Dragonborn

Chapter 20 ~ Gathering Knowledge

    Akila slammed the book shut in frustration. Out of an entire section in the library on demons, no book had yet to say much more on the Shakarakh besides, 'A deadly creature who you do not want to encounter.' She could only assume that meant that to even see it was a rarity, never mind getting it in a closed environment so that it could be further studied. Fruitless books aside, she grabbed the Demonology book that she'd found on her first day. The only reason Akila hadn't checked it yet was because she was hoping to find something more centered on the creature other than.  few paragraphs. She opened it and started scanning the pages. It mentioned the beast near the end.

    The Shakarakh

    The Shakarakh is a deadly beast who you would not wish to trifle with. Even the most skilled of warriors have trouble slaying this beast, to say the least. It, unlike many demons, does not rely on claws and brute force to win battles, but rather psychological warfare. It is a sentient being that preys on your deepest fears, but it not limited to that. It will multiply and negative emotion until you are convinced that the only way to stop the pain is by ending your life.

    She'd heard all this before, but nevertheless continued reading.

    Negative energy is also the Shakarakh's food source. In absence of it, it, like most living creatures, dies. Luckily for the demon, there exists not a single soul that lives without some form of regret, sadness, or fear.
    From the limited knowledge that most researchers could gather, there is no best way to go about killing the Shakarakh. It is hard to get close enough to it to inflict harm via a normal weapon, so only magical objects are considered effective, but even then your chances are low. Bottom line, you do not want to cross this demon.
    Luckily for us, sightings of are rare. It is most likely summoned, as its population in our realm isn't dense enough for it to reproduce like most common demons. The exact ingredients used in the summoning are also unknown. The only certain factor is the Mediza venom (pg. 256), some also speculate parsley, but I myself have come to reject this theory due to the ingredient's absence in all other known demon summoning procedures.

    It went on for a while longer about the Shakarakh's appearance and anatomy, but when it came to weak points, the most helpful thing she found was 'Follow the golden rule and aim for the head.' The book was useful, but mostly in confirming what she already knew. The demon was rare, dangerous, and basically unkillable unless you had some magical marvel on you side, which she did.

    If only I could learn how to control it.

    She should go out and practice or something, but with dawn approaching she didn't want to risk getting caught. Speaking of sunrise, she was starting to get drowsy. Akila suspected that it was more because it was going to be light then lack of sleep.

    Resigning herself from the table she was sitting at, Akila left for her bed chambers. The Shadow decided to pop in.

    "Why top of the morning to you!" He said in mock cheeriness. "I see you're working on the issue at hand, but as your teacher, I advise you to use a different approach."

    "You're not my teacher, and how do you expect me to control a powerful demon in a week?" She growled.

    He shrugged, "I guess that's your problem, especially because it will otherwise kill your friends. I am interested though, which one did it choose to prey on first? I am rather hoping it goes for that Gustav fellow. Imagine what drama a dead leader will elicit. Oh and the negative energy will practically be palpable!"

    "The Shakarakh has chosen Moon." Akila bit out.

    "Good, good." He had an evil smile on his face, "It won't be as catastrophic, but I trust my pet knows what it's doing."