The main foyer of Cooperâ€™s Watch was almost completely empty ( a rare occurrence in these troubled times). The high stone walls, their age carved into them through the pocks of the deep gray stone and accented by the archaic gargoyles watching from the corners of the manner, had rarely seen such a scarce presence in nearly four centuries. However, one lone figure sat in the empty lobby, huddled over in one of the old wooden benches that lined the back wall, their make a deep mahogany that contrasted the off white marble of the floor beneath it.<br/><br/>The chopper ride from the seaport had been absolute murder! Literately. Seriously, who transports a dangerous creature and forgets to bring enough sedatives to keep down it case of an emergency?<br/><br/>Danzer refused to apologize for his actions.<br/><br/><br/>Giving a guttural groan, his head sunk in his hands, fingers gripping between strands of his messed short hair. The drugs might not have kept him down, but damn if this didnâ€™t feel like a hell of a hangover. As one of the massive front doors slammed shut, the brunette shuttered, head tilting up just enough to allow one cold eye to glare at the guard who sauntered down the hall blissfully unaware of the death threats being silently directed towards him. Sighing heavily, Danzer attempted to return to his state of recovery, however, he was swiftly interrupted.<br/><br/>â€œEric Danzer?â€<br/><br/>Lifting his head, the Americanâ€™s eyes ran over the slender, older gentleman. Studying him intently, he slowly stood, feeling under-dressed for the occasion. Wearing only jeans, a white t-shirt, and a pair of tennis shoes, he looked oddly out of place next to the man clad in a three piece, well tailored suit. Oh well. Nodding, he finally answered.<br/><br/>â€œYeah, thatâ€™s me. Just Danzer.â€<br/><br/>The older man smiled. â€œVery well. Iâ€™m Mr. Harlen. I'll be your guide here at Cooper's Watch and your representative to the guild. Youâ€™ll be happy to know that your partner is right on time and the two of you will be meeting soon enough. Now, we generally like two candidates to rely on each other for information and, since you've been with the guild longer, I assume you can fill him in on the details?"<br/><br/>â€œYou mean why exactly weâ€™re being tossed together? Yeah, I think I can handle that. Might not be the hardest part of my day,â€ he added in a sarcastic tone. He hated all this b.s. when it came to transferring and moving around, a process he had done a few times already.<br/><br/>â€œAnd what of yourâ€¦you know-â€œ Harlen paused, allowing Danzer to continue.<br/><br/>â€œWe leave that off the table for now. Get the basics out of the way and let me start my training which Iâ€™ll begin as soon as I can get a hold of one of his shirts or something. Plus, he has got to get accustomed to me like this first. Thatâ€™s going to be a hard enough feat, so weâ€™ll just take it one step at a time."<br/><br/>Harlen nodded, allowing the man to make his own decisions on how to handle this new assignment. Silently continuing through the quiet corridors, Danzer's own powerful stride had to be slowed to avoid out pacing Harlen's relaxed steps and easy pace. This clearly annoyed Danzer who glared down at nearly a head and a half over the older gentleman. Even with his nerves still slightly sedated, he was anxious. He was in a new place with new smells and new sounds. Hell, he was in a new country. Everything was different and different, for Danzer, wasn't a good thing. He'd have to spend a good deal of time stalking the halls in order to figure out what was normal and what wasn't. This was everything from the wind against the walls to the smell of the oil they used on the hinges of the doors. Things that, at the moment, had him on edge.<br/><br/>Approaching a large set of gigantic wooden doors, Harlen leaned on them with his flawless white gloves and pushed them easily out of the way. "This," he called over his shoulder, "Is the grand hall." And grand it was. The size comparison could easily have been likened to a small football field, the vast majority of the elaborately decorated room was open and vacant. On either side, large staircases began and broke off into the Watch's Western and Eastern wings. A pattern on the marbled floor seemed to start from the outer edge and swirl inwards until it formed a large sun in the middle of the room, the soft golden hue illuminated by the chandelier hanging from the high ceiling above.<br/><br/>"Woah..." the stunned man muttered, taken by the scenery around him. He'd never been in a place like this before, the closest thing being a state capital that he'd been briskly escorted out of shortly upon entering. Damn speciests.<br/><br/>"I'm glad it's to your liking, Danzer. Now, if you'll just kindly wait here, I am sure your partner will be here momentarily. Make yourself at home..as you are quite that. Home."<br/><br/>Pacing around, Danzer's grey eyes just flickered from the wall tapestries to the ornate carvings on the high ceiling, studying each and every piece. He'd never been somewhere that made him feel small. A smile spread across his lips, an expression that looked foreign upon them. He stopped near the center of the room, gazing straight up at the chandelier. Bring up one thick hand, he gave a pleased "hm" as he itched the thick scar that ran horizontally high across the bridge of his nose. Well, perhaps this wasn't going to be such a bad assignment after all.