Azure Water

Chapter Two

Stella saw that the blood had melted into the snow. She looked around the area and the locals had already returned to their daily lives.

Renee sighs. "Do you think they both got kidnapped?"

Stella also lets out a sigh. "It looks like it. Next time, we can't let those boys go off on their own again. Let's go inside and see what we can find."

There is only one table available.

"I don't see any waiters." Stella said. "Maybe there's someone in the back?"

At this point, some customers had already finished eating and left the restaurant. There is no one there at the reception desk. Stella decides to ask one of the remaining customers. This customer is a tall young man with light brown eyes.

"Excuse me?" Stella asked. "How do we order food here? I don't see anyone."

The young man sees Stella and immediately blushes. "Oh, you probably didn't see it earlier. The waiter and four chefs got into a fight with two guys. They probably took them somewhere by now."

"Okay, thank you!" Stella said and let out a small smile.

The young man blushes even more and leaves the restaurant.

"So, it looks like the boys got into a fight against the waiter and four chefs."

Renee's eyebrows raise. "What? The waiter and four chefs? I didn't know chefs and waiters could fight."

Two chefs enter the restaurant as the girls are discussing their next move. One of the chefs looks at the girls and the other goes into the kitchen.

"Let's seduce one of them." Stella said.

Renee smiles to herself. She and Stella walk up to the chef at the reception desk.

"Hey, boy!" Renee said seductively. "Wanna hang out with two beautiful girls?"

The chef gives a goofy smile and blushes hard. "Sure! Where at?"

Stella forces a smile. "Somewhere private where no one can see us."

The chef's smile gets even more goofy. "Oh, I know just the place!"

Jasper was the first to wake up. He looked around and saw Florian getting up.

"Where are we?" Florian asked.

Jasper looks around and sees walls built with bricks. "Someone's bedroom? We're sitting on a mattress. I don't see any windows. There's only one door."

Florian stands up and walks to the door. "Let's see if it's open." He grabs the knob and turns it. It was stuck. "Nope! I guess they wouldn't make it that easy for us."

"Those stupid chefs and that waiter! I can't believe we lost to those guys."

"Yeah, fighting in the snow was difficult. It was hard to move around. Next time, I'll be more prepared." Florian said as he walked back to the mattress.

The boys took a few minutes to relax and to regain their strength.

Jasper's eyes light up. "Let's combine our strengths and knock down that door. Then we'll make a run for it."

"Yeah, that might work!"

The boys walk to the door and hear a voice. "Stay quiet! The chief will want to talk to you guys later!"

"Chief?!" Jasper asked no one.

"Do you think that Linos guy is the chief?" Florian asked in response.

Jasper thinks to himself. "No, it doesn't make sense for him to drag us here and then go somewhere else, and then back here to question us."

Florian nods. "Yeah, that Linos guy probably went to get the chief and they're both coming back now. Maybe it's Damianos?"

Jasper ponders for a second. "OH! I got it! We will say we have a childhood friend named Damianos and when we heard that he became chief, we wanted to see whether it's true or not. We just want to congratulate our friend."

Florian's eyes light up. "Yeah! That can work. We can just make up some description of who Damianos is in case they ask us to describe him."

Jasper nods. "Yep! We'll say he's our age, so twenty years old. The same height as you. Blonde hair and blue eyes. Once they realize that our Damianos and their Damianos are different people, they'll let us go."

"Alright! Sounds like a plan. Now we wait for them to come!"

The chef's face got happier and goofier as he led Stella and Renee into his house.

Opening the door, the chef holds it open for the girls to walk in. Inside the house, he goes to the living room.

"Alright, girls!" said the chef. "Here we are. Now! Let's go!"

Renee looks at the chef seriously. Stella also does the same. The smile on the chef's face turns into seriousness as well.

"What's wrong?" asked the chef.

"So," Renee said, ignoring his question. "Earlier, you and your friends beat up two guys. Where did you guys take them afterward?"

The chef gets flustered. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Stella crosses her arms beneath her breasts. "Based on your response, you do know what we're talking about. You're just saying that we have no proof. Is that right?"

The chef gets angry. "Look! We're done here! Get out of my house!"

Stella activates her Sura to bring forth her Black Scythe and holds it next to the chef's throat. "What about now?"

The chef's face turns pale as he stares at the sharp blade of the Scythe. "O-o-okay! I'll tell you! Please don't hurt me! I was just following orders!"

"Start talking."

"So, I was cooking until Linos called us out. He told us to not let them go. Then he told us to grab them. And the other guys started fighting and I had no choice but to join in. Then the two customer guys got knocked out and we carried them to where Linos told us to." His breathing gets frantic and he tries to catch his breath.

Stella sighs. "Alright, just tell us where we can find the two guys."

"The building next to the chief's house." the chef said.

"And where is this house?"

"The biggest house in the village. You can't miss it. The two guys are in the building next to it. It's the only building near the chief's house."

"I think that's all for now. If you tell anyone about us, we'll know where to find you. You can go now." Stella nodded toward the door.

The chef quickly runs towards the door, opens, and runs out. He forgot to close the door.

"That guy was scared and rushed his story." Renee said. "He left out some details, but I think we have what we need, right?"

"Yeah," Stella said. "He said the village chief. Somehow the chief is involved."

With that said, Stella and Renee left the house and started to look for the biggest house in the village.