Lore change: The spirit form
The Immortal Blades use their spirit form to traverse the lands of the infected undetected. In their spirit form, the scythe-wielders are invisible and wear a long cloak and bird beak mask similar to plague doctors. In order for the members to receive this gift, they either need a divine approval or a blessing from their leader (Ragna Lodbrok).
Taking delicate care of Bianka had become a new routine that did not last long. Rita Rossweisse would often reason with her young master that forcing a recovery could prolong the pain and slow down the healing process, but the child would never listen. It took Bianka two months to get back on her feet, alive and kicking. Her suicidal bravery was generously compensated and her tier climbed up from D-rank to B-rank. She quickly gained fame and popularity among her classmates as the news about her spread like wildfire on dry lands. During those two months, Rita had amassed some background information (which were mostly theories than actual facts) about Bianka's childhood. The Sochi orphanage had not been helpful, and it was through Ragna and some old written records that she had shed some light on the subject.
Rita opened her notebook and revised what she had written so far:
Year 2000, Second Honkai Eruption. The wrath of a newborn Herrscher from the Siberian Babylon Labs caused a massive explosion of the plague, vaporising everyone caught in it. The radiation got a higher kill count and transformed the survivors into zombies. That day, many parents lost their children, and many children became orphans. A national panic ensued and several military units were deployed to aid in the evacuation.
Mother: unknown
Father: unknown
If Bianka was staying at Sochi with her parents before the eruption, then there would have been no need for them to flee as Sochi is far enough from the Siberian Babylon Labs. Why would they need to abandon their daughter at an orphanage then?
Possibility 1: Bianka and her parents were in Siberia before the incident. They were informed beforehand of the arrival of a Herrscher. Maybe they were working for Schicksal or had relatives working in the laboratory. They fled Siberia but were still caught in the radiation (which might have only killed the parents since children (mostly females) are more Honkai-resistant)...
Possibility 2: Bianka and her parents were indeed staying at Sochi. Her parents were among the soldiers or doctors sent on the frontline, so they sent their daughter to a caretaker before going. When both were reported back as deceased, Bianka was sent to the orphanage...
Rita flipped the page. One personal record from the archives had caught her attention and, oddly enough, that woman too was a lance-wielder.
Cecilia Schariac, SSS-rank Valkyrie, former owner of the Abyss Flower, former leader of the Immortal Blades and mother to one child.
Married to: Siegfried Kaslana
Status: deceased(?)
Spouse status: unknown
Child status: unknown
According to Ragna, Cecilia gave birth in 1998 (a 2 year gap with Bianka's age on paper).
The year 2000 was the default age given to younger orphans, thus there was a strong possibility that the first of January 2000 was not Bianka's actual birth year. However, it was not the small age gap that intrigued Rita. Bianka possessed an incredible amount of physical strength, quite abnormal for a girl of her age. Among the Three Houses, the Kaslanas and the Schariacs were the strongest in terms of Honkai resistance and combat. Cecilia Schariac was married to a man of Kaslana blood, so their child must have inherited their genes. Unfortunately, Cecilia's status came back as deceased after the 2nd Honkai Eruption and no one knew about her husband's whereabouts. The blurry physiognomy Bianka had seen before must have been Cecilia's; and if that was the case, then Bianka was the lost child of Cecilia.
"Miss Ataegina, it is time to wake up." Rita drew open the curtains and let the morning sun rays penetrate the bedroom.
"Hmm..." Bianka barely moved.
"Miss Ataegina, I do not wish to resort to the water spray today. Here is a fun fact for you: we spend about a third of our life sleeping or trying to get to sleep. Do you wish to spend the other two-thirds asleep and miss out the opportunity to become an S-rank Valkyrie?"
At once, Bianka jumped out of bed, the sudden motion made her dizzy but she did not stumble forwards. The young master went straight to the bathroom and then rushed to the kitchen where her jaw dropped when she saw the clock.
"Nine! I'm super late for classes!"
"Rest assured, miss," Rita said as she cut a slice of custard cake for her mistress. "You do not have to go to school today."
"But principal Theresa said–" Bianka forgot what she had to say and drooled when Rita gave her the slice of cake.
"Enjoy. Today is a special day and we have a gift for you."
The mistress did not question her maid about it because she was hungry, so Rita too did not utter a word about it. Today was the 7th December 2010, Bianka's actual birthday. After the breakfast, the two left their dormitory. Bianka was not sure where Rita was taking her but she promptly followed her. They arrived on the training grounds where Himeko and other Valkyries were sparring despite the cold weather. They wandered through the gardens covered in snow where they saw Ana Schariac hugging a man with brown hair. They walked pass the church where they spotted Theresa and her grandfather happily leaving. With each step, Rita left her footprints in the accumulated snow, and Bianka behind her stepped into them.
"We are here," Rita said, abruptly halting, which made Bianka collide into her nose-first.
They stood in front of the stables, which to Rita was a serene and calming place despite the smell of horse dung and urine lingering. Their boots crushed the meadow and melted snow as they walked and their soles got dirtied by the pits of thick mud. The smell of the soil and grass after a rainfall felt almost therapeutic to Rita, and she deeply inhaled with her eyes closed. Bianka copied her but did not keep her eyes shut for long. They could see their breaths when they exhaled, such a simple thing to make them exchange sweet smiles.
"So... what are we doing here?"
"You will find out soon enough, miss Ataegina."
Rita unlatched the wooden barrier and went inside the stables. Bianka closely walked behind and reached for her maid's hand. The horses mostly remained calm at the sight of the new girl, occasionally nodding and shaking their heads to flaunt their mane. One black horse, in particular, caught Bianka's attention, and the horse too looked at her with piqued interest. Rita extended her hand and caressed the horse that positively responded to affection, then she rewarded it with a carrot. Rita turned to her mistress who timidly approached it. She took Bianka's hand in her own and very carefully advanced it to the horse that responded with a soft whinny. It was then Bianka's turn to feed the horse with a carrot.
"Carrots are rare treats for them," Rita said as she eyed another horse behind her trying to reach for the bucket of carrots in her hand with its long neck.
Bianka giggled when the black horse nudged at her with its head. "She's so nice and friendly, isn't she? What's her name?"
"It is a 'he' actually. It is not a mare, but a stallion or a male horse if you prefer."
"Huh? Looks like a friendly girl horse to me. Are you sure the horse is male?"
Rita's eyes suddenly turned to a dull color. "I have secretly taken care of this horse for about a month now and I can assure you that it is very much male. But I am not stopping you from double-checking it."
Bianka made an awkward laugh and raised her hands. "No, that won't be necessary. Stupid me asked a stupid question."
"Well, your servant is glad that you have admitted it. And as for your previous enquiry, this horse does not yet have a name."
Rita opened the stable barrier and gently pulled on the reins to make the horse step out.
The majestic creature bowed as if it were greeting them, his powerful hoofs stomped the ground as it marched forwards. Every micro-movement it made displayed the muscles it had built up making it a strong and intimidating beast.
"He's so huge and beautiful," commented a dazed Bianka.
"A horse is a companion for life." Rita gently pulled on its reins to stop its movements and the horse obeyed her. "It will be that one friend who will never betray you. We are strictly against the use of whips or sticks because these beautiful beings deserve love. You should treat it well throughout its lifetime."
The dark horse nodded and whimpered. The leather saddle it had on its back indicated that it was waiting for its rider. It curiously looked at Bianka again and snorted.
"To whom does he belong?" Bianka asked, reaching out again to pat the horse's neck.
Rita smiled at her and handed her the reins. "I think I gave you enough hints."
Bianka widened her eyes and stuttered, "Me? H-how can I– What? Really?"
"Of course. Why not? It is a gift from the Immortal Blades. We usually receive it after becoming a member, but I spoke to miss Lodbrok for you and she accepted. She wanted to hand it to you personally but, unfortunately, she and the rest went on a mission. She left miss Ana Schariac behind for her office matters..."
Bianka squealed and embraced Rita with open arms and the servant sheepishly hugged her mistress back. The horse walked closer and sniffed Bianka's clothes and the latter chuckled and hugged it too. She tugged onto the reins and the horse happily followed her. When Rita came out of the stables she was with a white horse as big as the black one.
"We're going out for a little adventure," Rita said as she put on her gloves. "I hope by the end of it you find a suitable name for your new friend. Mine is named 'Renaissance'."
Before her servant could offer her help, Bianka effortlessly climbed onto the horse's back and made a broad smile. Rita wondered if Bianka had ridden one before or if she was just a natural. They began with a simple trotting in the snowy terrains but ended up in a frantic gallop because of Bianka's young blood impulses.
"Master Ataegina!" Rita shouted as she raced after her mistress. "Please, slow down! You're going to hurt yourself."
The thrill made Bianka laugh and she did not listen to her worried maid. The chilling breeze against her face and the lick of sunlight shining on the wet land was a whole new experience while on horseback. They traversed the plains, the cold streams and sped towards the forest. Before Bianka could go any further than that, she sensed her horse's hesitation and a force propelled them backwards. The horse loudly neighed and stood on its hind legs before stomping the ground with its front hoofs. It made a little trot before it finally stopped.
Bianka patted its neck to calm it down. "What happened?" She glanced around, whipping the frigid air with her ponytail, and saw no one.
A familiar voice then answered, "This happened." Rita emerged from the shadows, her bird beak mask on and her long scythe in her hand. Her dark cloak covered her Immortal Blades battlesuit, granting her invisibility when she wanted. Her ability also applied to her white horse which now had a silver body armor on.
Bianka had heard about it before but she had never seen it with her own eyes. "You stopped us using your spirit form?"
"Yes. Though not in its spirit form, your horse could see me while your human eyes could not. Right now, I advise you to not venture any more than that. You'll have plenty of expeditions later on to explore. Let's just take a simple promenade in nature for now."
Bianka pouted, but as her eyes roved over the spirit battlesuit of Rita her pout slowly changed into a sly smirk. She held the reins tightly and urged the horse forward. As mischievous as its owner, the horse happily neighed and ran straight towards Rita.
"Miss Atae–" Rita began, and in a blink her mistress disappeared like a ghost. "–gina?" She turned around and could only hear the rustle of dried branches. She gasped, realizing what had happened. At once, she went back to her spirit form and saw a silhouette resembling Bianka speeding towards the mountains. The maid sighed and spoke to herself, "Truly, it will be a marvel if I do not get grey hair before my mid-twenties."
Rita spent the rest of the morning hours chasing after her young stubborn mistress on horseback. She was astounded how Bianka had managed to get her spirit form so easily and that too without Ragna's blessings. It only reinforced the maid's speculations that she was serving the daughter of the former leader, Cecilia Schariac, and her mistress had obviously received more than just her mother's blessings.