Cove of the Fisherman's Wife - Novella Excerpt

In feudal Japan, the wife of a fisherman enters a pact with a yõkai to keep the village prosperous as long as she pleases him. But the entrance of a Rõnin threatens this bargain.

Excerpt from Chapter 1 of "Cove of the Fisherman's Wife"

Kazemi had discovered this cove years ago, during the village’s most dire season, when even the fish seemed to refuse to enter their waters. She had ventured down here as an Ama diver, in desperate search of undiscovered shellfish bounty. Instead, she had found an answer to her prayers, a way to ensure successful harvests year after year, but for a price, one that Kazemi often feared might be too steep.

The air within the cove was more humid than the air outside. Kazemi made her way towards the small patch of beach sand that bordered the dark waters of a petite concealed pool. She stepped off the rough stones and onto the sand, the softness a welcome relief from the pain caused by sharp rocks on her way down. She laid her geta sandals on the sand beside her, not needing them. With mild hesitation, she approached the waters, halting herself just before her toes touched them. She could hear the waves crash against the stone walls of the cove outside, contrasting with the somber serenity that was found within.

Kazemi closed her eyes as she took in deep breaths of the salty air. When she first discovered this cove those few years, so desperate to find something on the shoals for their village to gather and sell, she initially thought it a holy place. No doubt the people who worshiped the foreign God, those now hunted by the shogunate, could make great use of a place such as this. But Kazemi prayed to something else entirely. Something tangible, that provided her and her husband with real boons. And, in turn, Kazemi offered something real of her own.

Guilt struck her hard and fast, like an arrow right in the heart. The guilt of having to betray her husband in such secrecy. She was tempted to turn around and head back to her village and await Tojiro’s return. But something else compelled her to stay, no matter how much she denied it. Something of herself, unbound by duty to her village or husband.

She opened her eyes, then gracefully lowered herself to her knees and buried her hands in the sand, her head low enough to touch the minuscule pebbles with her small nose. “Dearest yōkai of the cove,” she whispered. “Thank you again for providing us with the nori that we harvest. Thank you for the prosperous weather and for keeping the brigands at bay. Thank you for your watchful ways. Let me thank you in return.”

Silence at first. The sound of waves in the distance and the cawing of the gulls, but no reply to her prayers yet. Then, the lightest sound of a single droplet hitting the water. A small ripple across the surface until it touched the sands of the beach. Movement in the waters.

From out there, in the dark unlit parts of the cove, a voice spoke to Kazemi, coming in as clearly as if its speaker stood right beside her. “Has…the…harvest…been…satisfactory?”

“Yes, dear spirit of the cove. We are most grateful for what you have delivered us,” Kazemi said, bowing even deeper until the sand touched her forehead.

“Renew…bargain?” the voice asked.

Kazemi hesitated. The renewal was the reason she had come here. Going back now meant the end of their village. But the hesitation over the cost of the renewal, what she would have to do to solidify their contract, gave her pause. For a moment, she looked up. Seeing only the inky darkness, she couldn't bear the thought of the yōkai of the pool not revealing himself.

Again, she buried her face in the sand. “Please renew our contract. I beg of you. Please ensure a great harvest of seaweed and prosperity and safety for my people.”

“Come”, the voice spoke in Kazemi’s mind. Obediently, but with intense hesitation, she rose, then entered the lake as she dipped her bare feet into the cool water. She tried to keep the rim of her yukata dry, raising it slightly. It was precious to her, a gift from her husband, reminding her of his gentle touch and warm smile. She’d worn it because the design seemed to have an arousing effect on the yōkai as well, stirring his appetite. As usual, she stopped once her ankles were submerged, then waited patiently for the transaction to commence.

Then they came, from within the shadows.

Eight tentacles, like those of the octopuses that swam in the seas by her village, but much larger in size, slithered across the surface of the lake. In the darkness, they seemed almost black, but once struck by the light of her small lantern, gaining an orange hue. For a brief moment, they circled around her, recoiling when they veered just within reach of touching her, awaiting her consent.

Kazemi placed her hands together and took a small bow. “Thank you for accepting me,” she said. Consent was given. With that, the tentacles wrapped themselves around her, with one slowly pulling away the white band to undo the weave of her hair while another began to tug at her obi, releasing her body from the confines of her yukata. Kazemi gasped as the humid air caressed her exposed naked skin. The tentacle wrapped itself around her body and raised her into the air, whilst another took her by the wrist, leaving gravity to undo her of her clothes. Kazemi made an attempt to grab them. Just this once she didn't want to go home in soaked garbs. But the creature’s grip on her arms was too powerful and she couldn't reach them in time. With a light splash, her garb hit the surface, turning dark and wet, floating like a dead leaf. Kazemi bemoaned her yukata with a light sob, her voice breaking.

The suction cups pressed themselves against Kazemi’s tanned skin, the tentacle coiling its way around her buttocks and waist, supporting her back as it lifted her up, then wrapping itself across her chest, its tip resting between her breasts. Then came the second tentacle, caressing Kazemi’s face as if to memorize its shape through touch. Two others slithered their way to her, coiling themselves around her legs. They were so smooth to the touch yet immensely powerful. Like the muscles of ten men, making her body their plaything, whilst able to crush her should that be their owner's will. She liked to believe that to be freed from their grip she needed to give but the slightest resistance and the tentacles would comply. But she would not resist at all, for there was too much at stake – her responsibility toward the village…and her own desires.

Another tentacle slithered its way through the water, accompanied by the sound of legs moving through it. A greater ripple went through the pool, as the source of the tentacles surfaced completely. Four gleaming lights of icy blue shone in the utter darkness of the cove, growing larger as they neared the woman held in their grasp. Then, they stopped. The arms of the octopus creature moved Kazemi closer, holding her aloft in a delicate cradle of fleshy appendages. Her breathing intensified as her heart raced, this encounter no less frightening or arousing than the first. The being, the strange and terrifying yōkai of the cove, stepped into the light of the lantern. He was terrifying to behold. Shaped like a man, in that he had a head on a neck with shoulders, two arms with five-fingered hands, and two legs. But similarities ended there. Befitting his connection with the sea, the creature was completely smooth, the light cascading from his skin with an oily sheen. On its face there were two sets of eyes, one placed where a man would have them and a second above the first, replacing eyebrows. He had no nose, as the gills on his torso had taken its place. His fingers were connected by a thin layer of skin that appeared frill-like. She had called him a Tako Nyūdō, as it was the closest being in the collective of yōkai she saw a resemblance to.

The creature brought Kazemi closer to him. She could feel a strange aura emanating from his smooth skin. She winced in fear, trembling at the sight of the yōkai’s face as he inspected her with his bright golden eyes, the dark of his irises faded to a gray that made them appear as if they belonged to a blind man. The Tako Nyūdō paid no mind to her fear of him, as he was far more occupied with viewing his prize, taking pleasure in her fear of his monstrous appearance, whilst still being more than willing to be stripped and molested by him, no matter how much she feigned reluctance. He leered hungrily, inspecting her now nude body with a terrifying glare. One of his octopus-like arms began to slide across her face, caressing her lips, encouraging her to open her mouth for him. Reluctantly, she did, allowing the tip of the appendage to graze her teeth and slide across her tongue. She could taste the harsh salt from the water of the pool mixing with her saliva. She winced, which seemed to bring an amount of pleasure to the yōkai, or as much as he could show any signs of emotion towards anything.

Kazemi trembled, her initial revulsion at being handled so forcefully, at being forced into the role of his slut without any way to resist, all now melting away.

She could feel herself getting wet. And the yōkai could smell it on her.

The creature rose from the water and stood on his appendages like a pair of serpentine legs. Kazemi could see his erect cock, as smooth and alien as his tentacles were when compared to human arms, glistening in the dim light of the lantern. He titled his head, after which the tentacles began to slide down her legs and take her by the ankles. Kazemi winced, frightened of what was to come. She had been down this path before, and yet the fear did not diminish even a little with each encounter…nor did her excitement. Was it the fact she was being manhandled and ravaged by a Tako Nyūdō? Or was it the complete loss of control, playing servitude with her body to this bizarre being’s lustful desires in exchange for a prosperous harvest?

Regardless of the reason, Kazemi was still forced to succumb to his advances. She struggled as the tentacles spread her legs apart to reveal her mound to the being. “No…please be gentle this time,” she pleaded, as she could feel a tentacle slide down her chest, the suction cups leaving reddened marks on her skin. One stuck itself to her left nipple, whereupon she squealed loudly as it tugged at it. The creature brought her closer and closer, his fingers rhythmically moving as if to reel her in. The tentacle began to slither down, circling her clit, stimulating her by briefly placing the suction cups onto it and releasing it in rapid succession. Another tentacle grasped onto her, taking her by the neck and enwrapping her head. It forced her to face the creature. Unable to look away and tears dwelling in her eyes, she tried to plead. “Please be gentle. You are so strong, dearest yōkai. Please—”

Then, to her shock, the tentacles moved her. In an astonishing display of speed and strength, the creature flipped Kazemi upside down, supporting her head and shoulders on a set of appendages whilst dangling her by her ankles. Her arms were held in place as a tentacle wrapped itself around her waist and pressed her wrists behind her back in one single fold. The blood rushed to her head, dizzying her. The yōkai had never done this before, so Kazemi did not know what to expect. She was unaware the Tako Nyūdō had moved in closer, holding her to line her exposed pussy to his face. Without warning, he placed his moistened lips onto her folds, greedily pushing his tongue in her. Startled, Kazemi gasped.

This is what the yōkai had hoped she would do. With the same force as before he pushed her closer, expertly and smoothly sliding his cock, lubricated by some kind of secreted fluid from his skin, into her opened mouth, like a blade entering its sheathe.

-For the entire novella, please purchase 'Cove of the Fisherman's Wife' on Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo and other affiliated stores at the link here-