Straits of Hell by Taylor Anderson

quickly dispatched by plunging spears. Then he turned back to the last one standing, lowered his crest in submission, and cast himself upon the bloody ground at her feet. Thousands instantly followed. Only Esshk remained standing. There was no doubt he was the guardian and at that moment he symbolized the Mother as well.
    â€œYou have passed your test,” Esshk said forcefully, and a roar of acclimation rose and fell. “The Chooser will lead you from this place to another, within the Palace of Vanished Gods, where your wounds will be bound and you will begin to receive instruction in the mysteries of elevated beings and the wisdoms of other Givers of Life who have gone before.” His crest fluttered with feigned uncertainty, and he spread his arms. “I stand here as the Mother should, but I am not the Mother. I cannot complete the rite. In addition, you remain too young and unformed as yet to rule. That will quickly change, but in the meantime you must choose a champion to rule in your stead. Is it your desire, as it was the Mother’s, that I should bear that burden?”
    No doubt confused, and eyes beginning to glaze with shock, the new Celestial Mother Becoming merely jerked a hesitant diagonal nod, and without further ceremony, the Chooser and the Hij warriors swept her away toward the palace. Another roar of acclimation thundered behind her, and First General Esshk turned to descend from the elevated pavilion.
    â€œA moment!” came a muted roar that Esshk barely heard, but it was taken up by other voices—surrounding Regent Consort Ragak. Esshk stopped and turned to face his rival, his eyes wide in apparent surprise.
    â€œYou wish to speak? Here?
Now?
” Esshk demanded, glancing in the direction the Chooser had herded the victor of the rite, then gazing around at the gathered thousands. The royal entourage had vanished into the palace, but few others had left.
    â€œI wish to speak,” Ragak replied, his voice ringing in the stunned murmuring that followed his outburst. “I wish to
challenge
!”
    General Ign’s crest sprang up and he grasped his sword with a snarl, but Esshk held out a restraining hand. “You would challenge the elevation?” he roared in disbelief. “It was clear-cut; of that there can be no doubt, and there were no irregularities or alterations of ancient custom.”
    â€œNone but one,” Ragak snarled. “You.” He looked around. “I do not question the elevation, or even your posing as guardian. But I must question the propriety of one such as you, who lost the Celestial Palace, who
lost our former Giver of Life
, being named Champion of the Empire—all while you should be writhing in the agonies of the traitor’s death!”
    â€œYou consider me a traitor?” a strangely quiet Esshk asked, brusquely restraining General Ign once more. “On what grounds? The Chooser does not think that—nor did the Giver of Life when she commanded me to evacuate her successors. Why should you?”
    â€œBecause your treasonous leadership has cost us many battles and much territory. You have been swayed by other hunters who do not think as we do, and largely because of that you have allowed the unnatural creation”—he stabbed a claw at Ign, then gestured at all Esshk’s warriors—“of an army that does not
know how to fight
!” He stood as tall as he could, waving again. “And the Chooser shares the blame! He has stopped culling the weakest, less aggressive hatchlings as unsuited for the hunt, and that has wrought defeat after defeat—and the death of our Celestial Mother herself! No, only your treason—and his—can account for the ruin of our armies, our
swarms
, at the hands of meager, cowardly prey you grace with the title of enemy!”
    â€œYou spew nonsense like wind from your arse!” Esshk dismissed to a roar of amused approval. Even Uul understood phrases such