The Council

As Otorn opened his eyes he felt nauseous. He was standing underneath a stone archway in what appeared to be a waiting room for the council. A mage wearing spectacles looked at his grimacing face with sympathy.

"First time using a portal? Don't worry the nausea goes away after a few hours"

Otorn scoffed at the weak bodies of most mages. His nausea was already gone thanks to a healing spell he mastered from the blood tome he'd hidden at the inn.

"I have an important meeting with the mages council apprentice, where is it?"

"Right through this door, they've been expecting you"

Otorn quickly pushed open the double doors in a grand fashion, striding to the center of the room. Holding up the scroll, he called out

"I am here answering your summons mage council"

The doors closed behind him and the room was light by arcane crystals embedded in the floor. Orton could now see the council members seated in an elevated pew around the circular room.

"We know"

"Would you care to defend your actions, or are you ready to receive our judgment?"

"Defend my actions?" Otorn was taken aback. "Yes I killed a couple farmers, but I did it in pursuit of... magical research. They were nobodies, they will be easily replaced and easier forgotten"

"That line of thinking is how all schools of magic will become forbidden in the coming age"

"In my opinion blood magic should have been made illegal along with necromancy, and the only reason it isn't is because of how uncommon it is "

"Because you murdered them for magical research and not out of self defense this is our judgement"

"The King made it clear long ago, mages are not above the law, you will be sentenced to death to ensure the prosperity of all mages"

"DEATH?" Otorn figured he wouldn't get off with just a warning, but the worst punishment he thought he could get would be a life sentence not a death sentence.

"Please, let me serve the kingdom, let me rot in jail, I'll even work as a slave if you just spare my life"

Of coarse Otorn had no intention of staying true to his words, but a little bit of time, he could restock his blood supply, and breakout, live as an outlaw away from civilization.

The council was quiet.

"No, death must be answered with death, and yours will put us in good graces with the King"

"If it is death you want, it is death you shall receive" Otorn almost screamed.

He drew his knife and shrugged his robe off revealing a well sown vest and his bare arms. Without hesitation he slashed up and down both his arms. As he bleed his mind cleared and he knew what he must do. He must kill the council and escape through the portal, reclaim the blood tome and disappear into the forest outside the city.

The flowing blood was formed into many small shards and shot towards the council. One of the mages of the council raised his arms, a mana shield, tinted blue quickly covered all the mages and formed a bubble trapping Otorn within. Otorn cursed. As the mages began channeling mana through the shield to attack Otorn, he realized he could not win. Otorn smiled one last time before slitting his own throat. As his blood squirted out the mages sighed having dealt with the last of the blood mages. However as the blood continued to pour out in unnaturally large quantities, they became worried.

As the bubble containing Otorns body filled with his blood it suddenly exploded, breaking the shield spell and took the form of long bloody spears as it shot out at the mages council. The mages panicked quickly casting defensive spells, but it was useless the bloody spears pierced they're spells impaling each of the most powerful mages. The room went quiet as no more spells were cast, as each of the members of the mages council each took their last breath.