Constantine was built in wide rings around a single, enormous ash tree at its center.
Every street curved gently, following the shape of the city. From above, the layout looked almost like ripples on the surface of water, spreading outward from the trunk.
The ash tree was the heart of everything. The bark was thick and pale gray, marked with deep lines. The branches stretched far in every direction. The canopy was so broad that it shaded nearly half of the inner city.
Three-to-four-story buildings stood shoulder to shoulder. Most were made of stone and timber. Their walls were painted in soft colors. Wooden balconies filled the streets, laundry hung from ropes tied between windows, and clay pots filled with herbs and flowers sat on ledges.
The streets below were always busy. Merchants called out from open-front shops, bakers carried trays of fresh bread, and smiths worked with doors wide open. Carts rolled over the cobblestones, pulled by horses or pushed by hand.
