Okay, I almost forget to update the chapter today, almost. Fortunately, I realized today was my updating day, so here I bring you the next chapter of this Asterix story, I really hope you'll all like it. 😊

In my opinion, Cacofonix is one of the most forgotten Gauls in the village, so I tried to give him good moments in this story. In this chapter, you've some of those moments 😊

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!

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"Well children, classes are over, you may go now," said Cacofonix when it was time to finish.

Upon hearing this, the children immediately picked up their belongings, and in less than a minute not a single student remained on the school grounds. This didn't surprise Cacofonix... they always did the same thing. And when he and the others were kids, most of them did it, too. Truth be told, he, Asterix, and Obelix were usually the last to leave school – Obelix because he waited for Asterix, and the two blond Gauls because they always had questions for Getafix. There was no doubt the two Gauls had a greater thirst for knowledge than the other children, which, as the druid told them on several occasions, was an extraordinary habit. He encouraged them to continue growing in it.

The bard also collected his own belongings, while thinking about his own school years. He made his way to his cabin, where he'd begun to live shortly after starting his career as a bard. He dropped off everything he'd used to teach his classes, and when he finished, he went straight to Asterix's cabin to see how the blond warrior was. It was already close to noon, so he supposed Asterix and Obelix would soon be eating.

On the way from his house to Asterix's, he seriously thought about what he was going to say. He didn't know if any of the other Gauls had gone to see the blond warrior. He only knew the case of Mrs. Geriatrix, but she went to take care of the needs of the little Gaul... it was different. Furthermore, Mr. Geriatrix – like Impedimenta – wasn't born in the village. She had been born in a town near Lutetia, and at the crossroads of fate, she ended up in the village and fell in love with the last person that any of the villagers could have imagined, the old Geriatrix. It was a surprise for everyone, but at the same time they were happy for both of them. It was obvious Mrs. Geriatrix loved her husband, and Geriatrix did everything possible to make his wife happy. It was really nice; it was true love.

When the bard reached Asterix's cabin, he stood at the door. He didn't know what to do... he didn't dare to enter without an invitation. What if he scared the boy? That was the last thing he wanted. He had never liked to see a child scared or crying, especially if it was his fault.

Cacofonix could hear barking mixed with laughter from within. Asterix was undoubtedly having fun with Dogmatix, the bard supposed. Perhaps it would be better to come at another time, and not interrupt the child's play.

The laughter stopped and was followed by Obelix's voice and Asterix's response. Both voices were muffled by the door, so the bard couldn't understand what they were saying. Cacofonix decided it would be better to leave, he didn't want to bother, and at the moment, he believed he was only going to be that... a bother.

Then, when he was about to leave, the cabin's door opened, revealing a surprised Obelix with little Asterix on his shoulders and Dogmatix sitting comfortably in his large arms.

"By Tutatis, Cacofonix, what are you doing here?" asked the menhir deliverer after recovering from the initial surprise. He certainly didn't expect to find someone behind the door.

"Is this Cacofonix?" Asterix asked. From his voice tone, he seemed somewhat surprised.

"Yes, yes, he is," Obelix replied with a smile.

"I... well, I... no, I wasn't... I mean, I was leaving," said the bard trying to sneak away from there. Perhaps it had been a mistake to come. What was Asterix going to think of him? This could be very confusing... more than the whole situation was for him already.

"Actually... I'd like you to stay," Obelix said, holding back the blond man. In fact, the menhir carver deeply appreciated meeting the bard there. If not, he would have been forced to take Asterix with him, risking losing sight of him... something Obelix didn't want to happen for the world.

Not knowing exactly why, a little fear entered Cacofonix's mind hearing these words. So, intrigued he asked:

"By Belenos, Obelix, has something happened?"

The menhir deliverer opened his eyes wide and immediately said:

"No, no, nothing has happened. It's just that I need someone to watch Asterix while I go to get something to eat," explained the red-haired Gaul. He would never have forgiven himself if it were his fault something happened to his best friend.

Hearing Obelix's explanation, the bard was surprised. Go looking for food? Why? What need was there for the great Gaul to do such a thing?

"What? Isn't there anything here?" he asked intrigued.

"No... Asterix went to the forest to hunt yesterday, but he didn't get anything. And on top of that, there was what happened with that potion, and he was captured by the Romans... so no, there is nothing to eat," explained Obelix. Honestly, he could understand the bard's confusion. He wasn't as close to Asterix as the red-haired Gaul. He couldn't blame him for not knowing something like that.

"That makes sense... and what will you do? Go to the forest to hunt?" He regretted asking that almost instantly. Knowing the Romans had attempted to take Asterix to Rome, it was unlikely... no, impossible, Obelix thought of taking his friend to the forest... at least not until the effects of the village druid's potion reversed.

"Oh no, by Tutatis! I can't be gone that long! I'll take wild boars from my special reserve," Obelix answered with a slight touch of fear in his voice. Not even for a second had the great Gaul thought of taking Asterix into the forest. By Belenos, that would be foolhardy.

Despite Cacofonix's blunder, the menhir dealer didn't appear to be angry, much to the bard's delight. Even among the villagers, it wasn't a good idea to make Obelix angry. They knew the great Gaul would never intentionally harm them, but even so, with him being permanently under the influence of the magic potion, it was... risky to make him angry.

"I understand... I'm sorry for what I said... so you want me to keep an eye on Asterix while you are away. Is that it?" the bard guessed in summary of everything they had said.

"Oh, don't worry about it, and, exactly. I need you to keep an eye on Asterix. Would you do me that favor?" Obelix asked.

"Of course, but... wouldn't it be easier to take him to your house and cook there?" the bard reasoned.

"I had thought about it... but I think it's better for Asterix to be in a place he knows better – that is, his cabin," replied the menhir dealer. Being honest, he didn't remember much of what he did when they were three years old. But he was sure that at that time, Asterix didn't come to his house as often as when they were somewhat older.

"You are absolutely right... okay, I'll keep an eye on Asterix until you return," the bard concluded. To be honest, Cacofonix was flattered that the menhir dealer entrusted him with the task of watching over the Gaul boy.

"Obelix, Obelix," Asterix suddenly intervened. Until now, he had remained silent.

"Yes Asterix?" the red-haired Gaul asked softly. Seeing Asterix so small and innocent almost made Obelix feel like a father. Was this how his parents had felt when he was born?

Obelix looked at the little Gaul who in turn was looking at him with a big smile on his face. Then the boy excitedly said:

"Tell Cacofonix to eat with us, please!"

This plea caught the two adult Gauls by surprise, especially Obelix. Had his best friend really just asked him to invite a stranger over for lunch? Although of course, Cacofonix wasn't a stranger, and Asterix had already recognized him, so... actually, he was inviting a friend. Also, the menhir dealer recalled that the bard had always gotten along very well with the two of them, especially since the day they had their first fight. So why not? In fact, since Asterix had the initiative to invite a friend to lunch, perhaps it meant little by little he was going back to being the same as before... or at least, Obelix hoped he was.

"... Eh ... okay Asterix," said the great Gaul. Then he turned to the bard and asked:

"Cacofonix, would you like to eat with us?"

The newly appointed babysitter snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing Obelix's words. He had also been sincerely surprised by the request of the little Gaul. Actually, he'd imagined Asterix wouldn't relate too much to the others, since his friends were all adults now, and he was the only child. Surely that must have been overwhelming for the boy. But it was undeniable Cacofonix was pleased Asterix himself requested the bard to accompany them for the meal. So, he smiled tenderly and replied:

"It'll be a pleasure, thanks."

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Getafix was worried... very, very worried, actually. Right now, he was in Totorum's camp tied to a wooden table inside a tent. From his position, he could see a pair of legionaries guarding the entrance.

If he didn't manage to escape soon, the other Gauls would soon notice his absence and would probably go looking for him in the forest, leaving the village with less protection and therefore more vulnerable to possible attacks... and the possibility of the Romans taking Asterix again! That was something the druid couldn't allow.

"Hello druid, I hope you are comfortable," said Overanxius, entering the tent with a huge smile on his face.

Getafix looked at the newcomer with a stern, rather furious expression on his face and asked as dryly as possible:

"What do you plan to do, Roman?"

The Roman senator pretended to be amazed by the question. Then he crossed his arms and with a touch of admiration also feigned in his voice said again:

"Oh, straight to the point, right? They had already told me that you aren't one of those who beat around the bush."

The old druid frowned. He couldn't bear to be mocked, and this man, clearly an enemy, was certainly no exception. It only made the feeling intensify in the druid's heart.

"I don't care what they have said about my way of proceeding. I care more about what that wicked mind may be scheming, by Tutatis."

This Roman didn't inspire confidence... none at all. He was afraid of what he might have planned.

The Roman envoy paced the tent with his hands clasped behind his back. As he walked, he was talking... more to himself than Getafix, actually.

"Ah, why tell my prisoner about my plans?"

Then he looked at the tied druid again and cheerfully said:

"The only thing you are allowed to know about my plan, druid, is that very soon you'll no longer be alone. I wait for another... guest."

Getafix's eyes widened. He didn't need to be very smart to know who the Roman was referring to as another guest. Almost instantly, all the fear the old druid felt was transformed into hatred... hatred against that particular Roman. He knew the rest of the legionaries only carried out orders from this Machiavellian man.

Looking Overanxius directly in the eyes, he practically shouted at him:

"You won't dare Roman; I can assure you if you go after him, a force you cannot even imagine will come for you."

The reaction of the Roman senator surprised Getafix, because the man began to laugh out loud, as though he knew something the druid didn't. When the man's laughter subsided, he spoke again. His voice still held that jovial tone, as if he wasn't afraid of whatever could happen, taking Asterix like that.

"Oh, you mean that chubby Gaul? I very much doubt he'll decide to attack me as long as I have a sword against his little friend's neck, by Jupiter."

Now the village druid's expression changed again from fury to pure horror. By Tutatis, this man was completely crazy! And what was worse, if he really did what he had just said, it would be very, very bad for Obelix. That would destroy him, and Getafix was sure he would never be the same.

"You are despicable, Roman," he hissed. Honestly, he had to make great efforts not to say worse insults. But despite what the druid had just said, Overanxius didn't seem to care. Moreover, it almost seemed as if he had been flattered.

"I know, that's why I'm a senator," he said with the same smile on his face. Then, the Roman envoy departed from the tent, leaving the druid alone again.

After visiting the druid from the village of the indomitable, Overanxius headed to the Centurion's tent. He still had details to finalize, especially if he wanted his plan to succeed. He had to act quickly. Time was money. When he entered the space reserved to Caius Marsupialus, he found him reading what appeared to be small tablets. He immediately became interested and approached the camp leader to find out what it was.

"What is that, Centurion?" asked the newcomer.

"The responses of the other camps to your request to attack the Gaul village, Senator," replied Caius Marsupialus as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Really? By Minerva, that's excellent! Well? What do they say?" Overanxius was excited to discover the other camps had already answered his requests. Naturally, he hoped everyone agreed with his plan.

"They all give the same answer. They consider this plan is crazy and it involves too great a risk to accept it," explained the Centurion in a bored voice. It almost seemed the camp leader had been expecting the rest of the Roman fortifications to give this answer and refuse to participate.

"What does that mean, exactly? By Jupiter!" replied Caesar's envoy, although to tell the truth, he already imagined what the refusal of the rest of the camps meant. His demeanor changed from unwavering optimism to total fury in less than two seconds.

"It means we are alone in this, and that the other camps aren't willing to help us," Caius Marsupialus said again. He was also beginning to get fed up with this situation. Why had he been in the middle of all this trouble? The gods must be having a lot of fun because of his problems. What had he done to them to deserve all this?

"By Neptune! This is unacceptable! It is insubordination!" Overanxius complained. How was it possible that soldiers who had sworn allegiance to Rome disobeyed a direct order? What had happened to them during this time in Gaul? Where was the valor they displayed when leaving the capital for these lands? Now they were just a group of chickens, afraid of a few peasants.

"Is this my fault? I have carried out your orders in everything. I don't know what else I can do," said Caius Marsupialus again. Actually, right now he wished he could be the Centurion from any of the other three camps, not from Totorum.

The Roman envoy looked at the centurion, barely containing his anger, and although he knew the man in front of him was the only one paying attention to him, he couldn't afford to miss this opportunity, so he said plainly and simply:

"Go ahead with the plan, Centurion."

"What?! Without the support of the other camps? That's crazy!" protested the camp leader. Even assuming they had the support of the other camps, the plan was risky. But doing it alone... there was a clear difference between recklessness and insanity and it was clear the senator was asking them to cross that line and commit the greatest insanity of all... something that Caius Marsupialus wasn't willing to do, much less force his men to do. On the other hand, the Roman senator didn't seem to take the camp leader's comment very well, and he threatened him angrily:

"I have said to go ahead with the plan, Centurion. Otherwise, you will end up in the circus arena with the lions."

In the senator's opinion, he wasn't asking these legionaries that much. He just wanted to create a distraction so that in the meantime, a group of men could infiltrate the village and capture the Gaul boy... it wasn't too much to ask, was it? Especially when the worst part, which was capturing the druid, was already done. Without the bearded man, the rest of the village would be vulnerable. And if they also seized the Gallic warrior before he regained his original appearance, they could almost say they had assured victory. They could finally defeat the invincible Gauls. How can the other camps say that it was too great a risk? What is a risk is not trying. The more time they lost, the more likely the senator's plans could go wrong.

"And why don't you say the same to the other centurions? What have I done to you to deserve this?" Caius Marsupialus said again. He was fed up with being the one to put up with all the ideas the Roman envoy could think of, as well as his outbursts of anger.

Right now, he seemed obsessed with capturing Asterix. They already had the druid, didn't they? Without him, the blond warrior couldn't regain his real age, and therefore the Gauls would be devoid of the intelligence and courage of that Gaul.

But even so, the issue of the chubby Gaul was still pending. The Centurion wasn't sure his men could resist long enough to keep that Gaul distracted while searching and capturing Asterix... that was impossible! It was certain Obelix would defeat them all in the blink of an eye... he didn't need the rest of the villagers' help. That being the case, how could the Centurion carry out the orders of the man in front of him without risking his life and that of his legionaries?

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It was clear Asterix was happy. Finally there was an adult ready to play with him! It wasn't that he didn't like being with Getafix and Obelix, but they both had been very reluctant to play with him, and it wasn't much fun. On the other hand, Cacofonix, from the moment Obelix left him under his charge, had been playing with him the entire time. That was much more interesting for Asterix than what he had done all morning. There was a time when the bard offered to sing for him, but the boy refused. He preferred to play than to listen to songs.

Cacofonix at first seemed a little offended for not being able to demonstrate his talent to the Gaul boy, but despite everything, it was clear the bard liked children. And he was very good at taking care of them. In addition, the blond man knew a lot of fun games they didn't need to go outside to play, which made it easier for the bard to have the Gaul boy "under control."

At this time the two Gauls were playing menhir, parchment or sword while Obelix was in charge of preparing the boars to eat. Dogmatix had been allowed to go outside to do what a dog has to do, but now he was back in the house sitting next to his owner and wagging his tail animatedly.

Obelix was about to finish cooking the third boar. He still had a couple more to prepare, since he always ate at least three boars.

Asterix had just won another round against Cacofonix, and the bard realized despite being three years old, the little Gaul already had an admirable mind of a strategist. It was funny he didn't remember something like this when they were both children. They had always played together, but now he realized when they played Romans against Gauls, the team Asterix was on always won. This ability to anticipate the movements of his opponents was probably what had led him to victory in his games on multiple occasions.

Asterix looked as if he was tired of playing menhir, parchment, or sword, so he turned his gaze to the red-haired Gallic who was currently pulling the third boar out of the fire. He got up and ran to his side, then asked:

"Obelix, have you finished? I'm hungry."

"It won't take me much longer, Asterix. Soon we'll be able to sit down and eat. Don't be impatient," replied the great Gaul. Being honest, he was hungry too, but he couldn't show a childish attitude in front of Asterix. At least not for now. Asterix needed someone who was strong in every way... someone he could turn to if he felt scared, alone, lost, or confused... and Obelix had to be that someone.

"Okay," said Asterix a little discouraged. He wanted to eat as soon as possible.

Cacofonix rose from where he was and approached the two Gauls. He looked at them amused, because as far as he knew, the situation was usually the opposite of the one that appeared before his eyes. To distract little Asterix and allow Obelix to finish preparing the meal, he asked the menhir dealer:

"Obelix, do you want us to set the table?"

"You'd do me a great favor, by Tutatis. Thank you, Cacofonix," replied the red-haired Gaul. Thanks to Cacofonix's offer, he could focus solely on the task of cooking. The bard waved his hand as if to dismiss the matter as he said:

"Oh, there is no need, by Belenos. After all, it is my way of thanking your kindness by inviting me to eat."

That said, he approached the Gaul boy, and kneeling before him, said:

"Come on Asterix, we'll set the table to eat."

Asterix frowned slightly. Whether he was debating internally on what to do, or trying to remember something, the bard wasn't sure. Then the boy looked at the blond adult and said:

"Mom always says guests don't have to work... I'm setting the table!"

As soon as he'd said these words, he ran to a shelf where they kept all the plates, glasses, cutlery and other eating instruments. Cacofonix was pleasantly surprised. Most children – including himself – detested the task of setting the table. But Asterix not only did it willingly, but preferred to do it alone rather than allow his guest to help him.

The bard saw the Gaul boy trying to reach the shelf where the dishes were. But when he couldn't reach, Cacofonix also approached the shelf, ready to help him.

"Let me help you, Asterix."

"No, I can," protested the little one. Then he ran to the table and with effort dragged a stool up to the shelf. Once he'd done that, he climbed onto it and got what he needed. Then he jumped and brought it to the table.

In this way, the bard, surprised for the second time, saw how the little one managed to prepare the table by himself so the three Gauls could eat. When he'd finished his task, Asterix directed his gaze towards Dogmatix and asked Obelix:

"Obelix, where does Dogmatix eat?"

Obelix looked first at his best friend and then at his little pet. Then he looked at Asterix again, and smiling warmly, pointed to a small container that rested in a chair near the fireplace, saying:

"He eats from this bowl, like this morning."

The blond boy looked at the bowl, which he hadn't noticed until now and simply said:

"Ah, okay."

After that, it didn't take long for Obelix to finish preparing the meal. He carried the boars and brought them to the table. Then the three Gauls sat down and began to eat. Asterix was very animated, telling his friend in detail each and every one of the games he had played with Cacofonix.

The menhir dealer listened with amusement to everything Asterix told him. This reinforced his idea he had made the right decision by leaving Asterix under the care of the village bard. He knew how to treat children, regardless of whether he was a good teacher or not.

Obelix looked up at Cacofonix and realized the bard was blushing listening to everything the Gaul boy was explaining. This scene caused a loud laugh from the great Gaul and the silence and looks of surprise in response from the two blond Gauls and Dogmatix. When the red-haired Gaul realized they were looking at him, he fell silent and blushed. But being honest, he had to admit that the scene was worth those laughs.

"Getafix? Are you here?" they suddenly heard from outside. Almost instantly, the cabin door opened, and a blond Gaul dressed in blue and white plaid pants, a red cape, and no shirt appeared. This Gaul, despite being an adult, didn't have a mustache like the others. When the Gaul entered, he looked at the cabin occupants who were finishing eating, and feeling he might have interrupted them, said:

"Oh, sorry to bother you, Obelix, Cacofonix, and Asterix."

Asterix looked at the newcomer with a puzzled face. Although he was now smaller than the other Gauls, Asterix was quite sure they were easily recognizable since they wore the same clothes as when they were children... at least, Obelix and Cacofonix did, so the other villagers with whom he shared his childhood had to dress if not the same, in a similar way to when they were little.

But Asterix had never seen this Gaul before, or at least he didn't remember seeing him. So, who was he? What was he doing here? The easiest way to find the answers was to ask Obelix. That's exactly what he did:

"Who is he?"

"He's called Tragicomix," answered the great Gaul. Then Cacofonix spoke up:

"Hello Tragicomix, is something wrong?"

The youngest of the adults looked at the bard and in a slightly worried voice answered:

"I was looking for Getafix. I haven't found him in his cabin and I assumed he might be here. Is he?"

"No, he's not here," replied the menhir carver. Now that he thought about it, it was strange Getafix hadn't come again to Asterix's cabin to see how the little Gaul had been since he left a long time ago.

"This is bad..." Tragicomix said more to himself than to the others.

"What do you mean, Tragicomix?" Cacofonix asked. A feeling of dread began to invade his mind.

"A while ago, Panacea and I met Getafix when he was going to the forest... but it seems he hasn't returned yet," Tragicomix explained.

Hearing his words, Obelix and Cacofonix instantly stood up. That was very serious news, or at least given the current situation in the village, it could generate a great panic.

"Wait a second, are you implying that –?" the bard began to ask again. Now his concern for the village druid had reached stellar levels. The newcomer didn't let the bard finish the sentence and said what the three adults were thinking.

"Yes, Getafix has disappeared."

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And here ends this chapter. 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! As for Cacofonix, being a man used to work with children in the school, I imagined he would knoe a lot of games and would be one of the most indicated persons to take care of little Asterix. What do you think about it? Did you like it? As for Getafix, well his situation isn't good, but now, he is afraid for Asterix since Overanxius seems that won't stop until he has his hands on him. Guesses on what will happen next? 😉

See you in the next chapter 😉