Seven stone thrones in a circle. On them, six people, their backs straight, their faces serious. One of the thrones remained empty bar a strange shimmer in the air above it. And standing in the middle of the circle they formed, was Macey.

"What's going on?" she asked groggily, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Welcome... welcome... welcome...," it echoed through the chamber. It wasn't just one of them speaking, it was all of them in unison. Six voices, three male, three female. Together, they sounded like a Gregorian chant Macey had heard once.

Macey didn't even have to think hard to know who these people were.

"Are you the past Wardens?" she asked for clarification?

"Yes.... yes... yes... the last set."

"How many have there been?"

"Too many to count," the voices replied. "But you will be the last... the last... the last..."

The echoing was beginning to distract Macey. It was a little too dramatic for her taste.

"Why will we be last? What's so special about us?"

"You're the ones who make or break the Wardens' legacy... if you succeed, there will be no more need for us. If you fail, there will be nobody left to fight for."

Macey swallowed hard. No pressure then.

"Does that mean we'll die if we succeed?"

"No... no.... no... you'll live happily ever after."

A slight chuckle followed that last statement. Dead Wardens with a sense of humour? How very strange.

Now came the most important question. "Why am I here?"

"Do you know what to do to save the world... the world... the world?"

Macey cringed. That was the tiny problem she was trying to ignore.

"No. We know that the Staran are dying, but we don't know why or what we can do about it."

"The Staran are only one part of the whole picture. You will need to look beyond them to see the root of the evil that is spreading quickly."

"The Voice... ehm, Mahoun?"

"Again, he is only a part. There is more going on than you know, but you need to hurry up to find a solution."

Macey sighed in frustration. How did new problems keep coming along? Dealing with both the Staran and the Voice was a big enough challenge. Now they were saying that there was more? Oh waves, this was becoming an impossible mission.

"Can you help?" she asked, trying to keep desperation from sneaking into her voice.

"No... no... no..."

"Then why am I here? Just so you can tell me how hopeless everything is? How we're likely going to fail?"

"No... no... no..."

"And stop doing that echo thing!" Macey screamed, frustrated and angry. Bad news kept overwhelming here and there was no end in sight. Didn't she deserve a break? Some time with her men? A moment to recuperate from the time she'd spent as a prisoner?

One of the six people got up. His face stayed in the shadows, but it was clear that he was a man. His broad shoulders reminded her of Flint, but he looked older, even though she could just see his body.

"I'm sorry," he said calmly with a deep, gentle voice. "We're not used to talking to outsiders. We didn't want to anger you."

"You didn't," Macey tried to backpedal. "It's just that I never seem to get good news, it's always doom and gloom. And with every answer we find, ten more questions pop up. It's so frustrating."

The man chuckled softly. "I remember that feeling. It seems not much has changed for the next generation of Wardens. But don't despair, there is always hope. As long as the seven of you are together, there is still a chance to fulfil your purpose."

"I don't have all the marks yet," Macey admitted.

"You will have them, soon. But you won't need them until the very end, so don't worry."

"So they're important?"

The man laughed again. "Oh yes, they're very important. Right now, though, you should focus on something else. The Staran won't let you travel on them for much longer. You need to stabilise them before you can proceed to deal with the other issues. A certain mouse should be able to help you."

"Luch? But she's not said anything about the Staran so far?"

"She? Is she pretending to be a woman this time?"

Macey nodded, remembering how surprised she was when Luch had first appeared in her human form. As a mouse, she didn't have a defined gender, but if Macey'd had to choose back then, she'd said it was a male mouse.

"Luch shows itself as whatever it wants to be. It must be in a feminine mood at the moment, or maybe it didn't want to look like competition to your husbands."

"Wait, they're not my husbands," Macey interrupted. "We're not married. I only met them... well, not long ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry, sometimes it's hard to keep the present and future apart." The man cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Although we see many futures, and only one of them will come to pass."

"So, you can see a future where I'm married to my men?" Macey asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, in several of them. The ones in which you win."

Macey smiled grimly. "How do I win? Who do I need to fight?"

"That will very much depend on the path you choose to take," the man answered.

"Helpful," Macey muttered. Even though this was a dream, and there'd be no way of hiding her thoughts and feelings.

"I know. I remember being in your position. Nothing seems to help, and everything seems to get more complicated by the minute."

"You can say that again," Macey said darkly.

"Though I'll admit, I only had one man to deal with, rather than three." The man chuckled to himself. "You really did make things that bit more complicated for yourself."

"They're the least complicated bit," she protested. "With them I know where I stand. They love me, I love them," she admitted, before realising it was the first time she'd ever said it out loud. She'd tell them about it later though. Right in the middle of the most stressful situation of their entire lives.

"I'm glad to hear it. I remember that feeling too." He glanced over his shoulder, and back towards where the other past Wardens were seated.

"Is this place we’re in somewhere us Wardens need to go?" Macey asked.

"No. This isn't really a place as such. More an echo of what is past. The thrones do exist. But they existed where we needed them to and will exist where and when you need them too."

"So, they'll just appear?" That should have surprised her. Or freaked her out. Or something, but it'd had gotten to the point where nothing was surprising her.

"I assume so. They did for us."

"But aren't you just human?" she blurted out, remembering something Malan had said.

"Yes. And I believe that's where the world has been going wrong. With the exception of Air, all any of us have ever been is human. It came as even more of a shock to us than it did to you."

"I must admit, finding shifters along the way hasn't been the weird bit."

"Exactly." The man looked off into the distance. "The road ahead is tough, Macey. You need to be prepared."

"Can you help me?" she asked hopefully.

"No, I don't believe so. The trials you have to face are too shrouded in mystery for anyone to see. Even prophets such as Malan and Fedelm will struggle to see your true path. There are so many you could take. In some, your battle is internal. A battle for yourself so to speak. In others, the war encompasses all manner of beings. And the people you've befriended along the way, are those that will aid you here."

"So, what you're saying is that anything could happen to me?"

"Pretty much." The man shrugged. "But I suspect the truth lies somewhere between there. You will have mental battles to face. Mahoun is trying to stop the prophecy coming to pass, though what's in it for him, is beyond anything I know. On paper, he has nothing to gain from the Staran dying. Nor from the things that would die after that."

"Because there's far more at risk than just our way of travelling?" she clarified.

"The whole world is at risk. Everything. Each type of magical being, every way of life. Even the humans are in danger."

"Got it. If I fail, everything will die. The world will implode. Nowhere will be left untouched."

"Pretty much, yes."

"Cheery thought."

"It's rather a heavy weight to bear. Our Wind Warden almost lost her mind over the pressure. I can empathise. She was only fifteen at the time. It's a lot to take in at that age," he said wistfully.

"At any age," Macey returned. "I don't think this would be any easier if I was as old as Aunt Nessie."

"Ah, yes, Nessie. She was only young when I met her, but she made an impression on Jonas."

"Jonas?" Macey echoed. "That was aunt's first husband's name"

"You don't know?" The man seemed surprised.

"Obviously not, please enlighten me."

"This place both exists, and does not," he started. "People can visit if they so wish."

"Go on..." Macey prompted, a sinking feeling she knew where this was going.

"We were the Wardens a hundred or so years ago, when your Aunt was a young kelpie, just exploring the world. Not unlike you, actually."

"Please tell me you're not saying what I think you are?" Macey shook her head from side to side, trying to rid herself of the images that had taken root there.

"Jonas and Nessie fell for each other instantly. Almost like it was written in the stars so to speak. They were inseparable until it came time for the final battle."

He looked away, sadness etched all over his face.

"They're lucky they still found a way to be able to meet. She used to come here once a week or so. Until about twenty-two years ago. She stopped then. We haven't seen her since."

He looked back towards the other Wardens.

"Which Warden was Jonas?" Macey asked, pretty sure she already knew the answer. There was only one way this was going, and she wasn't sure what to make about it.

"Water, but I think you already knew that." He smiled weakly.

"It makes sense. Kelpies are drawn to water."

"And to Wind, Fire and Earth apparently." He smiled coyly and Macey laughed.

"Apparently so."

"Jonas is a good man. Though he's fading now. We all are, to make way for you."

"I'm sure he is. I'd never think my ex-Uncle was anything else." And it did explain why her Aunt had always seemed so distant from the uncle Macey could remember."

"He's not your ex-uncle, Macey. He's your father."