Hello everyone! Here we are, one week more with a new chapter! Once again, someone will help our principal characters. Who? You'll have to read to know. Also, I couldn't help myself, I had to write about a place I truly love, if it was just mention it. I dare you to write what I'm talking about in the comments! 😊 Also, 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!

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The air smelled of the sea, although it wasn't the same smell that Obelix was used to. It was a different smell... there was something strange about it. Of course it was the sea, but it was... different. Obelix couldn't place it. Maybe it was because it was a different sea? Anyway, for whatever reason, this smell reached the nose of the red-haired menhir carver with intensity, and for him it was a stale air, not resembling the clean air of his home in any way. Yes, he definitely preferred the village to this place... to Massilla.

The three travelers, after collecting the provisions they considered necessary and riding in one of Justforkix's fastest carts, managed to reach Massilla in less than a day, stopping only a couple of times to rest and eat.

Obelix knew that with the food he'd brought, he wasn't going to be satisfied by any means. But the great Gaul tried not to abuse the food, knowing the young couple who accompanied him also depended on it. And it was in this way they managed to reach Massilla towards the afternoon of that same day.

Once there, they asked for the port and headed in that direction. Justforkix, upon arrival, went to ask for a ship to take them to Rome. Meanwhile, Obelix and Aba stayed there waiting for him. Obelix found it strange. Normally Asterix did this sort of work, and he was either by his side at all times, or waiting with Dogmatix for his friend to return. But now the little Gaul wasn't there, and Obelix also didn't know what had happened to his pet. To tell the truth... the menhir delivery man had been so worried about the blond Gaul that he had hardly remembered his faithful four-legged friend, and it was now, in this moment, that he had also questioned what could have happened to Dogmatix. He knew very well the little dog was with Asterix before the Romans caught him, so what had happened to Dogmatix? Where had he been? Obelix tried to get rid of his thoughts. He knew Dogmatix very well, and although he was a rather small dog, his faithful friend could take care of himself. There was no reason to worry about him. Asterix was another story. He was just a child. He thought like a child and was in the hands of a cruel man who seemed to have no regrets for taking a boy away from his home... from his family... from his friends... what kind of person would do that? Obelix was eager to find this man and make it clear to him what happens when someone messes with the Gauls.

The great Gaul was lost in his own thoughts staring at the landscape before him. The port of Massilla was full of people. Obelix had seen crowds before, but at the moment, he wasn't paying attention to them... and not being used to such an accumulation of people, he kept colliding with just about everyone. Although he tried to be careful considering his strength, he wasn't always able to be.

Already, several of the people with whom he had collided had ended up on the ground, cursing and complaining to the great Gaul for his clumsiness. Whenever this happened, the red-haired Gaul muttered an apology as he helped the hapless person up.

Justforkix wasn't long in arriving. He was running, dodging all the passersby as best he could. He looked slightly concerned. When he reached the great Gaul and his wife, he said:

"I have found a Phoenician ship that sails in half an hour and goes straight to Rome," he explained with a tone of joy mixed with a touch of bitterness.

"That's great, Justforkix! By Odin!" Aba rushed to say, apparently having missed the underlying hint of concern in her husband's voice. It was for this reason Justforkix was quick to explain:

"Yes, but there is a small problem. They said we'd have to pay ten sesterces per person, but I only have twenty-five. We'll need at least five sesterces for all three of us to travel there, and as soon as we get to Rome... surely we'll have more expenses there..."

"Oh my, that is a problem," exclaimed the Viking woman, understanding Justforkix's concern.

Obelix had also listened to the blond Gaul's explanation. He stared at the young couple and suddenly said:

"Justforkix... I really appreciate that you've accompanied me here, but... I don't want you to get into trouble because of me, by Tutatis... if you lend me the money so that I can go to Rome, then as soon as we return to the village, I'll pay you back."

The young Gaul looked at the menhir dealer in surprise. He knew from experience that despite his tough and fearsome outward appearance, Obelix was actually one of the most sensitive people he had ever met... always trying to make others happy and not cause them annoyance. But right now, both he and his wife had vowed to help the great Gaul, and they weren't going to give up their resolve. By Belenos, they would help Obelix to the end!

"What? No, none of that's happening, Obelix. Aba and I said we would accompany you to Rome and that is what we will do, by Tutatis!"

"Well said Justforkix, by Thor! Now we just have to find a way to get the money we need and we'll be ready," Aba said, supporting her husband.

Justforkix was thoughtful for a moment, and then an idea came to his mind.

"I think the cart we came in has some things inside I never use anymore... stuff from my rebellious teenage days. Maybe I could sell them and get some money!" he said with genuine joy in his voice. If they hurried, they could raise the money fast.

Obelix was deeply delighted to realize the selflessness with which the young couple had decided to help him, but felt he had to contribute in some way. Unfortunately, he wasn't used to carrying money or anything of value. That had always been Asterix. The great Gaul had never realized how responsible and cautious his friend was, because in all their adventures, if it weren't for the blond Gaul and his resourcefulness, many times they wouldn't have had a place to sleep or eat. So, in an embarrassed voice, he declared:

"I... I would also like to help, but I travel with the clothes on my back... actually, I don't even have clothes on my back because I don't wear a shirt! I'm sorry..."

He lowered his head to emphasize his regret. Inwardly he expected a reprimand for his poor foresight, but was surprised when a hand rested on his shoulder and a soft voice without a hint of anger said:

"Obelix, by Tutatis, you don't have to be sorry. You and Asterix helped my wife and me. Let me be the one to help you now. Besides... I really wanted to get rid of all that, and what better time to do it than now?"

Obelix's surprised eyes met those of Justforkix, who was smiling back at him. That smile eliminated any regret, any fear in the menhir dealer's mind. The flame of hope inside him that had all but been extinguished had been rekindled stronger than ever. Yes, with Justforkix and Aba's help, he was going to find Asterix. He was going to get his best friend back! He couldn't lose faith.

Smiling too, he nodded, letting the blond Gaul know he accepted his help. Not long after, the three of them were looking for buyers to whom they could sell Justforkix's possessions. Fortunately, it wasn't difficult for them to sell it all, and they were able to collect a bag full of sesterces that would undoubtedly cover all their expenses for the trip and their stay in the capital of the empire.

The three of them hurried to the ship they were traveling on, and Obelix was surprised to see it was the Phoenician ship that sometimes stopped in the village to trade with the villagers. Obelix remembered a particular time when his druid expected an extremely rare ingredient for the magic potion, but then fainted when the Phoenician merchant told the druid he didn't bring such an ingredient. It was then he and Asterix had to embark on an adventure to bring back the precious ingredient... rock oil if he remembered correctly. They were also accompanied by a druid who wasn't really a druid, but a spy of Caesar's called Dubbelosix who liked flies... these Romans are crazy. In the end their whole adventure was useless, because while they were absent, Getafix found a substitute ingredient for the one he needed... an ingredient that apparently made the potion taste better, although of course, Obelix couldn't be the judge of that because they didn't let him take magic potion.

As he got on board, the red-haired Gaul ran into Ekonomikrisis, the merchant, who in turn seemed surprised to see Obelix getting on the boat.

"By the great god Baal... if it isn't Obelix! What are you doing here, man?" the Phoenician merchant asked when Obelix was on board the boat.

"Do you know him?" Justforkix asked.

"You know them?" Ekonomikrisis also asked.

Obelix was momentarily overwhelmed, as they both asked him the same thing at the same time. After clearing his throat, he proceeded to make the relevant introductions.

"Yes, Ekonomikrisis, this is Justforkix and Aba; Justforkix, Aba, this is Ekonomikrisis. Sometimes he comes to the village to sell his wares, and also sometimes he's allowed both Asterix and me to travel on his ship when –"

The red-haired Gaul couldn't continue with his explanation, as he was interrupted by the Phoenician merchant who immediately said:

"Allow them to travel? If it weren't for them, I would have lost my merchandise on more than one occasion! In fact, on one occasion they managed to get the pirates to buy everything from me. And not only that... the first time we met, they saved my ship. From that moment on I decided we would be friends forever, Obelix, Asterix and I... speaking of Asterix, where is he?"

At this, Obelix's face fell, and looking down at the floor of the ship, he murmured:

"Well... we think he may be in Rome or on the way there... that's why we wanted to go there."

Ekonomikrisis listened to Obelix, and noticing the pain evident in his voice, he didn't want to delve into the subject. Actually, the merchant still felt indebted to the two Gauls, so to change the subject, he said:

"Oh, if I had known you were traveling with this young man, I wouldn't have told him to pay anything; for my friends, and the friends of my friends, the trip is free... although it costs me a lot to say that."

Obelix's face lit up when he heard this statement, since he knew that the Phoenician merchant made money wherever he could, so those words were the best news he could give him.

With a huge smile, he said in an extremely cheerful voice:

"Oh, thank you very much, Ekonomikrisis! In compensation, if you want, you can tell your 'holidaymakers,' that I'll row in their place during the trip."

Ekonomikrisis was about to say this wasn't necessary when a lot of voices prevented him from doing so by proclaiming all at the same time:

"YES, MR. OPERATOR!"

Ekonomikrisis looked at his partners in surprise and saw their hopeful faces knowing they could get rid of the responsibility of having to row to the capital of the empire. Then he looked at the menhir dealer, who was watching him expectantly waiting for an answer.

The Phoenician merchant rubbed his chin as he considered it. He knew from experience if Obelix was at the oars, in a few hours they would be in the port of Rome... that could be beneficial! The sooner he arrived, the sooner he could start selling all his merchandise. Yes, the great Gaul taking the place of his holidaymakers was a great idea. These Gauls could really be great merchants. Smiling, Ekonomikrisis looked at Obelix again, and said:

"Okay, if it doesn't bother you, go ahead."

Obelix's smile widened when he heard that, and he immediately rushed to say:

"Bother? Not at all, it doesn't cost me anything to do it!"

To prove what he'd said, Obelix moved to the rowers' space and, taking an oar from each side, started them on their journey. The thought he would soon be reunited with Asterix gave him even more strength than he already had, which resulted in a rather significant reduction in the trip's duration. They actually made it in record time of half an hour or so.

Ekonomikrisis was pleasantly surprised. He knew Obelix was fast at the oars, but he had never seen so much determination in the red-haired Gaul. His motivation for going to Rome must be truly enormous... otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain why it took so little time to go from Masilla to Rome. In fact, if they had not informed the great Gaul they were already arriving, the ship would have crashed into the harbor... at least that is what the Phoenician merchant feared for a moment.

After they and the merchant thanked each other, the two Gauls and the Viking woman left the ship and headed for Rome. Aba was quite surprised by what she saw... this place was very different from her hometown and the Gaul villages and towns she had seen up until that moment. For Justforkix, the surprise wasn't so great, because after years living in a bustling city like Lutetia, Rome wasn't very different from his old home. The only thing that was different was in the material the city was made of.

The only one who wasn't surprised at all was Obelix, but that was because the great Gaul had already been in Rome before, so he knew what the city looked like. Yes, Obelix had already been in Rome with... Asterix. Truth be told, it was extremely strange for the menhir dealer to be on an adventure without his best friend. Obelix looked at the young couple, whose faces still showed obvious amazement as they looked out over the city. Who could blame them? This place was nothing like what they had seen up until that moment. Obelix smiled. He knew exactly how his young companions felt, but, on the other hand, the menhir delivery man couldn't afford to waste any more time. Asterix needed them now, for the love of Tutatis! Surely he was terrified.

"Listen... I know you've never been to Rome, but... we've got work to do," said the red-haired Gaul with a hint of guilt in his voice. He didn't like to interrupt people paying attention to other things, but the urgency of his current situation – knowing Asterix needed him – made him forget, in part, the wants or needs of others. Yes, it seemed a selfish attitude, but Obelix couldn't help it. He felt the prevailing need, like a fire that consumed him from the inside, to reach his best friend and save him.

The great Gaul hadn't told anyone but... Asterix's frightened gaze had haunted him since he last saw him. The Gaul boy had looked at him pleadingly, hoping that the menhir dealer would save him, and he had been unable to do that. Asterix was in danger and it was his fault.

Justforkix's voice cut through the thoughts of the menhir dealer, when with a mixture of shame and determination he said:

"You're right Obelix, by Tutatis."

His wife stood next to him, adding:

"It's true, by Odin, we haven't come on vacation!"

Obelix smiled with gratitude. What had he done to deserve such good friends? With his renewed determination, the great Gaul thanked the young couple again for their help. Then there was an awkward silence. In situations like this, Obelix always turned to Asterix, as the blond Gaul knew exactly what to do in most cases, but as Asterix was precisely the one who was missing, the great Gaul didn't even know where to start.

And apparently, Obelix wasn't the only one who didn't know what to do. To break the silence that had settled between them, Aba cleared her throat and asked:

"Now where do we start?"

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Satisfaction... great satisfaction was all Overanxius felt right now. Finally, the gods seemed to have sided with him! When they awoke that morning, Roman, Gaul, and animal ate something for breakfast and set off on their way immediately. The senator had decided to head towards Narbo, because that way it would be easier for him to cross the Pyrenees, the mountains that separated Gaul from Hispania. He didn't like this route, but it was certainly easier than trying to cross the mountains. In addition, this way he didn't have to go through Cesaraugusta (Zaragoza), one of the busiest cities in the region.

No, the fastest way was definitely the least traveled, and it was also the one that would help him go unnoticed, because he wouldn't cross paths with as many people.

They reached Narbo around mid-morning. According to the Roman senator's calculations, if they continued at this rate, they would reach Barcino in the afternoon – a port smaller than that of Tarraco – which would also help them go unnoticed. From that port, they could embark for Rome. Overanxius smiled at this idea while looking at the Gaul boy. To tell the truth, he was surprised by the behavior of his prisoner; from his experience, children were usually unruly and... extremely loud. But this boy... he was the opposite... calm and serene. Maybe he had taken his promise too seriously and that's why he acted this way? The senator didn't know. What he did know was he was grateful for it.

Seeing the boy hadn't tried to escape all morning, even despite clearly feeling much better, the Roman decided not to chain the boy again... mostly because he didn't want to risk new marks on his skin and people looking suspiciously at them.

After a brief rest in Narbo, the group of travelers resumed their journey, entered Hispania, and continued without rest along the Roman road. Asterix couldn't help but be surprised. By Tutatis, this land was very different from his, and although he still preferred his home, the truth was he wouldn't mind spending a season in this place. What surprised the young Gaul most was that this area was full of hills, mountains, and valleys... and there were houses built on the sides of mountains! They must have magnificent views from up there. This was what he found most different from his home. In his village, all the houses were on the plain... well, except for the tree house, which apparently Cacofonix now lived in, but here, except for a small village, most of the homes were in the mountains.

Asterix wasn't the only one surprised. Overanxius had never been in Hispania before. He had heard stories that Romans of Hispanic origin were very different from other Romans, but he had never seen them before. He had only dealt a little with the Hispanic senator Senecius, who apparently had recently moved to the capital with his wife and newborn son named Seneca. And although interacting with one man wasn't enough to judge them all, Overanxius had realized that if all Hispanic Romans were like Senecius, then what he had heard about Hispanics was true. And as confirmation of that, he now saw it with his own eyes.

Approaching a city called Gerunda, the senator was surprised to see a temple in the middle of the walled enclosure... built into the mountain! How had they managed to organize the city with the streets Cardus and Decumanus in a location like that? These Hispanics were crazy, by Jupiter. They still had a lot to learn about Roman culture... although, seeing the temple in the middle of the mountain... there... imposing and majestic... it gave the city a distinguished and pleasant air. Hispanics might still have a lot to learn from the Romans, but their character certainly gave them impressive charm... though he would never admit it out loud.

The Roman senator shook his head. It wasn't the time to think about this. He had a mission to fulfill. A slight noise coming from his stomach told him he was hungry, and if he was, it was more than likely his prisoner was, too. Given the proximity to Gerunda, Overanxus thought perhaps it would be a good place to stop, regain strength, and then continue on his way to Barcino.

The stay in that small city was the shortest Caesar's envoy could manage. The sooner he could get back on track the better. Asterix was forced to eat at full speed. He honestly preferred to enjoy food, eating calmly and without haste. The only person he had seen eat so fast was his best friend, Obelix. The red-haired Gaul loved wild boars, and from what little Asterix had been able to observe, Obelix enjoyed them even more by eating them at full speed – something the blond Gaul couldn't understand – but not all Gauls were the same.

Until their arrival in Rome, Asterix was trying to fulfill the promise he had made to the Roman for two reasons: firstly, because a Gaul always kept his promises. It was something his parents had always told him, and until now, he had never broken his promises. Secondly, Asterix feared if he showed any indication of wanting to break his promise, the Roman would chain him again, and the last thing the little Gaul wanted was to have new bruises covering his body. The ones he had now were enough.

Dogmatix was behaving too... at least for now... although, the little dog would gladly bite the one responsible for removing Asterix from the village, his home, and his friends. Dogmatix knew, despite Asterix's young age, he was clever and creative. Whenever Asterix had a chance, he would definitely slip away, and he would be there to help him.

Already on the move, the occupants of the cart continued their journey towards Barcino. They followed the path that was located by the sea. When Asterix saw the sea, he couldn't help but get nostalgic. Seeing the water lapping against the rocks, feeling the cool breeze against his face, seeing the seagulls flying above them... all these elements reminded him of the village. How he missed it! He wanted to go back there. He never should have left. If he hadn't... he wouldn't be in this mess. By Tutatis! Why had he been so stupid?

The group had been traveling for about two hours since leaving Gerunda when their next destination appeared before the envoy's eyes.

"Look boy, there is Barcino," Overanxius said, suddenly cutting off the thread of the Gaul boy's thoughts. Asterix raised his head to look at the Roman senator. In truth, he knew that the man had said something to him, but he hadn't heard what he had said.

"Huh?" he asked in confusion.

The Roman senator glanced at him momentarily before looking forward again and repeating:

"I said that Barcino is up ahead. When we arrive there, we'll go to the port, and from there we'll take a boat to Rome."

He looked again at Asterix and was pleased to see the boy seemed horrified at the idea of catching a ship to take him to the capital of the empire. Smiling broadly, he added:

"Soon you'll be in your new home."

At these last words, Asterix frowned as he said with conviction:

"Rome will never be my home, by Belenos!"

Now it was Overanxius who frowned. He honestly didn't expect the boy to still show so much nerve. He was brave indeed. But as brave as he was, he couldn't avoid his fate, and his fate was to be a Roman slave.

"We'll see about that, by Jupiter," he said to end the conversation.

The travelers arrived in the city, and the senator immediately asked for directions to the port. As soon as he got the address, he headed there with the boy and the dog. Asterix carried Dogmatix in his arms. Doing so, he would prevent the puppy from getting lost in the crowd. Asterix was very surprised; he had never seen so many people together in one place. How could they like to live that way? Surely they were all tightly packed together... right?

Overanxius asked about the next ship to set sail for Rome, and as they walked there, he couldn't help but notice the astonished look in the eyes of his young prisoner. It wasn't difficult for him to guess what it was that had captured his attention in this way, so with a slight laugh that immediately caught the attention of the blond Gaul, the Roman senator commented:

"You think there are a lot of people, don't you? Well, this is nothing compared to Rome... there are so many people there you'd surely never get to know them all."

Asterix looked confused at the Roman before asking:

"And do you like that?"

Overanxious stopped in his tracks and stared at Asterix before he asked:

"What did you say?"

Asterix also stopped, lowered his gaze for a moment to Dogmatix before looking up again at the senator and explaining:

"In the village... we are... we are much less than those here, but we all know each other and we are all friends."

An amused smile appeared on the lips of Overanxius. This child was a simple villager... a country boy. It was to be expected he couldn't understand life in the city... the number of people that could be there... but the idea of friendship... that was what really made Overanxius laugh.

"Friends? By Mercury! Why would I want friends if I can get whatever I want with the power I have?" he asked more to himself than to the blond boy as he began to laugh at that absurd idea. The truth is that the senator wasn't at all prepared for an answer, and even less for the answer that little Asterix gave him:

"We all need friends, by Tutatis. Without friends... life would be very sad."

That sentence, while simple, felt like the claws of circus lions to his heart. For the first time in his entire life, the Roman wondered if at some point in his life he had been happy. Yes, he was certainly powerful... one of the most important men in Rome, but... was he happy? Truly happy?

The Roman senator shook his head. What was wrong with him? Why was he thinking about these things now? Was that child trying to confuse him? Overanxius looked at Asterix again, who returned his slightly confused look, as if he didn't understand what was happening.

In the end, the senator came to a conclusion: all of that was just the nonsense of a child from a village of savages. He didn't have to listen to what he said. Convincing himself the conclusion he'd reached was the correct one, the Roman senator set off for the ship with Asterix at his side.

Inside him, however, the Gaul boy's last statement continued to shatter him. What if the boy was right? He didn't want to believe it, but... it was all so confusing. Although Caesar's envoy had learned long ago to maintain an appearance of composure – a very useful skill in the Senate – apparently this skill was not enough to erase the concern his face now showed... concern Asterix noticed.

"Did I... did I say something wrong?"

Overanxious stopped in his tracks upon hearing that question. It caught him totally off guard. That child made a statement that made his whole Roman ideology tremble, and on top of that, he asked if he had said something wrong. How was he going to respond to that? Caesar's envoy just stared at Asterix with wide eyes, not knowing what to say. Asterix, seeing he had captured the full attention of the Roman, felt slightly frightened. What if the man decided to punish him for what he had said? The idea filled him with fear... fear that made him hug Dogmatix tighter and ask with quiet voice:

"Are you going to punish me for what I said?"

The evident fear in the boy caused Caesar's envoy to finally react. He blinked a few times as he processed the boy's last question. Actually, the boy hadn't done anything wrong, so he didn't deserve any punishment. Moreover, for some unknown reason to the senator, he actually didn't want to see that boy suffer. So slightly softening his features, he said to Asterix:

"You haven't said anything worthy of punishment, little one. So, don't worry about it. What we have to worry about now is that we don't lose our boat, so let's hurry."

At the end of this statement, they again set out on their way until they reached the boat they had to catch. Overanxius paid the passage for himself and Asterix, and was forced to pay extra to bring an animal with them. Needless to say, the senator didn't like that very much, but he couldn't do anything now. He had agreed to allow the dog to accompany them, and he had to pay the consequences for such a decision.

It was around six in the evening when the ship set sail for Rome, directly to the capital. It would take a day and a half to reach their destination, but that no longer mattered to Overanxius. No, what mattered to the senator was that now nothing could prevent them from reaching Rome and finally fulfilling the mission he had assigned himself.

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Welp, could you guess what's the place I was talking about? If you think so, please tell me in you comments, next week I'll say which of you were right on your guessing. Also, what do you think of what happened in this chapter? Did you like it? Now almost everyone is in Rome. What will happen from here? There will be a fast encounter or something else will happen? If you've hypothesis, don't doubt to share them, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 😉

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 voted it, those who have it on their reading lists and I'd like to especially thank to Beatlesfangirl15 for all the reviews. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!

See you in the next chapter 😉