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Clamor sighed as he leaned against a crumbled stone wall. The day had been rather uneventful--no intruders inside the temple besides the occasional jay or titmouse using the aged structure as a perch. The guardian found he greatly appreciated their company; it had been awhile since anyone had visited. Perhaps his goddess simply fell out of the favor of the general public, or maybe they'd constructed a fancier gathering place. He glanced up at the dense canopy, as if it offered any answers.

As the forest dimmed and the hum of the crickets slowly sprang up, Clamor figured this was yet another day to throw atop the pile of dull, peaceful watches. The moths fluttered by rhythmically, the flaps of their wings sounding increasingly louder. Was there a swarm? The more he listened, the less it seemed moth-like: the beats were far too quick and made almost a buzz. He'd yet to witness something this odd... and yet his curiosity was piqued. He rose to his feet and looked around for the source, when a soft thud of something hitting the earth was heard across the clearing. Swiftly, Clamor grabbed his spear and started towards the opposing wall of the temple. 

He had made it nearly halfway when a silhouette appeared against the fading light. The guardian's eyes widened and it took everything in him not to drop the spear he held. A person? What were they doing here? Clamor opened his mouth to speak when the figure fussed with something at their side. A weapon? No one was defacing the temple on his watch. His grip tightened on his own and he raised it threateningly when a bright spark appeared, illuminating the newcomer. An oil lamp rested in one hand, the other was shaking the flame out of a match. They were too focused on the task at hand, and only noticed Clamor when they looked up.

A yelp sounded from the figure, and they raised their hands in a sign of surrender. "Woah, hey! I don't mean any harm!" 

Clamor could see in the light now a thin humanoid dressed in patchy brown clothing. They had shaggy auburn hair and a tufted tail to match, which was at the current moment anxiously swishing from side to side. The shimmering wings and antennae they sported seemed to indicate that this was, in fact, the source of the noise, and would have been the oddest thing about them if not for the wooden mask. It covered the entirety of the newcomer's face, delicately carved to have two slits out of which to see from. Twin shapes, mirroring the look of an insect's mandibles, decorated its bottom half and hung down by their neck.

The guardian must have been looking them up and down for some time, as the figure seemed to relax. They lowered their arms, holding out the lantern with a cocked head. "Sorry, didn't realize this place was occupied." Their voice had a small buzz to it, reminiscent of the wingbeats heard earlier. The mask, of course, further muffled it, but it was nothing Clamor couldn't make out. "I can uh. Go if you want?"

He realized he was still braced for combat and subsequently eased up as well, planting the bottom of his spear into the ground beside him. "Oh no, you're fine... just startled me. We don't get visitors very often." He admitted with a weak smile.

"We?" Came the response.

"Well, me and the goddess of this temple. Are you here for worship?" 

If a faceless person could look puzzled, the newcomer was the perfect representation. "This pile o' rubble is a temple?" 

Clamor bit his lip, a mixture of astonishment, anger, and perhaps a bit of shame. "This is a holy place." He insisted. "The state of it has nothing to do with its purpose."

An antennae twitched. "Oh. Didn't mean to step on any toes, I ain't exactly the religious type." They spoke slowly, as if trying to choose their words wisely.

"Hm. Then what are you doing here if I may be so inclined?" 

"Just looking for a place to hunker for the night. I'm a bit of a nomad, ya see--gotta look for places to rest where ya can." They glanced around at the structure, the light of the lantern reflecting off of what cobble wall remained standing or not covered in twisted vines. "Would a goddess mind if I took a snooze in her... temple?"

The guardian raised a brow. "Maybe if the guest had a tad more respect she wouldn't."

There was a small giggle. "I thought you said you had no visitors? I mean surely she'd want what she could get eh? But if it helps," the humanoid bowed their head, "My humblest apologies, Miss Goddess."

Clamor buried his head in his hands, knowing the newcomer had a point. The temple was in bad shape and the lack of visitors did nothing but help its decay. But his pride and love of his goddess wouldn't let him admit that to anyone. At last, he spoke. "Fine. You can stay the night. But in exchange you can help tidy around here."

The tone of the stranger betrayed their smile. "Done deal. I'm Braeburn, by the way." They stretched out their free hand, and Clamor took it with a shake.

"Clamor." Came the response. 

"Well Mr. Clamor, it might be a few nights with the amount of work needed to be done 'round here so we're gonna need to work on your sense of humor. Can't have a cleaning buddy without some fun to pass the time, amiright?" 

The other closed his eyes. It was going to be a long night... but at least it was something.