They had hardly progressed down the street when armed men clad in black suddenly appeared, some running towards them from further down the alley, others raining down from the rooftops.
Meili just had time to register that their faces were covered, and that they carried unusual fish head sabres like she'd only seen in pirate novels, before they found themselves under attack.
"Kill the princess!"
"There's two. Which one is she? Bright blue?"
"Probably, kill them both to be sure."
Meili started to shake like a leaf. Sofya grabbed her and pulled her close.
"Meili! Princess!" shouted Bai Li. "Stay close. Stay together. Don't move. Don't run. We can't protect you if you run."
"Yes Commander," shouted Sofya. This was not the first battle she'd seen.
Meili couldn't speak. She also couldn't run, so that wouldn't be a problem.