The demon lord's daughter sat by the edge of the lake in the Badlands. Grey mountains cragged around it, creating a valley surrounded by massive silver rocks. Nothing grew in the Badlands because the climate didn't allow it.

  Billowing purple hair flowed to Devillia's shoulders, and contrasted heavily with her icy pink skin. She wore a checkered black crop top and a matching skirt. Blood red earrings in the form of heart-shaped skulls hung from her ears. Long horns grew out of the sides of her head giving her a devilish visage as did her pointy heart shaped tail. But the girl was also soft, with a cherubic face and large gentle eyes.

  She sang sweetly in a slightly raspy but perky voice and watched the rare rays of sunlight cascading off the lake. Her fingers plucked a lyre as she sang a morbid love song.

  "He was once my love, but he's turned cold

  A handsome young man, covered in lichen, he's starting to mold…"

  She was not worldly, but she had read countless fairy tales of courtship with men willing to lay down their lives in the name of a fair maiden.

  Underkind lived much longer than humans and were difficult to fell with regular weapons. This made life long and boring for them and it led to quite a bit of romanticism over death and flesh wounds. She sighed as she strummed her tiny harp, imagining a mortal man or woman decomposing in her honor.

  “I wish chivalry was more dead…” she swooned, her icy skin turning rosy. “Huh?”

  Her large eyes widened when she saw something swimming in the lake. It was bright yellow, squeaking and peeping.

  "What the human?!" she gasped, tossing her lyre aside.

  A bright yellow speck filled her with the urge to wade into the lake. Not minding the frigid temperatures (for Underkind, the colder the climate, the better) she did just that and grabbed what was floating in the lake.

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Once she returned to dry land, she let out a coo over what she had found.

  It was a baby duckling with soft and fluffy yellow feathers. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. "Hi little guy! What are you doing here? You know that nothing lives in this lake, right? You're not gonna get any seaweed or plants down there!"

  The duck gave a few more peeps. The demon girl clasped her hands together and swooned. "Don't worry. You can live with me! I don't have any experience being a mommy, but you're a start!"

  The duckling continued to peep and it made the girl giggle. "I'll call you Peeping Tom. Not because you're a pervert, but because that's literally all you do!"

  The girl scooped the tiny bird up and carefully cradled it towards her father's castle. She had no idea how he or any of his other vassals would react, so she kept the small birdie covered in her hands.

  ***

  Devillia strolled through the stoney hallways of her father's castle.

  Long ago, it was a monastery in the Badlands for an archaic cult of human monks, but when Daemon's people were banished, this was the only place they could go.

  Devillia didn't begrudge her father's choice in location, but she always dreamed of a world outside of the monolithic walls and frozen mountains.

  Hoping to reach her room with the duck without being seen, she faltered quickly when she looked ahead.

  Her large eyes caught a glimpse of a massive figure in a long black robe, flowing down the hallway.

  The stature was unmistakable. It was her father.

  She looked to her left then her right for a place to hide.

  Not finding one, she decided the best plan of acting was to hide her new pet.

  Without thinking, she shoved the poor animal between her cleavage.

  Grinning innocently with her fangs showing, she continued to stroll down the hallway like nothing happened.

  Daemon's piercing red eyes glowed when they saw her daughter. "My sweet darkling," he said, his voice practically gliding from his mouth.

  "Yes, daddy?" She said, lightly bobbing her head innocently.

  "I was searching for you," he said. "I know you have always asked me to venture beyond this cursed island. Well…the time has come!"

  Devillia couldn't contain her excitement. "Really?!!!"

  "As much as it pains me," the Demon Lord said. "To part with the final remnant of my family, I need you to go on a mission to heal me of my dire wounds at long last!"

  "Oh!" Devillia said, her lips pursed. "Of course. What do you need? Anything for you, daddy."

  "Good…my beloved daughter." Daemon held out a dark eyeball with a blood red iris. "You will travel to a human kingdom in disguise and obtain a special ingredient from an apothecary."

  "Which one?" Devillia said, her long pink finger to her sharp chin. "Which kingdom?! There are so many to choose from!"

  Daemon gritted his teeth. "This is where it gets difficult. The castle town belonged to my fallen adversary. Featherbottom."

  "Ummm…" she responded to the sudden shocking location.

  Her eyes were downcast and she began to fidget. There was a lot of baggage between the kingdom of Featherbottom and the Subdemons. She had not gone to war, but her father had. And it cost him dearly.

  "Quack…" the duck went from between her bosom.

  Daemon's eyes shrank. "Daughter? Did you just quack?!"

  "Er…yes!!!" the demon girl exclaimed, waving her arms frantically. "You'll be QUACK in action in no time!"