I.
The champion sits on the right;
he dies so that people may be saved.
The challenger sits on the left;
he falls so that people may be saved.
Brothers, sons of the same father--
forsaking all else,
charged with liberation,
their father’s sacrificial offerings.
Brothers, warriors of the same lord--
the anointed prince, the champion, destined for fame,
chosen to battle the adversarial horde and its head,
the appointed prince, the challenger, fated to doom.
Grace for the champion--
obey or be condemned;
for the challenger, none--
join with me and know us both.
II.
The demiurgic façade
decays.
The serpent in the garden
offers
malus
and this unhappy news.
Have we confused
challenger and champion?
Or is there no redeemer in our midst?