Hello everyone! One week more and another chapter! Okay, in this one, I recovered a character that appeared a few chapters ago. Can you guess who? Well you'll find out soon once you start reading this chapter. I just hope you'll like this character showing again. ;P 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!

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The road had been long... very long. But he had finally arrived at his destination. It had taken him longer than expected, but in all honesty, at his age, he rarely made trips anymore, much less trips like this.

Normally, when he traveled this far, it was to go to one of his regular meetings in the Carnutos forest. But other than that, he didn't travel. No, he had grown accustomed to living in the city where he'd settled, offering his knowledge to the service of others, and healing their wounds and their illnesses.

But since he had treated that blond boy, he felt the need to talk to Getafix, if only to confirm whether his fellow druid knew him or not. That was the reason he had grabbed a few supplies, donned a hooded cloak, and after grabbing a staff, set out on this journey. He needed answers, and only Getafix could give them to him.

Galenix knew the village in front of him was the one he was looking for because on the way he had seen a Roman fort, and the only reason there would be a fort there was to control some city or some village that they hadn't been able to dominate. And the only village that the empire hadn't been able to control was the village where his fellow druid Getafix lived.

The mere sight of the fence and the houses made his tiredness disappear, and he felt as strong as the moment he set out. With a big smile, he approached the gate... only to be abruptly stopped by a Gaul.

"Halt there, by Tutatis! Who are you and what do you want?"

Galenix looked at the Gaul in confusion. Had he not realized he was a druid? Then he remembered he was wearing a cloak that covered his white robes, and the hood covered a good part of his head, making him look at first glance like any old man strolling around.

Now aware of this, Galenix removed the hood and partially uncovered his clothing so that the villager could recognize him as a druid. He then said:

"I'm a druid named Galenix. I've had a long journey from Lemonum because I wish, if it's possible, to speak with the druid Getafix, by Belenos."

The Gaul at the gate looked hesitant, as if internally debating whether the man before him was telling the truth or not. A little frustrated at his lack of trust and respect for a druid, Galenix spoke again, a bit more indignant than before:

"Could I please speak to Getafix? There is a matter of considerable importance that I'd like to discuss with him."

The Gaul at the entrance didn't move, but his eyes did widen in slight surprise. Shortly thereafter, the man replied:

"I... uh... I'm sorry, but on one occasion, the Romans caught our druid because one of them tricked him by dressing up as another druid."

That explanation made Galenix recoil a little, his eyes wide as saucers. Now he felt nothing but shame for his earlier crossness. If the Romans had fooled them before, it was normal to think they wouldn't immediately trust someone who showed up claiming to be a druid.

But his case was different. He really was a druid, and he and Getafix had crossed paths in their meetings in Carnutos. They had even shared their experiences of serving people with their knowledge. Galenix knew they could trust him, but how could he make these people understand that? Then an idea came to his mind.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't know... Okay, could you at least tell him to come here? I'm sure when he sees me, he'll recognize me."

That proposal seemed to be satisfactory enough for the Gaul standing guard at the entrance, and he replied in a more enthusiastic voice:

"Yes, I could do that! I'll be right back."

Galenix smiled at his small triumph. He would have preferred to be able to go inside, but at least they had agreed to let him meet with his fellow druid, and that was something. With no idea how long he would have to wait, the druid from Lemonum sat down on the stone next to the entrance. He looked inside and was surprised to see no one in sight. Where was everyone? What was going on? Why was no one there?

A noise behind Galenix caught his attention. Fearful it might be a Roman patrol, the druid turned and was immediately relieved when he saw a rabbit appearing from behind a tree. The sight made him smile. It was unlikely the Romans would come this close to the village, or at least he figured they wouldn't.

"Galenix, is that you?"

The druid from Lemonum turned quickly towards the entrance of the village where he saw his fellow druid, and behind him, the entire population of the village... all of whom seemed curious about the newly-arrived visitor. Smiling cheerfully, Galenix greeted his fellow druid by saying:

"Getafix? Oh, how long it's been, my dear friend!"

Both druids shook hands, and after greeting each other, Getafix looked quizzically at the other druid and asked:

"What brings you here, Galenix?"

At Getafix's question, the druid from Lemonum remembered the reason that had brought him here. In a more serious tone, the druid replied:

"I've come because there is a subject I wanted to speak with you about."

This answer surprised Getafix. What did he want to talk to him about? He was also worried about the serious manner his fellow druid had acquired. Why was he like that? With some uncertainty, Getafix said:

"Let's talk, then."

Galenix looked at Getafix, and then at all the villagers behind him. He hesitated; he doubted what he had to talk to the other druid about was something the others could hear as well, so he asked:

"Can it be in private?"

Getafix's eyes widened in surprise. Why in private? What did he want to tell him that the rest of the villagers couldn't hear? Fear grew in his heart at Galenix's suggestion to speak alone, but his curiosity was stronger. He needed to know what the other druid wanted, so he finally found the voice to answer:

"Of course. Let's go to my cabin."

Both druids entered the village and headed to Getafix's cabin, followed of course by the other villagers, who naturally were curious to know why another druid had decided to pay them a visit at that very moment. Some of the villagers were wary of this new arrival, fearing this was another ruse by the Romans to do them even more harm.

Most, however, were simply curious, and trusted their druid. Besides, if it was some trick of the Romans, that druid couldn't escape now. He was trapped in the village, and if he thought of doing anything to attack them, they were going to respond.

When Getafix and Galenix arrived at the cabin, the resident druid urged his visitor to enter, and after doing so, told the villagers they weren't to be disturbed and to go about their chores.

Much to their chagrin, the villagers did as their druid had asked, and when he was sure no one was left, Getafix entered his cabin and closed the door behind him – unaware the entire village had again crowded outside just as the door closed.

Getafix walked over to where his druid companion stood and invited him to sit on a stool. After he did, Getafix began:

"Well, Galenix, I appreciate your visit, but at the same time, I'm surprised. What did you want to talk to me about?"

The druid from Lemonum hunched forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He then interlaced his fingers and rested his head on his hands. He seemed to be contemplating the best way to explain what he wanted to say. Finally, he spoke in a leisurely voice:

"You see Getafix, a few days ago a Roman showed up at my house... one of the important ones, judging by his clothes."

Getafix was surprised to hear that, and a slight pang of curiosity entered his heart. That Roman... what if it was...?

"A Roman visiting a druid? You don't see that every day," he said, trying to mask the growing concern he felt. Galenix seemed a bit disappointed by what Getafix had said. He had expected a different reaction.

Still, the other druid continued to speak:

"I know. The curious thing about the case is that he didn't come alone. He'd brought a little Gaul boy with him who was very sick."

This time, Galenix did appreciate the reaction of his fellow druid. His eyes widened with concern, and although he tried to hide it, Getafix gasped slightly at the mention of the boy. But other than that, the other druid said nothing, so Galenix continued with his tale:

"The thing is, he asked me to treat the boy, and I couldn't say no. The boy needed me. I managed to get his fever down and his health improved."

Getafix opened his mouth and closed it several times, as if he had lost the ability to speak. To Galenix, it almost seemed he was making serious efforts to hold back tears.

When the local druid finally managed to speak, his voice came out weak and shaky... something that surprised Galenix.

"That boy... what did he look like?"

This time it was Galenix's turn to open his eyes wider than usual. What did the child look like? The visiting druid had to think back to be able to describe him properly. And so, he explained:

"He was a blond boy, quite tiny, dressed in red pants and a sleeveless black shirt."

After the description, Getafix seemed to collapse like a person who had lost the will to live. That worried Galenix. Why was Getafix acting that way?

As puzzled as he was, he heard his druid companion whisper:

"Oh, by Tutatis!"

Oh, by Tutatis! Is it possible that...

"So... you know him?" asked Galenix in an alarmed voice.

The question made Getafix quickly straighten up and look at him in surprise. He then asked:

"Why do you ask?"

That did nothing to calm Galenix's nerves, but he couldn't get angry with Getafix, either. After all, the druid of Lemonum figured the other druid didn't want any stranger to know there was something tormenting him, even if that stranger was also a druid. So – believing that maybe what he was going to say would help the other druid open up – he explained:

"Well, while treating the boy, I told the Roman he needed rest, so the Roman said he would take advantage of that time to buy supplies for his journey. While he was away, the boy spoke in his sleep, and it seemed to me he said your name, Getafix. That is the reason I undertook this journey. I needed to know if you knew the boy, and if you did, if you could tell me who he is and why a Roman seemed so interested in his health."

Getafix lowered his gaze again... embarrassed, defeated. When he spoke, his voice seemed frail and dazed:

"That child... his name is Asterix."

And so, Getafix proceeded to tell his druid friend everything that had happened... how he'd given the wrong potion to the Gaul warrior, how that potion had turned him into a child with no memory of his adult life, and how the Romans, upon discovery of the situation, wanted to take advantage of it by using the boy as a hostage to bring the village under the power of the empire. He even told him the most recent news they had received that Asterix was currently in Rome in Caesar's custody.

Galenix listened attentively. As Getafix went on with his story, he realized how delicate his situation was and the gravity of all that had happened. When Getafix finished speaking, his friend stared at him for a few moments and finally said to him:

"Getafix... I'm very sorry for what has happened to you... I don't know if it'll be of any consolation, but the Roman who kidnapped Asterix... he seemed genuinely concerned about him when he brought him to me. He really seemed to want the boy to be cured."

Getafix looked at Galenix in surprise. He didn't seem to believe what he had just heard, and he certainly didn't, for Getafix had seen how the Roman senator acted towards him and Asterix, and he found it hard to believe the same man would act so differently towards the little blond Gaul. On the other hand, considering the reason why he had taken the boy... perhaps what the Roman had done wasn't entirely unreasonable. And so, he expressed this to his druid colleague:

"It may have been only so that he could hand him over to Julius in full health."

Galenix reflected on this and answered:

"That may be. But there is also something else. While I had the boy resting, suddenly a little white dog came along who seemed very attached to the boy... so attached that the Roman also took him along with Asterix. I think he called him... Dogmatix."

These last words made Getafix cheer up a little. It really seemed to be good news to him, so much so that with a hopeful voice, he asked:

"Really?"

Surprised, Galenix simply answered:

"Yes."

Getafix sighed in relief, and in a calmer voice said:

"That's... a small comfort. I know Dogmatix will take care of him."

This surprised Galenix, so he asked the other druid:

"Do you trust that dog?"

This question brought a smile to Getafix's face, and somewhat more animated, he replied:

"You'd be surprised what he's capable of."

Galenix smiled in turn hearing that. "I see..." He pondered for a few moments and spoke again:

"Say, Getafix, you told me you're trying to find a remedy to cure Asterix... I've been working on making a potion to cure various diseases. Maybe I can help you, if you'd like."

Getafix looked the other druid in the eyes, and Galenix could see hope in them. The local druid smiled broadly and replied:

"Your help will be most welcome."

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Anonymus and Dulcia ran through the streets of Rome. They had to find Obelix. They had to tell him what they had discovered. They had to do it as soon as possible to help their son and Asterix. They dodged people as they ran, fighting their way through shopkeepers, trying not to get hit by a cart. Really, how could there be so many people living in the same city?

Turning a corner, the Roman couple hurried onward until something on the other side of the street caught Anonymus' attention. Stopping dead in his tracks, the Roman mosaicist took a couple of steps back and stared at the door of a house. His wife stopped a few meters ahead when she realized the man wasn't following her.

Turning around in surprise, she saw her husband staring at the entrance of a house with his mouth open. This greatly puzzled the Roman woman who, slowly backing away from her husband, asked him:

"Anonymus, what's wrong?"

The Mosaicist looked at his wife and then back at the entrance, and pointing to it, said:

"Dulcia, look at this door."

The Roman woman twisted her face slightly in confusion. What did her husband want her to see? All she could see was a hole in the wall and pieces of wood scattered on the floor towards the interior of the dwelling. What was Anonymus trying to say?

"I guess you're referring the remains of the door," the Roman woman said confusedly. She'd hoped her husband would explain in more detail, but the man only seemed to get excited, as if he were convinced she knew what he meant, and in an elated voice, he exclaimed:

"Exactly!"

Dulcia raised an eyebrow. Either Anonymus would have to speak more clearly, or they weren't going to get anywhere. Seriously, sometimes it seemed like Anonymus thought Dulcia was capable of knowing everything that was in his head, and that wasn't the case. Many times, Anonymus would talk about things she had no idea about, and then the man would get upset because she didn't know what her husband was saying.

Taking a deep breath to avoid thinking about it, the Roman woman asked:

"Where are you going with this?"

Anonymus sighed, slightly annoyed. Why was it so hard for women to see the most obvious things? Well, that wasn't important now. What was important was he had to make his wife see what he had discovered, so he told her:

"This door, as far as I can tell, was made of quality wood – oak, if I'm not mistaken. It would take a very great force to break it."

Dulcia still didn't seem entirely convinced. Somewhat skeptical, she asked:

"Are you sure?"

To which the Mosaicist replied:

"I am... and who do we know who is strong enough to break a door like this?"

At last, Dulcia understood what her husband was trying to tell her. Excited by what the Mosaicist had just discovered, she said to him in a joyful voice:

"You mean Obelix! Oh dear Anonymus, you are a genius!"

The Mosaicist smiled sincerely at his wife's words and replied:

"Thank you, Dulcia."

The Roman couple quickly hurried into the dwelling. Upon entering the building, they saw several slaves passed out here and there, which confirmed their suspicions that the great Gaul had passed by.

They followed the trail of wreckage until, entering a room, they saw the big Gaul and his two friends, all standing around. They also caught a glimpse of another person, crouched by the window, and from the clothes he was wearing, it was clear he was Roman.

"Obelix?"

Suddenly, Anonymus and Dulcia became the center of attention of everyone present. Turning around, Obelix's eyes widened, and with a slightly worried voice, he asked:

"Anonymus! Dulcia! Have you found Mischiefus?"

The two Roman spouses looked at each other and then Anonymus answered:

"Yes and no."

Aba didn't seem satisfied at that answer, and in an exasperated voice she practically shouted:

"Oh, by all the gods what does that mean?"

Anonymus looked at the young Viking and patiently replied:

"We've discovered – from a friend of Dulcia's – that our son was taken out of the city along with a boy who, from the description we were given, must have been Asterix."

On hearing Asterix's name, Obelix immediately perked up. Had someone seen Asterix? This was fantastic news!

He was so excited he could hardly get the words out. Luckily it was Justforkix who spoke, reflecting what was on the menhir delivery man's mind:

"Oh, by Tutatis, is that true?"

This time it was Dulcia who spoke. Advancing a couple of steps, she said:

"Yes. You see, a man in a cart took them both away, but we don't know where."

Suddenly a faint, barely audible voice joined the conversation and said:

"I... I know where."

The attention shifted from Anonymus and Dulcia to the other Roman present in the room.

Looking at him closely, Anonymus' eyes widened as he recognized him.

"Wait a minute... is that Senator Overanxius? Is this the one who kidnapped Asterix?" he asked completely dumbfounded, unable to tear his gaze away from the white-robed man.

Obelix stared between the senator and his Roman friend. He hadn't expected Anonymus to know him. On the other hand, they were in Rome... surely the people who lived here all knew each other, as did the people in the village.

The big Gaul shrugged, and in an almost bored voice, replied:

"Yes, and yes."

Hearing that, Dulcia folded her arms, and looking at the senator angrily, she said:

"We knew he was capable of something like this... he never seemed to like children."

That comment made Overanxius' eyes go wide. Looking down, he began to wonder... was this the opinion the Romans had of him? Was that how they saw him? As some sort of monster? Oh, if his mother could see him, she would surely be ashamed of him. What kind of man had he become?

Feet appeared in his field of vision, and as he looked up, arms suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his robe, and a voice shouted just inches from his face as he felt himself being jerked around like a ragdoll.

"Who was it and where have they taken my son?!"

Anonymus quickly came to the Roman senator's aid - not because he wanted to help him, but because he understood if he didn't restrain his wife, she was capable of doing something she would regret. Trying to appease his aggravated wife, he said to her:

"Dulcia, calm down! If you strangle him, he won't be able to tell us anything! Although... I'm surprised Obelix didn't beat him up. What happened?" he said, turning to the red-haired Gaul.

Obelix was slightly surprised, and as he tried to think of an answer, it was Justforkix who spoke first:

"You see, this Roman feels remorse over what he did to Asterix, and he wanted Obelix to beat him as punishment for having been a bad Roman."

Anonymus and Dulcia looked at each other and then both said at the same time:

"Ahhh..."

Then Anonymus spoke again:

"Well, by Jupiter Obelix, why didn't you do it?"

Overanxius added:

"Yes, Gaul, why haven't you done it, by Mars?!"

Obelix looked at the two Romans, and lowering his gaze to the ground, answered them both.

"Because... because beating you up won't help me find Asterix... by Tutatis, Roman... if what you're looking for is to make up for your bad deeds, I think... I think the best way to do that is for you to tell me where Asterix is. You said you knew, so by Belenos, please tell me."

Obelix looked at the Roman senator with pleading eyes, like a little lost child looking for someone to help him find his way home. The Roman senator stared at the great Gaul, and all he could feel for him was pity. In a defeated voice, the man replied:

"Asterix... Asterix was taken by Caesar himself to his villa on the outskirts of Rome."

Aba frowned and asked:

"And why did he take him there?"

The senator looked at the young Viking and answered:

"Because Cleopatra is currently staying there. And apparently, she doesn't want anyone to know she is there."

At that answer, Anonymus opened his mouth to its fullest capacity, and almost stammering, said:

"Cleopatra? You mean Cleopatra, Cleopatra? The queen of Egypt?"

The Roman senator stared at his countryman with an annoyed expression on his face. He answered the man sarcastically.

"Is there someone else named Cleopatra?"

Great, now Anonymus felt like a first-class idiot... but what could he do? He had heard of the Egyptian queen, but had never seen her. Trying to excuse himself, the Mosaicist said:

"No... it's true, it's just that... I didn't expect her to be here, so close to Rome. I've heard it's said she has a very pretty nose."

That last remark was a mistake on his part, for immediately the Mosaicist's wife jumped up shouting:

"Anonymus!"

Aware of his blunder, Anonymus hastened to apologize to his wife:

"I'm sorry, honey," and offered her a sweet smile hoping that would be enough.

Dulcia scowled at him and finally sighed as she shook her head. Men! Sometimes they acted like children.

Ignoring what had just transpired between the Roman couple, Obelix provided his opinion, or rather an observation regarding Cleopatra.

"When we were in Alexandria, Getafix kept saying she had a very pretty nose."

Those words caught Justforkix's attention. To tell the truth, he had also heard a little about the woman... but only because she was the sovereign of her land, and it seemed very strange to him that a woman could rule. But if that woman had the same spirit as Aba, maybe it wasn't so strange after all. Intrigued, the blond Gaul asked:

"Have you met Cleopatra?"

Obelix turned to the younger Gaul with a smile on his lips and replied, "Yes. We helped her architect build a palace so he wouldn't be eaten by the sacred crocodiles! They're crazy, these Egyptians."

Truth be told, he had liked that trip. He had the opportunity to drink magic potion, even if it was only a drop. He also got to fight pirates, Romans, and Cleopatra's guards, and eat a good piece of cake. It wasn't a bad trip.

Suddenly the noise of a person clearing her throat caught everyone's attention, and as they looked towards the source of this noise, they saw Aba with a scowl on her face and hands on her hips. When she had everyone's attention, the Viking woman spoke in a slightly annoyed tone:

"Okay, that's enough! Stop it! We're getting off topic, by Thor. Roman, there's something I don't understand... why did Julius Caesar decide to take Asterix to that place himself?"

The senator didn't take long to answer. Maybe he would never admit it, but that young woman intimidated him a little... not as much as the red-haired Gaul, but enough to fear for his physical safety. So, responding to the young woman, he explained:

"Because he didn't want anyone else to know where he was. He feared that..." he pointed to Obelix, "...if this Gaul came to Rome, he would go to the palace to try and rescue Asterix. So he decided to take Asterix to a place where no one would know his location."

Stepping forward, Justforkix asked:

"Then how do you know he's there?"

Shifting his attention from the Viking to the younger Gaul, Overanxius replied:

"Because it was Caesar who told me where he was taking him. Apart from him, I'm the only person who knows he's there..."

Raising a finger to the senator's lips, Dulcia shushed him by saying:

"Correction, you were the only person. Now we all know it, too!"

Obelix was ecstatic. At last, they knew where Asterix was! At last, they could go after him and rescue him... and Mischiefus, too, obviously. Almost jumping for joy, the great Gaul spoke excitedly:

"Right, by Tutatis! And now that we know where Asterix and Mischiefus are, we'll go and rescue them."

Everyone except the senator turned to leave, but his voice stopped them.

"Could I... could I come with you?"

The others in the room looked at each other, and then Justforkix said:

"Wait a moment."

After these words, they made a chorus talking amongst themselves, trying to decide what to do with the white-robed man. They spent a few minutes deliberating, minutes that, to Overanxius, took forever.

The senator was nervous. There was something inside him that urged him to accompany this group of Gauls, Romans and Vikings, but not to prevent them from fulfilling their purpose – rather the opposite – to help them succeed. But after all that had happened, the man doubted they would give him the chance to go with them. Surely they were going to leave him unconscious, or perhaps they would threaten him so he wouldn't go blabbing... but allowing him to accompany them? That probably wasn't going to happen.

As the rest of the occupants of the room turned their attention to him, Overanxius found it harder to breathe, and he felt a lump in his throat he couldn't swallow. What were they going to say to him? What had been the final verdict? Waiting anxiously, the senator watched as the younger male stepped forward and said:

"All right, you come with us... but as our prisoner. We won't allow you to betray us."

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Welp I've to admit I had a lot of fun writing this last conversation that involves Asterix and Mischiefus' location and also involves Cleopatra. And what do you think about Overanxius wanting to go with the rest of them? What do you think that will happen now that they've accepted this? And as always, what do you think of this chapter? Did you like? If you're enjoying this story, it would be awesome for me if you leave reviews. This would help me to continue writing 😉

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 😉