A maiden in the sunset - Bladewearing Witch

The sun has just set upon the lands of Jinan. A red sky became the guardian of all living creatures, watching with fiery eyes at the life beneath it.
Not very far from the village, following a dangerous path controlled by the forces of the Valley of Hell, lies the lair of their own master by the name Mei Shan Hei. From the peek of the mountains, spreading fear and obedience amongst his minions, for he, who once was a true disciple with beliefs in the power of good, the end of each day is only filling him with agony and painful memories of his past life.

Blinded by anger and fame, soldiers of the six clans were guarding the entrance to the Valley of Hell's throne, with the help of their powerful weapons. Cudgels were flying in the red sky, cutting through everything that encounter in its ways, swords imbued with flames from hell betraying the laws of nature in order to protect their master. Who ever tried to cross and enter the throne was to fight the soldiers of darkness and gain their path to keep their lives.

But till that road there is a long way to travel. Just beneath the peaks of hell, with ghosts and shadows of the night wandering through the hills, haunting and scaring the innocent souls of the humans that came their way, was the place where once was the home of a beautiful maiden.

Not a lady like any others, but one with skills of a warrior, strong and beautiful, with glowing eyes that could bewitch any heart that looked upon her. She spend her days learning the secrets of poisonous herbs and mixtures that would help her kill or subdue whoever she pleased.
But her main goal was another. She dreamed and spent her days trying to make a potion to bring into her path the thief from Nanchang, a ninja with sparkling eyes.

As I walked towards the throne of Valley of Hell's master, gazing at the red horizons, there she was... wandering through the small trees that grew near her home, playing with her saber imbued with the blood of nine mystic dragons, dreaming at her future victim as she taught her loyal minions to protect her. The shadows of darkness were marching by her side, watching in the horizon to see if anyone with vicious intentions was approaching.

I was seen from afar and noticed, as I approached the maiden's home, the shadows began dancing chaotically around her, screaming and running towards me with their rusted swords. They were the enemy and I was to fight and prevail, for I had other plans for my journey. I was to meet the beautiful maiden, the witch dressed in red blades, stained with the blood of so many others before me; and I wanted her to know, once and for all, I had not forgotten her poison from when I was but a young disciple of the Wu Tang Clan.

My healing skills were much improved by now. So were the striking blows of the clawed gloves with which I learned to defend myself and defeat my enemies with strength, but grace, for I was a lady... just like her.

Not long after our encounter, the night skies laid upon the land, covering everything in dark mist and silence. Only our blades were sparkling, tormenting the silence around as the shadows were surrounding us. She had much strength, but so had I. My masters did not teach me to flee from combat, nor to surrender under anyone's violent requests. Yet, she quickly found a way to weaken me, when I was using what I learned to heal my body without letting her blade tearing me down. She had her poisons on her side, but I had my will. I was determined not to retreat and to defeat this fowl woman who once took me for a fool and thought her actions against me won't be revenged.

"I only want a lock of your hair and a drop of your blood" - the woman spoke to me when our blades were apart, and we took a second to catch our breath, for we were both very tired.
For hours we fought and the fight was far from being over.

I gazed into her eyes just like a feline stares his opponent, to let her know I won't give up. Then blades met again in a powerful struck as if the lightning fell down the earth, breaking it in half. The clothes I wore that had the insignia of the clan I lived for were torned to shreds and her red velvet dress was far from being called a clothing item. Were but pieces of a mud-red cloth that covered her body, letting the blood from her wounds drain on the green grass beneath our feet.

Was almost the dawns of the second day when the Witch gave her last breath of air into the hands of her master. She was a disciple of the dark forces, just like the future enemy I was to defeat was, just like Mei Shan Hei, and just like her beloved Ninja from the province of Nanchang.

I stood there after my victory, staring at the ground and the enormous stain of blood that covered the grass, thinking at the words she spoke. "What did she want to do with a lock of hair and my blood?"
I watched the sun rising above the surrounding peaks, watched the shadows that haunted all night around me and the woman that laid at my feet without a drop of life left in her... but the words she told me were to remain a mystery to me. I did not knew the paths of witchcraft in which she lived so I could not know what curses or potions could've been made.
I looked down at her body and noticed she left behind two drops of the clearest blood I've ever seen. Two splendid rubies, crystallized in two drops, sustained the Witch's blood. I took the crystals and left, leaving her in the hands of her loyal servants, not looking back nor asking myself what her words meant. She was a memory, no longer a threat for anyone in the land.