As storms brewed, worse things came from the wastes.

“Duck!,” Cassie yelled just as Theo managed to freeze up another one of the cyber hounds. 

It took time and practice, but after killing three or four of them, Theo had gotten the hang of it. He was no longer freezing up when facing one of those hulking creatures. He also learned they actually did have something left of a brain in those metallic skulls of theirs. The meat might’ve decayed, its organic mind may have faltered, but there was enough left that he could use his magic against them.

Rather than using brute force, he had to instead focus his power into a single sharp needle thin jab, and casted it directly into the frontal cortex of the monsters minds. One by one he was able to blind them, stunning them in place as their machine components scrambled to re-sync with its flesh.

Once he had successfully zapped them, as Lori liked to call it, Theo would duck out of the way so that Cassie could get a clear shot. Should that not be not enough, Lorelei would light them up with a bout of fire to finish them off.

A clear shot to the head with a high caliber full metal jacket from Cassie’s rifle was usually enough to kill them. Using this tactic, they were able to deal with the cyber hounds one at a time. Things got more complicated when they had to deal with several at once.

Another four of them came at them now, coming to investigate the ruins of the old trenches. Lorelei tried to separate them using walls of fire, which barely worked. They weren’t afraid of the fire, but Lorelei’s magic was hot enough to seriously damage them, causing them to hesitate.

The loud boom of Cassie’s rifle sent reverberations through the air, the cyber hound she had been aiming at, the one Theo zapped, collapsed after the impact threw it back. Thick rubbery coils were split open, sending gouts of oily blood spilling in the air. Electrical spasms jolted its metallic pieces, causing the muscle and sinew to steam and even catch on fire. The smell of the monster’s demise was revolting, reminding him of spoiled milk and burning metal.

“Lori let another one through,” Theo called out. He reloaded his sidearm as best he could, and tried to use his good hand to fire a couple rounds at the nearest cyber hound.

Lorelei’s tail flickered, a subtle acknowledgement, and she parted the flames just long enough to let another beast jump through. She was getting tired, and just as soon as she opened a path, the remaining three took advantage. She gasped from the strain and the shock of letting the beasts slip free.

Theo cursed. “Lori get down.”

Lorelei jerked back, sliding into the dirt. She quickly reached for something in her belt, and the light glinted off something made of glass.

Theo felt the pressure behind his eyes, as he tried to exert more power. He looked each of the beasts in the eye, zapping them all in turn, but failed to shock their brains enough to make them go blind. Instead he was only able to hindrance their sight, causing them to lunge at him in awkward angles. 

One of them landed close, it was one of the smaller ones with an abundance of tubes acting as its throat. One of the hoses was larger than the others, and Theo made a split second decision. He leapt forward, dagger in hand, and sliced into it. While he wasn’t able to cut clean through, the knife plunged through the rubber material, releasing gouts of burning hot liquids. 

Theo jerked back, his bodysuit absorbing the worst of the heat, and rolled away before it could strike back at him. Within seconds the cyber hound’s movements slowed to a crawl, then falling face forward into the ground. While not completely dead, clearly it was slipping away, its sickening lifeblood seeping into the earth around it.

The three remaining cyber hounds seemed to respond to the others demise, they howled and seethed with mechanical fury. Cassie fired wildly at the closest, but failed to hit it in a vulnerable spot. 

Theo watched as one of the cyber hounds, perhaps the largest, looked squarely at him. It’s hulking mass blocked out the sun! He could smell its sour breath as it took a step toward him, its gears twisting and turning with rust.

It opened its jaw, unveiling several rows of scarlet coated teeth, and a collection of pincer like instruments spread along the gaping maw of its throat. 

As it arched its bullish head forward, reading to consume him, everything erupted in flames. An all consuming pyre engulfed the cyber hounds, hot enough to even melt metal!

The sounds of the cyber hounds screaming would haunt his dreams, but it wouldn’t last as the metallic screeching guttered out when the fire ate away at its false vocal chords.

One by one they each collapsed, their sinew and metal joints popping from the intense heat. The ground shook with each of their collapse. 

Theo looked over to see Cassie staring blankly at the charred earth, her wolf like tail tucked between her legs, her rifle aimed to the ground. He then turned around to find Lorelei. 

She was naked, her clothing had burned off her pink lathered skin. Her voluptuous curves were glistening with sweat and steam. An eerie purple light pulsed through her veins, and her eyes seemed to glow. None of that drew his attention more so than the sight of her cherry red nipples. 

“Lori, did you do that?” Theo asked in shock.

The Redever fell to her knees, then began to crawl on all fours towards him. Her large heaving breasts bounced off the ground with each sway of her shoulders and hips. Her tail shivered back and forth, coiling and dancing as if excited.

“Lori—” Theo gawked, staring at her beautiful body as she made her way to his legs, then began crawling up them, reaching for his waist.

“Please, let me see it…” She was drooling as she tried to unbuckle the tactical belt, and yank down the lower portion of his body suit.

Her loins were on fire! Her body flowed with Allucia, sending her world ablaze. Lorelei’s vision was hazy, and her body flustered. It was as if a living breathing euphoria polluted her veins, consuming her mind, and driving her into a blissful stupor. 

Power, pure undiluted power, was driving her insane. 

The high was only temporary, all her inhibitions only tempered for a short time, but during that blissful moment, every desire she ever had was violently shoved to the surface.

She wanted Theo, she wanted him all over her! She wanted to bathe in his seed, to feel his manly shaft spear through her virginity, and pump her full of—

“Lorelei get a hold of yourself!” Cassie’s voice broke through the malaise of restless desire.

Lorelei blinked, feeling the cold wind brush against her skin, and looked around. 

She was leaning over Theo’s body, his pants pulled down, and he was looking at her naked body completely dumbstruck. 

“Wait…what was I…” Lorelei’s eyes darted back and forth, then looked down at her naked body and screamed.