Hello everybody, the next chapter is here! As you could see, the new of Getafix's disappearance had arrived to Obelix and co. what will he do? If you want to know, here you can read it! Also, Overanxius had his first's plan phase accomplished. Will he manage to accomplish the second one?well, the answers will come soon, I really hope you'll all like it.

Well, I'd like to give a special thanks to Drummergirl for helping me editing this story. I'm really, really, really grateful to her, she's awesome!

Okay after say all this, here you have the fifth chapter of this story, I hope you all will like it!

Chapter 11. Escaping

"What do you mean he's disappeared?!" Obelix asked, his small eyes widened to their full ability. How was this possible? How could Tutatis allow so many misfortunes to happen to them at once? With all what was going on, receiving this news… first it was Asterix. His best friend had turned into a small, defenseless child and was almost taken to Rome… and now they found his druid – the only one capable of healing the village warrior – had disappeared and they didn't know where he was.

It was a hard blow for the great Gaul. What if something had happened to him? What if he was hurt? Or worse, what if the Romans, aware of the situation, had taken Getafix to prevent him from curing Asterix?

If this was true, there was a chance that his best friend – someone he had grown up with and who had always been by his side at all times (especially after the incident when he'd fallen into the magic potion), someone he considered a brother – would be trapped forever in his current state… without remembering everything they had been through… everything they had done together… the adventures they'd had… and the same was true when it came to the rest of the town as it was with the menhir deliverer. To Asterix, all of them should be children like him. He had only seen Cacofonix and Obelix, so far. What would happen when he saw the rest of the Gauls, with whom he had grown up, as adults now? How could he get used to living with "strangers"?

There were certainly other children in the town, and surely the blond boy could befriend them. But in Obelix's case, he would lose someone who had been fundamental in his life, who had helped him on so many occasions… and now he was unable to return the favor.

Obelix was so surprised, he suddenly felt as if the air wasn't able to reach his lungs, like he was going to drown. He began to hyperventilate, and also felt as though his legs were unable to support him. He grew dizzy and began to teeter dangerously from side to side.

Cacofonix was near the great Gaul, and when he saw Obelix begin to stagger, he and Tragicomix, who had also noticed the menhir carver's situation, rushed to his side and urged him to sit on the stool where he had been sitting just a couple of minutes ago. The wood creaked in response as it suddenly had to bear the weight of the menhir dealer.

"Thanks," Obelix murmured, he was sure he would have fallen to the ground if he had remained standing.

"By Tutatis, there is no need to thank, my good friend," replied Tragicomix. The youngest adult deeply admired Obelix… not only for his permanent strength, but also for the sincere friendship he shared with Asterix, and for his general modesty, because he never bragged about or abused his strength… at least not consciously. And he always tried to think the best of the people he met. For all that and much more, Tragicomix admired Obelix. He had been the one who had searched most earnestly for Asterix the day before. His concern for the welfare of others was something that pleasantly surprised Panacea's husband.

When they made sure the great Gaul had calmed down slightly, the bard looked at the younger adult and asked:

"How long ago did Getafix go to the forest?" He was also concerned about the druid's disappearance, but he needed to know all the details before being able to decide the way in which they should proceed… and it was clear he should be the one to do it, since Asterix for obvious reasons couldn't, Obelix was clearly too affected to take decisions, and Tragicomix didn't live in the village. He only came to visit sometimes, so he didn't exactly know the customs of Getafix or the other inhabitants of the village.

"I don't know, I guess two hours ago," Tragicomix replied after thinking about it for a few seconds. It was a rough guess, considering the time he had last seen him, just before he'd left to go to the woods. The fact that no one had seen him again after that… Tragicomix wasn't one to panic, and it was true he didn't know how long the druid was usually in the forest every time he went there. But with the situation they were dealing with, even though it wasn't necessary to be paranoid, it didn't hurt to worry a bit more than usual, either.

"And did he tell you what he was looking for?" the village bard asked. It wasn't unusual for his druid to be in the forest for so long. It always depended on what he had gone looking for. On the other hand, with Asterix's condition, and also the general condition of the village, it was very unlikely Getafix would will be absent for so long.

"He said something about an ingredient he needed. I offered to go look for it in his place, but Getafix refused saying I couldn't recognize the plant he needed… perhaps it would've been better if I'd accompanied him," Tragicomix explained. The young man realized the more details he could provide the better, so he told everything he knew… everything he could remember from his previous encounter with Getafix.

"Did he only talk about one plant?" the bard asked, a little surprised. It was strange… usually when the druid went to the forest, he returned with his sack full of plants… but now that Cacofonix thought about it, he had seen the druid leave the village and return after a while with his bag full of supplies collected from the forest the day before. So why was he going back to the forest the next day? Was it perhaps something indispensable was missing to heal Asterix? If this was the case, then surely, surely, he would have returned.

"As far as I know, yes, he only mentioned one ingredient," Tragicomix answered a little more uncalmly than before when he heard the bard's tone of voice. If someone who truly knew Getafix acted like this, then something serious must really be happening.

Cacofonix put one hand under his chin and the other on his hip, then began to speak more to himself than to all those in the cabin.

"This is rare, by Belenos, when our druid goes to the forest, it usually takes him a while to come back, but that is because normally he has to collect several plants or ingredients. But for only one plant… two hours is too long."

Tragicomix nodded in agreement with the bard's thoughts and added:

"That's what I thought, by Tutatis. That's the reason I was looking for him."

Cacofonix looked at him, and although his face showed some concern, he smiled and said to the younger adult:

"You've done well, Tragicomix, but now we must alert Vitalstatistix, our chief, as fast as we can,"

"I agree." said Tragicomy.

"You go first… I'll catch up with you," said Obelix who had remained silent but attentive to what was said. For the menhir dealer, this whole situation was very chaotic and he was having a hard time maintaining a positive attitude… although he was trying with all his might.

The two blond adults looked at the great Gaul and nodded in understanding, because apart from Asterix, the menhir carver was another of the Gauls closest to Getafix. It wasn't surprising that the news of his disappearance had deeply affected him. Cacofonix and Tragicomix silently left the cabin, leaving behind Obelix, Asterix and Dogmatix... their main concern was to notify Vitalstatistix about recent events.

Asterix, for his part, was scared. He had been listening to everything the adults said. Getafix had disappeared? This wasn't a good thing, not at all. Despite knowing most of the adults in the village were his friends, the Gaul boy still found it difficult to accept that. In fact, Getafix was the only one who was exactly as he remembered, although it was also true it wasn't as if he had seen many of the villagers since he'd woken up. But even so, if they were all adults like Obelix… he no longer had friends with whom he had always played.

With all these thoughts, although he knew he was among his own, Asterix couldn't help but feel lonely. Without his druid to help him understand and accept the situation, he felt lost. Why had Tutatis allowed this to happen? Had he done something to displease the gods? What would happen next? would the sky fall on their heads?

Asterix then looked up and saw Obelix, his best friend, still sitting on the stool… his large hands resting on his knees and his head down… gazing at the indeterminate space between his hands. Clearly it had been hard news for him to learn something might have happened to Getafix.

When Asterix saw him in that mood, he felt ashamed… ashamed of himself, because it was clear he wasn't the only one suffering for Getafix's disappearance. How could he be so selfish? Still a little hesitant, the little Gaul approached Obelix. Dogmatix was already sitting next to his owner… his ears drooping… and groaning pitifully… as if he tried to show he too shared the feelings of the menhir carver.

When Asterix reached his friend's side and he saw he hadn't noticed him, he put one of his small hands on the huge knee of the red-haired Gaul. Obelix, either because he saw the hand or because he noticed that someone was touching him, left the world of his thoughts and looked up to meet Asterix's eyes. The blond Gaul was looking at him with concern, but when he saw he had caught his attention, he smiled and said in the most convincing way he could:

"Don't worry, Obelix. You'll see, we'll find Getafix." Being honest, he himself hoped what he had just said to Obelix was true, because otherwise… no, he preferred not to think about it. Getafix would return. He had to believe with all him might he would.

Obelix saw Asterix, despite being clearly frightened by what might have happened to Getafix, still trying to maintain a positive attitude, encouraging others despite adversity. The menhir carver never knew how his friend could act in such an admirably optimistic way despite having everything against him. And Obelix wouldn't exaggerate if he affirmed it is thanks to this very special attitude the little warrior has always shown on multiple occasions the village has overcome the dangers it has faced.

The great Gaul smiled. Asterix was right… they would surely find their druid. Besides, he had to stay strong, for Asterix. So, he said to the little Gaul:

"Yes, you're right. We mustn't lose hope… perhaps it would be better if I go to see our chief."

Obelix put a hand on the table and used it as support to stand up. When he was on his feet, he put his hands behind his back and headed towards the entrance, but the soft voice of Gaul boy stopped him:

"Obelix… can I come with you?" he asked with a slightly shy tone in his voice.

The red-haired Gaul turned in surprise to look at the little Gaul. He had almost forgotten Asterix was only three years old. To be honest, Obelix was so used to doing this with his friend by his side, that he hadn't realized he was about to leave the little Gaul alone in the cabin. Deep down he thought that Asterix, his Asterix, would go with him and the other two to meet with Vitalstatistix and try to find a solution for the problem they had.

Obelix missed talking to Asterix, explaining his problems and concerns to him… he missed seeing him there smiling with his characteristic winged helmet. He wanted to see him again as he was before – independent and determined, strong, in all aspects of his character – able to find the solutions they needed at all times… the red-haired Gaul felt bad when he saw his best friend in the state he was in, small and dependent on others. But on the other hand, in a way, to the menhir carver, Asterix reminded him of Mischiefus, because like the little Roman boy, his best friend was quite smart for his age and a very bright boy. But that doesn't mean that if Obelix had gone with Asterix to the forest that day…

"Obelix, is something wrong?"

Obelix blinked a few times. Apparently, he had been lost in his thoughts… again. This was unusual for him. He looked down at the blond boy, trying to remember what he had said. Suddenly he seemed to remember it and said:

"Wrong? Ah no, nothing, nothing is wrong, so… yes, perhaps it's better that you come with me. You cannot stay here alone even if Dogmatix stays with you."

Asterix let out a cheer of joy. He could finally go outside, since he had been locked up all morning and was already a little fed up.

"Okay! Let's go!"

"What did you say? By Belenos, Getafix has disappeared?" Vitalstatistix was sitting in his chair, located at the top of a ladder, in the center of the space of his cabin. The room, despite being divided in half by a large curtain, was large enough to place practically the entire village in it.

"That's true, oh Vitalstatistix our chief, Getafix has disappeared and we fear something may have happened to him," replied Tragicomix. He and Cacofonix had recently arrived at the village chief's cabin and had already told him the events that had occurred since the last time they'd seen the druid.

"By Tutatis, don't you think you are exaggerating a bit? With all that has happened, it's normal for the nerves to be a little excited," the village chief tried to reason. The last thing they needed right now was another cause for concern.

"I'm afraid we aren't exaggerating, oh chief," said Cacofonix. He then added:

"We both know Getafix very well, and we know he wouldn't be gone this long… especially with everything that has happened."

Vitalstatistix knew the bard was right. Getafix… he would never do something like that. He cared too much about all of them to act in such an… irresponsible way. The chief was also beginning to become seriously concerned at the unknown whereabouts of the village druid.

The cabin door opened suddenly, startling everyone inside. Then, Obelix entered accompanied by Asterix and Dogmatix. The blond boy seemed a little troubled. This seemed strange to Cacofonix, because a few minutes ago, he had been perfectly happy in his cabin. What could have happened to him?

"I'm here, oh Vitalstatistix," said the red-haired Gaul as he closed the door behind him.

"Obelix! Welcome, and I see you have brought Asterix with you," Vitalstatistix said when he saw them enter. This was the first time he had seen Asterix awake since he'd become a boy again, and he wasn't quite sure how the child would react.

"That's right, chief. I couldn't leave him alone. Oh, and I'm sorry for the delay, but everyone wanted to say hello to Asterix." It was true… the great Gaul found all the villagers crowded around him as soon as they saw him, taking an interest in the state of the little Gaul. Asterix was so overwhelmed when he saw so many people he didn't know or… recognized, that the menhir carver had to, almost literally, kick everyone out claiming that later they could see their friend, but not all at once.

Oh, sure, that explains everything, the bard thought. Knowing how the people of this village act, it was only natural Asterix was in that state. In all likelihood – despite their good faith – they had all surrounded the two Gauls, pushing each other, just to see how their blond friend was doing.

"Vitalstatistix is our chief?" Asterix suddenly asked, who seemed to have recovered slightly from his previous shock and now seemed surprised to discover Vitalstatistix was the village leader.

"…Eeh, yes, don't you see? After his father, he has become our chief," replied Obelix, who had been surprised by the question. Truth be told, he had been seeing Vitalstatistix as his chief for so long, that it was strange to imagine another person in that position.

"And where is your brother? He's older than you," asked the little Gaul again. He was trying to think logically. He knew Vitalstatistix had an older brother. Shouldn't his brother be the chief of the village? This made no sense to Asterix.

"My brother left the village and now lives in Lutetia, my little Asterix," Vitalstatistix explained. Honestly, it wasn't difficult for him to understand why the little Gaul was so surprised. When his father decided to retire, many villagers believed it would be Doublehelix who would take over leadership of the village, and many opposed and even disliked that Vitalstatistix was the one to become chief. Although, as time passed, the chief learned how to measure up to his position and ended up earning the respect of all the villagers.

"Oh, I see," Asterix simply replied, that explanation was more than enough for him.

Suddenly the curtain that separated the living room from the rest of the house wobbled, and Impedimenta appeared. She had surely been cleaning or doing another household chore. She wasn't a cleaning maniac, but she did like having her house tidy for possible visits. When the braided-haired woman saw the little Gaul, she smiled and, approaching him, asked:

"Hello Asterix, how are you? Have you eaten? Do you want some stew?"

Asterix had seen the woman enter, and as with the rest of the village people, he didn't know who she was, but since he didn't want to seem rude, he replied:

"I'm fine, ma'am, thank you. And… I don't want anything. I've already eaten,"

"Oh well, that's alright. If you've already eaten, then never mind. Oh, and call me Impedimenta, is that okay with you?" The chief's wife asked. She was certainly pleasantly impressed with the boy's upbringing. She wished more people in town were like him. In addition, the blond Gaul seemed delighted with the fact he could call her by name, because with an evident enthusiasm in his voice he replied:

"Yes!"

Impedimenta knew her husband had important matters to discuss. She hadn't heard what it was about, but even so, she knew it was urgent. For that reason, she decided to take Asterix so the boy wouldn't disturb them. She approached the curtains again, and pulling them slightly apart so Asterix could see the interior, she asked the boy:

"Asterix, do you want to go inside to play?"

Asterix looked at the space hidden behind the curtain, then at Impedimenta and finally at Obelix. In truth, he was dying to see the chief's cabin interior, because he had never been there before. It was always his father who went to the chief's cabin. But… on the other hand, he didn't want to leave Obelix's side. He knew none of the other villagers would hurt him, but he felt more comfortable when his best friend was around. So, he clearly said to the chief's wife:

"No, I want to stay here with Obelix and Dogmatix."

Impedimenta looked at him in surprise. She didn't expect the boy to refuse her offer, though she didn't want to do anything that would displease the little Gaul. Even so, she decided to insist a little more, to see if she could make him change his mind.

"Are you sure, little one? Here, the adults are talking. You'll get bored. Look, if you want, you can bring Dogmatix with you."

Asterix frowned slightly, but either out of fear of what Vitalstatistix might say or because he wanted to look like an older boy, he said to the chief's wife:

"Yes, Impedimenta. I'm sure. I want to stay with Obelix."

Impedimenta was about to insist, but her husband raised his arm as a signal not to say anything else, since he was about to speak.

"Asterix, I think it is better you go inside. We're going to discuss important and boring topics. If you go with Impedimenta, you'll have more fun than here," he said speaking with the greatest sweetness possible.

Asterix frowned even more. He didn't want to leave Obelix's side, why was it so hard for adults to understand?

"But I don't want to go," he said with a slight trembling voice.

"Asterix," by the tone Vitalstatistix used, it could be said he was losing patience. But the little Gaul didn't care.

"No, I want to stay!" He said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Asterix!" the village chief said again, this time with a powerful enough scream to make those present shudders.

Asterix suddenly ran to Obelix and grabbed onto the leg of the menhir dealer as hard as he could as he said:

"No! I want to stay! I want to be with Obelix! I don't want to leave!"

Obelix at first had been surprised by his best friend's action, but suddenly he noticed something wet in the area of his knee, and raising the leg in which Asterix continued to hold on tightly, he saw the Gaul boy had begun to cry. This broke Obelix's heart, who immediately caught him with one of his huge hands and hugged him, taking great care not to crush him. The blond Gaul surrounded the menhir dealer's neck with his small arms while the red-haired Gaul said:

"Come on, Asterix, don't cry…" Then he directed his gaze towards the village chief and said:

"Oh Vitalstatistix, if he promises not to disturb us, could he stay here?"

Vitalstatistix didn't seem very convinced. He scanned everyone present. Obelix gave him a pleading look. His wife maintained a firm posture; she seemed to be the only person who still thought Asterix shouldn't stay there. And as for Cacofonix and Tragicomix, both Gauls didn't seem to know which side to choose.

The village chief then looked at little Asterix and was surprised to see that he was looking at him with intense puppy eyes that also shone with the tears shed just moments before. These small but deep dark eyes melted Vitalstatistix's heart, and exhaling a sigh of defeat, he said:

"Okay, as long as you promise not to interrupt… if you want, you can stay in that corner, next to all the shields, okay?"

"YES!" Asterix replied, his attitude changed immediately. Jumping out of Obelix's arms, he went to Dogmatix and picked him up from the ground. The little puppy began to lick his face effusively.

Impedimenta, seeing there was nothing she could do anymore, said:

"Okay, do what you want."

Then she turned around as she made her way to the other side of the curtains while saying to herself:

"No matter how old they are, all men are equally stubborn. This is unbearable."

Vitalstatistix ignored his wife's comment. He knew she loved him and he loved her, but when she got angry, it was better to leave her alone to calm down and not say anything to her.

Turning his attention to the occupants of the cabin, he said:

"Well, where were we? Oh yes, about this Getafix issue. What do you suggest?"

Tragicomix was the first to answer his chief's question:

"I recommend a small group of men go to the forest to look for him. In this way we avoid panic in the village and we also keep a low profile with the Romans."

"I understand preventing panic, but why do you mention the Romans?" Vitalstatistix asked. Honestly, he didn't see what a problem it could be if the Romans saw them in the forest. After all, this was their home – their forest – not the Romans'. The youngest adult answered the chief's question:

"Because we're not sure, but there is a possibility that the Romans are responsible of our druid's disappearance. And conversely, if they have had nothing to do with this, it's better they don't know he has disappeared."

After these words, silence settled in the cabin, except for the soft laughter of Asterix and the occasional Dogmatix's barks. Truth be told, those present had either not thought of it, or had, but were afraid to admit the possibility that the Romans had something to do with Getafix's disappearance.

"You are absolutely right, Tragicomix. You've a good eye, boy," said the village chief with genuine admiration. Despite being a young Gaul, Tragicomix had a lot of initiative and an overall vision. Surely in the future he could become a great leader if he wanted to.

"Well then… do we do what Tragicomix says?" Cacofonix asked.

Asterix raised his head to look at the adults. There was another reason why he had decided to stay there instead of going with Impedimenta. He also wanted to know more about what happened with Getafix. And even though he was playing with Obelix's pet, he was also paying attention to what the elders were saying. The more he knew, the better. The blond boy had made a plan on his own, but he needed to know what the elders would do before deciding to implement it or not.

"It may be best to do this. But how many and whom are we going to send?" The village chief spoke again.

"They should be trustworthy people… people who aren't going to tell anything to the other inhabitants," Tragicomix explained. Although he knew all the inhabitants were good people, he didn't want to risk someone's tongue slipping and then the whole village panicking over the absence of the druid. He also added:

"And I would say that it should be a maximum of five people."

"Five? Isn't that very few?" the bard, asked surprised by the low number of possible people for this mission.

"Not if we don't want to draw attention," said the younger adult.

"Right… when are we leaving?" Cacofonix said again, being honest, he wasn't one to participate in missions; this basically used to be Asterix and Obleix's job. But since he was one of the few who knew about Getafix's "situation," he considered it was his duty as well to go with those who went to look for him.

"As soon as possible, if there is a possibility Getafix is in trouble… or worse, in the Romans' hands. We must leave immediately," said Obelix, who until now had been silent.

Asterix, after listening to the whole conversation, decided he would definitely put his plan into action. Completely convinced of this, he picked up Dogmatix and said something in his ear. When finished, the little dog jumped out of the boy's hands and ran to the door where he started to scratch the wood while moaning plaintively. Asterix made a mischievous smile and then ran to the red-haired Gaul and said:

"Obelix, Obelix, Dogmatix wants to go out."

Obelix had his hands behind his back. He turned to look at his pet, and seeing that indeed, he was eager to leave, he commented:

"Oh, it's true. Wait, Dogmatix, I'm coming,"

He went to the door and Asterix followed closely behind him, saying:

"Can I go out with him?"

Obelix stopped in his tracks, looking at the Gaul boy with a look of concern. He didn't want Asterix to go there alone, but he was in the middle of an important meeting with his chief, and he couldn't ignore that either… perhaps it would have been better if his best friend had gone with Impedimenta. The little Gaul saw the reaction of the menhir dealer and was quick to say:

"We'll be back soon, I… I just want some fresh air, please."

This time it was Obelix who had to endure Asterix's puppy eyes. The great Gaul was still not entirely convinced, but… on the other hand, in the village, everyone knew what was happening, so surely one villager or another would catch Asterix's attention if he tried to do something… Finally, the red-haired Gaul – even without being one hundred percent sure – said to the boy:

"Okay, but hurry up."

"YES!" Asterix replied happily. He was actually beginning to doubt Obelix was going to let him out, but since he'd given him permission, he didn't want to waste it.

The great Gaul opened the door and boy and pet went outside. Once there, Asterix waited for Obelix to disappear inside again. When he could no longer see him, he bent down to pick up Dogmatix and said:

"You did great! Now I'll show you a secret place that only I know… a place where we can leave the village without anyone seeing us. And when we're away, we'll find Getafix."

Dogmatix was surprised. Being honest, he didn't expect Asterix had devised that ruse to escape from the village. He thought the boy only wanted to go outside to play. Now, the little puppy felt guilty for having been complicit in this plan. He also knew Asterix had an adventurous spirit, but in his condition… perhaps it would be better to go with him, just to make sure nothing happened.

The two began to run, trying to keep out of sight of anyone. It was a bit difficult at first, but as they moved away from the center of the village, there were fewer and fewer people to dodge. Finally, they reached a place on the wall that protected the village from the outside, at a certain point where a large tree had grown almost touching the log wall.

"It's here," said Asterix. "One day I came here and found this by chance." He separated the grass a little and just at the base of the tree, a hole appeared that penetrated the wall.

"Passing through here, we can go to the forest without anyone seeing us," said the little Gaul with a huge smile. Immediately after, he bent down and ducked through the hole. Dogmatix soon followed. When the two of them were out of the village, they started running straight to the forest with a single thought in mind: Find Getafix.

And here ends this chapter. Had any of you imagined Asterix would do that? And the way he used to scape from the village… pretty clever, isn't it? Also, I really wanted to have him using puppy eyes, I think he's really cute as a child, but if you add puppy eyes… cuteness level reaches its highest point. What do you think about it? Did you like it? If so, don't doubt on leave your reviews, I always love to hear your thoughts! Also guesses on what will happen next?

Okay, after say that, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I also would like to thank you all those who've read this story, those who follow it or have it among their favorites: MyCelestialFury.

P.S.: there's a piece of fanart related to this chapter. You can find it on Deviantart: Piliarquitect and on Tumblr: Pilyarquitect

See you in the next chapter