From The Immortal Gazette Studio ⚜️

Forgotten Tales, Twisted Truths & Legends told by Alice, Rumple, and their ever-growing cast of troublemakers.

Jörmungandr - The Serpent That Circled the World

A Tale of Prophecy, Fear, and the Monster Nobody Could Control

The Immortal Gazette studio was unusually quiet.

Which, naturally, meant something terrible was about to happen.

Alice sat elegantly in her chair, swirling her tea while flipping through an ancient manuscript that looked like it had survived at least three fires, two wars, and one very questionable encounter with a wizard who clearly should not have been allowed near candles.

Thorn leaned against the edge of the table, studying a faded illustration of a massive serpent wrapped around the world.

Rumplestiltskin stood beside the old parchment with the unmistakable expression of someone who had already decided everyone involved in the story had made terrible decisions.

"Oh, this one is delightful," Rumple said.

Alice slowly looked up from her tea.

"That is usually what you say right before explaining how everyone in history made a spectacular mistake."

Rumple smiled.

"Because, Alice, history is mostly people making spectacular mistakes and then pretending they had a plan."

Thorn glanced at the illustration.

"And this one involves a serpent large enough to wrap around the entire world."

He paused.

"I assume someone thought that was a bad sign?"

Rumple tapped the parchment.

"Eventually."

Alice sighed.

"Eventually?"

"Ah yes," Rumple said, clearly enjoying himself. "Because apparently when a prophecy warns you about a child who may one day bring disaster, the logical response is not understanding, diplomacy, or perhaps avoiding making matters worse."

He looked dramatically toward the ceiling.

"No. The logical response is to panic."

Thorn laughed.

"Ah. The classic immortal mistake. Create the problem while trying to prevent the problem."

"Exactly," Rumple replied.

He pointed to the image.

"Jörmungandr, the World Serpent. One of Loki's children, born from a union that already had the gods watching nervously. The moment the gods learned of the prophecy surrounding Loki's children, fear took over."

Alice tilted her head.

"And fear always makes people brilliant decisions, doesn't it?"

"Absolutely," Rumple said. "That is why every great disaster begins with someone saying, 'We have no choice.'"

Thorn smirked. "So what happened?"

Rumple turned the page.

"The gods decided that because Jörmungandr was dangerous, they needed to remove him from their world. So they cast the serpent into the ocean surrounding Midgard."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Wait. They threw the dangerous creature into the waters surrounding the human world?"

A silence filled the studio.

Thorn slowly looked at Rumple. "That seems like an important detail."

Rumple nodded. "An incredibly important detail."

Alice placed her tea down. "So their solution to a giant serpent prophecy was to put the giant serpent somewhere it could grow?"

"Yes."

"And they were surprised when it became a giant serpent?"

"Yes."

Alice stared. "I would like the record to show that I am judging everyone involved."

Rumple smiled. "Please do. The Gazette appreciates accurate criticism."

Thorn picked up the illustration. "And then Jörmungandr grew until he surrounded the world?"

"Indeed," Rumple said. "The serpent became so vast that he encircled Midgard itself, grasping his own tail in an endless circle."

Alice looked at the image. "A creature representing eternity, cycles, and fate."

Thorn nodded. "Also probably a creature nobody wanted showing up at dinner."

Rumple laughed. "That too."

Alice looked back at the manuscript. "So was Jörmungandr evil?"

Rumple paused.

"Ah. Now there is the interesting question."

The room grew quieter.

"Like many creatures in legend, Jörmungandr became feared because of what others believed he would become. The gods saw a prophecy and saw destruction. They saw a monster before they saw a being."

Alice nodded slowly.

"So the fear of what he might do shaped everything that happened afterward."

"Precisely," Rumple said.

Thorn folded his arms. "Sounds familiar."

Alice glanced at him. "Are you saying immortals have a habit of making their own disasters?"

Thorn smiled. "I am saying history has a habit of proving me correct."

Rumple returned to the manuscript.

"And eventually, the prophecy came true. During Ragnarök, the great conflict between the forces of order and chaos, Jörmungandr would rise from the sea. The serpent and Thor, the thunder god, would meet in a battle that would become one of the most famous clashes in Norse legend."

Alice sighed. "Two powerful beings. Bound by fate. Destined to destroy each other."

Thorn looked amused. "Because apparently the universe decided one apocalypse needed extra drama."

"Naturally," Rumple said. "Legends rarely settle for ordinary disasters."

Alice picked up her tea again. "So the tale of Jörmungandr isn't simply about a monster created to destroy the gods."

"No," Rumple replied. He closed the ancient book. "It is about fear. About prophecy. About the consequences of trying to control fate."

Thorn glanced at the serpent wrapped around the world. "And about making questionable decisions when you are scared."

Alice smiled. "That might be the most accurate summary of mythology ever written."

The three looked over the ancient tale as the candles flickered around the studio.

Because after centuries of reading legends, one thing remained true.

The greatest disasters rarely begin with monsters.

They begin with fear. With pride.

With someone believing they can control a story that was never theirs to write.

And somewhere in the shadows of the Immortal Gazette studio, Rumplestiltskin smiled.

"Still," he said.

Alice groaned. "What?"

Rumple tapped the picture of the world serpent. "Admit it. A serpent large enough to circle the world is an impressive bit of storytelling."

Thorn nodded. "I hate that you're right."

Alice picked up her tea. "Unfortunately, that happens far too often."

And with that, the Immortal Gazette moved on to the next forgotten tale.

Because there were always more legends.

More disasters.

And always someone who thought they could outsmart fate.

🖋️✨📜🖤