Time slowed to a crawl as a single report echoed throughout the empty warehouse. The creature I had fired on slowly fell backwards, its featureless porcelain face and red flesh seeping a thick black oil. It felt like appeared as if everything was swimming through molasses; I was experiencing the world at the speed of thought, even if my muscles could only move in real time.

It always felt like this when we talked mind to mind.

"John," she said quietly, her mental voice shaking. "What did you just do?"

"He... he was coming right at me, so I shot him." I started to blink.

The fear coming across the link turned to panic. "We need to go, now. Don't bite your tongue, and don't make a sound."

Before my eyes finished closing we were in the rafters and I was naked. A subtle glow enveloped me -- one of Kimber's illusion spells.

"Get over it. You opened a hole in one of them; can't risk you spreading it. Besides, it's not like I haven't seen you before."

"Spreading it?"

"Why do you think we use flame and gravity magic against these things, dumbass? Bloodborne pathogen. My magic gives me some protection, but you? You get some of their juice in you, you become one of... them."

Time resumed and she pointed at the swarm. The humanoid creatures we were fighting had begun to swarm the one I had shot; ripping at its flesh. A larger one reared back and howled, its once featureless face a sickening mass of ichor-stained teeth. I heard Kimber take a deep breath and begin chanting quietly.

>Lord of the Forge, grant my prayer
>Grant me a blade to cleanse the land
>Hephaestus lend me your flaming sword #Laevateinn!

The world around me shuddered as a red circle formed underneath the creatures. A gout of white-hot flame erupted from the circle, consuming everything in its reach.

Kimber stumbled, the cost of casting so many powerful spells in a row finally starting to take its toll. As I caught her, I felt her cast an appraisal spell on me. "I'm ok. What's done is done. And you're good. Let's find you some some clothes before that illusion wears off."