In Esmeralda, city of water, a network of canals and a network of streets span and intersect each other.
Note
In Esmeralda, to go from one place to another you always have the choice between land and boat, and the shortest line is not a straight one but a zigzag branching into tortuous routes. The ways do not lie on one level: steps, landings, bridges, hanging streets. So the inhabitants are spared the boredom of following the same streets every day.
In the scene a point of light goes every day from home to the market by a new way and leaves its trail: saffron on foot, lapis on the water, madder over the roofs. The trails of past days stay, fading, and braid together. Up above, the swallows’ routes are drawn and erased.
Touch a spot in the city: it becomes today’s destination, and the point of light at once invents a new zigzag to reach it. Touch the water to go there by boat. No route is ever taken twice.
Quotations are brief excerpts for the purpose of commentary. The full text is available in published editions. The Cities of Ottavia, Valdrada & the soundtrack are inspired by "Monument Valley" from ustwo games.