Storyfeather

There is a tall tower to the north. A warlock once lived there. Now the tower is abandoned. But that does not mean is it safe.  Genre: Horror, Mystery   Excerpt: There was a story told…of a little girl who went into the tower and came out unscathed... The bard who told the story sang in sweet and rising notes of how the girl was protected by her innocence.  But when in the history of this tricksome world has innocence ever protected anyone from anything?  This isn’t her story. It’s mine. I went into that tower.    NOTE: There's a tech issue with my hosting platform where only the most recent 300 episodes are available from my feed. They're working on fixing it. In the meantime, all episodes are available from my podcast page: Storyfeather Podcast. (10/2/25)   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This story was inspired by another story about a dangerous warlock, “Dragons of Verandering.”   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “One Wicked Warlock” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Devasted” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)* “Incantation” “Ghosts” “At the gate of hell” “Once” “Orbs” “Abyss” “Darkest quest” “Devasted” “Well of souls”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. At center, the shadows of two figures cast against a stone wall. The figure at left is reeling backwards, arms outstretched, left leg raised and bent, chest pierced with a long spiraling horn, neck entwined with a segmented whip-like tail ending in a stinger. The figure at right stands upright, face in profile, right arm outstretched, holding a vial out above the first figure’s face. The vial is filled with a glowing substance. A green glow appears at bottom right. The left and right frames of the image depict the faint outlines of brickwork. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along right leg of figure at right.

When Anushka was cursed to only repeat what others said, her only hope of escaping the curse was the only person who seemed to remember the curse. Genre: Fantasy   Excerpt: Because Anushka could not convey her thoughts in any way that others could understand, it seemed to many that she did not have any thoughts of her own. But Mitra always told her cousin. “You are the bright one. And the quick one. Like lightning. Like your true name.”   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This episode is inspired by two stories about girls who are cursed and strive to find a way to break their curses: “The Cursefall” and “Auroramorphosis.”   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE CREDITSStory: “The Misfortune of Repetition” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Dwarven Settlement” by BENJAMIN CARR (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music) “Adventure Track #1 (looped)” “Ice and Fire (peaceful part)” “Medieval Track #1” “Magic Within” “Secrets of Kingdom” “Journey into Fog” “Knight Rising”   Music by BENJAMIN CARR (Scythuz) “Dwarven Settlement” “Mystical Forest” “Ice Cavern” “Underwater Temple” “Crystal Caves” “Ancient Ruins” All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market. Music by Benjamin Carr and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Vocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Benjamin Carr and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. At center, two little girls. The girl at left stands a head taller, with her right hand on her hip and her left arm around the other girl’s shoulder. She wears a skirt, a quarter-sleeve pullover, a band around her left wrist, and a barrette in her hair. The girl at right holds a book open in her right hand, and touches a page with her left. Sparkles surround the book. She wears a dress with a pleated skirt. The girls smile and gaze at each other. Behind them are lines of script with random letters bordered by a lightning pattern. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along outer edge of book cover.

The living do not belong in the underworld. But all the paths of escape are horrific, save for one…the mushroom. Genre: Mythology   Excerpt: There were a number of ways for the passage to be made—flesh-wrenching spells, maps that could only be read by those who had spent a lifetime studying magic, or aid given by the sovereign’s own siblings to some favored mortal, all of which were giving way to a new and much easier means…mushrooms.    What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. Two stories inspired this one. One where a wizard uses a special mushroom to brew a rare spell, “A Potion of Uncertain Fortune.” And another where a young man on a quest wakes up in the middle of a fairy ring, that is, a ring of mushrooms, “The Isle of Mist and Gloom.”   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE     CREDITSStory: “Mushrooms of the Underworld” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Scroll of the wind walker” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio) “Whispers” “Between two worlds” “Underworld” “Scroll of the wind walker” “Inspector” “To Falgalown” “A place where evil lives” “Evidence” “The forest” “Ancient gods” “Compass”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Vocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. A humanoid figure at center, from the waist up, wearing a cap and opaque lacy veil, with two mushroom caps emerging as sleeves from the left arm. The figure’s right hand is raised up, fingers snapping. Patches of different types of mushrooms grow on either side of the figure that represent or resemble real mushrooms: inky cap, cage fungus, split gill, pixie cup lichen, and others. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along the figure’s right forearm. The rectangular image is made square with top and bottom borders with cloudy swirls of color that match the hues of the main image.

To rescue her brother, a woman jumps into what she believes is a dimensional rift generated by a device that he has invented.   Genre: Science Fantasy   Excerpt: “You come from within the margins.  Where there are well-defined boundaries... Reality.” "Isn’t this also real?” “It is for now.”   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. I’ve written a lot of stories about inventors inventing things. This week’s story was inspired by a weird dream I had, and by a the episode called “Jukebox Time Portal.”   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “The Margin Alien” Copyright © 2019 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Puzzle Pieces” by LEE ROSEVERE (Intro) “Start the Day” by LEE ROSEVERE (Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by LEE ROSEVERE “Awkward Silences (version b)” “All the Answers” “Introducing the Pre-roll” “The Secret to Growing Up” “Puzzle Pieces” “Here’s the Thing” “Everywhere” “Start the Day” “Snakes” “Under Suspicion” “Knowing the Truth” “Decompress” “Not My Problem”   Tracks by Andrew Sitkov are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market. Music by Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Music by Lee Rosevere is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more music by Lee Rosevere at freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere and leerosevere.bandcamp.com Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. Left half bottom, a woman in a plaid shirt and wearing a parachute harness seen from the waist-up, glances up and over her left shoulder. Right half, a translucent tree with two branches. An eagle with rainbow-colored feathers perches on one branch, wings partly extended, gazing down at the woman. Bars of light cross around the woman and the eagle. The ground is a hazy. Sparks and hazy bubbles are dispersed everywhere. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along bar of light at center left.

Using alchemy and electricity, a man builds a doorway that’s meant to isolate the mind of anyone who passes through it. Genre: Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction   Excerpt: “A whole twisted into a new shape that does not remember the old. A whole slowly sliced into pieces that do not know how to come back together. And so they move farther and farther apart. That is what your doorway has done to me.”   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This story is inspired by another one I’ve written where someone uses “arcane practices” to build a device intended for good, only to later realize that the device has unexpected and dangerous effects: The Mirror of Displacement.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE  The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “The Doorway of Disarray” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Whispers” by Nicholas Jeudy (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio) “Monochromatic stain” “Unsolved” “Inspector” “Evidence” “Whispers” “Prisma” “Experiment 3” “Experiment 6” “Experiment 7” “Unclassified” “Ghost hacker” “Investigation day” “Profiler” All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Vocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. Slightly left of center, a man in a suit seen from the back steps toward a detached doorway into a hazy light. Sitting up at his left is a dog with tongue lolling out, gazing up at the man. To the right is a portable generator.  Wires lead from the generator and wrap around the doorframe. The dog, man, and generator cast shadows. Right foreground, another dog seen in profile from head to top of chest, with red eyes, notches in the ears, and red spittle dripping from the mouth, stares at the man. Faint outlines of shelving are seen in the background. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along left side of doorway.

Once, a colossal egg floated in space.  It was the size of a planet, and it orbited the twin stars of a system somewhere in a galaxy far from our own. Genre: Mythology, Science Fiction   Excerpt: Many things have hatched from many eggs. Some terrible. Some wonderful. Some massive.  Some minuscule. Was there not a poet that spoke of the egg’s perfection as a container?  No hinge, no edge, no keyhole, and yet, the newest and weakest of creatures can break through, and in doing so, prove themselves worthy of entering the world.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. I’ve written so many stories that I now have more than one story about eggs.  More. Than. One. Is…too many? Here they are if need to binge-listen to episodes about eggs: “Finden’s Egg Pocket” “The Iolyran Serpent” “This Egg Is Not an Egg”   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “Many Things Have Hatched” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Space Discoveries” by ANDREW SITKOV (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music)* “Freedom” “Space Discoveries” “Abstract Vision #3” “Unknown Terrain” “Abstract Vision #6” “Abstract Vision #9” “Abstract Vision #4” “Dark Side” “Among the Stars”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Vocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. At center, an egg whose translucent surface reveals a reptilian creature curled within, facing right. The creature’s head in profile shows a closed eye and a mouth with a beak-like upper lid. Four small limbs protrude from the torso, on which scales are faintly visible. The creature’s tail curves back under its head. The egg floats in a primordium with two tiny glowing bodies at top left. Glowing cracks with crystalline nodules run along the shell’s surface. Watermark of “Storyfeather” curves along the egg at right.

An astrobiologist gathers and assembles clues from across time to help solve a cosmic mystery that threatens to doom Earth.  Genre: Science Fiction, Mythology     Excerpt: From the depths of the cosmos they come…warping all around them as they go. Time. Matter. Energy. Will. Shifting between the unknowable and the knowable. Per our current understanding, the entity moves through the cosmos and through dimensions, through all levels of existence, differentiating like a cell, gaining specific characteristics, (maybe gaining awareness…   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This week's episode aims to answer some unanswered questions I left in a Season 4 episode called “Professor Gadston.”   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.  You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “Doctor Spencer's Fallen Star” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Connecting dots” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio) “Complexe Mind” “Connecting dots” “Cold case” “Connected” “Compass” “Cyber” “City”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing: A mask-like face at center with sharp angled eye holes, a mouthpiece shaped like jagged teeth, and a beak-like nose. Instead of a body, an amorphous form flows out and up from behind two small ears, where the neck would be expected. A wake of glowing light flows out from the face’s jaw, indicating movement at great speeds. Below and behind the face, bottom half of image, the translucent hint of a planet and a large continent. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along border of visible continent.

A merchant vessel enters a system with rigid laws about visitors, and almost succeeds in making a lucrative delivery, when it encounters a potentially deadly obstacle. Genre: Science Fiction    Excerpt: We had obtained the means of shielding certain sections of engineering and the crew quarters. Cargo, I was happy to be transparent about. But there were things aboard my ship that I needed to hide. And I couldn’t expect the crew to remove every questionable item. Our chief engineer would have disembarked if we didn’t fly with a sufficient supply of his favorite snack, mokkie-bars.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode?Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This story is connected to the Year Seven story entitled “A Tale of Nine Lemons,” in which a young man, whose parents have given his siblings all manner of wondrous parting gifts to help them make their fortunes in the world, is given a basket of lemons to make his fortune. That story was the result of a writing prompt about…lemons.  MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “The Lemonuclear Conductor” Copyright © 2020 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Neon god” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY “Them droids” “Neon god” “Reloaded” “Negociation” “MDK” “Bio hazard” “Men in black” “Under the mask” “Trojan horse” “Master” “Virtual reality”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market. Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing of a humanoid person with a long-haired mohawk and scaly skin at left, facing away and looking at multiple glowing holographic displays with various readouts. The person points at the main display, which shows a containment or reactor vessel. Some text is readable. The word “engineering” at top, and “Lemonuclear Conductor: LNC Version 5.5.” Horizontal rectangular image is made square with borders at top and bottom with a textured pattern of square confetti and vertical bars in the same orange and yellow colors of the main image. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along left side of reactor vessel.

An excited apprentice attempts to make a planet for the first time, having watched the making of hundreds. But watching is not the same as doing. Genre: Science Fiction, Science Fantasy   Excerpt: Nebulous gases shimmered as they swirled past me. Particles crashed and fused. Vapors thickened into plasma and then into liquid. Specks became pebbles. Pebbles became rock. Rock collided with rock… The layers of the sphere began to close into one sphere, imbued with a strong enough measure of gravity to draw a fine cloak of dust around itself as it spun into place.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. The story that inspired this one, from way back in Season One, is called “Heliotrope,” about a device built by hopeful human hands. Fun fact: The character Proto is named for the term “protostar.” The character Ring is named so because I have an affinity for ringed planets. (Aside from Earth, my favorite planet is Saturn.)   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.  The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “RIng Planet One” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Intro & Outro) “Cosmic Drifting” by LEE ROSEVERE (Outro   Music by JONATHAN SHAW “A Tale of Peace”   Music by LEE ROSEVERE “Cosmic Drifting” “Puzzle Pieces” “How I Used To See The Stars” “Musical Mathematics” “I Believe in You”   Tracks by Jonathan Shaw and Andrew Sitkov are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Jonathan Shaw and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Music by Lee Rosevere is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Jonathan Shaw and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more music by Jonathan Shaw at jshaw.co.uk Find more music by Lee Rosevere at freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere and leerosevere.bandcamp.com Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital painting. At center, a planet with a dark smooth surface. A pyramidal section has been cut out to show three layers beneath the planet’s surface. Two glowing rings surround the planet. Amorphous, plasma-like material swirls around the planet. Watermark of “Storyfeather” curves along planet at bottom.

Following their queen and captain into exile, the crew of the Echidna build an experimental engine, to keep surviving and striving, and to one day establish a new colony.  Genre: Science Fiction THIS IS EPISODE #400. I have put out 400 podcast episodes by my lil old self. Mwahaha! Tell me this means I cannot be stopped!   Excerpt:“Queens growing old without growing wiser. That’s not what we need. That’s not what I seek to be.” Those were the last words that Captain Navaso spoke before she went into exile, breaking from the Unified Colonies, along with 899 loyal members of her colony.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This story is a direct prequel to an episode from Season Three, “The Adventure of the Goliath,” in which a couple of agents who investigate unusual phenomena follow a distress signal coming from an unusual source.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “The Last Voyage of the Echidna” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Drive With Me” by ANDREW SITKOV (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music) “Abstact Vision #3” “Abstact Vision #6” “Drive With Me” “Be a Hero”   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio) “Particle Voyager” “Connected” “Prisma” “Connecting dots” “Pursuit” “Killer Escape” “Autopsy” “Black light” “Genetic marker”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. A ship shaped like a submarine appears at bottom half, moving toward a glowing anomaly at center. Lightning, sparks, and gases emerge from the anomaly and stream outward. A zigzag pattern with nodes at each junction glows on the ship’s hull and is reflected above and below the ship, but darker in color. Lightning also bursts from two thrusters on the ship’s dorsal hull. Watermark of “Storyfeather” on hull of ship along left thruster.

Two siblings end up in a shared dream and explore it according to their priorities: eating food and making friends. Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy     Excerpt: As Astra kept staring at the sign, the characters began to shift into ones she could read. She grinned and started reading aloud. “Dream Sector Alpha. Basic fantasies. Opening gifts. Eating rocky road brownies—wait, I don’t like rocky road brownies.” “I do!” Fen said. “Dream Sector Beta…Zeta…Theta. Hey, I know this. This is the Greek alphabet.”   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This story revisits “The Mystery of Mrs. Highweather,” in which a new father, seeking stories for his baby daughter, stumbles across a series of books he used to love in his childhood about the caretaker of two adventurous kids.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “Two Tickets to Dream Sector Disigma” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Packed lunch” by TRG Banks (Intro) “The silver bus” by TRG Banks (Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by TRG BANKS “Through the gravitational field” “The silver bus” “Packed lunch” “First stop” “Horse ride 4” “Cigar”   Music by ANDREW SITKOV* “Casual Theme #2” “Casual Theme #4” “Knight Power” “Secrets of Kingdom” “Journey into Fog” “Battle March” “Protection of Kingdom” “Knight Rising”   *All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Music by TRG Banks is licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more music by TRG Banks at freemusicarchive.org/music/TRG_Banks Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing of a stream cutting through a grassy meadow. Foreground left corner displays glowing curling stems. A ladybug is perched on one of the stems. Bottom middle edge, a piece of paper floats in the water. To the ladybug’s left, a wooden sign juts up from the grass. In the upper third of the image, forests are visible through purple haze, and mountains even further back. The sky glows with sunlight. The rectangular image is made square with top and bottom borders that repeat and continue the top and bottom of the image. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along the edge of the river at center right.

To preserve their endangered houses, Black Radish, Purple Carrot, and Green Garlic send envoys to reach a garden hidden beyond the natural world. Genre: Fable, Mythology   Excerpt: Soil and sunlight, water and worm. These were still needed for the growing of plants in ancient times. But in those times, to truly live and to thrive as they were meant to, plants also required a nourishment that not many legends speak of. The spirit of an animated being, that is, the spirit of an animal.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. I’ve written a number of food-based stories, and not all of them are dessert-based. This new story was inspired by “My Food Is Speaking to Me,” about someone who’s not sure if the voices coming from the food in their fridge and pantry are real or not.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “The Garden of Perpetuation” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Desert Town” by CHRIS LOGSDON (Intro and Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by CHRIS LOGSDON “Mystical Town” “Desert Town” “Shady Town” “Port Town” “Whimsical Town”   Music by ANDREW SITKOV “Medieval Track #1” “Medieval Theme 4” “Fight Till Dying” “Lyric Voices #1” “Secrets of Kingdom” “Medieval Track #2” “Adventure Track #1 (looped)” All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Chris Logsdon and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Chris Logsdon and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. Three people seen from the back walking down a path that leads toward barren-branched trees in the distance. The figure on the left glances to the right, has long wavy hair, wears a coat with a purple carrot patch along the right arm, a satchel hanging from right shoulder across the body, and a belt on which hangs a pouch and an axe. The middle figure walks slightly behind the others and wears a cloak with the hood raised. Three black radishes are depicted on the back of the cloak with the leaves laying over the shoulder and one extending into the hood. The figure on the right wears a basket full of green garlic. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along the right side of the middle figure’s cloak.

A young man boards a train to visit family, only to learn he is a day late for his visit, but just in time to suffer disaster. Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction   Excerpt: A man laughed and said, “Just shuffle the cards.”  My heart skipped a beat. I saw a bright flash of light.  I heard an intense, painful screech.  The train car lurched.  People screamed, and then—   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. The inspiration for this episode is a story I once wrote about a woman on the subway who missed her stop and ended up arriving at the previous day, “Subway to Yesterday.”   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “Tomorrow's Train Today” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Cry No More – (A) Melody Loop” by Tao & Sound (Inro & Outro) “Cry No More – (B) Melody Loop” by Tao & Sound (Inro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREW SITKOV “Abstract Vision #6” “Abstract Vision #3”   Music by TAO & SOUND “Cyberjazz Nights” (full track) “I Never Gave Up – (B) Drums & Bass Loop” “Cry No More - (B) Drums & Bass Loop” “Cry No More – (A) Melody Loop” “I Never Gave Up – (B) Melody Loop” “I Never Gave Up – (A) Melody Loop” “Cyberjazz Nights – (A) Drums & Bass Loop” “Cry No More – (A) Drums & Bass Loop” “Noir Blvd – (A) Drums & Bass Loop” “Cry No More – (B) Melody Loop” “Noir Blvd – (B) Drums & Bass Loop” “U Never Had to Exist – (A) Drums & Bass Loop” “Noir Blvd – (B) Melody Loop” “U Never Had to Exist – Intro” “U Never Had to Exist – (A) Melody Loop”     All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Andrew Sitkov and Tao & Sound is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Tao & Sound and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. View down the middle of a train car. Several seats are visible, but only two are occupied. At far right, a young man is asleep, his left elbow propped on the window edge, his head resting in his hand. His other hand lies on his lap, holding a rectangular object. It’s dark outside the windows. At far left, an older man with a table attachment propped up, holding a cup of coffee in his right hand. His left arm and hand are curled around a briefcase that lies on the table. He’s glancing to his left. It’s bright outside the windows on his side. At center, standing in the aisle is the same young man who’s seen sleeping. He is surrounded by a glowing light. His arms hang by his side. He’s holding a cell phone in his right hand. His brows are raised and his mouth parted. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along right side of the young man’s jacket.

A researcher comes across a magnifying glass, but it doesn't magnify, it makes magnificent. Genre: Mystery, Mythology, Science Fiction   Excerpt: I looked through the glass, at my crinkled, folded over, flagged, and dog-eared notebook, expecting to see the unintentional thumbprint on the edge of the page in fine detail. Instead, I saw some kind of roller coaster in a dozen shades of blue. Some glowing, some metallic, some watery. Something that looked like a tiny orange dot zoomed around and around the loops and twirls of the coaster.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode?Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This episode was inspired by “The Telescope of True Sight,” in which a young woman remembers her grandmother’s stories about an ancient telescope, given to her by a prince, that worked like a regular telescope for most, but showed wonders and marvels to those willing to see farther. I also make a brief reference to spectral cameras, cameras capable of capturing images of ghosts, which are from a story in Year 5 called “Spectral Camera Model 57.” And there’s also a connection with an episode called “Doctor Miratio’s Cabinet of Imminent Invention.”     MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “The Magnificenting Glass” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Abstract Vision #4” by ANDREW SITKOV (Inro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREW SITKOV “Abstract Vision #6” “Stars Talk” “Unknown Terrain” “Abstract Vision #3” “Abstract Vision #2” “Abstract Vision #4” “Another World” All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. A hand at the bottom right corner holds what appears to be a magnifying glass over a patch of grass. Through the glass are seen bright multi-colored shapes that appear to be a cityscape seen from above. The corner of a folded-over notebook, marked with paper clips at the page tops and lying in the grass, is visible near the top right edge. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along outer edge of thumb. 

A kitchen mishap leads to the accidental invention of the most powerful ice cream in the world. Genre: Science Fiction     Excerpt: His portable, miniature laser beam healing aid flew out of his hand and landed in the still-open container of vanilla ice cream. Arthur pushed down the momentary surge of panic about the electronics in the laser. He reached out to pick the device out of the ice cream. Luminescent sparks made him recoil.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. What if eating ice cream could give you powers? Ah, cartoon logic. Gotta love it. I first explored the concept of imbuing food—well, a consumable product—with extraordinary abilities in a story called “Transpogum,” in which a few inventors attempt to make a chewing gum that allows a person to teleport. I just can’t let go of the notion of gaining cool powers by eating fun foods. But I also can’t help exploring what could go wrong…   MY FIRST BOOK (yay) Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: “Laser Beam Ice Cream” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Fugue For One Synthetic Heart” by ANDREA BARONI (Intro) “Casual Theme #1” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREW SITKOV “Casual Theme #6 (Triumph)” “Casual Theme #1” “Abstract Vision #7” “Casual Theme #3” “Abstract Vision #3”   Music by ANDREA BARONI “Fugue For One Synthetic Heart” “Ground Control” “Fugue For One Synthetic Heart (No Percussion)”   Music by CHRIS LOGSDON “Level 1” “Level 2” “Level 4”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Andrea Baroni, Andrew Sitkov, and Chris Logsdon is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Andrea Baroni, Andrew Sitkov, and Chris Logsdon at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com     Episode Art Description: Digital image. Foreground bottom, a bowl with three scoops of ice cream. Vanilla, center front. Strawberry, left behind. Chocolate, right behind. The chocolate scoop has a spoon handle sticking out of it. The vanilla scoop has little lightning bolts surrounding it. Behind the bowl are three figures. Center, from waist up is a smiling young man facing forward, with his curled hands on his hips. To his left is a young woman from waist up in three-quarters profile, her head tilted up. A beam of light shoots from her eyes. She holds the first two fingers of her left hand to her temple. To the young man’s right is a black-and-white dog, seated, who is also looking up and shooting beams of light from his eyes. He wears a collar with the name “Percival” on it. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along spoon handle.

Two adventurous friends offer to help a scientist whose revolutionary invention for all mousekind isn’t exactly authorized. Genre: Science Fiction, Fable   Excerpt: “What happened to gravity?” Matchstick asked, as he pushed his legs against a stone. The stone moved away from him, and he, moved away from it, and toward the other two mice.  Mischief reached into her satchel for her pencil and pad. “Fab, we fell into the isolated chronon field. Can you confirm?” “I…”  Doctor Fabaceous clutched the control slab against his chest. His eyes faced forward, but he didn’t seem to be looking at anything.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. I adore writing stories about a pair of anthropomorphized animal best friends. One of my favorites was a tale of two caterpillars who crash an extravagant party. It’s called, “Lickspittle and Sobersides.”   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)     CREDITSStory: “Matchstick and Mischief” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Dancing Operators” by ANDREA BARONI (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREA BARONI (Cyberleaf) “Ground Control” “The Tech Show” “Dancing Operators” “Fugue For One Synthetic Heart” “Cozy Afternoons”   Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music) “Action Time” “Unknown Terrain” “Abstract Vision #6” “Abstract Vision #9” “Hidden Threat” “Among the Stars” “Prepare for Battle” “Close Your Eyes”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Andrea Baroni and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Andrea Baroni and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com     Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. At center, a mouse riding a motorcycle down a glowing pathway, facing forward, left paw on the pedal and right paw holding a lit matchstick. Objects float in the space around the mouse. At top left, a screw. Bottom left a sock. Top right corner, part of some device with buttons. Below that, a toothbrush. Middle right, a yo-yo. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along glowing path at top left. Rectangular image made square with top and bottom borders with blurred elements from the main image.

A studious, non-mischievous fairy fulfills her forbidden dream of traveling to the human realm...straight into a convenience store. Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy   Excerpt: She passed her least favorite quill partly through the mirror and pulled it back to test. The quill appeared undamaged. So she next passed her least favorite finger through the mirror, gasping at the watery chill that passed through it as it passed through the mirror’s surface. Her finger too seemed unharmed.  And so, in the most reckless act that she had ever committed in her life thus far, Oddnever stepped through the mirror into the human realm.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This story is connected to the Season Three episode entitled “Oddness and the Rose Pox,” in which three kids recovering from chicken pox at home are mistakenly infected with another pox, a fairy-borne pox.      MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   CREDITSStory: “Oddnever” Copyright © 2020 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Midnight Creeping” by Jonathan Shaw (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by JONATHAN SHAW “Spinning Tavern” “Midnight Creeping” “Checking Inventory” “A Tale of Peace”   Music by ANDREW SITKOV “Magic Within” “Hidden Fear” “Journey into Fog”   Music by BENJAMIN CARR “Dwarven Settlement” “Ice Cavern” “Ancient Ruins”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Benjamin Carr, Jonathan Shaw, and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Benjamin Carr, Jonathan Shaw, and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more music by Jonathan Shaw at jshaw.co.uk Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing of the view down the aisle of a convenience store, shelves stocked with generic shapes of bottles and packages. In the foreground with their backs turned to the viewer are two store employees, both wearing green tops. Across from them at the end of the aisle is a figure sticking a hero landing—one knee down, the other bent forward, one hand on the ground, and the other thrown back. The figure is wearing glasses and a hoodie. Two glowing pink wings sprout from their back. A glowing pink spark floats above the hooded figure. The rectangular image is made square with top and bottom borders with streaks of color that match the colors of the main image and line up with the main image’s perspective lines. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along floor of aisle at right.

Weatherman Cliff Blazer is always receiving blazers from his fans. But the latest one he receives really takes the cake.   Genre: Fantasy   Excerpt: “So far, five people have come in complaining of difficulty breathing, and producing a strange croaking sound. Now, they’re still being treated, and the hospital staff is hesitant to speculate on what could be causing this, but the reason we’re reporting on this is that one of the patients has been discharged and we spoke to them earlier. They didn’t want to be on camera, but…” Of course they didn’t want to be on camera. What they had to say sounded preposterous. The patient had puked up a frog.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. Outerwear gone rogue! I’ve written about it before, only last time, it was a technological issue, in an episode call “One Killer Jacket.” And wild weather was a major component of yet another story I’d previously written, called “The Rainheralds.”   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   CREDITSStory: “Cliff's Rad Blazer” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Whimsical Town” by Chris Logsdon (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREA Baroni (Cyberleaf) “Ground Control” “Fugue For One Synthetic Heart” “The Tech Show” “Slightly Across”   Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music) “Casual Theme #1” “Casual Theme #3” “Abstract Vision #9” “Casual Theme #2”   Music by CHRIS LOGSDON “Mystical Town” “Whimsical Town” “Shady Town”   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Andrea Baroni, Chris Logdson, and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Andrea Baroni, Chris Logsdon, and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. A weatherman, from waist up, facing forward and standing slightly left of center before a screen showing a generic weather map. He’s wearing a fancy-looking blazer over shirt and tie. The blazer is patterned with sparkling stars and colorful nebulas. He holds his hands to the blazer’s button. A watch and ring on ring finger is visible on his left hand. His left eyebrow is arched. On the weather display, bottom right, a snow flurry is moving in. Top left, an overlay of temperatures. Top right, a cloud under which raindrops and cats and dogs are falling. The rectangular image is made square with top and bottom borders that display portions of the main image, distorted as if blotted with a paint brush. Watermark of “Storyfeather” outside and along the weatherman’s right upper arm.

A god loses half her powers and is cast out of the heavens for the crime of sharing those power with mortals. Genre: Mythology     Excerpt: She was far too kindly, and therefore looked upon with disdain by her fellow gods. The other gods feared that the balance of power was being tipped too much toward mortal creatures, to whom the kindly god had given many gifts… To teach her a lesson, the other gods diminished the kindly god by half. They took half her powers, half her wisdom, half her stature. They even took her name, which alone bore a good portion of her power. They named her Rampion,   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode?Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. I’ve written a few stories centered on the subject of hair, or the lack thereof, and powers contained within hair. “The Witch Rampion,” which is loosely inspired by the story of Rapunzel was the first of these. Then there’s the “Festival of the Triumphant Locks” and “Contest Chevelure,” in which contests and celebrations are held around hair.   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   CREDITSStory: “The Once-God Rampion” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Shadows and flames” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro) “The village” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio) “Immortals” “The village” “Emblem” “Dark fields” “Dungeon of shadows” “To Falgaltown” “Dark lord” “Shadows and flames” “Stay (seamless)”   All tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market. Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing of a person seen from the back walking away. The person is barefoot and wearing a flowing skirt or dress with hazy edges. Wavy and curling strands of hair in different muted green, brown, and teal flow outward and back from the head, entirely obscuring the top half of the body. One strand on either side is connecting to the tops of trees and appears to be absorbing the trees. A strand on the left is connected to a purple flower with five petals, a rampion bellflower. Hazy foliage frames the bottom half. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along left side of dress.

Mythical flying horses couldn't possibly be real; but there is one that we all may meet in our most vulnerable hours. Genre: Mythology, Fantasy, Fairy Tale   Excerpt: They emerge from the shadow-light of the moon mist. I resist the urge to reach out.  I gasp and shiver.  The room has grown cold.  Not the crisp cold of winter.  Not the numbing cold of ice.  Not even the cold of night.  It is a bracing but fortifying cold.  A vast cold.   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. When I was a kid, I desperately wanted unicorns and flying horses to be real. Revisiting a childhood desire in adulthood can be…unnerving. So, why do I keep doing it? This episode was inspired by “A Gildenfaere’s Gift.”     MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   CREDITSStory: “Noctemfaere” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Magic Within” by ANDREW SITKOV (Intro and Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music)* “Ice and Fire (peaceful part)” “Magic Within”   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)* “Compass” “In the shadows” “Oinions (second part)” “Oinions” “Don’t move” “Winterheart (seamless)” “Stars above”   *These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. Center, a winged horse facing viewer, seen from chest up, mane falling to its right. Partly extended right wing is shadowy and hazy. The left wing is raised and stretched out, and the feathers are defined, some turning dark. Emerging from the horse’s sides under its wings are two more flying horses whose forms are translucent. The horse on the left flank extends a wing and raise a leg. The horse on the right flank extends a wing and raise’s two legs. A glowing mist streams down from center top. At bottom beside the figures are bright sparks in the fog. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along main horse’s right wing. Top and bottom borders depicting dark fog and glowing mist make the image square.