Novels by Harley Nymphia

SPLASH. Drenched in cold water he woke up coughing, panicking, and in pain. Benedict had looked around wildly, his senses barely functioning. “How long do you plan to sleep?” A silhouette of a man stood in front of him. He stepped forth into the light from the cracks of the tree branches. Benedict took a quick glance around him, not far from them in a clear field he saw an old cabin that for some reason a willow tree had sprouted from the inside and bloomed all the way outside its ceilings. It was as if the cabin was built to accommodate the tree itself. Ceberus grabbed his face, growling, he said. “Look at me. You unworthy vermin.” His nails morph into claws. Benedict looked at his nose. Unwilling to provoke his former Alpha. “Whhyy.” Ceberus asked. His words slurring and growling as he contained his shift. His fur ready to burst out. Why? What? Why the betrayal? Why did he lose that day? Why were

“For I know you, a man of scream, seeking vengeance to the unwounded hands that never fed.” And the world had showered in blood, for if Death had a weather it would be this one. Benedict always thought the line was an exaggeration. His mother used to tell him stories about the Custodian. She had said to him once that Death had fallen for her when the Custodian had danced with her blade and made the sky, the sea, and the earth covered with blood. In front of him stood such a malicious beast. He crouched all fours stretching, waiting to pounce. A Lycan had burst from the trees and just like that his throat went into Ceberus’ gullet. One by one he had pounced, clawed, and drank Benedict’s scout's blood. He started shaking in fear. Such power and death oozing from his very pores. He didn’t know their former Alpha was hiding such power, he couldn’t understand why he had looked so weak when confronted. How he was thrown out of the

“Shit, shit, shit, shit…” It was the only thing that ran through his head as the smell of his scout was getting stronger. The metallic smell of blood had not helped him calm down. He could hear the faint howls as his troops were trying to follow him. Getting near the area of his scouts, he stopped getting any further. *Crunched.* Those were the sounds he did not want to hear. Subconsciously morphing and trying to blend against the tall trees he finally saw him. Cerberus in his Lycan form. His form was much bigger, his fur matted, and he could see his left arm was deformed and had looked like a tree had grown from it, his yellow teeth dripping drool. What was scary of him was not how monstrous he had now looked. But his animalistic eyes stared at him as he held one of his limp, unconscious, bleeding scouts. Without breaking eye contact. He had lifted the scout and opened his mouth. Terror had frozen him in place. His im

“Do not mock Rage, for she is no friend but a facade of Justice trying to avenge her wounded Pride.” _____ Benedict had gathered scouts to inspect the sacred lands of the Custodian. He could feel the bile rising up through his throat, He knew deep down what they were doing was wrong and had prayed to his deity for forgiveness, asking for her compassion as to why the lands had to be theirs. Through research, it had been known that the Sacred Grounds were blessed, that a special tree was residing within, that even its soil was worth a thousand riches, and yet no man had ever tried to place their feet on such sacredness. The title was never official; it had only been rumored and through stories had they been told that deep within those grounds had been his deity’s resting place. That the wind had carried the wails of the unborn children, some had said the wind would also sing their laughter and yet when the world was asle

“By kissing fear, I give birth to something morbidly beautiful.” ______ “We need to expand.” Keilo stated. His eyes were glued on the map. “But, my Alpha, I don’t think we are fully equipped to start a war and we cannot disregard the treaty, it’s punishable by law.” Benedict bowed. “Do you really think the King would give a fuck? For all, we fucking know he might as well be dead and the council is ruling.” Their Alpha spat. Keilo hated the Arche, They had abandoned them and watched their own kingdom burn through endless civil wars. He had seen the residue of prosperity as a child but over the years they started to slowly neglect the people. Corruption was a weed planted by humans among their kind, their instincts taken over by greed and pride. But Keilo believed he wasn’t like that, that power meant nothing to him. That what he had done was no sin but for his people.

“For Death holds no hands to take.” _____ Ceberus felt suspended in time. Cocooned like an infant, he was in and out of consciousness, there was so much warmth wrapped around him, he felt content and safe. Ceberus never knew such an experience was obtainable, he wanted to stay forever, to feel such gentle caress from within, he should have known death was kind. Sometimes he could feel someone’s thoughts invading his peaceful mind. He never minded it though, it was always pleasant, an unspoken conversation that never took place.He could always feel her, always just her. There was no humming or a sweet melody. There was just a flow of wholeness, oftentimes he could imagine sleeping with somebody their body pressed against him. Time would pass by in a blur. Ceberus started to wake up more often. He didn’t like that, he wanted to stay where he was, always trying to fight back, always wan