# THE CHANT OF THE LAST GIANT ### I **ONE BY ONE.** One by one. **THE BANNERS FALL.** One by one. **THE BROTHERS DIE.** One by one. **THE GIANT STANDS.** **WHO REMAINS?** The last. **WHO REMAINS?** The last. **WHO WATCHES?** The dead. **WHO WATCHES THE DEAD?** The eyes. --- ### II **BEAST BELOW.** **BEAST BELOW.** Mountain back. Mouth of stone. Ancient blood. Ancient bone. **BLADE GOES IN.** **GIANT GOES DOWN.** Down through flesh. Down through rain. Down where monsters dream again. **DOWN. DOWN. DOWN.** Where the dead don't sleep. **DOWN. DOWN. DOWN.** Where the old things keep. --- ### III RAVEN IN THE TOWER. **WATCHING.** DEER BY THE ROAD. **WATCHING.** CRIMSON SHELL BENEATH THE EARTH. **WATCHING.** Three beneath the hood. **WATCHING.** Three behind the veil. **WATCHING.** Three who know the names of every choice we made. --- ### IV **WHO WATCHES THE WATCHER?** We watch. **WHO COUNTS THE DEAD?** We count. **WHO KNOWS THE ROAD?** The deer. **WHO CALLS FROM ABOVE?** The raven. **WHO CRAWLS BELOW?** The shell. **WHO WAITS BEHIND THE EYES?** The old ones. --- ### V **YOU ARE NOT THE LAST.** I am the one who remained. **YOU ARE NOT THE END.** I am what the ending made. **YOU ARE NOT ALONE.** I was never alone. The eyes were there. The beast was there. The dead were there. The deer was there. **AND SOMETHING WATCHED YOU CHOOSE.** --- ### VI — THE THREE **THREE.** Three roads. **THREE.** Three watchers. **THREE.** Three blades. **THREE.** Three names. And when the three speak— **DO NOT ANSWER.** When the raven calls— **DO NOT FOLLOW.** When the beast opens its eye— **DO NOT TURN.** When the deer looks back— **FOLLOW.** --- ### FINAL CHANT **ONE BY ONE, THE GIANTS FALL.** **ONE BY ONE, THE STORIES CHANGE.** **ONE BY ONE, THE MASKS APPEAR.** **ONE BY ONE, THE EYES REMAIN.** **LAST GIANT.** **LAST STAND.** **LAST SWORD.** **BLOOD ON HAND.** **BEAST BELOW.** **RAVEN ABOVE.** **DEER AHEAD.** **THREE BEHIND.** **WHO WATCHES?** **WE WATCH.** **WHO REMEMBERS?** **WE REMEMBER.** **WHO REMAINS?** **THE LAST.** **WHO IS THE LAST?** *[Silence.]* **THE ONE WHO WALKS.** *[Drums begin again.]* **THE ONE WHO WALKS.** **THE ONE WHO WALKS.** **THE ONE WHO WALKS—** **UNTIL THE DEER LOOKS BACK.**
