Sacrifice: Winter, Part 3

Name: Milla Latcher, aka Winter

Race: Unknown; Gifted.

Age: 46

Appearance: 22

Hair/Eyes: Pale Blond, almost white; Iced Violet

Height: 5'8"

Personality 3: Milla Latcher - Sweet; Resourceful; Reserved; Quiet. She mourns her childhood and is saddened over the betrayal done unto her by her family. Even though she still loves them she regrets that she gave her life and her youth for their salvation.

Bio 3: Milla Latcher -  Dry your eyes and quietly bear your pain with pride, for Heaven shall remember the silent and the brave, I once recall them telling me when I was yet young and naive, it would prove to be well needed advice.

           My name is not Winter, nor has it ever been. I am, and have always been since my birth, no other but Milla Latcher. My life has been wrought with trials and wrought with false causes and treachery. My story is one that should so desperately be told and the people must be educated of my plight and that of all of those like myself, and it is because of this that I shall speak of the chapters of my history.

          Some forty and six years ago I was born at the hands of a mid-wife in a small, drafty wooden house to a mother who had already birthed four children, and after myself would birth two more. My family was a loving one in the community isolated from the rest of the world, isolated as it was believed that we were the chosen people, and wicked were the ways of all others.

          In some way, centuries before my birth, some people of ours came in contact with a seraph like people who had, for many years, been fighting a war against a powerful enemy. They told our people that among them there were strong ones, magical ones that could be trained to lead their armies better than any they themselves could sire and train. In exchange for these gifted souls, they would bless the people.

          Over the passing of the years, however, the people began to see them as Gods and began to worship them, and believe that they were fighting for the salvation of the people rather than for themselves, that the war was for their sake, and if it was lost, it would be the end of them. These were the full out beliefs that were in place upon the year of my birth.

          My life was a normal one until I reached my fourteenth year, for that was when they came searching out the gifted one as they did every few years. It was then that I was taken away from my family, along with two others somewhat younger than I by less than a single year. I was ecstatic to be chosen as I spoke saddened goodbyes to my parents and my siblings, for I was to be a hero to my people, and my parents would be well respected and so very proud of my upraised station. Then, so most happily, they saw me off toward my destiny, a wondrous one, for neither they, nor I, knew the truths of it all.

          The place where I was taken was a vast, bright place that never could I, within my imagination, have conceived. There were vast and rolling planes whose make of substance escaped me completely, and dotted along them were cities of tents and massive buildings. It was here, that I would spend, consecutively the next five years of my life.

          My life was soon to be, what I am sure, was akin to my visions of the fire pits beneath the earth. Day in and day out, without rest, we were trained to develop and control our inborn abilities. In addition, just as severely, we were trained for all manner of close combat... and to be someone that we had not been born as.

          I soon became skilled in both my inborn abilities and in combat, but along the length of the process I had become someone... and something that I neither knew, nor recognized, but at that time I did not realize that I had changed, only now do I as I look back upon it. It seems now to me that my emotions, morals, and rational, common thoughts were all changed. I came to believe that to kill was my duty and to obey all that I was told, even if the consequence could be my very life, simply because I had been taught and coached to believe that all of their decisions were in the right. Many times, now, I recall doing things that were vastly against the well-being of my person... one of which held the consequence that you do now see.

          However, these seemed to be trifles compared to one single act that I accepted as being in the right in the mindset that they programmed to me. When I entered into my training there was one just leaving hers. This young woman was but a few years older than myself, and her magical abilities were greater, and because of this she was called Legend. Once my training was complete I was placed in command of a troop near to hers and respected her for being greater than myself.

          It was many years later though when her troop was outnumbered and taken, like what was to happen to me several years later. It was over a year after they had been taken that my brigade was sent on a raid and she was found. It was I that carried her back to the base for care. At the hands of the enemy she had been tortured and severely burned and was not in the right of her mind, as you see me now, but she was otherwise healthy and would have lived to heal without doubt, but nonetheless she could not have been rehabilitated back into battle and I was witnessed to her death by injection, done by those who had so rigorously trained and encouraged us... who had once told us that should we ever meet with death it would be grand and at the hands of the enemy.

          At the time I thought that killing her was the right act to go about, but that would not last long, for three years later I was captured as she had been. In the midst of battle a new and stronger breed of demon, wielding an ax, split open my face from my hairline, down across my right eye, and to my jaw, and it was for the next two years that I was imprisoned and subjected to all manner of torture at the hands of the enemy.

          I realize and know now that my kind are the main targets of those opposing the Seraphs, for without my kind they would have been long over taken, and as well I know now that my kind die far from easily from an injury, and though I healed badly, I healed and lived, but like Legend, less fortunate than myself, my mind did not, and my state was to be forever damaged.

          However, unlike Legend, in their desperation for needing more of my kind to lead their kind, they tried to rehabilitate me back into battle. It was several months before they came to the conclusion that my mind was too scarred from my ordeal to ever be reprogrammed again, and that it would never be in the right again, but til this day I may lapse into being winter... I can be insane and see blood upon my hands when there is none... or I can be the Milla who I was born to be... but alas I have no control.

          The only reason that I stand before you today is that the one who was to give me the injection took pity upon me and instead of doing the deed he released me back to the village where I had spent the first fourteen years of my life. In my right mind, I expected to be welcomed back with the love and joy worthy of the hero that I was and for all that I had sacrificed for them: my youth, my health, my appearance, and very nearly: my life.

          In the beginning I received such a welcome from my aged parents. They received me welcomingly into their home and gave me a place to sleep, but I should have known that ought was wrong, but my love for them had blinded me from seeing that upon setting eyes on me, their love and pride in me had become nothing.

          In their eyes, and in those of the people, I was a monster, something unworthy of both love.  I regret so now that I gave my all for them with no thought for myself. I forsook my life for them. I gave up all that should have been mine: A home, a love, and a family of my own, and now I am such that none would have me. They made it so that my sacrifice was for nothing. I gave my all so that they may not suffer... and now it is I who suffer, for never shall my body heal to what once it was and my mind is forever broken. I bear them no ill will.

          But now I know the truth and it fills my mind with hurt and pain over what was done unto me and what continues to be done to those like myself. As for this, I vow now, to do as I can to make them see the truth, afore to mine fate or that of poor Legend do they come. I would not have them suffer as I or as she, and if I may I shall help them toward their freedom.

          I see well, now, the folly of my people. Once, long ago, they worshiped many Gods in ornately constructed stone temples. All was well and good as the people were fed and healthy and all lived with many comforts. When they came in contact with the Seraphs, however, they gradually came to see them as Gods and eventually abandoned all of the old temples and saw them as taboo and deemed them forbidden, as when they saw the Seraphs they were physical Gods, Gods that they could see and touch, and wrongly they cared for them and gave up all that they had once had and allowed themselves to be fooled and gave up all that was well in their lives and isolated themselves from the rest of the world.

          The Seraphs, upon seeing their guile, took advantage of it. Upon seeing the gifted ones and what benefits they could have to the futile cause that they had long been fighting. Because of this they portrayed themselves as being the Gods that they were seen as instead of dispelling the false belief. They told the people then that their children were to be taken off to certain and absolute glory and that they should have much pride, when in reality their fate was to be, over time, each to their own horrifying demise.

          I hope now, that they have seen the horrors of, that they will come to see the truth of it all: That there is no glory, that there never was. However that time has not yet come, and time it will take, but for now, I am the hunted. The enemy.

                                                       I give you the truth.