Sneak peek

Here is the beginning of Samhain, the MC is in for a pickle: 

I hasten my steps. It's one thing to stretch the days worth of celebrations for one night only, it's entirely another thing to spend the half of that time with stupid Romans. I'm not sure what the gods will think of this. 

As the thought crosses my mind, I halt my step. The darkness of the forest almost devours me. Does it matter what the gods think? I haven't felt their presence for months now.

Can the gods… die? Have I lost them, too?

No. That can't be true.

With a frown I continue, in my mind thinking that the men must have had the dinner by now. Have they shared mead with the Dead, as they should? Have the Dead already talked to them?

Is… father here? 

No. Why would his spirit come here? He's better off in our home, even if there's nothing left. But… would the Dead stay there, if there's no one to remember them? Will they just fade away? Perhaps they followed me because there was no one there at home. Perhaps the gods did the same.

Ugh! This is just speculation. I don't know anything. It makes the knot in my stomach tighten.

It doesn't take long to find the designated spot for the festivities; I just follow the drunken noises. Every shout makes me more worried.

I arrive in a scene of absolute mayhem:

Pec lies on the ground with a dark area on his trousers indicating that he's pissed himself. He's wearing a dark green cloak and there's a beard of sorts glued on his chin.

Brick is punching a poorly made wicker man.

Floyd is being squeezed by a sobbing Kegan.

Quinn is nowhere to be seen.

This is definitely unlike any Samhain I've ever had.

Floyd seems like the most coherent person in this situation.

"Ah! You came!" He sighs in clear relief as his eyes find mine.

"I did…" However, now I wish I didn't. "What is going on here?"

Floyd flinches when our gazes meet; I don't know what he saw but the sight makes him turn his eyes away from mine. "The celebration of Samhain." He takes a look around and adds: "I suppose."

          ---

There's still the question of Quinn. Where is ${q_he}? $!{q_he} told me ${q_he}'d be celebrating Samhain with these people.

"Your friend built an altar in the forest. $!{q_he} wanted to be left alone," Floyd says, as if anticipating that I would ask about ${q_him}.

"Ah." Of course ${q_he} did. I wouldn't want these people to sully my altar, either. "Did you remember to give mead to the Dead?"

"Pec said that the Dead can drink from the ground. So we just poured some mead there."

The corner of my eye twitches. "You made the Dead drink from the ground?"

"Uh… Pec was very convincing. He said that's how it's done."

I make a mental note of punching Pec in his abdomen once he wakes up. The forest sighs in freezing disappointment as I tighten the cloak around me. This is not good at all. These fools have angered the spirits. No wonder Kegan saw someone wandering about. 

"I need to fix this. How come Quinn didn't stop you?"

"$!{q_he}'s been elsewhere this whole time." He rubs his neck in clear embarrassment. He should be embarrassed! I have never in my life seen such defilement of ancient rituals.

---

First, I need to pour mead to the Dead. Then, I need to light candles to guide the spirits. Then, I need to build a fire. It seems that there was one but it's died out by now. Even the embers have sizzled out, something was poured on them. By the biting smell of it, it's been pissed on.

I rub my face. These idiots are even worse than Romans.

Here is a bonus sneak peek, lol. Marcus's weak spot:

"There's the village."

Marcus squints his eyes. He reminds me of a mole, blinded by the sun.

"You have bad eyesight?"

He doesn't even look at me. "Shut up."