Location Celestial Heights Proving Grounds Date Champion iteration 43
The empty proving grounds were alight with sounds of pain and exaltation, the nothing that once was started to give way to the raw forces of creation as matter started to come into being. This mass started building upon itself at an exponential rate until an earth sized planet was born. At the center of it was the latest of the Celestial Height’s champions, a man barely recognizable as human at the moment named Andrew Clay was suspended by a dozen wings as he struggled under the alien urges wrought by his new form. Slowly the nothing around him started to coalesce hydrogen atoms called from nothingness collided with one another until they formed a star in front of him. He recalled the words of his benefactors as he struggled desperately to balance the urge to create and to destroy.

“You Andrew have passed our tests as the other champions have. The test of flesh, of thought, of passion, of awareness, of resolve, and of forgiveness have tempered you, helped you find your core and your purpose. However we have seen that a new test is required for you to stand against the darkness that encroaches on your world you will master and endure the test of the Demiurge.”

More of the raw stuff of creation collided with itself in a cosmic crucible forming into a collection of elements that massed upon itself and started to spin into shape. Soon proto planets started taking shape from the cores building outward upon themselves until the masses turned to lava, then cooled into rock, then changed into soil as Andrew fought with every ounce of his very being to hold off the alien urges and impressions the demiurge form brought.

“To obtain this power is to have the means to destroy a world with but a stray thought, it is a power none of the champions have ever been granted. You alone must master the means to utilize it, and for extended periods of time. The toll of the form will weigh upon you at all times threatening to overwhelm your senses and sanity but you must hold.”
The atmosphere of the nascent planet cooled giving way to condensation, water fell making oceans and rivers, microbes formed from the base components of organic life.

“You have been given far more power than any other champion in history, because you will likely be the last that is why you must succeed, why you must complete the works of those who came before.”
Plants sprouted and the sea gave birth to life, invertebrates, than vertebrates, then slowly life evolved into more complex forms.
“Remember you must maintain balance at all times and in all things failure means the end of us all.”

Suddenly a fundamental flaw in the planet’s construction caused several tectonic instabilities, its rotation decayed, continents were swallowed in magma, oceans boiled away, the atmosphere was leeched into the void, in moments the nascent planet fell apart and Andrew was left with nothing but stone and corpses circling around him. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, took a breath and called upon the power once again.

In the distance two luminous beings watched the champion take his trial Michael and the fox prince Inari looked onward. Michael sighed “why does he persist Inari this is the ten thousandth time he’s failed the test.” The fox prince smiled “well he is making progress, the sun didn’t explode this time and we got all the way up to amphibians so cut the guy some slack big bird.” Michael sighed once again having grown used to the jabs and insults of the other celestials who blamed him and his father for “The withering”. Nonetheless the fox prince was one of the few celestials that didn’t regard Michael with outright hostility. “He’s only a mortal man,” Michael continued “what we’re asking him to face is beyond even us, what chance does he have?” The fox prince laughed “You weren't sure the mortals you guided had the fortitude either and look what they accomplished countless cultures and faiths wiped out, pantheons divorced of their followers, billions praying to the same god must be nice.” Michael fixed the fox god with a withering glare “I was doing what I was commanded to do, what I was made to do I am the Angel of War and I make no apologies for what needed to be done.” Again the fox laughed unflinching in the face of Michael’s display “that’s what I like about you Mikey so direct with everyone but you.” Michael shook his head “I’ve never truly understood you trickster gods, but back to the matter at hand no mortal has ever been able to tame the demiurge form that’s why we never granted it to anyone what makes this human so different?” For once the fox prince didn’t respond with laughter “I’m not sure, he’s got moxie or is it chutzpah never could tell the two apart. Anyway he’s got a rare quality among even the champions that much is certain weather it’ll be enough to get the job done well that’s another story.” Michael was unused to seeing the fox prince this serious “and the adversary?” Inari visibly shuddered “he’s been born but hasn’t been Born yet…gotta say your erstwhile brother has nothing on that asshole.” Michael nodded “all the more reason I have reservations about the champion’s success.” Inari looked into the distance as the planet Andrew made fell once more into pieces “we can only pray mikey, we can only pray.” As the champion tried once again to create a world that wouldn’t collapse the fox prince looked at Michael, “hey mikey you still haven’t answered my question from before.” The arch angel looked away his silence a sharp contrast to the forming of a world. “That is because I have none prince inari and likely never will.” The fox prince merely sighed as he sensed the end drawing closer and closer “pretty sure you do mikey, you just haven’t noticed it yet.”

art by  loculi
character by  gurlow