Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose #62 The Swordmaiden, Part Two

Issue Description

Tarot's quest to become the Swordmaiden to the Goddess continues as she finds herself battling the fallen Witches of years past and the Darkness within. Raven Hex's mysterious relationship with the sickle Moon Coven comes to an ugly end that makes her relive her darkest hour.

PLUS Holly Witch backup story!

The Swordmaiden, Part 2 is continued from the last issue in which Tarot takes her broken armor to the forge of Hildegard and Bellflare in the mist realm and recounts the story of how she became the Swordmaiden to the Goddess.

As the Tarots new breast plate is finished the two blacksmiths take the enchanted armor to two other witches one a vampire witch from the mist realm and one mortal witch to fabricate the leather that will hold the armor in place.

Tarot continues where she left on in her story, impaled at the point of a blade by two evil pale witches as dozens of other witches look on unable to assist her during her swordmaiden test. Realizing after they withdrew their swords that this was testing her commitment she picked up the black rose sword and replaced the hood over her eyes relying on her training and her additional senses.

Blindfolded Tarot felt her next challenge the burning hot presence of the world of ignorance judging and scrutinizing her. The presence took the form of a giant fiery winged witch with a trident raised at her. The fire witch attacked the hooded Tarot knocking her to the ground and plunging her trident into her body. Feeling the strike like the uneducated world casting judgement on the craft Tarot raises up and casts a spell against it then plunges the black rose sword into the giant fire witches chest slaying it. She says that it was at that moment that her "path to defend the craft and to bring harmony between man and magic became crystal clear."

It was then during the trials that she felt a great wind and was transported to the pinnacle of a mountain before the goddess who administered her oath and instilled her as her swordmaiden, the keeper of the balance between man and magic. After the goddess disappeared she followed a staircase up to a platform where she found her Swordmaiden Armor, beholding it was the proudest moment of her life.

However at that moment, amongst the witches of the Sickle Moon Coven, her sister Raven Hex, has been reunited with her father, who died years ago. Her father claims to have formed the coven to lead mankind into a new era where witches lead and nonbelievers are their servants. Raven agrees to join her father and usher in this new world order where the keepers of the craft take their place as rulers and not the subject of ridicule. However when she speaks of her family, her father makes a critical error, not recognizing the name of her sister, Rowan, and Raven Hex discovers he is an imposter.

Playing with the dark witches emotions concerning her father, especially fooling he into believing he is not dead, is possibly the worst mistake anyone could ever make, as the witches of the Sickle Moon Coven soon find out. Raven unleashes hell on them with a spell calling green winged daemons who tear the witch's robes off their bodies and torment them naked and scared through the mist realm as Raven curses them for the rest of their lives and swears to kill them all upon sight if she crosses them again. With tears in her eyes Raven must again accept the loss of her dear father.

As Tarot finishes her story the seamstress witches finish her armor finally presenting it to her to try on. Tarot goes into a back dressing room and removes her clothes to try on her new armor, immediately feeling the enchanted charge as soon as she touches the new breast plate. The armor is a perfect fit.

Tarot thanks the seamstresses and the blacksmiths and the witches talk over tales of their lives into the night before she returns home.

The story concludes with the Black Rose Witch telling the reader that she heard the call of the goddess and answered and now it is their turn to listen to the call of the goddess and pick up the sword for themselves.

Following the conclusion of The Swordmaiden there is a four page illustrated poem about a nude witch and a horned creature with a forked tail and tongue that desires her. The creature eventually wins her affection by presenting her with a rose and the two fall in love. The witch bares a striking resemblance to the colorist of Tarot Holly Golightly and the creature bares and uncanny resemblance to her husband the books author Jim Balent.

Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose (2000)

Publisher

Broadsword Comics

Volume Description

Collected in a series of trade paperbacks also entitled Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose.

Series is bi-monthly. Adults Only.

Collected EditionsTarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 1 (#1-5)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 2 (#7-11)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 3 (#6 & 12-15)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 4 (#18-22)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 5 (#16-17 & 23-25)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 6 (#26-30)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 7 (#31-35)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 8 (#36-40)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 9 (#43-47)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 10 (#41-42, 48 & 53-54)Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose vol. 11 (#?)

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