Back in the city of Capella.
Sitting at the table with her father, mother, and little sister, the woman finished the last of her soup and wiped her mouth.
"Thank you for the meal, Mother," she said with a smile.
Her mother looked up with a sad smile and nodded. "I'm sorry we've been having only soup these past few days."
"No, no, it's fine," she replied, putting her bowl in the sink. "I'll be upstairs."
The woman walked up to her room, closed the door behind her, and sat on her bed, resting her head in her hands. She sank into deep contemplation and groaned inwardly.
She looked up from her hands. On her dresser was a book. She picked it up, scanning the cover and title.
The cover depicted a golden sheep, and the title read, *The Golden Sheep*.
She had been reading this book religiously since she was a small child.
She put the book back on the dresser, got up, and reached into her pocket, pulling out a wallet. She opened it and counted the bills, then sighed. "Only twenty dollars," she groaned.
A buzzing sound interrupted her thoughts. She turned around to see a text message from a friend. It read, "Yo, was seeing if you wanted to go out for dinner."
Even though the woman had just eaten, the soup hadn't really satisfied her appetite. "Sure," she replied, "but I only have twenty dollars."
Her friend immediately texted back, "That's fine, it'll be on my dime."
---
The woman entered the restaurant where they had agreed to meet.
As soon as she walked in, she noticed her friend waving at her from the back. She walked over and sat across from her.
"Hey, girl," her friend greeted. "How's it going, Jacine?"
Jacine smiled. "I've been fine. How about you, Joselyn?"
Joselyn smiled back. "I've been doing good. Found a job yet?"
Jacine cringed at the question. "I've been trying, but I can't seem to find anything," she said, pushing her glasses up.
"You could always be a prostitute," Joselyn joked, giggling.
It was a joke Joselyn made often, though Jacine never found it funny.
Jacine grimaced. "You know how I feel about that. It's indecent and disgusting."
"Yeah, but some of those women don't have a choice."
"It's more about the men exploiting those women's bodies. I hate the whole industry."
A waiter arrived to take their orders. Jacine ordered a salad, and Joselyn ordered a burger with fries and a beer.
Once the waiter left, Joselyn continued the conversation.
"Oh, come on," she laughed. "You have an amazing body. I'm jealous!"
Jacine responded simply, "Envy is the rottenness of the bones."
Joselyn pouted.
Jacine pushed a strand of black hair away from her face. "I've been thinking of cutting my hair short," she said. "It's down to my back now, and it's such a hassle."
Joselyn thought for a moment. "I think it looks fine."
A brief silence followed, and Jacine finally broke it. "I'm going to find the Golden Sheep. Hopefully, I can make some money by exhibiting it."
Joselyn's eyes widened in surprise. "What? You're kidding, right? Isn't that just a myth? No one's ever found it."
"People say it's a myth, but it's my last opportunity."
Joselyn stared at her in disbelief. "You're crazy. Not to mention, you'd have to travel across the seas to get there. You'd have to go south, underneath Aquila, and then east past Regulus to reach Zosma, where it's rumored to be."
"I'm surprised by your knowledge of geography."
"Hmph," Joselyn said, puffing out her chest with pride. "I'm more than just good looks," she said, flipping her blonde hair dramatically.
"But," Joselyn added, "the sea is dangerous, with all those giant creatures lurking beneath the surface and the various legends surrounding it. Especially the Arcturus Ocean, which is below Aquila. Have you heard about it?"
"Yeah, it's also called the Misty Ocean because of the mist that covers it."
"Exactly. And legend has it that the mist messes with people's minds. Sailors who've passed through it ended up on the shores of Regulus, and the elves said they were all dead—except for one. He had a crazed look in his eye, and the others were found with stab wounds. He was holding a bloody knife before stabbing himself in the throat. This isn't just a legend; the elves reported it."
"Yes, it happened three hundred years ago."
Joselyn nodded. "Indeed."
"But still," Jacine said, her eyes filled with determination. "I'm going."
"You don't even have a ship."
"I'll figure it out. I'll ask around, maybe talk to that pirate who lives by the sea dock."
"Isn't he crazy?"
"I don't know. Is he really that crazy?"
"He's quite erratic. He hasn't been the same since that trip on his ship, *Vela*, when he sailed with his friends. They went through the Makemake Ocean, north of Aquila, to reach Regulus. He claims a giant squid attacked the ship. Everyone but him died, and the ship barely made it back."
Jacine gulped at the thought. "That explains his behavior. Anyone would go mad after something like that."
"So, it's either the Mist of Arcturus or the Monster of Makemake."
The waiter brought their food and left.
As Jacine quietly ate her salad, she answered Joselyn's earlier question. "Anything for my family."