Mother Goddess

Sicily | 1943

Rosalie delicately opened the two halves of the puzzle box, which were fabricated together by a well-camouflaged hinge, and removed the chiseled, onyx relic resting within. Afraid of dropping it, she cradled the object in both of her palms, allowing the sunlight to illuminate every inch of its glinting darkness.

The body resembled a curved woman, whose arms were arched high above her head, forming the shape of a full moon. Resting beneath the relic were two, smaller crescent moons, and carved into the abdomen of the woman, was a white spiral which flowed downward into a single line.

Aida slowly bent down on one knee and reached her hands to help Rosalie’s cradle the precious relic.

“It’s beautiful,” Aida said, mesmerized, “I’ve never seen one in person.”

“Seen what exactly?” Garret said, as he too knelt down to get a closer look at the onyx sculpture, “What is it?”

“The Mother Goddess,” Aida said, as she took the relic from her daughter's hands - intimately fondling every inch of it with the tips of her fingers.

Sensing the confusion in their silence, Aida quickly educated them on what she was holding.

“It’s an old symbol. An ancient symbol. This particular carving, however, is a modern interpretation. The three moons are meant to represent the Maiden, Mother, and Crone.”

“What…or who are they?” Garret said, with a headache.

“Moon phases,” Rosalie said.

“Yes,” Aida replied with excitement, “But not just moon phases. The Maiden, or waxing crescent moon, represents youth, growth, hope, self-improvement and the discovery of your potential. The Mother, or full moon, represents fertility, and transformation into one's true identity. The Crone, or the waning crescent moon, represents the absorption of wisdom and completion, as the stages of womanhood and nature come full circle.”

“What does any of that have to do with what’s beneath Mount Etna?” Garret asked, in a rising tone of anxiety.

Aida rose to her feet, smiling, and handed the relic back to Rosalie who carefully returned it back into the wooden puzzle box. The seal had been broken, so she stuffed it inside of the backpack her mother had given her back in Canicatti. While her daughter secured the object, she turned to have a semi-private conversation with the confused paratrooper.

“It’s going to show us how to find the volcanic mine,” she said.”

Garret’s eyes went wide, yet appeared extremely bloodshot and tired, “How?”

“Rocca di Cerere,” she said, “It’s an ancient site, doused in Greek and Roman mythology. It sits at the peak of Sicily’s highest elevated, plateau capital city, Enna. And overlooks miles of golden wheat fields, diamond cut canopies of olive trees, emerald woodlands, and majestic shades of ochre emanating from the sun-kissed medieval towns perched on the lower hills. A sacred temple once stood upon the high rock. A temple for the Greek Goddess Demeter, and Ceres for the Romans. A temple to represent The Mother Goddess.”

Garrett’s eyes twitched at the connection, “So you believe we will find the entrance to the mine at this Rocca di Cerere?”

“I believe it’s the right place to look next,” she said.

“What are we even looking for? Enna is still a great distance away from Mount Etna.”

“It’s in these particular scenarios, Sergeant McLaughlin, faith will always manifest results.”

“What about your husband?” Garrett asked, trying to delay his discomfort from growing, “He was supposed to rendezvous with us here two hours ago.”

Grabbing Garret by the forearm, she pulled him farther away from Rosalie, and whispered her response - instructing him to keep his voice down, “We cannot risk waiting for him. He clearly knows more than what he’s told me, which means he knows the implications involved. He can handle himself. Considering the attack on the church, and Amastan’s death, our hunters know we’re here. If we wait, we risk capture, or death. We have no choice.”

Garret nodded, and turned around first to confront Rosalie. Luckily for them, she heard their entire, unfortunate conversation, and was standing at attention, “Looks like we’re going to need to find three more bikes.”