Hello everyone! First of all, I hope all those who celebrate Easter had a very Happy Easter! Secondly, like every week, here I bring you a new chapter of this Asterix story. Honestly, I don't really know what to say apart of that I hope you'll enjoy it. Oh and as always, if you're enjoying this story, please, can you leave a review? Just if you want. I love to hear your thoughts about this.

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 next chapter of this story, I hope you all will like it!

Chapter 25. Ave Caesar

The rattling of the chariot seemed to go on an infinite period of time, but Asterix didn't care about that. He didn't want to get to Rome. He didn't want to go there. The little Gaul had realized something had happened to his kidnapper. Once again, he was acting in that cold and haughty way he had used while they were still in Gaul, and Asterix didn't understand it. He had believed the Roman really cared for him… that he cared for him and behaved like… like a friend. But something had changed, and the fearsome Roman had returned, harsher and crueler than before.

Perhaps he had done something to enrage the Roman? But Asterix wasn't aware of having done anything wrong. He had only worried about that man when he saw him dejectedly looking at nothing in particular. His only intention had been to help, nothing more.

But now Asterix didn't know what to think of that man. He didn't know what to say to him, by Tutatis. He didn't even know if he should speak to him. The last time he had looked at him, the senator returned his gaze with a wicked smile, as if he was glad to see him scared again. Fortunately for the boy, his fear of the senator wasn't as strong as when he caught him the first time, and that was thanks to Dogmatix.

Yes, his best friend's pet had made him see that there were those who cared about him, and gave him hope that Obelix would come for him. The little puppy made him understand his best friend wouldn't abandon him… that he wouldn't leave him in the hands of that bad man… he was sure Obelix loved him. That was all Asterix needed to know.

"Oh, we're finally entering Rome."

Asterix's heart pounded at those words and a new level of fear invaded him completely. If he didn't do something soon, he would be a hostage of Caesar himself, and then the village… his home… would be doomed. Fortunately, when he arrived in Rome, the promise he had made to that Roman was no longer valid, because the boy had promised to behave and not try to escape until they reached Rome, and since they had reached Rome, now he could try to escape.

The Gaul boy was so engrossed in thinking he could finally escape the clutches of that Roman that he was surprised when the man spoke again:

"Well, boy, now we will go to Caesar's palace."

Asterix's breathing quickened a bit at those words. He didn't want to see Julius Caesar. He didn't want to be here. He needed to escape as soon as possible if he wanted to protect the village! For the first time, the blond Gaul was terrified – not for himself, but for all the villagers. This was all his fault… all because of his uselessness. He had to do everything possible to protect his people, since it was he who had put them in danger.

Unbidden by him, Fulliautomatix's words resounded once more in his head: "Asterix is too short to do anything right, he's useless." Those words had hurt him a lot when the blacksmith's son spoke them, but now he realized they were true, each and every one of them. His uselessness, his short stature… he was nothing more than a small and useless human being… someone who, if he didn't exist, would probably not be missed. Everyone would be better off without him.

Even without knowing how he did it, the Gaul boy managed to calm his breathing enough to ask:

"And what will happen then?"

Despite not liking the idea of being a prisoner of Rome, Asterix wanted to know everything that awaited him when he was finally presented to Caesar. He didn't know him or, rather… didn't remember him, but every time that Roman had mentioned the leader of the empire, Asterix felt a strange sensation, as if he knew subconsciously that Caesar was an opponent to be reckoned with, that he couldn't belittle him, nor underestimate him.

The Roman senator chuckled before answering:

"What will happen then? What will happen is that I'll hand you over to him. You'll become his prisoner and you'll be completely at his mercy. He may let you live, although I doubt that will happen when he finds out who you are."

Despite what he had just said, Asterix wasn't afraid. Well, actually he was, by what might happen to him… but he cared much more for the village – for his people – for all those he had endangered with his foolish and reckless actions.

"And what will happen to my village?" he asked with all the courage he could muster.

The senator looked at him again. Despite knowing the boy was terrified, it was admirable to see he put the other savages above himself. Not even among his compatriots – except for his mother – had he seen such behavior. But no matter how noble the boy was, he didn't have to lie to him. After all, it was thanks to him that Caesar's victory over Gaul would finally be complete. Thus, in a jovial tone, the senator announced:

"I don't think you have to worry about them for much longer."

The senator's last sentence brought pain and sadness to Asterix, and his eyes began to shine, threatening to become uncontrollable sources of tears. Luckily, Asterix managed to avoid crying in front of that Roman. He was going to show him that he still had dignity left.

The boy then stood upright, trying to appear brave. If he was to be presented as a gift, at least he would show Julius Caesar that the Gauls were a proud people, whether they were children or adults. Yes, he wouldn't make his countrymen look bad.

Overanxius saw Asterix's new posture, and although it was clear he was trying to show courage, his eyes betrayed him, since fear was clearly reflected in them. Seeing this, the senator snorted in amusement, he couldn't wait to deliver the boy to Caesar.

Unfortunately, the gods seemed to have turned against him again, because in addition to the bustle in the streets, the senator found that at the crossroads in front of them, a cart had missed the directions given by the traffic control soldier and had rammed into another cart. Fortunately, no one had been injured, but now the owners of both vehicles were arguing at the top of their lungs. Not only that, but they had also generated a considerable traffic jam, and many other drivers were beginning to lose their patience when they saw the situation wasn't resolved.

The Roman senator cursed silently when he saw he, too, had been forced to stop, and it didn't seem as though they were going to move for a long time. The senator closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Why? What twisted game were the gods playing? First, they gave him the opportunity to destroy the barbarian people, then they snatched it from him just to give it back to him shortly after, and that was how it had been… a dance between giving him something and then taking it away. What was this? Some kind of test? Were they questioning his trust in them? Overanxius gripped the edges of the cart tightly as with short breaths he tried to control his growing anger.

The more time passed, the more likely it was that chubby Gaul would attempt some kind of rescue. In fact, the senator didn't doubt that that red-haired Gaul was probably heading to the capital at the moment. With luck, however, he still had at least a couple of days before he arrived, because unlike the senator, that Gaul was on foot. No matter how fast he could run, surely at some point he would need to rest, stock up, regain strength… and eat. From what Totorum's soldiers had told him, that Gaul loved to eat, it seemed. In addition to fighting against the Romans, it was one of his biggest hobbies. So no, he couldn't allow that Gaul to come to town and snatch the hostage from him. By Juno, that wasn't going to happen.

Asterix also realized they had stopped. Leaving Dogmatix on the ground next to him, the Gaul boy rose from the place where he had been sitting and looked at his kidnapper, who had his full attention on whatever had happened in front of them.

An idea then came to Asterix's mind. If he wanted to escape the Roman, this was his best chance. So, beckoning to the little white dog, they both moved slowly to the edge of the cart, acting as stealthy as possible. When he got there, the blond boy looked at the senator again, and seeing he was still completely absorbed in his own affairs, he smiled and jumped out of the cart, ready to run as far as possible. Dogmatix followed in the boy's footsteps and he also jumped. He was willing to protect Asterix to the end.

Unfortunately for both, not everyone was as aware of the accident as the senator, so Asterix was frightened when a voice shouted:

"Hey boy! Where are you going?"

The person who had made that scream was very close, because a good number of people, as soon as they heard that, looked around trying to identify the person to whom that comment alluded. Overanxius was one of those people. As soon as he heard the scream he looked down, and when he saw that his prisoner wasn't there, he immediately looked for him until he located him, running to get away from the cart. He quickly processed what had happened and screamed as loud as he could:

"Someone stop that boy!"

Those words filled Asterix's heart with fear. He accelerated the pace. He couldn't allow himself to be caught again! Not this time! Not when his village was so close to being destroyed.

Without daring to look back, the boy ran as fast as his little legs allowed him. He heard noises behind him… the crowd talking, trying to understand what was happening… people who apparently had finally reacted to the senator's request and seemed to have started a race to catch him.

Asterix continued down the street without stopping. He had to get away from there! He had to! But suddenly something grabbed him from behind by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground. The little Gaul let out a gasp in surprise at the action. He was about to start kicking and screaming when suddenly the man who had grabbed him screamed in pain and dropped him to the ground. Asterix looked surprised and discovered Dogmatix was biting the forearm of the Roman who had caught him a few seconds ago.

Though feeling sorry for the injured man, Asterix smiled when he saw he was free again. The boy got up in a hurry and after congratulating the little white dog for his work, he started running again. The gods, however, didn't seem to be on his side, as around a corner a patrol of soldiers appeared before him, blocking his way. The boy groaned in frustration as the soldiers looked surprised at the boy who had just appeared before them, since they were arriving there in response to the screaming and didn't know what was happening.

One of the soldiers saw the boy who had almost collided with them and who was about to run again, so stretching out his arm, he stopped him by gently grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Hey, easy boy! Can you tell where you are going so fast?"

Asterix didn't respond. He simply began to struggle, trying to free himself from the control of that Roman. But the soldier didn't seem willing to let go… rather the opposite, increasing his strength a little, but without hurting the boy, he spoke again:

"Calm down little one, by Jupiter, we're not going to do anything to you! We just want to know what's wrong with you. Why are you running like that?"

Asterix could hear the footsteps of his pursuers approaching. He had to get out of there as fast as possible, so redoubling his efforts to escape, he said:

"Some men are after me!"

Hearing this, one of the soldiers shouted in surprise:

"What?"

The other members of the patrol looked at each other, and the one who was holding Asterix said:

"Easy kid, stay behind me, we'll take care of it."

Asterix was surprised to hear that. He didn't know whether to trust those soldiers. After all, they were dressed as the soldiers who surrounded his village… the soldiers who had ultimately caught him and taken him far from home. Still a bit hesitant, the Gaul boy nodded, and after being released, he positioned himself behind the patrol at the same moment a group of five men appeared. The Roman senator was in their midst, and the five were forced to stop when the pilums of the patrol members pointed directly at them.

The senator was a little ahead of the others and asked angrily:

"What is the meaning of all this, soldiers? Why are you defending my prisoner?"

Hearing the word "prisoner," and from the lips of a senator, the members of the patrol paled, not believing what they had just heard. They were so puzzled the questions didn't take long to appear.

"What?"

"Prisoner?"

The soldiers were puzzled. Was that boy a prisoner? A senator's prisoner? What was happening here?

One of the members of the patrol, after looking askance at the blond boy who didn't take his scared eyes away from the senator, ventured to ask:

"But this boy told us that they were chasing him."

Overanxius looked indignantly at the soldier who had just spoken, and practically shouting with fury, he exclaimed:

"Yes, of course we were chasing him! Because he escaped me!"

Asterix realized if he didn't hurry, he would be caught again, so slowly along with Dogmatix, he began to move away from everyone present. But unfortunately for him, one of the soldiers realized his intentions and rushed to catch him and lift him off the ground to prevent him from escaping. The boy immediately began to flail, trying to escape from the arms that held him captive. Dogmatix began to bark from the moment the boy was lifted from the ground. He prepared to launch himself towards the soldier holding little Asterix captive, but before he could do so, another soldier grabbed both of his ears and lifted him up as well, disabling any attack the little dog intended to make.

The soldier holding the child then approached the senator and handed the boy over to him as he said:

"We are sorry, Senator, but there is something I don't understand… why are you holding such a small child as a prisoner?"

The senator grabbed Asterix, who tried with much more effort than before to escape from the kidnapper. But unfortunately, his efforts were completely useless. Overanxius grabbed the blond boy as tightly as he could before turning back to the patrol member who had handed the boy over to him and answering dryly:

"That is none of your business, soldier. Now I must go. Thank you for your services."

That said, the Roman senator started to walk away with Asterix in his arms, but another of the soldiers asked him:

"Excuse me Senator, what do we do with the dog?"

Overanxius looked at the white puppy that was barking incessantly, trying to get to his owner. But the soldier holding him wouldn't let him. He couldn't free himself. He couldn't reach Asterix. He felt powerless… incapacitated… he was again failing in his mission to rescue the Gaul child.

The senator didn't take long to decide what he wanted done with Dogmatix.

"Take him out of my sight, by Jupiter," he said angrily, because despite being so small, the senator had to make considerable efforts to prevent Asterix from escaping his arms.

When the blond boy heard what the senator had ordered to be done with his best friend's dog, panic assailed him. He couldn't! He didn't want to be left alone. How could he get out of this situation?

"No! Dogmatix, By Belenos! Let him stay with me! Please!" the boy shouted in panic, but the senator looked at him harshly and replied:

"No boy, not this time. By Jupiter!"

Asterix felt he was short of breath. If they took him away from Dogmatix, he would be alone… completely alone. Reaching out to the puppy, the boy desperately cried out:

"No! No! By Belenos, please!"

But it was useless. The senator wasn't willing to let the boy twist his arm… not this time. Now he could see he had pampered that boy too much. That was why the boy had had the nerve to try to escape… but that was over. The boy would be treated as what he was: a slave. Thus, ignoring everyone's glances, the senator went back to his cart, followed by one of the members of the patrol, as the senator had ordered the soldiers to lend him some chains with which to tie his prisoner.

In this way, between the two of them, they bound Asterix, who had given up shouting for the company of Dogmatix. When the little Gaul was tied up, the senator thanked the soldier and, getting back into the chariot, he resumed his drive directly to Caesar's palace.

One of the soldiers tied a rope around Dogmatix's neck and left him on the ground. Immediately afterwards, the puppy tried to run after Asterix, but his efforts were unsuccessful. The soldier held the rope tight. The little dog barked and barked incessantly, but it was of no use.

The puppy was about to give up when he suddenly caught a smell, a familiar smell. Looking in another direction, the puppy saw Mischiefus appear in a corner followed by his parents. Hope blossomed again in the puppy's mind. If he could get his Roman friends to help him, perhaps he could save Asterix. With this thought in mind, the puppy began to bark vigorously, trying to capture the attention of the Roman family.

The first to notice the barking was Mischiefus, who, upon recognizing the Gaul puppy, immediately caught the attention of his parents, who also recognized the white animal upon seeing him.

"Oh, my gods! That's Dogmatix! What is he doing here?" Anonymus said, surprised to see Dogmatix. The day before, when Obelix went to visit them, his son was disappointed to see the little dog wasn't with his owner, but he understood when Obelix explained why. But now, here he was, tied by the neck with a rope and drawing his attention.

Mischiefus, although as surprised as his father to see his canine friend, understood he was barking at them for help, so grabbing his father by his tunic, he caught his attention and said:

"Dad, that doesn't matter, those soldiers have caught him! We have to free him and take him to Obelix."

The boy's mother added:

"You're right, sweetie. Besides… if he's here, maybe it means Asterix is here too, right?"

Anonymus understood his wife and his son were right, so with a determined attitude, he announced:

"You are right, dear. Okay, I'll see what I can do."

He immediately walked towards the soldiers and spoke with them, trying to find out what had happened and how they had gotten hold of that little dog. After a long conversation, and to the surprise of Mischiefus and his mother, the soldiers handed Dogmatix to Anonymus and immediately walked away.

The mosaicist then returned to his family and gave the little dog to his son. As soon as he was in the boy's arms, Dogmatix began to lick him euphorically. Meanwhile, Anonymus explained to his wife:

"Those soldiers have told me that Dogmatix was accompanying a Gaul boy who apparently had escaped from the hands of a senator. The soldiers returned the child to the senator, but the senator didn't want the dog, so they were forced to tie him up because the animal seemed determined to follow the child."

Anonymus's wife covered her mouth with both hands trying to stifle a scream, but recovering quickly, she asked next:

"Oh my… by Minerva! And what else have those soldiers told you? "

Anonymus cleared his throat and went on to explain:

"From the description the soldiers gave me, that boy sounds like Asterix, and it lines up with what Obelix told us yesterday. They also told me the senator who took the child was on his way to Caesar's palace."

This time, the good woman couldn't help exclaiming:

"Oh, my gods! Poor Asterix!"

Anonymus was about to speak again when he felt a new tug on his robe, and looking down, he met the eyes of his son.

"Dad, how did you get Dogmatix?"

Despite the situation, Anonymus smiled, and stroking the head of his son, replied:

"Ah, that… they told me they couldn't take care of the dog, so I told them I could take care of him… that you had always wanted a puppy."

His wife looked at him in surprise before asking:

"And did they find that explanation satisfactory?"

Anonymus shrugged and simply replied:

"Apparently, yes."

The Roman mother clasped her hands saying:

"Oh, let's thank the gods for that."

Her husband nodded, then cleared his throat again and said:

"Yes. Well, I propose to go see Obelix and tell him what we have discovered."

"Yes, that's a great idea!" his wife agreed, and little Mischiefus added:

"Yes! Let's go see Obelix! "

Meanwhile, Overanxius and Asterix had arrived at Caesar's palace. Upon arrival, the senator requested an audience with the emperor, claiming that he had a matter of enormous importance to discuss with him. His request was promptly heeded, so the senator and Gaul entered the palace grounds and were escorted to the audience room where they told a man in a white robe that Caesar was waiting for them.

Overanxius trembled with emotion. There was little left. In a few moments he would receive praise for his actions! And in a short time, the whole world would know him for being the man who had managed to subdue this barbarian people for Caesar. Finally, the two of them entered the room, the senator in front and constantly pulling on the chain with which he had tied the blond boy.

Asterix, for his part, was crestfallen. Without Dogmatix by his side, he was alone and abandoned again. There was no hope… not anymore. He had failed his people. He knew he had failed… he had condemned them all.

"With that size you'll never be able to do anything right."

"Asterix is a dwarf! Asterix is a dwarf! "

"Asterix is too short to do anything right. He is useless."

The jeers of the village children echoed loudly in the little Gaul's mind. It was true, all that. Since he had woken up in that Roman's tent, he had done nothing right, and now he was in Rome, being treated as an object. Why did he have to run away from the village? This was the stupidest thing he could do, and he did it.

The boy was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize they had stopped in front of a figure that was sitting in a chair at the top of some stairs. The figure was moody, but Asterix didn't notice it at first… not until the Roman senator started speaking.

"Ave Caesar, this is Senator Overanxius, saluting you," the senator proclaimed proudly.

Caesar looked bored and replied dismissively:

"Ave, what is this important thing you wanted to tell me, Overanxius?"

The senator didn't seem to be fazed by the emperor's lack of interest in him, so with the same cheerful tone used by those who proclaim great feats, the senator explained:

"Oh Caesar, I have returned from the mission you entrusted to me in Armorica, and I bring you a present from there."

Saying this, he yanked on the chain and pushed the blond Gaul forward until he almost tripped.

Caesar looked at the boy in surprise. He hadn't noticed his presence, and now that he saw him, he could see something familiar about him, although he didn't know what.

Disguising the uncertainty caused by the boy's familiar face, Caesar asked:

"A child? You bring me a child?"

Overanxius smiled. He knew that Caesar wouldn't be satisfied if it were just a child, but when he told him everything, surely, he would be delighted. With this in mind, the senator explained:

"He is not just any child, divine emperor… he is a child of the village of the indomitable, and also –"

Caesar rose when he heard the origin of the boy and spoke with a voice that seemed a mixture of anger and surprise:

"From the village of the indomitable?"

His sudden action and the tone used caused Asterix to shrink involuntarily. By all the gods, he wanted now more than ever to be safely in his house and not here.

For Overanxius, Caesar's reaction was also a surprise, but he covered it up by speaking again:

"Yes, O Caesar, and there is something else."

"Something else? If it's just a boy, what else can there be?" asked the Roman emperor as he descended the stairs to face the senator and the boy.

Despite the intimidating act, Overanxius stood firm. It was time to tell him who the boy really was. So, clearing his throat, the senator said:

"Divine Emperor, I didn't believe it when they told me, but it turns out that this child is actually an adult Gaul. And not just any adult… he is neither more nor less than the warrior of that village. It is the Gaul ASTERIX!"

So… Overanxius has finally presented Asterix to Caesar. What do you think it'll happen? Will Caesar believe him? I'll be honest, I'm looking forward to update next week's chapter, I'd love for all of you to see Caesar and Asterix first interaction. But, while then, if you want to leave your comments or speculations about what will happen, you can do it too. I love to read your comments!

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 and Vlcek222.

See you in the next chapter