AN: Hey everyone, this is my first ever fanfiction. It's very much possible that some of the Information about the Slavic Pantheon that you read in this Story may not be entirely accurate, due to not very many sources being available on the topic. And the sources I do have on hand sometimes even contradict each other. However, I hope you won't mind too much, and just have fun with the story!

Summary:

Vjekoslav Fedychenko, the son of Veles has spent the last year deep within the Carpathian woods, grieving, after witnessing the brutal murder of his mother and his 3 younger siblings.

On the last day however, his father visits him, informing him that his old friend Poseidon told him that the Greek pantheon is threatened by enemies, and that he asked Veles for some assistance, who agreed to send Vjekoslav over to america.

Vjekoslav, now again filled with curiosity, ambition and a purpose, sets sail to America.

Chapter 1: The boy in the woods

There are many mountains ranges in Europe. Of course, everyone knows the Alps, the massive mountain chain that separates Central and Southern Europe from each other. The Pyrenees, which are separating the Iberian Peninsula from Central-Western Europe, are also well known. And of course, the Balkans exist too, stretching across south-eastern Europe and home to many different peoples, who, for some reason, always seem to beat each other up and commit a lot of war crimes on the side. And, just for good measure, these are sprinkled with some ethnic cleansing and genocides. But then there is the Caucasus as well (some even call the other Balkans), which separates the middle east from Russia.

In Central-Eastern Europe, however, lie the Carpathian Mountains, which is where our story begins.

In the east of this mountain range, in an ancient looking forest, where the trees seem like they have stood there for millennia, at the shore of a small lake, sat a teenage boy, from the looks of it no older than 14 or maybe 15 years. A mop of messy, black hair covered his head and was long enough to reach just above his shoulders.

His eyes were closed while he hummed a quit tune, enjoying the peace and quiet of the deep forest's solitude.

Hidden below his closed eyelids, two green eyes were hidden, which looked like a Deadly Poison had been mixed with green ocean water. His Cheekbones were high and defined, his mouth was formed to a slight smile.

This boy's name was Vjekoslav "Veko" Anatoly Volodymyr Fedychenko, son of the Slavic God Veles, and he had just finished meditating for the day. It did help him to keep a clean head, a sharp mind and be prepared for encounters with monsters, such as last night, when an Uypr wanted to suck his blood, again! Although Veko certainly wouldn't mind being sucked somewhere else, just not by an ugly dude who looked like he had died over 500 years ago, and he spoke like he had been a member of the royal court in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Slowly opening his eyes, Veko rose from his resting spot on the ground, feeling the ground of the forest below his bare feet. Taking a deep breath and focusing on his surroundings, he heard the chirps of birds in the trees, the pleasant smell of the fresh oak trees and their leaves and so much more. A smile tugged at his lips as he looked at his surroundings, taking in the vibrant colors of the ancient forest. It gave him a sense of home, of inner peace and happiness. A happiness that he hadn't felt ever since he left his mother's house in his hometown Surumajinyvka.

He turned his gaze through the canopy, where he could just barely make out the orange sun, which slowly began to set across Eastern Europe, marking the approach of dusk. Veko went over to his cabin, a simple construction made of oak wood. He had carved ancient Slavic symbols, runes and whatever came to his mind, into the wood over the year that he had lived here. He gently opened the door, entered the cabin, and let his gaze wander around the room.

The interior was simple and modest. A crude wardrobe that he had built 1 month after the cabin itself was done, a self-made bed covered with a self-woven blanket and pillow, a simple stone furnace and a small drawer. The room itself was a complete mess. His clothes were all over the place and everywhere lay something of his. Veko smiled at his modest but comfy home. It reminded him of his own room in his Surumajinyvka.

He reached over to a small bag and pulled out some mutton and vegetables on a skewer that he had prepared last night. With the food in his hand, he made his way outside again, where darkness slowly began to descent upon the lands.

"Atesh, dinner's ready!" Veko called out.

As soon as the words had left his mouth, a soft, blue flash appeared next to the boy, signaling the arrival of his companion.

The flash of blue light came from Atesh, his majestic phoenix companion, who appeared in a swirl of colors and heat, his feathers shimmering and dancing as he transformed from flames into the magnificent bird-like creature that appeared before Veko. He was softly flapping his wings as Atesh held himself in the air, and promptly landed on Veko's shoulder.

It was during one of his quests for the fire god Svarog, a task that involved retrieving a stolen Hammer from within the scorching depths of a s treacherous volcano in southern Slovakia. And as a demigod, Veko was all too familiar with the gods' tendency to pass off their dirty work onto others since gods were notoriously known to ask (threaten) demigods to do all their dirty work for them.

So Veko had traveled to the Volcano, slaughtered all the monsters there and got the hammer for Svarog.

It was this particular quest that led him to find Atesh, trapped in a magical cage and guarded by fierce monsters. With his skill and strength, Veko fought his way through the fiery obstacles and retrieved the hammer for Svarog. And in a moment of kindness, he also freed Atesh from his captivity.

Grateful for his freedom, Atesh started to accompany Veko on his future travels. The majestic fire bird soared alongside Veko as they continued their journey together. At first Veko was irritated, since he didn't know what this overgrown, blue Chicken wanted from him, but after around 4 months it clicked, and he started to appreciate the fiery company.

Smiling at the memory, Veko watched as Atesh fluttered over to him playfully, chirping softly. He landed on his shoulder and nuzzled against his neck comfortably, warmth radiating from his blue feathers. Veko chuckled softly and petted his head before setting down the stick with the food over a fire that Atesh had created. He broke off pieces of meat for both of them and gave some to his pet and good friend, who eagerly gobbled it up, cyan embers flickering around his dark blue beak. The pair shared their meal in companionable silence, the only sounds being the crunching of bones and crackling of charred flesh as well as the gurgling of water from the stream nearby.

Finishing their meal, Veko leaned back against a nearby tree trunk, enjoying the feeling of contentment and Atesh's warmth washing over him. He closed his eyes and took in deep breaths of fresh air when he suddenly felt an anomaly.

A presence. No, a very powerful, yet familiar presence had just appeared near him. Vekos eyes instantly snapped open and his reflexes guided his hand to his sword while his green eyes scanned the Area, finally landing on a familiar person that caused the anomaly.

It was Veles, the Slavic god of water, forests, music, magic, underworld, trickery and of the earth. Though the most important title to Veko was the god of water title. And also his father. Veko had only seen him twice in his life, as he was a very busy god, so Veko was very thankful for the two moments he and his dad shared.

Nevertheless, Veko was extremely grateful that his father had given him his Trident and his sword, his most Important belongings along with a family photo album.

He looked very similar to his son, but Veles hair was white, he had an equally white beard that looked remarkably similar to the one of Karl Marx, and he currently stood at 2,21 Meters tall, towering over his son by 52 centimeters, as Veko stood at only 1,69 Meters. Veles' clothes consisted of a simple blue adidas shirt, bathing shorts and a pair of white adidas sneakers.

"Hey Dad", greeted Veko while lazily lifting his arm. "What brings you to my humble abode?".

"Always skipping the pleasantries, are we son?". Veles chuckled as he sat down next to his son. "All the time", countered Veko swiftly, "Why waste precious breath on this formal crap when we could start spitting facts right away?".

"Yes, yes, true my child. I don't want to bother you for long anyway, as I have other duties to attend". Veko pinched his gaze and could see that his father was about to announce something important for him, so naturally his brain simulated all kinds of scenarios that could happen. From being challenged by his dad to a Mario Kart Competition to a possible announcement that he had been betrothed to a daughter of another Sea God against his will for Veles' gain.

Something Veko knew from reliable sources wasn't too uncommon between different Pantheons.

"My son, you know of Poseidon, right?". Veko just hummed in Agreement. "The guy who likes to party with you in the black sea from time to time, right. The Greek water god? Or was that Zeus?".

"Poseidon was correct Veko. You see, last week I was having a meeting with some other Water deities, and we were discussing the usual boring things. There is too much Plastic in the water, overfishing is a thing, my dick is longer than yours, and so on and so forth, I know, sounds boring, and it was". Veles started his talk, while listing the topics with his fingers. "But since it can be quite amusing at times, I still take part in these meetings. And the most fun is when everybody takes out their godly drinks and starts drinking like a bottomless pit. And it gets even funnier when we mix everything together and down this abomination of a death-cocktail".

Veko snorted in amusement at the thought of wise and millennia old gods getting drunk and partying, even Atesh let out a trill that sounded suspiciously like he snickered.

"So, during this meeting, Poseidon mentioned to me that these Titan guys were rising again, and he asked me if I could send someone to assist them. And luckily for him, I agreed to send you!". Veles exclaimed while clapping his hands.

Veko, who had been pretty bored by the talk about the meeting suddenly jerked up "Wait, wait, hold up, so you mean you just agreed to send me over to America without asking me ?!". He exclaimed while angrily standing up, a shriek from his shoulder signaled that Atesh was also not happy.

Just what the fuck was his father thinking by doing that? It's not like you can just waltz into another Pantheons Territory, show up and say, "Hey guys, It's me".

You need an Entry Permission given out either by the Pantheons embassy or one that was signed by a God of the Pantheon which territory you want to enter. The only exception is when the two nations have good relations with each other, like between the Slavic and Turkic Pantheon, located in Central Asia and Anatolia. These 2 Pantheons had actually signed a treaty of friendship that includes a clause that Demigods from each pantheon are allowed to freely enter the territory of the other without requiring an Entry Permit. This way Veko had made some friends with Demigods from Kazakhstan, Turkey, Bashkortostan, or Kyrgyzstan.

Veles held up a hand and interrupted his son's train of thought. "Relax, relax, I knew you would help them out anyway. Besides, I can also imagine that you were getting bored with this whole 'living in the forest' thing".

Veko grumbled but knew he was right. He sighed heavily, gathering his thoughts, before nodding. "Well, it seems I don't have choice now, have I? where do I have to go? And did you even think of getting me an Entry Permit? As far as I've heard the Greek Pantheon refuses any diplomatic relations with any Pantheon". Veko asked in rapid succession.

Veles just smiled and handed him a folded piece of paper.

"You will find all the necessary Information here, as well as the Entry Permit. Anyway, I'll take my leave now, be good when you're in America, don't kill anyone you aren't supposed to kill, always use protection, and try not to aggravate too many gods, titans, or whatever deities they have over there, bye son!". Veles exclaimed way too joyful for Veko's taste, "Ugh, Bye Dad", Veko muttered.

And with these words Veles disappeared in a vapor of water, leaving behind a smell of salt and cooked salmon.

Veko once again took a very deep breath, trying to calm the roaring tide within his gut. While he certainly didn't hate his dad, he could be difficult at times, like this Situation for example. "Suka blyat", spoke Veko to no one in particular as he unfolded the paper his father had given him.

The paper itself was most interesting. It included a map with a red point, and a blue point. The red point was named "Vjekoslav Fedychenko", and the other "Camp-Half-Blood". "Camp-Half-Blood, huh. Not really a creative name for a home if you ask me", he spoke up.

But there was also a text in 2 languages. One in Ancient Cyrillic Script, and the other in what Veko assumed to be Greek.

And so he started reading it loud to Atesh.

"I, Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, earthquakes, droughts, floods, water, aquatic creatures, marine weather, horses and ruler of Atlantis, hereby give official Permission for this Slavic demigod, Vjekoslav Anatoly Volodymyr Fedychenko, son of the god Veles to enter, trespass and interact on Greek territory".

Nothing too fancy about this message, straight to the point, just how Veko likes it.

He looked thoughtful as he studied the map. "It's somewhere on the American eastern coast, we'll have to go by ship, flying is just a whole load of crap".

Veko, a Child of the sea, had always dreaded flying. It wasn't that he disliked the thunder god Perun or the wind god Stribog, who controlled the Slavic skies. Rather, it was the uncomfortable and confined feeling of being trapped in a metal tube for hours on end.

To Veko, there was nothing quite like the freedom of swimming in the vastness of the ocean, unrestricted and weightless. The thought of being stuck in an enclosed space high in the air made his skin crawl.

Veko looked up at Atesh who was watching the piece of paper with interest. "Well looks like we're going to America buddy". He sighed, still not to thrilled about the fact that his dad had forced him into this Situation. "But at first we have to go back home to Surumajinyvka, I can't just run off to America without saying goodbye or my friends will rip me to shreds, literally".

Pocketing the paper, Veko reluctantly got up again and entered his cabin one final time, set to gather his stuff.

Going inside again, Veko at first opened his trusty blue backpack, which luckily had been enchanted to hold nearly an infinite amount of items and never gain weight. At first he took the food that he had still left and put it in plastic boxes and then in his backpack. It wasn't much food, just the leftovers from Yesterday and today, as he didn't have a fridge in the middle of the forest.

After the food, he opened his closet, and started at the top row. The red colored healing potions came first, and even though he could be healed through water, it was always good to have these trusted potions as a reserve, should not water be available. Even if they tasted rotten cabbage, they were simple to make and very effective, as the potion could be used to treat internal and external injuries. Following the healing potions came the white colored Regeneration Elixir, which Veko found to come in handy after a hangover, or after long periods of traveling, fighting, or after completing a ritual. The third and final potion was the Fire-Resistance-Potion, which protected the body against high temperatures and fire.

His clothes were next, everything ranging from T-Shirts, football Jerseys, his replacement helmet, material for Armor-Repairing, 3 adidas tracksuits (he is eastern European, so obviously has those), his Star-Wars-Themed Swimming trunks to his skiing equipment was thrown into the backpack.

Items like a Compass, a tent, his toothbrush and so on were thrown in next, without much of a thought.

With a satisfied smile, he surveyed the now tidy cabin, no longer resembling a war zone of scattered belongings looking a washing machine had exploded. This was actually quite a surprising sight for the Demigod, considering he hadn't cleaned up in 5 months.

Finally, he reached for the night desk where he carefully retrieved his most prized possession - the family photo album, filled with cherished memories that were all he had left of his loved ones. Holding it delicately, as if it were made of fragile glass, he placed it into the reserved pouch in his backpack. The same backpack which now held all of his important belongings and was ready to take him back home to Surumajinyvka, the demigod-town where he had grown up surrounded by love and laughter. As he zipped up the backpack, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. He couldn't wait to return to his roots and be welcomed by familiar sights and smells that would bring back a flood of bittersweet memories.

With these thoughts, Veko went to bed one final time in the cabin within the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.

Next up:

Chapter 2: The journey back home