Eric B. Swanson

The First Candle Eric B. Swanson

Martin Longbow is a minstrel in the village of Nooncrest near the Fission Mountains. In this post-apocalypse world he's fairly content, ignorant of the most important millennium mystery. The foundations upon which the minstrels have built their quiet refuge have begun to tremble, however, and they're not prepared for the quake. Martin is shocked into this new reality when his best friend, Jack, is savagely tortured. They seek refuge in a monastery where Martin is both saved and abused. Though he is not a planner, a fighter, or a leader, he understands there is work to be done to survive attack of the ageless, dark demon prince Agares and his legion of lesser demons. He must act as a candle that good men and women rally to aid. With Alison, a maiden of wood lore; Mist, a savage fighter; Sam, a village leader; and Alex, a black sheik of the desert, the allies work together to defeat the teeming minions of Sax Mantis. Ultimately, they must try to humbly enlist the aid of the mighty Cherubim and Seraphim to help stem the growth of the unworldly demon menace and try to save the world in which they live.