After walking for several hours along the shore of the immense Lake Ontario, they finally saw majestic and gigantic waterfalls. The size of the cataracts was so enormous that the gods looked like tiny ants before their colossal scale. Rodrigo stared at them in wonder, since he had never seen a natural phenomenon like that before.

  The young tannin remembered Epona’s words about wanting, in the future, to live in Vinland with him.

  “If I were to live anywhere, it would definitely be here,” he thought.

  “Wenabozho told us that somewhere in a cave behind this great waterfall we would find Hé-no,” Anpiel said.

  “When he said it was a waterfall, I did not expect something this massive,” Tania said with concern. “I do not think I can move all that water with the power I currently have.”

  “Pray, distress thyself not, Tania-san. I shall attend to this undertaking with the utmost diligence,” Susanoo said as he pointed his katana toward the waterfall.

  With a swift slash through the air, Susanoo produced a reflected cut across the enormous cascade, but it was only a tiny slice and the massive waterfall continued flowing as before.

  “Nothing happened,” Rodrigo said worriedly.

  “The puissance we have forfeited is of a magnitude far more devastating than my humble expectations could possibly have conceived,” Susanoo said with concern.

  “Rodrigo-san,” the eastern god continued while turning to the young tannin, perchance, shouldst thou swim from the very depths of the cataract and ascend its cascade, thou mayst undergo a most magnificent transformation into a dragon of prodigious proportions.”

  Rodrigo looked at him with confusion while Susanoo laughed in a peculiar way. The god placed his hands on his hips and laughed slowly and monotonously. Everyone looked at the deity in confusion and understood why Susanoo almost never told jokes.

  “Well, swimming through the waterfall does not seem like such a bad idea,” Tania said firmly, trying to interrupt Susanoo’s embarrassing display.

  “But would the same thing happen as in Nitassinan, where we almost drowned if Sedna had not helped us?” Anpiel asked.

  “I must confess that I never did acquire the art of swimming, for it hath never been a necessity throughout the course of my existence,” Susanoo replied.

  “I can swim a little,” Rodrigo said. “Not much. I have swum in small rivers, but never in a huge lake like this.”

  “I can swim a little too. Living in Ibiza, I had to learn in case someone was drowning,” Tania replied.

  “Yes, during my missions in the human world I also learned to swim a bit,” Anpiel added.

  “Well, mina-san, the notion of swimming up the waterfall was intended merely as a jest,” Susanoo said somewhat embarrassed.

  “No, but we can swim beneath the waterfall and look for that cave,” Tania replied.

  “It is possible that the pressure of the water will not affect us as it would humans. That is probably why a god hid there,” Anpiel said.

  Tania then took off her winter clothes, leaving herself only in a simple shirt and her trousers. She stood at the edge of the water, ready to dive.

  “Wait, Tania,” Anpiel interrupted. “Are you sure you have swum enough to reach the waterfall? If you become tired and drown, even ambrosia will not be able to cure you.”

  “If I do not try, I will never know whether I am capable,” Tania said, and then she dove deep into the enormous lake where the waterfall poured down.

  Rodrigo, terrified, began to remove his clothes as well, leaving only his winter trousers, but Anpiel stopped him.

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  “You do not have enough swimming experience, Lord Rodrigo,” he said. “This requires considerable skill.”

  “But if she drowns, we must be nearby,” the young tannin replied.

  “If that happens, I will pull her out as best I can,” Anpiel said.

  “Pray, be at ease, Rodrigo-san,” Susanoo added. “I possess the ability to manipulate the currents of the water to some degree by means of my katana.”

  The eastern god then pointed his weapon toward the area of the lake where the waterfall ended and began altering the current with movements of his blade.

  Tania finally entered the water with a perfect dive and began swimming, but the current was very strong, even for her. Fortunately, Susanoo made her swimming easier, and she gradually approached the waterfall, though the closer she came, the stronger the force pushing against her became.

  “Good. I hope everything goes well,” Tania thought. Then, like a dolphin, she plunged beneath the gigantic cascade. She swam underwater and finally emerged behind the roaring curtain of water.

  “There must be a cavern here somewhere, but exactly how large it is or where on this stone wall it might be is impossible for me to know,” the goddess thought, until she saw near the center of the waterfall a set of stone stairs and a large grotto.

  “That must be it,” she thought and swam toward it.

  “I found the place!” Tania said telepathically to Rodrigo, Susanoo, and Anpiel. Fortunately, she could communicate telepathically within a radius of about one hundred meters.

  “Excellent, Tania! We will remain in contact if anything goes wrong,” Anpiel replied telepathically and closed the transmission.

  The goddess emerged from the water completely soaked and climbed the stairs. Inside the cave stood two men holding spears. Both had a very peculiar hairstyle: they were completely bald except for the top of their heads, where their hair formed a crest. Their faces were painted with black and red lines, and dark feathers adorned their heads. Around their necks they wore several bone necklaces and strips of leather. They also wore beige trousers and leather moccasins.

  “What business brings you to this sacred cave?” one of the men asked.

  Tania indicated she did not understand the local language, so the man repeated the question in divine speech.

  “I have come to see the god Hé-no,” Tania replied, thankful that the name was easy to remember since Anpiel was not with her.

  “And who are you to interrupt him?” the other man asked.

  “I am a goddess from across the ocean,” Tania replied. “I was told that the only way to cross Ontario was to slay the enormous serpent that lives there, and we wished to help.”

  “Let her pass,” a voice echoed from deeper within the cavern. The men nodded and stepped aside so that Tania could walk deeper inside.

  “How ironic. This god lives in a cave just like I do, though mine is prettier,” Tania thought as she continued walking through the enormous stone tunnel.

  Finally, the goddess entered a large chamber within the cavern. There was only a great red carpet decorated with geometric figures on the floor and several torches burning beside it. Upon the carpet sat a man smoking tobacco from a very long pipe.

  “Welcome, young warrior. I am Hé-no, the god of thunder,” the man said as he took a draw from his pipe and released small rings of smoke from his mouth.

  “Pleased to meet you. I am Tania, and I wished to speak with you,” the Punic goddess said when she saw the Iroquois god extend his hand, indicating that she should sit before him. Tania sat down.

  The man then offered her his pipe. Nervously, Tania accepted it and took a puff. Since she had never smoked before, the mere act made her cough, and she quickly returned the pipe to Hé-no.

  The god did not appear very old, but his completely gray hair—divided into two braids that rested over his shoulders—was noticeable. His tanned skin was slightly wrinkled, accentuating his features and giving him an air of wisdom. On his head stood a white feather tipped with black. His face, like those of the men outside, was painted with black and red lines. His chest was bare and well built. He wore a yellow skirt along with beige trousers and leather moccasins. Hé-no kept his eyes almost always closed and wore a pleasant smile.

  “By smoking from this pipe together, we may strengthen our bond as friends, young Tania,” the man said.

  “I thank you for your hospitality,” Tania replied, still coughing slightly.

  “I am even more pleased by your arrival, young Tania. Tell me, why are you interested in fighting the Great Water Snake of Ontario?” Hé-no asked.

  “My companions and I are traveling south, but Ontario blocks our path, and the god of the northern lands, Wen… Wena… well, he told us that we could only pass if we killed that serpent,” the goddess replied.

  “I understand. You speak of the great Wenabozho. That is why you have come seeking my help,” the man said while smoking from his pipe again.

  “If possible, we would appreciate your support,” Tania answered.

  “You must understand, my friend Tania, that this enormous snake appeared recently, and even with my power I have not been able to defeat it. I have settled here so that I may hunt it, but every time we fight, my power is unable to subdue it. We are not speaking of an ordinary snake,” said the thunder god.

  “I understand, and that is why both I and my companions are willing to fight in order to defeat it,” Tania replied.

  “Very well. Come with me,” the Iroquois god said as he stood up and gathered a bow and a quiver beside him. Hé-no then walked out of the chamber within the cave, and Tania followed him.

  “My lord, shall we accompany you?” the two men guarding the entrance asked in unison.

  “There is no need. This time, this young woman will accompany me,” Hé-no said.

  Susanoo's joke: According to Japanese legends, if a koi fish swims down a waterfall from the bottom to the top, it will turn into a dragon.

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