Felarya: Gunther

The archaeologists were absolutely befuddled. They had no idea how they could possibly have ended up in the middle of what appeared to be a deep forest when they had been digging under the earth mere moments before. Many of them were still dusting themselves off after having fallen through the floor of the burial chamber, and presumably they were all as confused as they looked.

Gunther watched through the night vision goggles strapped to his face as the group began to talk wildly and the first seeds of panic sprouted in their numbers.

Deciding that now would be the perfect time to intervene, he smiled behind his vertical face mask and took a few steps forward.

"Gentlemen! What seems to be the problem?"

The team looked around startled, straining to see in the dark.

"Who - who's there?"

"My name is Gunther. I am a worker for the Felarya Security Core."

The archaeologists looked even more confused than before.

"What on Earth is Felarya?"

So these people were from Earth? Even better.

"Felarya is the name of this... country. It is not well known because it is not very large compared to the rest of Earths countries."

"I've never heard of it before... and it borders Egypt somehow?"

"Essentially yes." Gunther spied the bauble in the archaeologists hand and recognized that it belonged to the tomb of Anubis. "In fact, you can reach it via use of an underground passage connected to the final resting place of the Egyptian lord of the dead."

The team of men looked slightly relieved, and Gunther smiled behind his lying mask. "Like shooting fish in a barrel." He thought to himself.

"Then how -" One of them began, but Gunther cut him off.

"I'm sure you gents are eager to get undercover, so why don't I let the local tavern owners explain everything to you? I'm a busy man, so just fire off a flare and help will be here in no time." He turned to leave, but the expected cry of dismay came from the group as a collective. Gunther grinned and turned back.

"Something the matter?"

"We don't have a flare gun!"

Gunther feigned shock. "What? You went out exploring without a flare gun? That's not a smart thing to do... it just so happens I have one here lucky for you - but it'll cost you." He produced the flare gun and twirled it between his fingers.

"Cost us what?" One of the archaeologists asked apprehensively.

"What have you got to offer me?" Gunther replied.

"Well... what do you want? We have money..."

"Money doesn't interest me, I have plenty of it. I need something with true value." He scanned the objects that the party held in their meager sacks.

"Like that jug." He gestured towards the clay pot that one of the men still held in his grasp.

"Why this?" The man asked in bewilderment.

"It's a long walk back to my house and I need something I can store water in." Gunther replied, leaving out the fact that that particular jug was enchanted so it would never run out.

"Oh ok... deal!" The archaeologists said in relief.

After a brief transaction, Gunther turned to leave with a friendly gesture.

"Say, Gunther," one of the men asked in parting, "what exactly are you doing out here in the deep of the night?"

As Gunther's long trench coat vanished from sight, his voice echoed back,

"I'm looking for some fun."

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Some distance away, Crisis lay napping against a tree, her eyes partly open as she rested, feeling her stomach grumbling. A smile crossed her face as she saw a bright red light rise into the air from the ground.

"Ooh... snack time!"


End