Eden's Last Hero: Episode 1

By Leigh Barker

Eden Series: EPISODE 1 of Volume #1: Eden's Last Hero

If you'd like to escape this mad world for one even madder, then you'll love Dylan as he tries to avoid fighting for Eden

Lucid’s army has invaded Trinity and the Guardians need a hero to help them fight the horde of monsters unleashed on the Triple City.

There are heroes aplenty in the First Sphere regiment, but they are heroes of good, fair play, decency and honor. None of which is of any use against the son of Satan and his evil and sneaky monsters and demons.

So Michael and the Holy Ghost decide to bring a hero back from the Other Place, where deception, underhand tactics and downright cheating are the norm.

They choose Dylan, an overweight, work-shy drunken layabout with a total disregard for authority in any guise.

Not a great choice then.

Dylan has no intention of breaking a life-long habit and getting involved, until Lucid kidnaps his sister — for breeding. And that’s enough to get any man angry. Or at least a little cross, depending on his history with his sister.

Our hero sets off to rescue his sister from the Dark Continent. And the quest begins. And anything that can be called a “Quest” always means lost limbs, pain, death and worse. He is not a happy man. But try as he might, he can’t think of a good reason to stay home and watch TV.

...A little note-ette. These stories were inspired by the great Terry Pratchett, not trying to be him - being me is tough enough :)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leigh Barker
• Release date: Feb 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005790080

Leigh Barker

Leigh was born in Dudley in the middle of England. He has been a merchant seaman, a (useless) electronics salesman, a programmer, and a business analyst. And now he is a full-time writer, but that doesn't make him a bad person.He is presently writing 4 series:Clan, following the adventures of Calum Maclean as he tries to avoid the Bonnie Prince but still protect his beloved Highlands.The Hellfire Legacy Series follows US Marine Master Sergeant Ethan Gill and his team as they take on the jobs too hot for other special forces. They go where they're sent; South America, Middle East, Korea, but their most dangerous missions are on US soil.Volume #1: A Whisper of ArmageddonVolume #2: The Hellfire LegacyVolume #3: The Orpheus DirectiveEden, a three-volume series -Trinity is at war with Lucid, the son of Lucifer, and he will do whatever it takes to win. The Archangel Gabriel has an army but he needs more. He needs heroes, but they are few and far between. Which is why he gets Dylan and co. Not too much luck in Heaven then.Volume #1: Eden's Last HeroVolume #2: WinterwoodVolume #3: Requiem for Eden.Soldiers is set in 1914 and follows John Regret and his 12-man squad on their suicidal mission to find and destroy the German howitzer nicknamed Big Bertha. Find it before it drops it's thousand-pound shells on the allied army retreating across France. A seemingly hopeless mission that just cannot fail.Other occasional series include:Anarchy, the 'completely true' stories of men doing what men do when there's nobody to keep them in check. Create mayhem and behave like monkeys on speed.Coffee Break Reads - each issue has 5 stories short enough to read while taking a break from life. A mix of adventure, love, disaster, and fun. All with one thing in common; for a moment they transport the reader to another world.Episode 1 of each Season is free and can be picked up with other free books at:https://leighwbarker.com/my-library/Just copy the link above and paste it into your browser and you're there...

Book preview

EDEN’S LAST HERO

EDEN: BOOK #1: EPISODE 1

LEIGH BARKER

Copyright 2012 Leigh Barker

Published by Leigh Barker at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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ISBN: 9781005790080

Instructions:

Can of Worms — Opening Of

The archangel Michael and the Holy Ghost sat on opposite sides of the polished wooden table and tried to remain civil, even though the desire to scream abuse hung over the huge table like a storm cloud at a picnic.

‘Sometimes I wish we hadn’t jumped right in and exiled Lucifer to the pit,’ the Ghost said, with more than a hint of accusation. ‘Then we wouldn’t be having this discussion.’

‘No,’ Michael said, ‘we would be having a much shorter discussion. In the cells, waiting to be executed.’

The Ghost nodded reluctantly. ‘True, I suppose.’ He sighed a rattly sigh.

Michael ran his hand over his chin and wondered what had possessed him to shave off his beard. He’d had it for years, and it was… well, comforting. He was the Supreme Commander of Eden’s Guardians, and a beard had a certain gravitas and gave the impression that he was steady and wise. Except when it got clogged with food, then less so, but that was an infrequent event these days. Particularly since the beard was now—

‘As I was saying,’ the Ghost said sharply, cutting across Michael’s meanderings. ‘If we hadn’t been so quick to incarcerate Lucifer, then we could have negotiated. You know that.’

Michael didn’t know that. He stood up slowly and walked to the window overlooking the gardens and watched Gabriel tending the roses and stopping to stretch his back. He watched his most effective killer snip the roses with gentle care. He felt old, his bones ached, and he was sure he was starting to lose his hair. That would be a disaster. He ran his hand through his shoulder-length grey hair and tutted quietly as strands drifted away in the shafts of golden sunlight. It wasn’t surprising that he was losing it, what with Lucifer trying to start a revolution. Then the bickering over what to do with him. And finally the screaming and shouting as the Guardians tossed him into the Pit of Endless Suffering. Ah, he should come to stay with my mother-in-law, Michael thought.

He turned and leaned back against the windowsill. True, he was no longer a young man, but he was still striking, standing six foot four and two-hundred and ten pounds. He used to be in better condition, but then he’d been a warrior, while now he was just a politician. He missed those days, when you knew who you were fighting and why.

‘Lucifer was a far greater threat than his son can ever be,’ he said, pushing himself off the sill and returning to the table.

The Ghost sniffed. ‘Perhaps, but Lucid almost had us… had you.’ He raised a hand. ‘I am not apportioning blame.’

Yes, he was.

‘But had it not been for the stupidity of his troops, his invasion would have been successful. He caught us—and I believe the term is—with our pants down.’

Gabriel glared at the semi-transparent politician in the long, blue robe and tried not to swear. ‘We,’ he said slowly, ‘were caught… with our pants down, as you put it, because your agents failed to provide any useful intelligence to warn us that the invasion was imminent.’ Now he raised his hand.