When the rumor of foreign armies crossing the Danube spread through the village, the tribe started talking. Everyone was more or less looking at the round building in the middle of the settlement attempting to guess what the decision of the elders would be.
 

This was a serious matter as Decebalus’ envoy was still there. Three times Decebalus demanded the tribe to join his kingdom. Three times the elders sent the messenger back as soon as he came.
 

Nobody was probably more concerned then Haedaules, whose father was the leader of the council of the elders. He looked once more at the big wooden door and ran towards the temple, north-east of the square. He knew the road very well and this time he wasn’t following anyone. The temple’s columns were growing fast in front of his eyes as he was rushing towards the entry and further down inside towards the north-east side, the area reserved only for the ktistai.
 

‘The entry must be here somewhere’, he mumbled looking between the columns for a wall.
 

Nobody was allowed over the purple winding line separating the worship place for the priests from the one for the rest of the tribe. This rule was strictly observed and whoever broke it was harshly punished. Deep beyond the columns a purple veil was always hiding the rest of the temple from the prying eyes of the people.
 

Haedaules was much beyond the line trying to remember the path he walked with covered eyes so many times. On his right a column was slightly cracked and he counted 50 steps forward from it, then 10 steps left and 10 steps left again. To his surprise there was no corridor and no stairs, just 2 columns on each side. All around, the straight, tall identical marble columns were creating the sense of a confusing labyrinth.
 

Haedaules started to feel the marble tiles with his feet. Each marble had an intricate design with strange symbols. At each visit the tall man would stop a little and Haedaules would hear a sound like a heavy door opening. He used the short stop to feel the design with his feet, notice the shapes and imagine how it looked like.
 

He glanced again at the piece of parchment he kept his notes on after every visit and looked down. In this area all the tiles were bearing the same design: two vertical thick lines, two horizontal lines and what it looked like a wooden fence on top of it. The one he stood on looked right but didn’t feel right. Then he remembered: on the one he stood before there were exactly 11 pieces in the fence, because his toes would fit exactly in the holes between them.
 

Haedaules searched for the tile and found it close to one of the columns. He noticed a round crack which strangely resembled with the crack on the tile. He pushed slightly on the crack and a portion of the tiles in front of him started to lower slowly with a heavy noise, forming a staircase.
 

He rushed down the stairs and one of his past guides told  him: ‘He is waiting for you!’ Soon Haedaules arrived in the well known white marble hall.
 

‘You must have something very important to tell me if you can risk your freedom and the wrath of you father to come here’, the tall man greeted him.
 

“I had dreams again, about the armies in the south, the Romans. Next year they will be here, the village burned down, the temple destroyed and almost everyone I know dead’ Haedaules said very fast, almost holding his breath.

‘I know, we did too’, answered the tall man.

‘So this is going to happen, sighed Haedaules, with a strong accent on “is”. What about the wolves? Are they real too? I heard you are powerful and know how to get the favor of the gods, that you spoke with Zamolxis himself, rasped Haedaules again.
 

‘We are not more powerful then you or anyone else in the tribe. We are not favored by the gods more then what people call the lowest comati. But we do know a way to open our hearts and be heard by the gods. And some of us indeed talked with Zamolxis and were allowed to live and tell about it”, answered the tall man.
 

‘So may be you can help me make sense of my dreams and visions…” added Haedaules slowly.
 

The tall man turned his head with surprise. ‘Visions? You never told me about your visions! We probably can help you but our path is full of danger. Some died following it, some wished they would have died. Go home and come back when you’re ready, you know the way by now. No need to tell you that if you show it or even mention about it to anyone you will be dead the next time you draw your breath. You and whomever you are talking to. “, added the tall man.

With a gesture of his hand, he dismissed Haedaules, and the guide lead him to the exit, this time without covering his eyes.