Once they dock back at Berk, Bucket barely has time to throw the mooring-line over a bollard on the end of the pier before Gobber leaps across, nearly tripping over himself.

Bucket watches, shaking his head as Gobber begins accosting every passer by he can to alert them of the "world-ending threat" he's just witnessed first hand.

"I saw it! The Jormungandr is here! It's body was the size of a barn! No.. the size of two barns!" He exclaims, gesturing widely with his arms.

The couple of other sailors he had gathered to tell just rolled their eyes at him and started walking off.

"I swear on Odin's beard I saw it!" Gobber yells, turning one back round again, now facing Bucket, walking over from by the ship.

"Did ye see the beastie, Bucket?" He asks.

"Not a thing Magnus." Bucket sighs exasperatedly.

"By Heimdall's eyes, I'm telling yer I saw it! Loki's unholy offspring that's gonna cause Ragnarök is not far from here!" But he's preaching to the turned backs of the fishermen.

"Stoick's gotta find out how much danger the island is in.." Gobber mutters, before dashing off as fast as his peg leg can carry him, which isn't particularly fast.

After a few minutes Mulch, Bucket's usual fishing partner comes down from the village, hobbling along on unsteady feet.

"Mulch!?" A few of the fishermen exclaim.

"You're meant to be in bed recovering! Gothi's orders!" One gasps.

"I can't well recover when there's Gobber spouting he's seen the bloody Midgard serpent can I? He's out there tellin' the whole village."

"Oh for Frigg's sake." Bucket clangs his hand onto his face. "I should probably tell the Chief about what actually happened. And how empty the Southern waters are." Bucket says getting up.

"Good idea, don't want the blacksmith's daydreams getting too far unchecked, now do we?" The Viking named Magnus said in agreement.

Bucket starts off up the wooden bridges that connect up most of Berk, and it's not too long until he is back within earshot of Gobber regaling his latest fisherman's tale.

Being on the taller side of even most Vikings, Bucket could see over the few heads in front of him as he approached Gobber's small crowd in the cobbled area just before the steps to the Great Hall.

Hearing all the commotion from outside his doorstep, Stoick comes out yelling for quiet. The Dragon Master wasn't far behind him, as they had been spending lots of time in Stoick's hut planning and organising things the last few days.

"Everyone! Thank you. Ok then." He rubs his hands together, "So Gobber, what are you causing all this commotion about?"

"Stoick! I saw the world serpent!"

"Is this like that time you swore you'd seen a frost giant straight from Jotenheim back when we were young'ns?"

"No Stoick! That was just a mountain and me hyperactive imagination as a lad, this, now this is a actual threat."

"How certain are we that there is even a threat posed by the supposed Jormungandr? Did you see it head? Is Ragnarök upon us?" Stoick quizzes Gobber.

"No, I only saw some of it's huge, scaled body, easily wider than any boat we have in our fleet from bow to stern." At that, the small crowd of people started muttering uneasily.

"Say you did see it, if it's jaws are still closed on it's tail, then Ragnarök is not near, and it also can't be much in the way of damaging our ships if its still holding its own tail."

The worried mutterings turned into relieved whispers while the Chief talked.

"It still may be worth another look, just to see if Gobber's claims are indeed true at least. I can fly over tomorrow." The Dragon Master volunteers.

"I'm not going back there. No no no thank youuu." Gobber says hastily. "Good luck to you Dragon Master, I wouldn't want to be you, going where you're going."

"It's fine Gobber, you probably just caught the sun while out fishing." Stoick says, clasping his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Let us drink some mead to clear our heads."

As the crowd disperses, Stoick throws a concerned look over towards the Dragon Master, looking at the gleaming emerald eyes behind the leather mask. He'd only just got his son back, losing him again so soon was not an option.

Hiccup noticed the glance and nodded back, signifying he knew what he was doing and that he would be careful. Or at least that's what he hoped the single head nod got across.

Either way, it seemed to satisfy the chief enough to follow Gobber up the steps to the Great Hall.

Bucket is still there, having been unable to tell the Chief in the goings on, he had told most of the other fisherman and generally spread the word that the Southern seas were nigh on empty.

He approaches the Dragon Master, "You going South towards ? then?"

"I am intending to." the dragon master replies. "Safer to see if Gobber has any grounds to his wild claims. Maybe it's a new species of dragon, not the Jormungandr. Though knowing Gobber it was probably just a large Scauldron, possibly a titan-wing."

"There wasn't even a ripple when I looked just moments after. If it was a dragon it's stealthy." Bucket considers. "Either way, I am going to sail out for one last time southwards, just to ensure the seas are truly empty there. And with my usual fishing partner Mulch sick, and Gobber seemingly with heatstroke, I could use some company or a lookout while I'm there."

"Sure, you can take me to the place where Gobber alleges he saw the Midgard serpent itself. Leaving as the sun rises tomorrow?"

"Aye, I do intend on being back by nightfall."

"Well, meet you by the docks then." The Dragon Master bids Bucket farewell and walks off back to his hut for the night.


A/N:

Apologies for the slightly late upload, just had a lot on my plate. Updates should carry on as before now though!