Lunar Flare Book 2: Midnight Eclipse

Chapter ???

As with most days, as soon as William began to stir from his sleep, the nagging and pestering started.

Oh, finally decided to rejoin the waking world Will? I must admit, I'm surprised you managed to sleep so long with your ugly mug pressed into the table like that.

William could certainly feel how uncomfortably his face was pressed against the surface of his desk, and so immediately started lifting his head, blinking his bleary and unfocused eyes. That didn't really help to make the world less blurry though, not until he lifted up his glasses from where they hung around his neck and sat them on the bridge of his round nose.

"Oh dear, guess I must have accidentally dozed off," Will murmured, running a hand through his grey hair as he looked around his dimly lit desk with some bewilderment.

Dozed off seems a bit of an understatement. You've been asleep for ages Will! Selfish of you, really, I've been stuck here bored out of my mind, as usual.

"I thought you were the one telling me to get more sleep?" Will asked, standing up to stretch out his thin body, muscles feeling cramped from his poor sleeping position.

I told you to sleep more regularly so you're not staying awake for days at a time and then crashing for sixteen or more continuous hours!

"You know it's hard for me to sleep with all the voices in my head," Will said pointedly, reaching his fingers up under his glasses to rub his eyes as he turned and walked over to the door of his study. As he passed by a mirror leaning against a wall he glanced into it, catching a glimpse of his reflection. His hair and moustache looked a mess, and the skin under his purple eyes seemed darkened with weariness.

Hey, I can be quiet! If you need a nap, just say the word.

"Then how about you practice being quiet now then, hrm?" Will retorted as he started descending the curving tower staircase, boots loud on each stone step.

Yeah but you're not trying to sleep now, and also did I mention how bored I've been? I've been so fucking bored Will. When you're asleep I have nothing to do, no one to talk to!

"How about talking to Bones?" Will suggested jokingly, gesturing to the half rotten corpse that stood near the wall in the downstairs room, dressed in a tattered and moulding suit. Bones glanced over at William with his dark empty eye sockets, nodding a polite greeting.

I don't know if maybe you haven't noticed Will, but corpses. Can't. Speak. And also, Bones can't even hear me, you stupid twat.

Will made a gesture towards the corpse, who nodded and shuffled off into the kitchen area, well, the part of it that hadn't been taken over by William's various alchemical equipment and experiments. Will sat down at the small table which was covered in various books, scrolls, potions and enchanted items. He stacked up some of the books to make enough space on the table just in front of him.

I can't believe the absolute mess you have let my tower become. Letting a corpse walk around inside isn't even the worst of it! Weren't you ever taught how to tidy up?

"Not this again," Will murmured under his breath, frowning. "No actually, my education at the academy was strangely bereft of learning how to do any menial tasks." As he finished speaking, Bones approached the table, setting down a cup on a saucer in front of him. The hot steam rising out of the cup brought the smell of tea to William's nose, and he picked up the small spoon on the saucer and started stirring it.

You could at least summon a demon servant or something, I'm sure one would be a lot more helpful than this sack of rotting flesh you like to keep around for some unknowable reason.