Hello everyone! I'm terribly sorry. Because of an expected family thing I totally forgot to update this week's chapter. I'm terribly sorry. But… on the other hand… this means you'll have to wait less time for the week's chapter ;P. Well, after say that, here you have the chapter, and remember, 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 27. Receiving News

The Roman family walked hurriedly through the city streets. They didn't want to attract attention, but they couldn't waste time either, so they went as fast as they could to get to the place where Obelix said he and his two companions were staying. When they were arrived there, Dogmatix perceived the smell of his owner. After such a long time, he finally smelled his scent again!

With joy flooding his tiny body, the little dog jumped out of Mischiefus' arms and hurriedly ran towards the house where the red-haired Gaul was. He arrived at the precise moment the big Gaul, followed by the young couple, walked outside to go somewhere. Dogmatix barked happily, rising up on his hind legs in front of Obelix.

The menhir deliverer was pleasantly surprised to see his beloved pet barking and tumbling happily in front of him. The last thing Obelix had expected was to see his beloved pet there, right in front of him.

How had he gotten there? It was a mystery. The big Gaul immediately bent down to pick up Dogmatix, and as he stood up again, a childish voice called his name:

"Obelix!"

"Mischiefus!" Obelix replied cheerfully. He wasn't expecting a visit from his Roman friends so soon, but he wasn't going to complain. In fact, he was delighted.

Justforkix and Aba came out after the red-haired Gaul and were quick to join the Roman family and greet each other. Despite being from such different cultures, the young couple felt very comfortable with this family, as if they were lifelong friends.

Justforkix took his place next to Obelix and said to the father of the family:

"Hello Anonymus, what brings you here so early? By Tutatis!"

Anonymus cleared his throat and replied:

"We have news about Asterix. It turns out –"

But he was unable to continue. As soon as he mentioned Asterix, the red-haired Gaul pounced on him, grabbing his shoulders tightly – though surprisingly, he managed to restrain himself and did no real harm to the surprised Roman. Obelix, face to face with Anonymus, practically shouted at him:

"Asterix? Oh, by Tutatis! Do you know where he is? Is he all right?"

Justforkix rushed to get between Obelix and Anonymus. Knowing the emotional state of the great Gaul, he feared he might do something he might regret later. Putting himself between the two men, he said to his friend:

"Calm down Obelix, by Belenos. Anonymus was about to tell us. Isn't that right?"

Recovering from his surprise, Anonymus went on to say:

"Oh yes, of course. What I was going to say is that we've discovered Asterix is here in the city, and the senator he was with was taking him to Caesar's palace."

As soon as he heard that, Obelix stood up and spoke again.

"Then what are we waiting for, for Tutais? We have to go there right now!"

He was about to start walking, but Justforkix stepped in front of the big Gaul to stop him.

"Hey, Obelix, wait! By Belisana, you can't do that!"

Obelix looked angrily at the young blond Gaul before asking:

"What? Why not?"

Justforkix recoiled slightly at the sight of Obelix's angry face. He had rarely seen him like this, but he knew when Obelix was angry it was best not to be on the receiving end of his fury. Trying to calm his racing heart, the Lutetian Gaul began to explain:

"I-if he's been taken to where Caesar is, then he must be heavily guarded... at least I suppose he must be."

Aba decided to interject in support of her husband:

"Yes, certainly. I don't know that Caesar, but I've seen what the Romans are like, and if they are like him, then I'm sure he would do that, by Thor."

Still, Obelix didn't seem impressed by that idea. How could it affect him? The Romans were no match for him, so he explained to the young couple:

"That, for me, is not a problem, by Belenos. I can stand up to anyone who gets in front of me."

Justforkix took a deep breath before continuing to speak:

"We already know that, Obelix, but Caesar knows it, too. What I mean is that if you attack suddenly and carelessly, news of your attack will reach Julius Caesar before you can get to Asterix, and then what do you think the man will do?"

Obelix was surprised by this question. His eyes widened like saucers. What would Caesar do? The truth was he had no idea. Whenever they had dealt with him, it had always been Asterix who had spoken to the emperor. It was Asterix who knew the man's way of thinking the best.

"... I don't know… what would he do?" he asked confused, for he feared what the answer might be.

Justforkix looked sadly at the menhir dealer, then softly replied:

"He'd probably – and Tutatis knows I wish I were wrong – use Asterix as a shield… a means to get you to stop attacking him. It's more than likely that in order to get you to surrender, he'd even threaten to hurt him in front of your very eyes."

Justforkix didn't want to go into too much detail, but he felt it was necessary to tell Obelix straight, even if it might be painful for him to hear.

Obelix's eyes had opened to their full capacity listening to what the blond Gaul was saying. Jules wouldn't do that, would he?

"I... I hadn't thought of that..." said the big Gaul with a thread of a voice. Dogmatix was at his owner's side, whimpering in an attempt to comfort him. He knew Obelix was worried about Asterix's safety, so the little doggie wanted to show him he was there for whatever he needed.

Anonymus stepped forward, gently placing his hand on Obelix's forearm as he said:

"Obelix, we know you are very worried about Asterix, by Mercury. Maybe we didn't stop to think how worried you are… but you must understand that acting rashly won't do him any good. You understand that, don't you?"

Obelix looked at his Roman friend, his eyes glistening with tears that seemed about to fall down his face, but the big Gaul did his best not to cry in front of everyone. He was supposed to be strong, and crying in such a situation would make him feel weak.

The big Gaul breathed a sigh to calm his nerves before speaking again:

"I... I... I... I understand... but the thing is... he is alone. He needs me. He needs me more than ever."

Anonymus understood how the great Gaul felt, for he himself felt that way when he and his wife lost Mischiefus. They searched tirelessly for him all night long. Despite not knowing where his son was, however, Anonymus had the feeling that his boy wasn't in any real danger. He was a Roman boy in a land that was becoming more and more full of Romans.

The present case was different. Anonymus was well aware Asterix was a declared enemy of the empire. Only the gods knew what could happen to him when he was with Caesar. Suddenly an idea came to the Mosaicist's mind… an idea that could perhaps help them discover more details of the blond boy's situation. With a faint smile, he spoke in an optimistic tone:

"Obelix, we'll do everything in our power to help rescue Asterix. You know you can count on us, and I think there are people here in Rome who still hold a grudge against Caesar after what happened with the residence of the gods. Maybe they can help us."

Anonymus' wife clapped excitedly and hugged her husband as she said:

"Oh Anonymus, that would be a magnificent idea, by Juno! I talked to some of the women who are often at the market. I can meet with them and ask for their help!"

Mischiefus had remained silent all this time, but seeing the adults had finally come up with what seemed like a plan, he began to jump up and down excitedly as he asked:

"What about me? What can I do? I want to help, too!"

Anonymus turned to his son, and shaking his head said:

"I'm sorry Mischiefus, but you'd better leave this to us."

The boy stopped immediately, and with pleading voice tried to convince his father:

"But Dad, I can –"

This time, the Roman father answered his son in a harsher voice:

"No, Mischiefus. Don't insist."

The boy first looked at his father in surprise and then frowned. This was outrageous! Why couldn't he help? If it hadn't been for him, his parents and Asterix would probably never have discovered they were keeping him and Getafix locked up in the main building of the residence of the gods.

Mischiefus clenched his hands into fists. He was sick of being considered incapable of doing anything just because he was a child. The Roman boy decided if they weren't going to trust him, he would find a way to rescue Asterix on his own, so he shouted angrily:

"Fine! If you don't need me, then I'm leaving!"

With that said, he turned and ran off at full speed, ignoring his parents' shouts, Obelix's shouts, and even Dogmatix's barking. No, the boy was going to prove he could also help even though he was just a child.

The sun hadn't even risen, although the colors of the sky indicated it wouldn't be long before the great star would appear on the horizon, announcing a new day was beginning. Nobody was up yet… everything was calm… everything was quiet… until suddenly – without warning – a deafening sound broke out… a noise like thunder in heavy storms. The shocking noise awoke many people, likely the entire population, and some children began to cry, frightened by what they had just heard.

Those who were closest to the epicenter of the noise, wondering what it was, didn't take long to leave their homes, and they headed to the place where the tremendous explosion had occurred. It didn't take them long to guess the location, and when they arrived, they saw large gray clouds billowing out of the door and windows. Within seconds, the door opened, and out of it came the bearded white figure – though now blackened by smoke – of the druid Getafix, coughing nonstop, trying to regain the oxygen his lungs had lost from breathing in the tainted smoke that now filled his cabin.

"Getafix! Are you all right, oh druid?" asked one of the first villagers who had arrived on the scene.

For his response, Getafix merely coughed incessantly, his body seemingly unwilling to give him rest at the moment. This frightened the increasing number of villagers gathering around the druid a bit… that is, until Fulliautomatix arrived. Upon seeing the druid's condition, he turned to the crowd, and shouted:

"Oh, for the love of Tutatis! If you want to help, stand aside and give him space to breathe!"

The blacksmith's powerful voice silenced the crowd, who obediently parted from the druid, allowing the bearded man more space. Satisfied that he was being heeded, the blacksmith then said to the villager beside him:

"Bring him some water."

The villager nodded and hurried off only to return shortly with a bowl full of water, which he offered to his druid.

Slowly, Getafix's coughing subsided into deep gasps, so when the villager held out the glass of water, he accepted it graciously and began to drink.

By the time he finished, the bearded man had recovered enough to stand upright and breathe normally again. It was at that moment he realized he was in front of the entire village which had gathered around him, his gaze reflecting shame and regret at what they had all just witnessed.

Getafix cleared his throat and said softly:

"Dear friends, I'm fine now. I'm sorry for waking you all up. I didn't mean to."

"We know, oh druid… but what were you doing so early?" asked the village chief from atop his shield. Getafix looked at him briefly, and then lowering his eyes to the ground, he replied:

"Actually, I've been working since last night…" he admitted embarrassedly before continuing. "I was trying to find a cure for Asterix… to get him back to his former appearance."

"Have you been up all night Getafix?" asked Unhygienix, concerned.

"… Yes" the bearded man admitted.

All the villagers looked at each other as a silence fell over everyone. The villagers knew their druid was very affected by what had happened to their warrior. More than that, they knew he blamed himself for it entirely. But on the other hand, they didn't want such emotions to cloud Getafix's judgment to the point of committing Tutatis knows what madness in order to make amends for his mistake.

But… What could they say to their druid to make him reconsider his actions? They had tried various tactics. Several villagers had tried to encourage their druid, and while some seemed to have succeeded, this success was fleeting and short-lived. Before anyone knew it, Getafix had already fallen back into the dynamic of self-blame and trying to make amends at any cost… even at the cost of his own life, if necessary.

Getafix looked around him. He was surrounded by faces that looked at him in amazement and some even in horror. This only made his feeling of guilt grow worse, so to avoid the eyes fixated on him, the druid turned his gaze to the ground, unable to make eye contact with anyone.

As much as Getafix tried to convince himself otherwise, he knew it was solely and exclusively his fault Asterix was in danger at the moment. And although he appreciated the villagers' attempts to lighten his burden, he still felt it was a guilt that belonged to him alone, and as such, it was up to him to fix this.

The druid was so deep in thought, he barely registered someone approaching him until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Raising his head quickly, the bearded man met the hard but also concerned gaze of Vitalstatistix. The red-haired man had a somber attitude. On more than one occasion, he had tried to talk to Getafix, and the druid suspected that a little lecture – well deserved, by the way – was about to befall him. Suddenly, the village chief's features softened.

"Getafix… it is very likely that none of us know what you are going through." He paused, looking around as if seeking agreement from the villagers for what he had just said. Naturally, many of the men and women showed their agreement by nodding their heads. This was a signal to Vitalstatistix that he could continue. "But what you should know is that you aren't alone, oh druid. You have all of us. We're here to help in any way we can."

The druid lowered his gaze to the ground again, unable to look the chief in the eye. Although his mind told him what Vitalstatistix told him was true, guilt and anger at himself in his heart told him he wasn't worthy of such help.

The village chief realized his words didn't seem to have any effect on the bearded man, so he took a deep breath and prepared to play his last card. While he'd agreed with the other villagers not to say it since it might seem like a form of blackmail against their druid, it was clear Getafix was falling into a deep abyss, and if they didn't do something fast, they could lose him forever. At this disturbing thought, Vitalstatistix broke the promise he had made and spoke again, saying:

"Getafix, I'm sure Asterix wouldn't want you to do this."

All the villagers were dumbfounded. It had been Vitalstatistix who had told them not to go that route, and now the chief himself was. Some of the men even frowned, angry at what their chief had just done.

But out of all of them, the most surprised was undoubtedly Getafix, who upon hearing the Gaul warrior's name stood up quickly, looking at Vitalstatistix with eyes wide as plates.

"W-what do you mean?" the man asked when he regained the ability to speak that he had temporarily lost.

Vitalstatistix took another deep breath before answering:

"I mean that Asterix wouldn't like to see you pushing yourself so hard just for him. You know him… we all know him. Asterix has never wanted to be the center of attention. He has always put the needs of others before his own. I guess… I guess that's why he has earned the admiration and respect of every one of us."

Getafix smiled at those words. That was true… there was no one in the village who didn't know and admire the blond warrior. It was absolutely true he had earned the respect of the whole village… and not only of his village. In his many adventures, Asterix had been able to win over people from different places. He even won the trust of Queen Cleopatra. The Egyptian queen trusted the blond Gaul so much that she even let him watch over her own son, knowing that he would protect him.

Impedimenta, seeing Getafix's face had softened, took this opportunity to speak, as well. Placing herself beside Vitalstatistix, she said:

"What my husband says is true, Getafix. Asterix's very nature has earned him our respect and friendship. And I am absolutely sure he would never forgive himself if anything happened to you trying to help him. You only need to remember what he did when the Romans captured you! He took the risk of sneaking out of the village and going to look for you, and he most likely did it because he thought it was his fault that you had disappeared and he wanted to do something to help."

Murmurs from the villagers rose in the air, and some statements above that murmur said:

"Yes… certainly this kind of behavior suits Asterix's character very well."

"Sure, by Tutatis; if there is someone who needs help, he is always one of the first to come forward."

"Yes, that's how he is."

Getafix looked around. All the villagers were nodding, showing their agreement at what Impedimenta had said regarding their dear friend. The druid sighed. He was about to say something else when the sound of a trumpet echoed in the air. All the villagers looked to the entrance of the village, and as they drew nearer the gate, they saw what appeared to be the full-on Roman encampments surrounding them there. Needless to say, the Gauls were flabbergasted. What were the Romans doing there so early in the morning?

"Gauls!" roared Caius Marsupialus, stepping forward. "We've received, by carrier pigeons, confirmation that the Gaul named Asterix is in the custody of the Roman Empire, and we've also received orders to communicate to the Gaul village that any action against the Empire will be punished through Asterix!"

Gasps of surprise and fear erupted from the crowd gathered outside the entrance to the village. Was it true what that Roman had just said? No! It couldn't be true! Obelix had gone after him! He was going to come back, wasn't he? Murmurs broke out again among all the villagers, questioning what they had just heard.

Caius Marsupialus, for his part, had already relayed the message he had been asked to deliver, so with nothing more to add he concluded:

"Having said that, we hope you have a very good day, Gauls."

After this, he saluted and turned away, urging his men to fall back, leaving the people of the village totally stunned and not knowing what to say or do.

And, here ends this chapter. And what a situation. Obelix, Justforkix and Aba know Asterix is in Rome, but on the other hand Mischiefus had run away. Do you think something will happen to him? Also, on the other side, now the village also know Asterix is Rome's hostage. What will they do? Do you think they'll surrender? Answers will come. But until then, if you liked this chapter and if you want to leave a comment, you can do it. 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