From out of the darkness, several Knights clad in crimson armour somersaulted out of cover.
They landed in front of the house and took up their positions.
With the element of surprise on their side, barricaded the doors and windows, barring all manner of escape.
Some of their comrades lit up their torches.
On their commander's signal, the Knights lobbed their burning torches at the house.
As the entire building went up in flames, the armoured perpetrators performed one final act of acrobatics, disappearing from the scene as quickly as they'd arrived.
Off in the distance, five women watched in sorrow as their home was destroyed.
"Come, girls," said the oldest. "We can't stay here."
They melted into the shadows, unseen and unheard.
The youngest one looked back, the final image of her childhood home burned into her memory as she somberly followed the others into the forest.
An hour ago...
"I think you'll need more than a talking book where you're going," said Dame Olga, her voice even.
Hattie and Olive stood quietly at her side.
"Which is why we're coming with you!" Olga finished.
Ella and Mandy stared back, wide-eyed.
"Can someone here please tell me what's going on?" exclaimed Benny.
At a silent gesture from their mother, Hattie and Olive followed her lead as all three of them magically transformed their outfits.
Surprised gasps left Ella and Mandy's lips as their long, flowing gowns became simple T-shirts and long trousers.
"Ella, my dear," said Olga. "I've always suspected you've had this... Gift your whole life. Your stepsisters and I have a secret too... "
"We're Witches," Olive cut in, finishing her mother's sentence.
"But... but... " stammered Ella. "When?"
Olga explained that her family had always been Witches.
Her husband, a talented Warlock, had been a member of King Florian's royal court.
When Sir Edgar took the throne after his brother's passing, he immediately ordered the execution of Olga's husband.
Then, Edgar sent the Red Guard, Frell's most elite Knights, to hunt down all the Witches and Warlocks in the kingdom.
Olga and her daughters had to flee.
They'd been living in disguise and in fear ever since.
Olive teared up at the memory. "Daddy... "
Hattie immediately allowed her sister to bury her face in her embrace and sob, stroking her back as she herself shed a tear at the pained memory of her fallen father.
"My husband told me he'd been secretly investigating the passing of King Florian," Olga continued, her voice turning bitter. "I believe Edgar knew he was onto him... "
She paused a beat, inhaling a breath.
"Which is why your stepsisters and I are continuing his work in his stead. We've been doing so long before we met you, Ella."
"We couldn't find out much," added Hattie. "Except this. Whatever Sir Edgar's planning, nobody in Frell will be safe."
Olga nodded. "There isn't much time. We need to get to Lamia right away."
"Daddy used to pass by Giantville on his way to Lamia," Hattie told Ella. "We can find Lucinda, undo the mess she made, then put a stop to whatever Edgar's up to!"
Suddenly, Olive grew silent.
She wiped her eyes and began staring at the window.
Or rather, something outside.
"The Red Guard... " breathed Olive, her blood ran cold at the sight of the ones who took her father.
"They've found us!" Olga cried.
Luckily, she was fully prepared for such an eventuality.
Olga pulled out a small flask the size of an apple, raised it high above her head, and forcefully smashed it on the ground...
There was nobody in the room when everything went up in flames.
"A teleportation elixir," explained Olga. "We can never go anywhere without them these days."
Several hours later...
Ella sat with her stepfamily around the campfire they made.
She was surprised at how experienced Olga, Hattie, and Olive were at sneaking noiselessly through the darkness.
Following their lead, they managed to evade any further Red Guard patrols and scent hounds without issue.
With Mandy flying overhead as a scout, they could made sure that the nearest Red Guards were at least a few days journey from them.
But hearing about what happened to Olga's husband caused Ella to feel as though an icicle twisted through her gut.
How long had Hattie and Olive been hiding their sadness?
How long had they been pretending to be a pair of loopy fangirls?
How much of it was for avenging the loss of their father?
How much of it was to distract themselves from the realities of their shattered lives?
Olive stared emptily at the flickering campfire.
"Daddy loved campfires," Olive said, her voice solemn. "Mum told us this was how he first met her."
A few days ago, Ella could never have imagined what she'd learned about her stepsisters in the past few hours.
She sat closer to Olive. "Olive, I just wanna tell you that I'm sorry about what happened to your father."
Olive looked at her, eyes shimmering in sorrow.
"I'm sorry about getting you in trouble," she said to her stepsister. "Some sister I am. Everyone calls me stupid."
Ella gently placed a hand on Olive's shoulder. "Olive, I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I felt the same way when I lost my mum."
Olive feebly wrapped her arms around her.
"You know, Ella," Olive replied softly. "Even though we lost the house, I don't feel so lonely anymore. I know Hattie and I should've said this when we first came but... I'm very happy to have met you."
Olga stood up and walked closer to them.
"Ella, I believe I owe you an apology. I'm deeply sorry I made you say those awful things to Areida. But why I did so, why I did everything I did, was so I could protect you. My child, where we're going will be a dangerous place. I know you don't want Areida in harm's way anymore than I do. Once this is all over, we'll come back and set things right. I promise you that."
Ella said nothing in reply as a warm smile spread across her face.
It was then when she noticed Hattie standing beside her mother, the two exchanging a look of warm approval.
Soon, fatigue from the day's events began to take hold.
Ella fell asleep under the stars with her new family.
For now, they had no home.
But at least they still had each other.
A/N
I really feel like giving Ella's stepfamily hugs.
Plot-wise, having them lose the father to Edgar's machinations serves as something Ella (who lost her own mother) to relate to and bond over.