The guards on gate duty were playing dice when a mage arrived. They knew he was a mage due to his robes and haughty expression. All the mages seemed to be full of themselves, even the apprentices. The higher ranking guard stood and asked the standard questions of visiting mages
"What brings you here mage, and what type of magic do you practice."
The mage looked annoyed, he must be from a smaller town.
"I'm reporting to the magic council, I practice blood magic"
The mage took out a summons scroll with the official magic councils seal.
"Blood magic? You must be the only blood mage left after the outlaw of forbidden magic, but with that scroll you may enter. Just be sure not to be taking anyone's blood while your here."
The mage smirked, but nodded in understanding as the gate was opened and he entered Veoson, named after the city's founder and original head of the magic council, though long dead now. Otorn, the blood mage, turned back.
"Guard. Where does the council reside?"
"Stay on this road to the center of the city, you can't miss it."
Otorn turned on his heel, robes swirling as he swiftly headed away from the guards. He never liked guards. Likely due to the fact that he was in fact a blood mage, and he knew no others. As a blood mage he gained his power from blood, as convenient as it was to use his own blood that was quite taxing, which was why the council had summoned him. He'd been caught draining a farmers family of blood, and as a magical crime he had to answer to the council. He could have ran but he was to proud to spend his life on the run.
Despite his circumstances, the amount of power he gained from that useless family was well worthy the trouble. He got more blood from them then he could have from himself in a year, maybe more.
The walk from the gate to the center of town took an hour. Of coarse that was because he was in no hurry to receive his punishment so he stopped in a few shops and even got lunch. The whole while keeping a tight grip on his satchel.
Otorn got a room at an inn so after he met with the council he could go straight to bed, he was tired from traveling. That way he could also store his bag in a locked room while he was dealing with the mages. Mages tend to be greedy and power hungry, he should know, and if they knew the power he had access to they would surely take it for themselves.
With his bag hidden in the pillow of his rented bed he headed for the center of town, not noticing the curious eyes of the locals as they saw a mage coming out of the low end inn.
At the center of town there was now fortress or building as he was expecting, there was only a stone archway. Otorn went back to his inn, and asked the inn keep, an ugly rather short women, perhaps she is part dwarvern he mused.
"Innkeep, I am expected at the magic council, how do I reach them?"
"You must be new here mage, the portal in the center of town was made by some of the best mages, if you want to see them you'll have to use it"
Otorn hated feeling stupid, but had a very limited knowledge of magic.
"Right, and how does one use this portal?"
"Just stand in the archway, use a bit of your mana and think of where you want to go"
"My gratitude"
He tossed a coin at the innkeep, best to keep the person who owns the room he was storing his materials in happy.
Back at the archway Otorn stood directly underneath and thought about his summons to the magic council. Nothing happened. So he actually had to use mana, that must keep the regular citizens from going places they're not wanted.
Otorn closed his eyes, in his mind he could see his stored blood. It swirled in a sphere over a golden field. He wasn't sure how it worked with other mages but this was his source of magic. And acted as his mana supply. When he saw blood or came onto physical contact with it, outside of his veins, it would vaporize and float through his eyes, or be absorbed into his skin and accumulate here.
Unfortunately all he saw was an empty golden field. Though he expected that, he knew he had already used all his stored blood. Inside his robe he kept a small, very sharp knife. He grabbed it and made a small cut across his palm. Looking at the wound he willed his blood to open the portal. Before he felt the space magic take him somewhere else he knew his hand had already healed.