45 Chapter 45

"He will not be able to hurt himself, Your Excellency. Rhixar won't die there also, in a sense." Octavio answered Quickstep's question. He ignored the gibberish spouted by his former sect elder.

"Good. Rhixar may have become my enemy but after considering that he was not himself when he did what he did, I will pardon his crimes this one time. It would also be better this way. For no more blood shall drop in these battle grounds. Do it, Octavio." Quickstep pulled another on the spot, almost poetic, strings of words to say.

He averted his eyes from the babbling Rhixar after he looked at him for about three breaths. Everyone was ready to watch the finale.

"Goodbye, Rhixar." Octavio also said his parting words before he waved his ancient saber once more. The resisting Sword of Eternal Rest creaked as if drawing its final breath and then finally was blown away into tiny shards.

The night wind scattered them and the ground welcomed the pieces to its new sanctuary. The sword, together with the countless of souls trapped within it, are no more.

"So this is it…" Rhixar stopped his litany of nonsense after he witnessed his sword broke. The Sword of Eternal Rest which had followed him throughout the years was gone. He remained silent because he knew that it would be his turn to go next.

Octavio did not disappoint his expectation. A multi colored cube appeared before him and Rhixar felt that his soul was getting dragged out of his body. He tried to resist but it was to no avail. It sucked him inside it in the end. After that, he arrived in hell.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!" was the last sound that was heard from Rhixar. He simply disappeared. The multi colored cube hovered above Octavio's palms before vanishing after a breath.

"It is finished, Your Excellency." Octavio reported in a cold voice. His face was devoid of any emotions.

"It's a sad ending but an ending all the same. Let us take a few moments of silence to commemorate those who had fallen today in this battlefield. The robed person who I've slain in accident, the unwilling animals and beasts who suffered the same fate, I'm sorry. I would also like to include the forests I destroyed.

Was it two forests or three? Hmmm. No worries, I promise to all present here tonight. I will make those forests live again." Quickstep said to everyone. He bowed his head in respect to those taken lives. No one dared to make a sound.

Everyone stood still for a minute. Only the melody of nature and of those nocturnal animals was heard.

"Hahaha! Time to party! My friend! Show me the nearest food storage in here. Fast!" Quickstep pointed at a leader of a particular army. He was taught that although life was sacred, it was not good to wallow in sorrow for those departed loved ones.

They wouldn't want us to get sad. That was why after a burial ceremony, the clan always prepared ample avenues for celebration. The tradition usually comes with plenty of drinks, eating, singing and dancing. Some would even do some poetry and art. This merriment was not to show disrespect to the dead.

Instead it was a way of honoring them by doing these joyful things in memory of those who could not anymore.Quickstep was not one to break a hallowed tradition of the Ant Race.