Ranoth stood motionless with his hands behind his back on the edge of one of Taras’ largest docks. He was in a trance, staring out at the sea, and wondering what was beyond the sea, if there was anything at all. That was a question that had plagued him since he first laid eyes on the vast lengths of water; the sea has to stop somewhere, and if there is something beyond that, it has to stop somewhere. Yet, it can’t just abruptly stop, and contradicting that how can it go on forever? It’s impossible to explain.

The screeching of a hawk and the screaming of a man made Ranoth come back to his senses, however it did not break his trance. He just stuck out his arm, and at the elbow made a ninety degree angle. The screeching and screaming stopped at the same time, and Ranoth felt Skyshadow’s talons grip to his arm. Ranoth stroked the soft feathers on the hawk’s head, and looked like it was enjoying it. “Sorry I left you at the Academy, I just needed some time to myself,” Ranoth told Skyshadow, knowing it couldn’t hear him, but Ranoth felt that it did anyway. He felt that the hawk was still hungry and had a need to fly again, so lifted his arm up and the hawk took off again. So again Ranoth stood staring at the horizon, the blue sea that blended with the red and orange setting sun.