimenta was one of the few villagers who had not lived in the village all their lives. She originally came from Lutetia, considered the greatest city in the universe, where Asterix had heard her mention having a merchant brother...Homeopathix, if Asterix recalled correctly. He lived there with his wife, Tapioca. Asterix and Obelix had met him once, when Vitalstitistix and Impedimenta had gone to visit one year. While the food and wine of the wealthy merchant had been excellent, the company had been rather distasteful. Not that Homeopathix was an unpleasant fellow, but he and Vitalstitistix never really got along. They had fought and argued, which led to other lengthy, complicated adventures.
Vitalstitistix and Impedimenta had met one day, in the Lutetia marketplace, and Vitalstitistix had fallen in love with her immediately. After some time of constant wooing and bothersome practices in which the Chief forced many to be a part of, Vitalstitistix finally won her heart. She had been with the village now for quite a number of years. She often complained of their 'barbarianism', threatening to return to her brother in Lutetia; but everyone new she loved it in the village and wouldn't leave it for the world.
"Good afternoon, Impedimenta," Asterix greeted, coming up to stand beside her. She gave him a look that told him at once that he had stopped by at the wrong time. The chief's wife was known for her nagging tongue and fiery temper. There were days in which it was questioned who was actually in charge of the village, her or Vitalstitistix. She was strong willed and wasn't shy about being heard. You wanted to make sure you stayed on her good side, lest you may find yourself regretting it. And, right now, Asterix found himself regretting even coming a hundred yards in proximity to her.
"Well," she huffed, looking him up and down. "I certainly hope you enjoyed your nice, work-free stroll in the forest, Asterix! While the rest of us were here, slaving away!" She gave him a glare and returned to sweeping, kicking up even more dust.
Asterix was annoyed by her accusation, though he managed to hold back the retort that had almost escaped his lips. He knew she really didn't mean it. He also knew that she knew that he had been working. It was his duty to keep the village safe; to scout out the area for any problems that might arise. It was the heat getting to her. As it was to them all. The villagers, including Impedimenta, were never this cranky. Never this cross with him. Well, almost never. They usually respected him for what he did, and his total devotion to his occupation as the village warrior. But, once in a while, when they were frightened, or mad, or, apparently, overheated, they would sometimes forget how much Asterix meant to them. They'd start to take him for granted. But Asterix always knew it wouldn't last long. It never did. Sometime tomorrow the apologies would start and the day after, everything would be back to normal.
Asterix muttered a quick response and carefully skirted around the grumbling woman to enter the Chief's hut. The room within was dark compared to the outside would of bright, glaring sunshine. But, despite the relief from the light, the intense heat still resided. In fact, it made the room very stuffy; more like an oven than a house. As his eyes began to adjust to the indoor lighting, Asterix noticed his Chief sitting slumped in his chair. Asterix hesitated, realizing that Vitalstitistix was asleep. He thought of maybe leaving and coming back later, but then thought better of it. The Chief and Getafix always told him to give very prompt reports. Not reporting, even on an uneventful day like this, could cause a problem later on. It had been known to happen.
"Uh...Chief?" Asterix gave his leader a gentle shake. When that failed, he shook a little harder. "Chief Vitalstitistix?" All he got in response was a loud snore. Sighing, Asterix braced himself for what he knew would be an unpleasant audience with the man, and shouted, "Chief!"
Vitalstitistix gave a choking sputter, kicking feet nearly catching Asterix in the face. The Chief sat up with a snort, looking frightened and confused. "What?! Who?! I was a-" He noticed the little man standing sheepishly in front of him. "Oh, by Toutatis, Asterix!" he cried angrily. "What in blazes do you want?!"
Asterix flinched back a little. Great; another Gaul suffering from a short temper this morning. "I-I was just reporting in, Chief."
"Well?! What is it?!"
"No Romans to be seen in the forest. No one at all, really. Everything is safe and quiet."
Vitalstitistix scowled. "And you woke me up to tell me that?"
"...Yes, Chief."
Vitalstitistix ran a hand over his face, which, like the others, was very flushed. "Very well, very well," he muttered, "Now can I go back to sleep?" He didn't wait for an answer, but instead settled back into his chair with another snore. Asterix gave him a mock salute and then turned and marched out of the hut. He didn't even say goodbye to Impedimenta on the way out.
Asterix had a lot of patience; that was true. But he could only take so much. If the others were having a bad day, they didn't have to take it out on him! Maybe that was why they targeted him; they knew he could take it. Well, he had had his maximum amount for today. He stomped off; he needed to get away from them for a while. Until they all calmed down a little. Asterix hadn't even been able to tell Vitalstitistix about the strange feeling he had had in the forest. The Chief was not in the mood for that. No one was. And now, neither was he.
Asterix headed back toward his hut to meet Obelix for lunch. At least the heat never seemed to affect his big friend. Obelix would be his cheery self, and Asterix knew that, by the time the meal was over, he would feel much less tense and upset. By Toutatis, this was turning out to be a harder few days than he had ever anticipated! With Getafix gone, everything felt as if it were slowly spiraling out of control. Asterix found himself hoping the meeting in Carnutes would be very brief.
The sooner Getafix returned, the better.
...
Oh, it feels so good to be writing using the usual characters again! Ah! :) I missed them.
Like I've mentioned before, I'm in college, so I both ask and thank you for your patience with the spaces between each posting. THANKS! :)
