I stood across the large arena, the sand in my toes felt good as I took a deep breath. My eyes narrowed on my target. She jumped from side to side, giggled, and blew me a kiss.

  I unsheathed Serenity. I was going all out immediately. The announcer, the same guy from last time, walked to the center of the arena and he seemed to be shaking… badly. He also kept throwing glances of terror at me.

  “In the far right corner we have our returning top 3, THIRD PERSON TEEEEEEEMPEST!”

  The crowd went berserk and I flattened my ears again. “On the other side is a newcomer, just her and her Hammer, a duo of force and might! THE HAAAAAMMMMERRR OF DUAAAAAAALITY!!!!!!”

  The crowd was noticeably more silent. Some clapped quietly. I heard Kita yell across the arean. “They adore you as much as I do! I cannot wait for my collar!” I tensed as the blood collars entered my mind.. Tristy.. The corpse of that older slave girl… Tears filled my eyes and I wiped them away. Tristy was still alive, and she was happy.. Right? NO!

  “Tama never agreed to a collar!” I screamed back. Kita just giggled in response and I clenched my teeth. I need to stay calm…

  “Don’t worry! I’ll just save a little blood from our fight when I win! You won’t even notice it! Daddy will be so proud of me!” Kita called back excitedly. I frowned at that, why would.. Then I remembered how much her dad loved Alissa.

  That… that made way too much sense. I wasn’t the smartest or the most.. Sociallyist? But even I could see how weird that was. Though Aunt Alissa’s cookies were really good… The Announcer made it to the gates and stepped out before a small device on the ground shot a firework into the air.

  I instantly blinked into the air. Where I had been literal milliseconds ago, Kita had just swung her hammer. I swallowed and threw a water dagger at her. She vanished and I instantly felt sharp pain. Everything blurred and I hit the side of the area so hard it shattered the wall and the barrier protecting it. I stood barely, then coughed up blood.

  Kita appeared in front of me and giggled. “Nice! You dodged my first attack, you are so strong my Mistress!” Even as she spoke, she went to grab me but I blinked away.

  The moment I stopped, I blinked again.. And again.. And again. I did it lots until the entire arena almost seemed like nothing but a blur. I felt my core actually begin to sting slightly as I began to approach my soft limit.

  I stopped, and instantly blinked directly to Kita and swung down hard with Serenity. Kita managed to sidestep my attack! But I still got her and her arm holding the upper half of her hammer fell to the ground.

  I smiled as I realized without two hands there was.. A sharp pain and I was staring at the arena sky.. It.. was.. It was so pretty.. I.. darkness covered my vision and I felt something in my throat.. I remembered this sensation.. Blood.

  Kita walked over and looked down at me with glee. “Look’s like I win, I’ll go get the collar ready my mistress.” She winked at me before making a point of stepping directly over me. I could see she wasn’t wearing panties…

  I heard Sabi scream and everything went black.

  The moment I heard Tama was going to the Arena, told to me casually by Mixie who was currently whipping me. I shifted to my water form and fled. Mixie tried to stop me. She grabbed my core.

  I pursed my lips. “You sure you wanna do this?” Mixie squeezed gently and I felt a sharp pain.

  Mixie smiled back. “Get back in your spot, Kita and Tama are grown women, they can handle themselves.” Her tail lashed casually back and forth and she winked at me.

  I smiled sweetly back at her. “The last time Tama went to the arena, she passed out unconscious and in danger. As her divine water spirit it is my duty to protect my owner.”

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  Mixie shook her head. “Kita won’t let her die, she has a thing for your friends after all.” She tossed my core back and forth in her hands. “Besides, it's not like you have a choice Sabi, get back on or else.

  A choice… A… choice…

  Nya, I like you better this way.

  You wanted to play princess and what did it cost you? Only your life!

  You know, that actually aligns perfectly with what I have read about elementals. They have a base personality that is heavily shaped by their summoner. Based on the way Sabi seems to act, I believe she might consider Tama more her owner than a friend.

  Friend… Friend… Owner… Friend…

  “Get back in now!” Mixie said and I felt a sharp pain in my core. I flooded Mixie’s body and possessed her, forcing her consciousness down.

  “No!” I said as Mixie before smiling, and getting dressed using her body to rush out of the room. “But thank you for the body, I will make good use of it!” I giggled.

  I dashed down the hall past Saki and General Tuliss who seemed to be arguing over something and out the front door. I jumped over the gate, used a blink a few times, Mixie really was so skilled with her body!

  I jumped from building to building until I landed at the front of the Arena. I was about to take a step in, when Mixie forced me out of her body. She snorted at me and shook her head. “If you want to take my body for a joy ride, at least make me do it naked next time!” She snapped at me in amusement.

  I frowned, but she just kissed my core, licked it, then whispered to me. “Go have your fun, I’ll be waiting when you get back.” and she was just.. Gone.

  Ignoring her I turned and rushed into the Arena. Some large men tried to stop me, I just possessed the one on the right and brainwashed him to fight the other guy.

  Jumping out and flowing through the gate, I made my way to the arena right as Tama sliced off Kita’s arm. I smiled as I thought Tama was going to win… then Kita suddenly grabbed Tama.

  I.. I don’t know what happened next. They were standing there, then Tama was in a massive crater in the center of the arena… I felt.. I felt her fading. ‘NOOOOOOOO!” I screamed as I rushed to Tama with everything I had.

  Kita simply smirked at me as I approached before asking. “You know where I can get a good quality princess blood collar? You know,the slavery kind?”

  I ignored her and began to heal Tama, after a moment however her words hit and I glared up at her. “You will never claim Tama! I will kill you!” Kita looked horrified.

  “Why would I ever want to claim my mistress?! I need it for myself!” She held up a small vial of blood. “After all, how can one serve their mistress if choice is involved.” I paused as I stared at her in disbelief.

  Even as I short circuited mentally, I made sure to keep pumping healing water into Tama. She was badly damaged. Every single rib was shattered, her organs were less organs and more lettuce. She was bleeding out of her eyes, her mouth, her ears, and… elsewhere. Her eyes were glassy.

  But she was still breathing, barely. “And what makes you think Tama would ever accept you? Tama hates slavery, she hates servitude, and she most certainly hates anyone.. Who would.. Want..” I trailed off as my own words began to slowly seep in.

  “Why does it matter to you little spirit? You are already her pet and slave. You don’t even need a collar. I can literally feel your core resonating with her at a primal level. I wish I could be that close to her.” Kita snapped back at me angrily. “Or are you just jealous that I will make a better servant? That I will be stronger and more useful!”

  I winced at that. More useful… What.. What was I to Tama? Why.. She was my owner.. She was my.. My owner.. My friend… my.. My… I pumped in water harder. Tama’s outer wounds had closed, she was no longer bleeding, and her ribs had been restored.

  I looked up at Kita. “What does it mean to be owned, Kita? I.. I thought I knew. But I am starting to see that maybe… maybe I was wrong.” I looked back down at Tama and continued to heal her. Her heart was now beating normally again and most of her organs were repaired.

  Luckily, as not only a healer, but a divine healer, I was able to heal near endlessly. Since Tama and I were both divine, that healing was twice as effective. There was silence between us.

  After a long moment, Kita answered almost quietly. Despite the roar of the crowd cheering something about a hammer? I heard her clearly. “It means being so close to someone, that the two of you are inseparable. That person means everything to you and you live to serve and be with them for your entire existence.”

  Saki… that is who came to mind from that definition. Not me, not Tristy, and most certainly not Kita. I swallowed as tears fell down my cheeks. “I see, then I think we need to learn more about what it means to be cherished before we can cherish others…”

  There was a long moment of silence. Then Kita spoke. “So… Do you or don’t you? I don’t care about the head games. You damn spirits and all your psychobabble bullshit.”

  I giggled at that, Tama was fully healed. Her organs, her heart, her ribs, she was fully her again. I slowly stood, knowing she wouldn’t wake up for a few more hours. Turning to Kita I said. “Tell you what, if you can do me a favor, I will tell you where to find a blood collar.”

  Kita smiled and leaned in, listening.