"The monsters.They flow.Like a river."She turned in a slow circle, seeing it now.The migration patterns, the natural lanes, the way they'd moved around the few standing obstacles."You can't stop a river," she continued, speaking more to herself than to them."You don't fight it.You build around it.Over it."
"Wren?"
"I need my journal."She pulled it from her purse, flipped to a blank page, and started sketching.Fast, rough, but the vision was crystalizing.
Not ground-level.That was the mistake.Ground level gets trampled.
Up.Build UP.
Pillars that the monsters would flow around and under.A platform above the migration path.Multiple levels, with ground level for normal times, elevated platforms for safety.She needed a living structure.Something that could flex, adapt and repair itself.
Trees.Not just one treehouse tree, but multiple massive support trees that would create...
"A fortress," she breathed."A living fortress."
Jin moved closer, looking at her sketch.His eyes widened."You're going to elevate the entire farm?"
"Why not?Monsters can't climb."She was drawing faster now, adding details."Big support pillars like Montezuma Cypress, because they grow massive.Multiple trunks to create lanes for the migration to flow through.Bridge Willows for retractable access.Platform level for gardens and living space, with the treehouse rebuilt and expanded on top."
"That's..."Jin paused."That's ambitious."
"That's necessary."She looked at him, and something fierce burned in her expression."I'm not just rebuilding what I had.I'm building something better.Something that won't fail next time."
Walter chittered excitedly."Madam, that's brilliant!Elevated above the danger, but still accessible!"
"It'll take time," Jin warned."Even with your magic—"
"I have time.I have seeds.I have—" She looked at the destruction again."I have motivation."She closed the journal and stood, grinning."Let's go back to town.I need to finalize the design.And then..."That wild, excited smile spread across her face."Then I start building."
Back at the Zhao House—That Evening
––––––––
"YOU'RE GOING TO WHAT?"Mei-Lin's voice carried through the sitting room.
Wren spread her sketches across the table.The family gathered around, with Zhao Wei intrigued, Zhao Lin skeptical, Mei-Lin fascinated and Jin watching with that intense expression.
"Elevate the farm.Create a platform fifteen to twenty feet up, supported by massive trees.The monsters will flow underneath during migration.Everything important, like the house, gardens and storage, stays safe above."
Zhao Wei studied the drawings carefully."This is...unprecedented."
"It's insane," Zhao Lin said flatly."Even if you could grow trees that size, the weight of soil, water, structures...have you thought about that?"
"The trees will support it.They're alive, and they'll adapt and grow stronger where needed."Wren pointed to her sketch."And the platform won't be solid, it'll be interwoven branches with growing points.A living structure."
"How long will this take?"Zhao Wei asked.
"A week, maybe two.The trees grow fast with my magic, but something this size..."She paused."I'll need to work carefully.Make sure the foundation is solid before building up."
"And you're certain this will work?"Zhao Lin's skepticism was clear.
"No," Wren admitted."I've never done anything like this.But I have to try.Because going back to what I had before?That failed.This won't."
Silence around the table.
Then Zhao Wei smiled."It's bold.Innovative.If you can pull this off, you'll have the safest property in the territory."
"WhenI pull this off," Wren corrected.
