Originally published 4 July 2013 | ||
Rakasha: Legend of the Hindi Tiger Demon is a 2013 horror novella composed of several interlocking short stories, the first published work by Robert B. Davis.
Contents
Plot
Presented as a collection of anecdotal stories and reports collected by a demon-hunting society, Rakasha: Legend of the Hindi Tiger Demon opens (in a tale titled "Safe Refuge") with the Rakasha subduing and trapping a drug-dealer on the run from the police. She does this in order to maintain a supply of fresh, living meat, which she requires to survive. In this initial story, one of the more horrifying aspects of the Rakasha is revealed; her bite secrets an addictive venom; this causes her victims, once bitten, to be subservient to the Rakasha to a degree, and to desire to be bitten again.
In the next segment, "Hunted," more of the Rakasha's history is explored, as a village in India in the 1850s struggles under the heel of multiple occupying forces vying for dominion; amidst these struggles, the hunter Raj tries to feed his family. A chance encounter with the Rakasha leads to disastrous consequences.
The third story ("The Djora Imperative") concerns the Rakasha dueling with a Naga over possession of a magic crystal; eventually winning, the Rakasha takes the crystal, rapes and devours a pair of hunters wandering in her section of the jungle, and forcibly inserts it into a third, female, victim. Instructing the woman to return when "her daughter is twelve summers of age," the Rakasha bolts away; the magic of the crystal and the Rakasha's own power has granted her the chance to breed.
In the final segment ("The Flaw"), the demon hunting order claims to have discovered - almost by accident - the method by which one can dispatch a Rakasha. Sending Jeff, one of their toughest agents, to do the job, the Rakasha must make a final stand.
Revised and Expanded Edition
Shortly after the initial release, several minor edits were made to correct errors and add titles to the individual stories; in addition, two additional stories were added. In "Revenge" (placed between "Hunted" and "The Djora Imperative"), Raj's son returns to his home village, seeking vengeance on the Rakasha that destroyed his family. In "Coming of Age," a pair of soldiers arrive at a crumbling estate in the British countryside, determined to evacuate those living there before German bombers level the area; when they discover the owner's granddaughter - who subsists off a strict vegetarian diet - and accidentally give her meat, it is revealed she is the daughter of the Rakasha; awakening to her demonic nature, the newborn Rakasha leaves few survivors in the ensuing rampage.
Audio Book
An audio book release is in development, currently scheduled for release in 4th Quarter 2013.