[ WP ] Human beings are a crop and what we know as death is merely harvest time .

Telraun sat before the Sages, awaiting their judgement on his induction into the Council of Immortals. 
 
 The seven old men before his eyes looked like any other elderly, wrinkled faces and haggard postures, whispering to each other with what was left of their voices. 
 
 However, their eyes told a different story. They appeared hollow with old age and fatigue, but burned with a destructive passion backed with steely determination. A determination to escape their inevitable mortal fates. 
 
 The sages had not truly attained immortality — they were merely men who had lived for excessively long periods of time, far beyond that of an average human, for thousands, or even tens of thousands of years. 
 
 They were individuals devoted to the sole purpose of casting aside their mortality. Every dragon on the continent had long been hunted down for their blood. Every elven well drawn dry to concoct elixirs. Every pixie caught and blended into pixie dust to be used in magical pills. Not a single stone was left unturned in their pursuit of immortality. And every challenger put to the blade, turned into dust by the unmatched arcane powers of the Sages. 
 
 Telraun was approached by the sages for his contributions towards the goal of immortality. His innovative alchemical formulas compounded the effectiveness of the Council ’ s existing magic. So tempting were Telraun ’ s derivations, that he was offered a position in the Council, and access to the secrets of immortality the Sages had uncovered, all in exchange for his works. 
 
 Finally, the eldest Sage of all spoke, his voice husky and dry. 
 
 “ Telraun, son of Hathis, come forth. ” 
 
 Telraun stood up and moved towards the Sage. 
 
 “ Before your induction, we have agreed that you must need know the truth. The truth of immortality. The reason for our sacred pursuit. The knowledge denied to the rest of this world. You must certainly be wondering why? Why the carnage? Why the destruction? We are not irrational beings, son, nor power obsessed figures. Longevity… is as painful as it is lasting. It is not as enjoyable as you might think. However, there is a reason we refuse to die. It is a simple reason. But a powerful one. ” The Sage stopped speaking, and stared wistfully into the air, as he did so. It was as if he was trying to look for something, something to reaffirm his own beliefs. 
 
 A brief moment later, the Sage continued. “ Like how pigs in sties are fed and bred without any knowledge of their eventual death, we humans too are merely livestock and crops. Death is but harvest time. We know not who, or what they might be. But we do know that someone out there sees us as nothing more than crops. Perhaps it is a foolish goal, but we, the Council seeks immortality for one purpose and one only. It is a show of resistance, an act of rebellion, a statement of rage, to those who wish to rid us of our individuality, our identity as humans with emotions, with thoughts, with feelings. And to that ends, we are willing to do anything. ” He concluded his speech, the fire in his eyes burning greater than ever before. 
 
 “ Now, Telraun. Speak. Will you join our cause? To undertake eons of tortuous loneliness for the sake of rebuffing the authority of those that view as no more than crops? ” 
 
 And so Telraun spoke. Though not in an inspired manner, but rather with a mocking, cutting tone. 
 
 “ You do realise, that what they see in us humans is our memories? And the number of years you ’ ve stolen from all manners of creatures only served to fatten you up? It ’ s time to pay your dues. ” 
 
 With a sudden leap, Telraun struck at the eldest Sage with his hidden sword, piercing his unguarded heart and killing him. The other Sages, still paralysed with shock, made no attempts to stop him. More Sages fell as Telraun beheaded them in their state of surprise. When the remaining Sages finally got back to their senses and begin preparing their spells, only two of them were left. But even their highly regarded spells were of no use. Telraun ’ s sword sliced through the arcane shields they erected with ease, severing their torsos in one clean stroke. Within a mere minute, the seven immortals, feared across the continent, were now lying on the ground, devoid of all life. 
 
 “ No hard feelings, but the offer of true immortality was too hard to turn down. Even if it meant conceding my humanity. ” 
 
 Having completed his assignment, Telraun left the scene of carnage. No time to rest. There were many more crops left to be harvested. And he was just a hired hand.
