The Acropolis

Veronica was roused from her lust-filled trance when she saw that Nat had started across the walkway without her. "Hey, wait up!" she called to Nat as she rushed to catch up with him. "Sorry for getting ahead of you again, Veronica. It's just that you seemed to be... getting distracted by a lot of the things we've found. I know this place feels unreal, but I can't help feeling like there's more to it for you than that..." Nat told his companion as they returned to walking side-by-side. Veronica turned to him with a sigh. "I suppose there's no reason for me to keep it a secret anymore, then. You see, Nat... well, it's... I just... I've always fantasized about Amazons..." she confessed to her fellow archaeologist. Nat stared off into space for a moment as his mind tried to grapple with the ever growing amount of absurd information he had taken in that day. Eventually, Nat smiled and placed a hand on Veronica's shoulder. "Veronica, think about where we are, think about how we got here. Do you think that learning about your preference for tall, strong women is anywhere near the weirdest thing I've experienced today?" "I... I suppose it's not, is it?" Veronica replied. "No, it really isn't. Now then, let's keep exploring!" Nat responded in turn.

After Veronica made her confession, the pair of archaeologists finished crossing the stone walkway and proceeded down the staircase at its end. Nat and Veronica's initial sense of awe at the gorge-spanning city was revived as they properly entered it. Streets and buildings stacked atop one another lined both of the ravine's walls, and bridges of varying width and construction joined the city's two halves, sometimes spanning multiple of its levels as well. In all of this, however, the thing Nat felt most drawn to was a dense and extravagant cluster of structures at the closer end of the gorge. He couldn't really place why exactly he felt so fixated on it, but something there called to him. Perhaps that was where Adam and his crew had ended up? "Veronica, do you see those ruins over there, at the end of the ravine?" Nat asked his companion. "Yes, I do. And I suppose that's where you want to start investigating in depth?" Veronica Responded. "Correct you are, Veronica. Now, let's get to it!" Nat said excitedly.

As they approached the stack of buildings, it gradually became quite clear that they were a location of great importance. Their architecture was particularly grandiose, with towering pillars and soaring archways that seemed to defy the limitations of stonework. Entering the magnificent section of the city, the duo found themselves in an overgrown garden speckled with statues of Amazon heroes, many of which sported armor and proportions that piqued Veronica's lust once again. Nat's eyes, however, were drawn to the acropolis's greatest edifice, situated against the end of the gorge. And this time, it was Veronica who shook Nat from transfixion. "Nat...?" she tentatively asked. He jolted and turned to his companion. "I could've sworn I felt something. It almost felt like something was... calling me. It might just be the weirdest thing I've felt all day, and considering what's happened so far, that's saying something... Veronica, you can stay behind and keep investigating if you want, but I'm going to see what secrets that building I was staring at is hiding." "I'm coming with you." Veronica responded. "Splitting up doesn't seem like a good idea, even with our skills."