Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

streams of beautiful shapes and phantom images. The earth joined in, trembling under their feet.
     
    Alaric spoke in his own voice, holding the Trident up in the air. "My prince, Poseidon has decreed that you have found your true queen. Hail to King Conlan and Queen Riley."
     
    As one, the Seven all knelt, holding daggers and swords up in the air and shouting.
    "Hail to King Conlan and Queen Riley."
     
    Reisen and Micah were on their knees as fast as the rest. The face Reisen raised to Conlan was somber with devotion and apology. Conlan nodded. Healing would come faster with forgiveness than punishment.
     
    Quinn laughed and hugged Riley and Conlan both. "You'd better invite me to the wedding, is all I have to say."
     
    She put a hand on Riley's stomach. "Do you think it's true? That you're pregnant?"
     
    Wonder swept through Riley's emotions, and she looked down at her sister's hand on her belly. "Oh, my God! Or, oh, sea god! I guess he might know what he's talking about."
     
    Conlan held his hand out to Quinn, pulled her close to himself and Riley. "You will never fight alone again, my new sister."
     
    He looked to Alaric and Ven, saw the grim determination side by side with their joy.
    "War is coming, and it is time to fulfill our sacred duty to protect mankind."
     
    Conlan looked around at his brother, his new family, his priest, and his men. "Atlantis must rise."
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
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    GLOSSARY OF TERMS
     
    Aknasha —empath; one who can feel the emotions of others and, usually, send her own emotions into the minds and hearts of others, as well. There have been no aknasha'an in the recorded history of Atlantis for more than ten thousand years.
     
    Atlanteans —a race separate from humans, descended directly from a mating between Poseidon and one of the Nereids, whose name is lost in time. Atlanteans inherited some of the gifts of their ancestors: the ability to control all elements except fire—especially water; the ability to transform to mist and travel in that manner; and superhuman strength and agility. Ancient scrolls hint at other powers, as well, but these are either lost to the passage of time or dormant in present-day Atlanteans.
     
    Atlantis —the Seven Isles of Atlantis were driven beneath the sea during a mighty cataclysm of earthquakes and volcanic activity that shifted the tectonic plates of the Earth more than eleven thousand years ago. The ruling prince of the largest isle, also called Atlantis, ascends to serve as high king to all seven isles, though each are ruled by the lords of the individual isle's ruling house.
     
    Blood pride —a master vampire's created vampires.
     
    Landwalkers —Atlantean term for humans.
     
    The Seven —the elite guard of the high prince or king of Atlantis. Many of the rulers of the other six isles have formed their own guard of seven in imitation of this tradition.
     
    Shapeshifters —a species who started off as humans, but were cursed to transform into animals each full moon. Many shapeshifters can control the change during other times of the month, but newly initiated shapeshifters cannot. Shapeshifters have superhuman strength and speed and can live for more than three hundred years, if not Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
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    injured or killed. They have a longstanding blood feud against the vampires, but old alliances and enemies are shifting.
     
    Thought-mining —the Atlantean ability, long lost, to sift through another's mind and memories to gather information.
     
    Vampires —an ancient race descended from the incestuous mating of the god Chaos and his daughter, Anubisa, goddess of the night. They are voracious for political intrigue and the amassing of power and are extremely long-lived. Vampires have the ability to dematerialize and teleport themselves long distances, but not over large bodies of water.
     
    Warriors of Poseidon —warriors sworn to the service of Poseidon and the protection of humanity. They all bear Poseidon's mark on their bodies.