Constantine nods, and returns the whisper. "It'd probably be for the best. Where are we going next?"
"this way" he leads you down a narrow alleyway through a few short turns to make sure you have lost the others before you arrive at the aforementioned warehouse. he picks up the package and begins to head through the streets of Constantinople.
Trintion can make a per+awareness roll of 9+ to relocate Constantine again at this point.
Trintion
Looking up from Spyros and having not noticed the young man and his shifty compatriot leave, Trintion gets a little aggitated. Clomping over to the door they were at, glancing down side streets before returning to Spyros. "They left. Dammit. You didn't see where they went, did you?"
The ruffian leads Constantine through the streets to a side street which comes to a door on the side of a shop, where he knocks three times, pauses, and knocks twice. The door opens and an older man cracks the door open and looks out, eyes Constantine and asks "Whose your friend?" "He's a son of the trading house, says he's supposed to be developing a professional relationship for branching out. He also had a talking horse earlier."
The man opens the door wider, "well come in, both of you, would you like a drink, tea? something stronger?"
Spyridon
Spyros is at a loss. "I didn't know your servants would leave mylord. I didn't see where they went. Sorry mylord."
Spyros doesn't say it, but he thinks it is weird that the servants of a sorcerer would leave him, and also that the shapeshifter probably could locate them with his abilities.
Constantine goes in fearlessly, looking around, but staying quiet.
The man takes the bundle from the ruffian and pays him in silver, then sits with you at the table, again offering you a drink, "so what sort of business were you interested in, um, diversifying your family interests into?"
Constantine looks intently at the man. "What would you think of me if I accepted a drink from a stranger? Especially knowing a bit about your trade? But I hope we don't remain strangers.
It's mostly my idea, but I've been given permission to develop it, and, well, I'm the next generation. I think we can be middlemen. Someone wants something brought in from outside the city, we supply it. Someone wants something smuggled out, you hand it over to us and we take care of it. Someone wants some difficult task done, they ask us, and we get it done.
We're not looking to take away anyone's livelihood. We have the financing, we just need the right people working for us, and the right connections. I just think it would be nice if everything could be organized and orderly, with us able to solve everyone's problems, just for a small slice of the Halva. It could make life easier for the independent operators, you know? I'm not bossy, and the pay would be fair. Right now everyone buys the same magistrate, bribes the same customs officer, why not just work for the firm that buys him for everyone and save on overhead? Not to mention having an organization to do the footwork, provide whatever support you need, finance jobs, move product in or out for you..."
Constantine gives an innocent smile.
"It's a good idea, right?"
"It's a terrible idea!" the old man sits back "I don't bribe any magistrates, or any customs officers. I'm sure there are people who do, but they don't want to work for you, or have you take money from them to bribe someone on their behalf, and if you start trying to cut into a magistrate's bribes, or a customs officers, well you are just asking for trouble. It sounds to me like a fast way to get yourself killed! You were right, Adrian, this one is really naïve. You'd be better off drinking a strangers tea then trying an idiot idea like this. " as he is talking Adrian locks the door. "Now the real question kid, what will your family pay to get you back?" Another rough looking man enters the room from the front of the shop with a knife drawn and a grin on his face.
Constantine shrugs, a sullen look on his face.
"Plenty? I don't know. Less if you stab me."
The man grins and moves around behind where you are seated. "Good, we understand each other. Just hold still while I tie you down, then we'll send someone to pick up the ransom money. After all, if your family can afford a talking horse, they should have no problem meeting our ransom." he starts tying your hands together.
As the man ties him up, Constantine uses the contact to try to erase the man's memories of his target. But the situation is too fraught, the boy is too scared, and the Dominion is too strong here, and he loses control of his magic, slipping into twilight.
Constantine finds himself in a strange room full of familiar things, some from the current time, others from his childhood, the room seems to go on forever and bend in on itself in ways that he thinks might not be possible, but he would need to know more arts liberales to be certain. When he comes to, the shopkeeper has just finished tying him up, and he has acquired an affinity with mentem.
"Great, now head to the boy's family, and deliver the ransom note. Discretely."
"Um, about that."
"What?"
"I'm not sure where he lives, its not like he ever gave us his last name, or took us by his house."
The shopkeeper rubs his forehead. "okay, Constantine, which family do we send the ransom note too? The quicker we know, the quicker you get ransomed, he faster you will be home for dinner."
Meanwhile the talking horse and the man beside him are getting some odd looks as they wander the less reputable parts of the city...
Constantine gives the man the location of the trading house that's the cover for Artemis' operations. "Constantine. Tell them you have Constantine."
The man writes a note quickly and hands it to Adrian, who has been repeating the directions to Constantine, making sure he has them right.
Trintion and Spyridon need to make a roll per+awareness difficulty 12+
Trintion
"That's HIM,"Trintion whispers to Spyros, "If you want my help with your sick Nephew we need to find out where he took Constantine."
Spyridon nods and starts going after the man. He tries to catch up with him, but the distance didn't seem to be getting reduced...
Trintion quickly follows and also tries to catch up with the man.
The man wasn't actually moving quickly, he was keeping pace and blending in to the crowd.
until of course he noticed a talking horse following him and a man running after him.
He dodges down a small side street again, but this time the two are not distracted by their dramatic introduction and follow him easily until they catch up with him on an isolated side street.
Trintion says, "Where did you take the boy?" as menacingly as he can.