The Smurfocalypse Chapter 41: December

Two months have passed since the day Hefty was made the new leader. Autumn turned into winter and snow was covering the portside town. Through tireless work Tailor was able to clothe every Smurf properly just in time for the bitter cold, and of course by properly clothe this meant he made a single scarf for every Smurf except Coconut whose outfit he had made a personal project and challenge. Tailor was strangely motivated to recreate Coconut's tribal attire in a winter form and in the end it paid off. He was so proud of her for wanting to dress like an adult Smurf, but he was honestly concerned she might die if she only just wore a scarf over her current outfit designed for hundred plus degree weather. One might expect heavier clothing to have been made, but as it turns out the only requests he was getting was for scarves from every Smurf but Coconut. In the end he had made Coconut a long sleeve shirt with her normal tie dye get-up along with long pants of the same design with a matching scarf. The tropical Smurfette certainly didn't look cold, but apparently she still was anyway. Tailor had to cope with the idea of the fact of matter being that her body is just not well adjusted to the cold. It had nothing to do with his ability to make clothes, this was not the result of a design flaw in his work despite what he thought at first when she was still complaining about being cold. During the time they spent together Coconut and Tailor became friends, and developed a mutual respect for each other's work. Mango and Coconut were both sick again as they struggle to adapt to the harsh cold. The tropical Smurfs were used to a seventy degree winter at the coldest.

Handy and Blacksmith had worked together to craft tools using the human's forge which would definitely prove useful. Papa Smurf had made a full recovery and Doctor removed the stitches from his wounds, he was now spending his days grooming Hefty to be his successor alongside his apprentices. Clockwork Smurf had returned with medical supplies from King Gerard and decided to stay in Port Saint Smurf for the time being and help with the construction projects. The artificial Smurf was torn between making sure both King Gerard and Handy were doing alright and couldn't decide which one to go with originally.

The Daily Smurf was up and running once again as Reporter was back to old shenanigans of spreading controversy throughout the village with his infamous yet informative newspaper. With his partner in crime Editor no longer around he had to personally distribute his own paper making him busier than usual using his bran new printing press Handy made for him to keep every Smurf up to date with the latest and greatest news in the port.

Handy was getting inspired once again to craft and create, and was taking requests for items and tools that a Smurf would perhaps need to continue work. The village worked together to get Blacksmith's new forge and hut built so he could get straight to work building necessities. Handy and Blacksmith were a great team even though the two of them rarely spoke to each other. Blacksmith Smurf is a Smurf of few words, but great skill.

Hefty returned to exercising on a daily basis having workout equipment made especially for him which would be included in his new hut and personal gym. Every morning at sunrise he'd begin his routine workout with a jog around the entire port and he encouraged his knights to join him, but they simply could not keep up to his stamina, speed, and overall strength. Hefty was getting stronger and more skilled at fighting with each passing day as he worked his body to the very limit to remain fit and strong to protect the ones he cares about.

The more Port Saint Smurf began to seem safe and feel and look more like home the more the Smurfs relaxed and returned to their old lives and being their old selves. Jokey picked up his joke books and returned to being the nuisance every Smurf loves to hate. Weather returned to predicting the weather for the village on a daily basis which was included in its own section in The Daily Smurf when Reporter and Weather began to spend more time together they decided it would be more efficient to include the weather report into the newspaper. Brainy began writing his own books again. Once the paper was starting to be made you bet Brainy requested quite a few pages not that any Smurf cared about what he had to write but him.

They were beginning to exhaust the wood stacked up by the humans that had lived here before. Before long Timber would have to venture away from Port Saint Smurf and head into a small patch of nearby woodland and retrieve wood for the village. It is yet unknown what perils lurk within the caves, mountains, and forests near their new home. However the need for resources would eventually force them out of their safe place and into the unforgiving wilderness in order to keep the village running and survive.

Meanwhile in the world around them, reports of a hostile black dragon in both King Gerard's kingdom and the neighboring kingdom were increasing in number and frequency. It would seem as though the humans were having issues with dragons. Not entirely unusual, but this dragon in particular seemed to be making the news a lot. Clockwork Smurf alerted Hefty and the other Smurfs about the news he had heard while in the palace regarding the dragon attacks. It was unsettling to think that this dragon was attacking human towns when they were currently in one. The fact they were in one though was definitely going to rope them into this conflict.

It was an average morning of staving off the cold while finally working on building up the village using the bran new tools Handy made. Some Smurfs were working on building projects while other Smurfs like Chef prepared food, and Doctor tended to his patients. Basically if a Smurf was idle and he was not doing his job that he is known for doing he was building. Carpenter led a fierce construction crew of eager Smurfs. Coconut was working hard until she got sick again. The only Smurf with no job to do was Dreamy. Due to his handicap he couldn't do construction work, and it just seemed as though he was getting in the way when he'd try to help. For this Dreamy was feeling down. That and the fact both of his good friends were sick again.

"They'll be fine Dreamy. This medicine King Gerard sent us is working wonders." Doctor said.

"When can I see one of them?" Dreamy asked.

"Just as soon as one of them wakes up." Doctor said.

Papa Smurf was having a coffee in one of the large mugs he had managed to find in the cupboards of the kitchen. The mug was red and said "World's greatest Dad" on it in yellow letters. No doubt if he finished the whole thing he would experience the greatest caffeine buzz of his long life. Timber was out back cutting wood for the fire, and just in general to have size appropriate logs of wood for use of any kind. Simply because it was his job, and it was what he was known for doing. It took his mind off the guilt he was feeling for cutting down Modest Smurf in a fit of blind rage. Most of the Smurfs weren't treating him any differently, and although Papa Smurf was greatly disappointed in him he still was nice to him. However Timber lost the trust and companionship of Archer and Falconer, and that was weighing heavy on him as well. There was literally nothing he could do to make what he had done alright, he would carry the weight of his actions forever. There was a fire in the fireplace, and a Smurfberry pie in the oven. The house was an amazing and peaceful place to be at the moment.

The morning went well, and just around lunch time the Smurfs would reunite as a village to eat, and would hear a voice outside the gate to the town.

"By order of the king I command you open this gate!" a voice said.

"Order of the king huh?" Brainy asked.

"Some Smurf yell "nobodies home" hyuk hyuk!" Jokey said.

"Don't you recognize that voice my little Smurfs? It's Sir Johan!" Papa Smurf said.

"Go ahead and open the gate." Hefty said.

Sweepy and Farmer would head out of the house to open to the gate only to be face to face with none other than Sir Johan himself mounted atop Bayard with a large shield and his sword on his hip. Accompanied his best friend Peewit mounted atop his goat Biquette.

"Smurfs? But… What on earth are you doing here? Where are the people?" Johan asked.

"Hopefully nowhere near here." Sweepy said.

"This is our home now. Port Saint Smurf." Farmer said.

"Well that's funny. The map King Gerard lent us said this town was called Port Saint Augustus." Peewit said.

They may not have found any people in the town, but perhaps if Papa Smurf was among them they could get some advice to aid them on their latest quest.

"Is Papa Smurf here by chance?" Johan asked.

"Sure is. You need to see him?" Farmer said.

"We'd like to talk to him if we could." Johan said.

Farmer and Sweepy led Johan and Peewit back to The House where Papa Smurf was still near the fire just doing his own thing reading a tome that looked like it was older than all the Smurfs in the port save for himself. The two were lead inside only to be slightly confused as to why the Smurfs were in a human town living in a human house so far away from their forest. Upon meeting with Papa Smurf they were brought up to speed with how the world's recent changes had affected the Smurf's way of life. The entire story thus far was explained to them through Papa Smurf's point of view before they finally got to explain why they had come in the first place.

"We're on a mission from both our King and King Gerard to slay the black dragon terrorizing our people." Johan said.

"I still don't understand why the king sent me to fight a dragon." Peewit said.

"I told you that you could go home several times now." Johan said.

Peewit shrugged and lifted his hands.

"Yeah but if I had done that the king would have been mad." Peewit said.

"Sounds like a lose lose situation for you peewit." Brainy said.

"We were hoping to have found soldiers in the port to help us, but from the looks of things this was just a simple fishing community with some farmland in the countryside." Johan said.

"We're not from around here can you tell?" Peewit asked.

"If King Gerard is in need of help me and my knights will assist you." Hefty said.

"You can't be serious! You'll all be killed!" Brainy said.

"I have a bone to pick with that dragon. Because of that dragon a lot of us died." Hefty said.

"Hefty you can't really expect to be able to fight a dragon?" Alchemist asked.

"I will join forces with Johan and Peewit and fight the dragon for King Gerard… It's the only way I know how to thank him for all he's done for us." Hefty said.

"So then your decision is final?" Papa Smurf asked.

Hefty nodded.

"We couldn't ask to you to endanger your lives for this cause." Johan said.

"I volunteer, and my knights will be joining me. Falconer you are excused from this quest since Zarus is gone for the winter." Hefty said.

Falconer nodded.

What good was a knight that wouldn't slay a dragon when those he is sworn to protect are in need of his help? Johan and Peewit had come to the portside town looking for guards and soldiers to recruit to aid them on their quest to slay the dragon, but instead would once again work alongside the Smurfs. How would this alliance work out? Can Hefty and his knights take on a fire breathing dragon, or will the lives of the braves knights be snuffed out by fire and ash? It was time for Hefty to put his training and exercise to the test by pitting his strength against that of one of the most feared creatures to ever exist.