Ocean didn’t take long to ponder over Erisgrirlum’s words as he simply smiled.

"I agree to your terms. I won’t ask for more than information and a little assistance in helping me getting an entry in Elvenland."

Erisgrirlum frowned a little before he affirmed, "I really will not lend even a single dwarf to fight by your side."

Ocean tilted his head to one side and said, "I heard you loud and clear the first time and agree with it, Your Majesty. I do not need any of your dwarves to fight for me."

Erisgrirlum’s frown deepened, "How are you going to end this war then?"

Ocean chuckled as he realised that his possibility of thinking that Erisgrirlum would end up concluding that to end one war Ocean might be thinking of launching another. But he couldn’t be anymore wrong.

"Certainly not by the way that’s in your mind, Your Majesty." Ocean said with a smile and picked up the glass of water.

"I don’t plan to start another war to stop the first one." Ocean said, "If I needed to use that method then I wouldn’t be sitting here, I would have already erased Elvenland from the face of the earth."

The smile at the end when Ocean finished was so chilling that despite himself Erisgrirlum felt a chill run down his spine. Erisgrirlum had momentarily forgotten in his illusion of experience and authority that the one sitting before him was someone who was capable of erasing even his own kingdom and none of his might would be able to put even a scratch on this Dragon. He may look young but he still belonged to the strongest beings on earth.

Erisgrirlum wiped the sweat from his brow watching the young Dragon feast before him. He wasn’t hasty, he ate with perfect balance, even his table etiquette was perfectly graceful and he looked more of those noble beings whom everyone on the land worshipped.

After some time, Ocean was done with his meal and Erisgrirlum led him to his office where the two would talk. Along with those two there were three other Dwarves who were present. The three kneeled to both their King and Ocean. The three looked quite old and experienced but their eyes glowed as they followed Ocean’s movements.

Ocean sat down on the low armchair as Erisgrirlum gestured him to and one of the aides spread the map of the whole island before Ocean. There was just one name written on top of the island apart from the names of the places, Edrisyl. That was the name of this island.

Erisgrirlum sat down adjacent to him and the aides stood by their sides.

"As you can see from this map, the island is divided into two parts." Erisgrirlum started and then placed his thick finger over the mountainous section which was the western part of the crescent moon shaped island.

"This is Ortbon, and beyond this valley," He pointed at the marked range of Valley called Big Dip, "is Elvenland."

"The Yggdrasil also is at Elvenland from where we all gain the mana." He said and Ocean leaned ahead more interested in this Yggdrasil.

"Tell me more, since I’m young and haven’t visited this place ever, I don’t know much." He said.

Erisgrirlum nodded, "Yggdrasil is the life force of this world. Every morning, during the time of sunrise, it breathes the life force into every being here."

Ocean remembered the gust of mana that he had felt during the sunrise that morning.

"The Yggdrasil was born even before the war between the demons and the Dragons. It had been standing on this island for thousands of years and sustaining the life on all of earth. It is the Yggdrasil’s power which also helps the species of the oceans. In the past, Yggdrasil was larger than it is now. It was large enough but, during that war, the demons targeted Yggdrasil as it would end the mana force of the humans and slowly of all the beings who use mana."

Ocean frowned a little, he had known that mana was like a life force for everyone but was it more like how oxygen worked for humans? And the source through which all the mana is on earth is because of Yggdrasil?

"Is this theory accurate?" Ocean asked.

"What theory?" Erisgrirlum asked.

"That Yggdrasil provides mana force for the whole earth? In that sense, every being that uses mana is using it from Yggdrasil?" Ocean asked and Erisgrirlum nodded.

"Exactly,"

Ocean didn’t want to appear rude but he couldn’t believe it, a Tree was capable enough to circulate the mana on the whole earth? It would fit the island and some of the sea close by but the whole earth seemed farfetched for him. Erisgrirlum sensed Ocean’s skepticism.

"You find it hard to believe now because you have no idea what happened years ago." Erisgrirlum stated and Ocean tilted his head slightly.

"Then tell me."

Erisgrirlum licked his lips and entwined his fingers.

"Yggdrasil is the source of mana on this planet. Years ago, it was large enough to have its roots and branches were spread all around this island and more. This island as you see wasn’t this small." He gestured for his aide and he quickly spread out another map over the new one.

This one was far more older and torn at the edges, but more than anything the change was obvious. The island that now sat before Ocean was way too larger than five Sestias combined. If the present map was of a crescent moon shaped island, than the older one was a full moon. Moreover, there were no markings on the island except for the branches and roots. There were no kingdoms, no boundaries, nothing else but the tree.

"Yggdrasil was said to be planted on this island by the Creator Himself to sustain life in this world. And since then, Yggdrasil had been breathing mana for every being alive. If not for Yggdrasil, there will be no life."

Ocean found himself wondering why he had no idea about such a huge thing. Even through the stories that he had read in his previous lifetime, there usually was never an explanation for the source of mana so he thought, it was always because of the special bloodlines and all, but here he was seeing an external source for the mana that others used.

"When the war happened, the demons attacked Yggdrasil, elves, dwarves and the species from oceans alike fought back to protect Yggdrasil but, we still had lost a huge section of it. Yggdrasil would have been history if not for Dragons. The Supreme Dragon of Flora and Fauna had remained here to protect Yggdrasil and it was because of that that we still have some of Yggdrasil left. Most of its branches and roots were cut or burned away by the demons. At the end, when the war was ending, The Supreme Dragon had blessed Yggdrasil but not many people know what that blessing was. Only a few Elf elders knew as they remained by the Supreme Dragon’s side during the war. The Supreme Dragon of Flora and Fauna while leaving had bestowed the responsibility of the protection of Yggdrasil to the Elves."

"The Elves are close to nature and more adept with mana that’s why they stay close to Yggdrasil to protect it and also to keep their own mana pure. We only use mana at occasional times, that’s why for us it’s enough to stay on the same island. Moreover, our work is more physical."

Ocean nodded in understanding and Erisgrirlum continued, "The Elves are naturally very secluded and since they also have to protect Yggdrasil that’s why, they became even more isolated. They cut ties with the world apart from us and some of the merfolk and whalefolk."

Ocean nodded grasping the history and context as Erisgrirlum went quiet, letting all the information sink in.

Ocean looked at both the maps and noticed something, he glanced at the two maps by placing them side by side and then put his finger on the Big Dip and asked.

"Why is this section called Big Dip? And how did it occur? Because of the war?" Ocean asked.

Erisgrirlum’s lips twitched and he said, "This valley was made during one of the wars thag happened on the island. At that time, a Dwarven army was fighting against the demons and the King of that time who was known for his great physical might and his large axe had destroyed this section of the island and killed several thousands of demons. After that battle, this valley was formed and the King named it Big Dip so that the future generations would remember it."

Ocean nodded and couldn’t help but feel rather ignorant as he never knew of this section of the history at all. He knew the history from the humanity’s perspective but there were several aspects and sections that he had no idea of. There was an island here on which there was a Tree which breathed mana all around their planet to sustain life and nobody knew of it. There were such great warriors in past that he had no idea of.

Ocean smiled wryly, he was the owner of an information network yet, not knowing so much made him feel rather lacking. He didn’t want to let it stay like this, so, he wanted to know more. More about the past, the war, the people who fought and how they defeated the demons.

Ocean nodded to himself and then looked at Erisgrirlum.

"Now that I have some idea of the past, shall we start about the present?"