I broke off my story at that point and turned to Tony.

"The story starts to get quite complicated for a while after this, at the time I didn’t really understand all that was happening, most of it seemed as if I was in a dream. You know, one of those crazy, mixed up dreams that you get when you have the flu and are running a high fever, where everything seems to have a dreamlike, nightmarish quality to it. So much of what I have to tell you next is as I now understand it. But first I think that maybe we need to take a break, and talk about something else for a little while."

Tony shook his head vigorously. “Dad, I don’t see any point in stopping now. It will be dark soon enough, and then we’ll have to stop and make our way back. And you don’t want to continue this in front of Maggie, do you? So let's just go on for now until the light starts to fade and we have no choice but to stop."

I smiled at him, nodded and carried on with my tale.

“The old woman was what they called a Wise One, her name was Setia. She was one of the small number of her people who was lucky to be born with a number of special abilities. They think of these special abilities as magic, but from what I’ve seen, all these abilities or powers seem to be the result of extended use of the mind, as if somehow those that exhibit these abilities can tap into areas of the brain that are either not developed or not available to the normal folk.

"I suspect that many more people have some of these so called magics, and that with training they too could be taught how to use them. But that does not happen, only young children who show signs of these abilities early in their life are trained. Such children, once identified, are sent to the Citadel to learn how to safely use their skills to their full potential, and to be indoctrinated in the Nadamu. The Nadamu is what we would call a Religion, but it's not about gods and afterlife and all those things… it's all about how to live this life.

"The Nadamu teaches the difference between right and wrong and, more importantly, good and evil. It also teaches how everyone is equal, which sets the foundation for treating each other with respect and never doing a disservice to anyone, even those not of the same race. In essence it teaches them to be good.

“Very few are now sent to the Citadel because in the distant past those with any magical abilities were hunted to near extinction by a demon that then ruled the world, but I’ll talk of him in a little while. The special abilities themselves are different from person to person in both the skills any person exhibits, and the strength of that skill.

"The abilities are quite varied, and I guess there are even more than I know of. They can communicate directly with another's mind, both up close and in some instances, when the strength is very strong, over great distances. An extension of that ability is to be able to control another's mind, and so bending that person to your own will. But that is very much in opposition to the Nadamu, and is outlawed except for in the most extreme of circumstances.

"They can also transport their minds to other places, viewing distant events as if they themselves stood there at that far location. Others have the ability to manipulate objects with their mind, move them about, moving objects much heavier than they could physically lift. Some can even cause objects to burst into flames.

"Healing is another ability that some have, and as you can imagine, it is a very sought after skill. A good practitioner can cure the most deadly of infections and heal the most horrific of injuries, leaving very little signs of any hurt at all.

"Usually a Wise One will have a combination of these abilities, but being able to heal is considered a wonderful gift. Setia was a strong healer, had some telepathic abilities and could also move and manipulate objects to a degree, but she was not a master of the latter abilities.

“I didn’t know then, but Setia had melded with my mind when she first came to me on the street. I had thought it was her eyes that held me entranced, but it was her mind, her telepathic ability. She looked into me, saw where I had come from and all that had befallen me.

"She did not understand a great deal of what she saw of our world or our culture, and many of the things she saw in my mind were alien and completely abhorrent to her. But still her doctrine and everything that she stood for cried out to help me.

“The Nargu know of the Wise Ones and, quite rightly, fear them. They know of the abilities they possess and how a strong Wise One, versed in the Battle Lore of old, would be able to defeat many times their own number of Nargu.

"Setia had tried to convince the Nargu that she was stronger than she really was; a bluff to try and force them to free me. But Nargu have some abilities too, other than their great size, strength and ferocity. In the dark times when their master ruled, he gave them certain gifts, lesser abilities to be sure, but yet of use to their kind. He gave to them the ability to deceive others, to lie and to not show any of those signs that give liars away. More importantly, he gave them the ability to sense when others tried to deceive them. To see and hear all the little things – the pitch of the voice, the heartbeat, sweating and the tell tale signs in the eyes – all those indicators that, taken together, allow a falsehood to be detected.

"Thus the Nargu saw that Setia could not defeat them all. Oh, she could hinder them, possibly even kill one, and perhaps, if the town people rallied to her, kill a second, but that would be all. So a compromise had been reached, I was to be freed for the night, fed, healed, and then returned to them in the morning.

"That was the best that Setia had been able to bargain out of them. My freedom for the night, in return for which she would not interfere in any of their business or hinder them in any way.”

“I suppose your wondering how I learned all this... Setia told me, well at least she touched my mind and we communicated of a fashion. She told me many things to prepare me for what was to come, to try and make things easier for me to bear.

"First she taught me her people’s language so that I might enlist help should I encounter others of her race – she said that not all of her race were as timid and afraid as those of her small village, and that some were great warriors. Then she taught me a little of the Nargu's language so that I would better understand their commands, and possibly learn what they planed for me.

“The people, Setia’s people, are known as the Ellathia, though they commonly refer to themselves as the People, and the world they live on, they call Ellas.

"There are many different races and not all are human, the Nargu being one example of the non human. The Ellathia, or the People, are the dominant race, the most populous. Their language, referred to as the Common Tongue, is used extensively throughout Ellas by all the races except the Nargu. The Nargu converse in their own language – few Nargu ever learn more than a few words of the Common Tongue, and only then if their master decrees that they must.

“Setia then told me some of the Nargu history. How in the distant past they had been a peaceful race and how, because of their size, Dar'cen, the demon I mentioned earlier, had enslaved them, changed and trained them to be one of his tools of terror, his fodder for his great war machine. Even today, she said, when Dar'cen had been destroyed over five hundred years ago, they still followed his teachings. They know nothing about right or wrong, and are only driven by want and pain.

"If they want something they will weigh up their desire for whatever it is, against the pain it might cost to take it, and then they will either take it or walk away. Or more to the point they will walk away and plot and scheme until they find a way to get what they wanted without the pain.

"Hence their bargain with Setia for me. They wanted me and would risk some hurt to keep me, but to allow me free for the night only cost a little pride, and that they would give easily. They are not prideful creatures.

“Setia taught me many things in those short hours we had together. Had she spoken to me in words, I am sure much would have been lost, forgotten completely by the morning. But when she joined with my mind, it was as if I knew all that she told me, as if I had always known. In some ways it was akin to how Dar'cen taught me, bent me to his will… but I'll talk of that later.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Setia told me of the demon, Dar'cen, how he had come to Ellas over six hundred years ago. No one knew from where but, she said, some scholars had their suspicions. She told of how before his coming all was at peace in the world, everyone lived in harmony with each other and with their fellow creatures. Much had been lost from those ancient days, she said. Their science and magics had brought prosperity and good health to all, illness had been all but eradicated and even the hardships of travel had been overcome with the discovery of near instantaneous travel using travelling grounds and the highly sought after travelling rods.

"It was travelling that the scholars believed had been their undoing – one of the ancients, the greatest scholar of all time it was said, in his never ceasing quest for knowledge had opened a way to other worlds, and then Dar'cen had come.

“Everything changed with his coming. He enslaved whole races, bent them to his will and used them to wage his war against the other races. If they were able to defy him, he destroyed them completely, hunting them down to the very last and wiping out any trace of their existence – entire races were exterminated. That way he conquered and enslaved all the races of Ellas. Millions died, but in the end his rule was absolute.

“His favourites, raised to rule at his feet, were chosen because he was so easily able to twist and manipulate their minds. They became the most vile and evil of his servants, revelling in his rule, and competing in their atrocities simply to win his favour. Thousands died horrific deaths for mere trivialities.

“He ruled for a hundred long dark years, and then came one man. Al'kar they named him. Al'kar waged war against Dar'cen, rallying those that remained. This Al'kar found weaknesses in Dar'cen's powers, and slowly, ever so slowly, the tide began to turn and good came into the world again. The war lasted almost ten years it was said, but at long last Dar'cen and his armies were defeated. Dar'cen, who was said to be immortal, was sent to his doom by Al'kar, never to rise again.

“That was what Setia said, what she believed, what I believed after she told me. Though it held little meaning for me then, it was just the history of their world and the Dark Times. How wrong we both were, Dar'cen had not perished at Al'kar's hands. He still lived, and the Nargu were taking me to him. But, again, I’ll talk of that later.

“Most of what I learned from Setia came to me in my dreams. She joined my mind whilst I slept that night, yet, despite all she taught, it was by far the most restful sleep I’d had since I had been taken. I’m convinced that, along with the knowledge she imparted, she also somehow infused me with some type of calming, because I awoke alert and refreshed, and noticeably absent was the feeling of terror that had pervaded my waking moments each other morning. Even Setia telling me of the inevitable extra beatings I would take from the Nargu because of her belittlement of them, did nothing to break the calm I felt.

“She told me that the Nargu would have drunk far to excess the night before because that was their way, and that they would sleep late into the morning, but would then wake in vile tempers and would beat me for the slightest excuse. Yet none of it filled me with the dread and terror I had felt over the last days, and for that alone I was in her debt. Oh, the beatings came and they were much worse than earlier, but I was no longer afraid of them, and that made the pain much more bearable. I was able to think, analyse my situation, plan ahead, and consider escape.

“We left midmorning. Setia had escorted me to the Inn, walked me inside, sat me down and bought breakfast, all whilst the Nargu slept. Whilst I ate she spoke to me with her mind, cramming into me as much as she could in the time we had left.

“There were no goodbyes, no hugs and kisses when the Nargu finally appeared. One knocked me out of the chair onto the floor, snatched up the end of my chain and walked out of the door dragging me behind it, as I desperately tried to clamber to my feet. My last memory of Setia was the look of pity in her eyes as I righted myself and was pulled through the door.

“Apart from the beatings the next few days were uneventful. The Nargu changed direction and headed directly for the hills and distant mountains. Slowly we left behind any signs of civilisation, the land stayed green and fertile but was strangely devoid of any human settlements.”

As I stopped talking, I looked round and realised that the day was almost done; the sun was setting below the trees and it would soon be night.

“We should get back now,” I said. “We can continue tomorrow when the sun’s up. You see, next, they take me to him, to Dar'cen, and even now the memories of it haunt me. I don’t want to talk of him at all really, but certainly not in the dark. I know that sounds foolish, a child’s fear, but it is really how I feel… I cannot talk of him now. Let’s go back, go to the pub perhaps, have a drink and a laugh."

Tony stood, turned and held his hand out to pull me up. As we faced each other, a terrible thought came to me – What if he’s humouring me, what if he has already made up his mind, thinks me mad or believes as Maggie does, that I really do have something to hide. I could not bear that, I would rather he just came out with it now, and tell me straight what he thought. I didn’t know what I would do if he did, but at least I would know where I stood then – with both of them.

I looked him straight in the eyes as I quietly asked, “Tony, do you think the same as Maggie, that all this is a charade and that I am hiding something, or that I am insane even? Have you already made up your mind and are just humouring me?"

He answered too quickly, his eyes showed the lie and he could not hold my gaze, looking away after only an instant.

“Of course not! I told you that I wanted to hear the whole story, and that I would not decide anything either way until you finished. Yes, it really is hard to believe, but I also don’t think that you could just make up a story quite so complex as this."

Putting an arm around my shoulder he said, “Come on, let's go back… I won’t come to the pub though, if you don’t mind. You go, have a drink for me. I’ll go and let Maggie know that we’re back, and I’ll then shoot off home."

We parted at the end of the street, each to go our own way. I smiled as I hugged and bade him goodnight, but my mood was darkness itself.

I had already lost Maggie and, if my suspicions were correct, I had just lost my son too. But suspicions alone weren’t enough, I just had to know – too often the David I used to be had buried his head in the sand, and ignored what was happening in front of his eyes in the vain hope of a peaceful life. I knew that the knowledge to come would rip my heart apart, but I had to know.

I waited a few moments for Tony to get home, and then followed.

As I slipped quietly in through the back door, I could clearly hear their voices in the lounge, and so did not need to get any closer than the doorway itself.

As I listened what I heard, affirmed my fears and chilled my heart – Maggie’s voice, cracked and choking as she cried.

“Are you sure Tony, really sure? I was convinced he was hiding something. He seems so normal… it's just that infernal fantasy of his that is so wrong."

“I’m convinced, Maggie. He believes everything he’s saying. He really thinks he was abducted and taken to this other world… he needs our help, Maggie, not the friction we’ve given him. He really needs our help and support. Somehow we’ve got to get him professional medical help, but I honestly don’t know how to go about it without breaking the promise we made. We both need to speak with him, get him to understand how insane his story is, and convince him to get help."

Maggie began to cry again. I couldn’t see what was happening, but I guessed that Tony was holding her, comforting her.

His voice was low, almost a whisper, as he spoke. “It will be okay, Maggie. Everything will all be fine, you’ll see."

“But the way I treated him, didn’t believe him, didn’t trust him, told him so to his face. I was convinced that there was someone else, and that that was what he was hiding. I hated him for it. And now it’s none of those things, he’s ill, disturbed, delusional or whatever it is. Oh, Tony, I am so ashamed of what I thought and how I treated him… but I really don’t think I can take anymore.

"The year he was missing was devastating, and I didn’t think it could get any worse, and then when they found him everything was going to be all right, back to normal. But it’s not, is it? It will never be right again, as it used to be… I don’t think I can do this, Tony."

Her voice trailed of into muffled sobs as I turned and left.

I got drunk that night, the first time since I was taken, very drunk. But it did not help, not at all.