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Leo felt awkward as he and Marem boarded the main ship. They told the boss they were headed to Faelde city and to get there quickly. Only once the ships began moving did Leo acknowledge how odd he felt about the whole situation.

He didn’t enjoy this feeling of control, that they were scared into submission. He felt as if he had lost his humanity in their eyes, whether he had surpassed it or fallen below it he didn’t know. There was an obvious benefit to ruling by force, how not a soul in this world could go against him.

Though despite his powerful form, he still didn’t have the cruelty needed to act like that. He hoped that words and communication alone could work, rather than needing to only use his brute strength. For now though, he couldn’t deny the help of the ship for their journey.

The boss assured him they would reach Faelde city by nightfall, greatly reducing the journey time Leo had in mind. He decided to speak as little as possible to the bandits, as he hoped not to antagonize them further.

“At least we have a shorter trip,” he commented to Marem.

“Suppose so, it was definitely unexpected,” she responded.

He glanced at her, worry entering his heart for a moment. While his friendship with her had been brief thus far, he didn’t want Marem to see him as some monster. Though when he looked at her, he didn’t notice any difference in how she looked at him.

“I’m sorry, by the way, for smashing that guy’s arm and making you heal it,” he muttered.

“No need to apologize, it did end up with the best outcome for us, though it doesn't seem as if I’ll need to be healing you anytime soon,” she joked.

“I did tell you about the strength, but yeah, I generally don’t need any healing,” he admitted.

She shot him a smile, “Was a joy seeing your famed strength in action though, couldn’t see much of your last fight when we first met. While I didn’t think you were lying, I also hadn’t really believed just how strong you were either.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” he accepted, “sometimes I can’t believe this is real either.”

The ship ride was relaxing, despite the unwelcome company. Seeing the sand glide effortlessly to the side fascinated Leo. They seemed to have someone casting magic to give them movement, but couldn’t tell how it was done. The woman on his ship sat cross legged as her eyes glowed brown, though it was clear she controlled the ship. The others would ask her to speed them up or slow down, depending on the upcoming path.

With him and Marem at the back, he had a good view of the three ships and their riders. Each person had scuffed armor, and they were armed to the teeth with weaponry. He looked inside his own ship and saw the backpacks and chests stored beneath. He didn't want to hurt them, while they hurt others gladly. These were bandits who tried to kill him, who had likely killed hundreds of people. If he wasn’t strong, he and Marem would have just been another casualty.

Then he thought of the Armurion they had, and how they even managed to tame such a beast. How many caravans, like the one Marem rode with, had they killed with that monster. His anger towards them grew palpable, as the bandits could feel the smothering aura turn suffocating. There was silence as they traveled closer to Faelde city.

After hours of travel, the end of the desert was in sight. Leo had felt himself simmer throughout the day, growing more furious with the bandits the longer he thought about them. While he didn’t want to kill them, he also didn’t want to leave them alive so that they could kill others. They approached the dirt shore and slowed down to a stop.

This was as far as their ships could go, unable to traverse the terrain. There was only a short walk from here to Faelde city, led by a safe path. Though as Leo and Marem hopped off their ship, he decided he had to act for the good of others.

“Get off the ships and leave your weapons behind,” Leo shouted to the bandits aboard.

They quickly moved to comply, uncertain and afraid of what he would do. Marem looked at him with interest, as she tried to see where he was going with this. When the bandits had grouped up, each one unarmed, Leo ordered them to stand behind him.

He moved to make enough space so that he wouldn’t risk harming any of them. He aligned himself with the three ships in front of him, and swung. His blow shattered them upon contact, as the ships and their cargo were scattered throughout the sky.

He watched as the remains scattered for miles throughout the desert. Even if one searched for days, the most they would find is scraps of metal and wood. He felt the bandits look on in shock, which turned to fear as he faced them once more.

“Go wherever you please, do whatever you please, live your life, but I will not allow harm to befall any more innocent people. If any one of you turns back to thievery, I will make sure to kill you all next time,” his voice was cold as ice when he spoke.

He saw fear in their faces, their bodies frozen yet shaking. He moved closer, seeing them flinch at his approach. He walked past the group, gesturing for Marem to follow him. She walked alongside him, as they approached the path to Faelde city.

Leo wasn’t certain if they would go back to crime or what would happen to them, though he felt positive that this would be the last time they dared to bother him.