Chapter Two A Chase

Zara fumbled with the lock outside of the H.A.M. headquarters. It was useless. Adela was a better thief than her, and therefore, was much better at picking locks. Zara could hardly even steal the wine in the Zamorak Temple. She heard a small shriek come from the south east. She immediately whipped her head around, casting her brilliant brown eyes all about and saw the sight.

A red-shirted man with torn, black trousers and a black mask was attempting to mug a weak, blonde girl who was tugging at her leather bag in his hands. Zara ran over instantly, "Hey!" she said, raising her powerful scimitar high. That enough scared both of them so that the mugger dropped the purse, sending the girl sprawling backwards. She soon took off towards the Lumbridge Castle.

"I got a little favor to ask you," Zara said, rubbing two coins together between her index finger and her thumb.

"Sorry, I help none but myself," he said stubbornly.

"Well you're helping yourself because you have two choices. Choice one: You come with me and I'll pay you a little for your time. Or Choice B: You refuse to help me and my scimitar will slice through your gut. Which is it gonna be?" she challenged.

The mugger, who was indeed, quite weak, nearly crumbled at her threat, "Okay, okay," he grumbled, "I'll help you."

"Great!" she said cheerfully, as if nothing had ever happened, "Follow me!" she led him through the forest to a ruined building that was swarming with spiders.

"What exactly are we doing at the H.A.M. HQ?" the mugger asked her.

"You're picking the lock so I can get in. Can you?"

"Of course I can. About half of my comrades joined H.A.M. to take focus off of their thieving skills."

"Oh. Well just let me in.. er, please."

The mugger picked the lock without trouble. Zara handed him 10 coins.

"Gee, thank--" Zara started to say, but was immediately shoved into the cave. She fell onto the hard, dirt floor and checked the eggs in her back. They were secure and unbroken. She casually made her way to the jail cell and distracted the guard for a moment by telling him that a mugger somehow slipped into the secret cave.

"Did you get a bucket of water, too?" Adela asked, hopeful.

"Um, no. Sorry," Zara frowned, but then smiled, "But I got the eggs!"

"Okay," Adela shrugged as Zara broke the eggs on her red-head. The yoke dripped down over her pale face as she cringed. The two tried to pull her head out of the cell, not noticing the guard coming back.

"They said that there wasn't any--" he started to say until he saw the two girls, "Say, what's going on here?"

Adela's head finally came free and both went tumbling backwards into the guard. The egg-covered girl came to her wits and grabbed Zara's arm, "Run!"

The guard growled and tried to snatch the girls before they ran off, but he was too slow, "Get them!" he bellowed and suddenly, the entire underground organization of H.A.M. was upon them. They darted through furious crowds of people in magenta and barely escape the guards at the exit. They still had guards following them as they ran through the Lumbridge woods.

"Where are we going!" Zara yelled to her friend, in panic.

"Zanaris!" Adela replied with a smile.

"I don't have my Dramen staff!"

Adela tossed her an extra one she had as she nearly tripped over the adventurers' fire. They ran through the swamps, dodging the roots that stuck up through the ground. There were still guards after them when they saw the small cabin.

"Ready?" Adela asked her comrade.

"Ready!" Zara replied as Adela flung the door open and pulled her in. The world instantly shimmered and they were in the land of the fairies.

The pair of adventurers spirited towards the fairy queen, "We have to get out of here, quick!"

"Well the only exit is the way you came through. And through the market place to Al-Kharid, but you'll need a diamond to get there."

"Oh, please! Just let us go through now! We don't need to buy anything, we just have to go somewhere! There are guards after us!" Adela pleaded.

"..For what?" the queen was wide-eyed.

"Long story," answered Zara.

"I suppose this one time.." the queen said reluctantly.

"Thank you!" both of the girls said as they ran for the door and past the doormen. The Cabbage Fairy, as always, asked them for cabbage, but they just ran past her and up the ladder.

Entering the fairy world after they left were the guards, who also ran past the doormen without paying the door tax.

"Shantay can get us to Port Sarim from here! The guards will never suspect it!" Adela said as they ran for the pass.

The guards were stopped by the Cabbage Fairy who begged for cabbage from them. One of them actually had cabbage and gave it to her for 100 coins. After that, they hurried along up the ladder. The girls, who weren't carrying as much stuff, had more energy and had already disappeared into the pass as they rapidly talked to Shantay to get him to help.

The guards decided the split forces, one going south, and one going north.

Adela and Zara thanked Shantay many times before he had them escorted to Port Sarim. He then casually walked up to the gate.

"Have you seen two girls? One with red hair and one with green hair?" the guard asked, out of breath.

"Hm... Oh yes, I just put them in my jail cell here. They're locked up, safe and sound. No worries, friend," Shantay replied casually.

"Okay, then I'll be on my way," the guard said, and continued to tell his friend that the search was over.

"Man, I have never seen a guard chase someone that far," Zara said on their way to Port Sarim.

"I wonder why," Adela mused.