DRAGON PUNKS NFT 06: SCORCHED MEMORIES

Sayonara Rex punches a Rotwing

Sayonara Rex convulsed violently on the purple grass that blanketed the plains of Crystallia's landscape, crimson blood spilled from from his mouth and the gaping wound caused by his recent encounter with a Rotwing in the Time Space Corridor. Blood and corruption coated the ground beneath him. His chest heaved with each labored breath as he fought for his life, his magma glowing scales dimmed from vibrant orange to a dull rust color as the corruption spread visibly through his veins.

"I must summon Crystallia’s light to purge this corruption. Now! before he is lost!" Xylith Tearlock's voice carried authority that sent his Keepers rushing to Rex's side. The tall, elegant dragon's crystalline scales reflected the purple light of Crystallia's three moons as he knelt beside the fallen warrior.

"The... creature..." Rex coughed, spraying blood across Xylith's pristine robes. "It's... still... alive... in the... corridor..."

"Be still," Xylith commanded, his eyes glowing with ancient knowledge. "The Corridor's dangers can wait. You are safe here warrior."

Rex grabbed Xylith's robe with a trembling hand. "No... you don't... understand... breached... realm... corrupted..."

His words dissolved into a fit of violent coughing that left him gasping for air. The corruption lines had reached his neck, black tendrils creeping upward into his neck and jaw.

“The corruption spreads swiftly. We’re losing him!”

Xylith placed his hand on the ground, closing his eyes in deep concentration. His connection to the planet of Crystallia was profound, allowing him to commune with the very essence of the world itself. The purple grass parted as a gleaming white crystal emerged from the surface, forming a perfectly smooth platform by the side of the wounded warrior. It hummed with energy, glowing with an inner light that pulsed in rhythm with Rex's failing heartbeat.

"Place him on the obelisk," Xylith instructed his keepers. "Gently." The crystal healing bed continued to grow and shape itself under Xylith's mental command.

The keepers carefully moved Rex onto the hexagon shaped crystalline bed. The sight was both beautiful and terrible—the pure, radiant crystal now stained with Rex's blood and the black corruption that oozed from his wounds.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Xylith mused, though his eyes remained concerned. "Even in the face of death, beauty persists."

Rex thrashed suddenly, his eyes wild with panic. "The human... severed arm... death… world! "

"His mind battles the corruption’s visions." one of the keepers said, attempting to restrain the thrashing dragon warrior.

"No." Xylith's voice was quiet but firm. "He's trying to tell us something important."

Xylith placed his palm against Rex's forehead, his hand glowing with a soft golden light. "Be still, warrior. You are safe in Crystallia. Show me what troubles you."

The effect was immediate. Rex's body relaxed from the convulsions and his breathing steadied, though the corruption continued its grim advance. His eyes rolled back as Xylith closed his own, their minds connecting through an ancient Crystallia magic.

Images flashed through Xylith's consciousness. The Corridor's chaotic energy, the monstrous Rotwing creature, the desperate battle, all flashed before his mind’s eye. Then he saw her… a human female, terror etched on her face as a severed, corrupted arm clutched her throat, its claws digging into her flesh.

Xylith pulled back with a gasp. "By the Void..."

"What did you see?" his chief keeper asked.

"The warrior speaks truth. There is a world in grave danger." Xylith extended his hand. "Bring me the Time Disruptor. Quickly!"

A young apprentice Keeper rushed forward with what appeared like an insignificant gold disk shaped object streaked with what looked like pulsing gold circuitry. Xylith took it, his hands moving in precise patterns across its surface.

"I must bring her here," he said, the object glowing brighter with each gesture. "The corruption will consume her and then use her to destroy her world if I don't act swiftly."

The Time Disruptor was a highly advanced technology that altered the electromagnetic field of the one who wielded it. By tuning the device to the destination frequency, it allowed the user to travel to any point in space and time, instantly teleporting them to the desired location. As all things in the universe vibrated at a specific calculable frequency, matching the user to the frequency of the time and place would transport them there with perfect precision.

"Master Tearlock," the chief Keeper protested, "bringing an untested species to Crystallia, the consequences could be–"

"It is necessary," Xylith cut him off. "The Corridor has already been corrupted by Rotwingz. The breached world will be destroyed if we do nothing. Billions will perish. Another world will be lost to the corruption."

The Time Disruptor flashed blindingly, and in an instant Xylith vanished.

---

Alice's vision was fading, black spots dancing at the edges as the monstrous arm tightened around her throat. Her fingers clawed uselessly at the corrupted limb, its flesh burning her skin wherever she touched it. The dense muscle was extremely hard and her efforts to release the putrid hand’s grasp were meaningless.

She was going to die here, alone in the forest, killed by something impossible—something that shouldn't exist. Her consciousness began to slip away.

Suddenly, a flash of blinding light. The pressure on her throat remained steady, however she was now in the arms of Xylith and back on the world of Crystallia. Xylith used his powerful hands to remove the Rotwing arm from Alice's throat.

He placed Alice next to the unconscious Sayonara Rex on the crystal healing bed, now a glowing pinkish brown as it was covered in blood. Rex's massive dragon body made Alice look like a toy doll in comparison.

"Dispose of the corruption," Xylith commanded, and two smaller dragon keepers rushed forward, taking the corrupted arm with expressions of disgust. The stench alone was enough to make anyone vomit. They carried it to a stone clearing where they used their flame breath; it burned with an unnatural intensity until nothing remained but gray ash.

The wise old dragon Xylith, closed his eyes in deep concentration once more. Alice was motionless and her heart was beginning to slow. The crystal however seemed alive, responding to Xylith's will, it pulsated to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

“I have no choice but to syncronize the crystal’s rhythms to the warrior’s heartbeat. She will only survive if she is strong enough to match his energy.”

Alice briefly opened her eyes. They widened as she saw the orange-scaled dragon warrior lying on a similar platform nearby, her heart beat escalated with an intensity she had never felt before. She was still in shock and disbelief as she witnessed the warrior’s body trembling as black corryption tendrils spread across his scales.

"It’s okay child." the calm Xylith said, his voice resonating in her mind more than her ears. "You are safe now." He placed his hand on her forehead the same way he did with Rex. The soft glowing light calmed her nervous system.

The calm old dragon's face faded from sight as her consciousness slipped away.

---

"Will they survive?" Nova asked, her amber scales shimmering with concern as she studied Rex's severly damaged body. She brushed a hand gently across his forehead, wincing at the heat radiating from his scales.

“He carries so much pain.” She said empathetically.

Beside her, Eon Drake paced restlessly, his intense gaze fixed on the sight in front of him. "The corruption is advancing faster than the crystal's purification," he noted grimly. "No one can survive this kind of damage. Is he going to turn into one of those things? A Rotwing? What will we do if he turns? If he couldn’t hold one off, what chance do we have?"

Xylith approached, "I have done what I can for now. The rest depends on his will to live."

"And the… human?" Eon asked, gesturing toward Alice. "I've never seen one up close before. They're... more frail and soft than I expected."

Nova nodded, studying Alice with fascination. "No scales or armored plating, no horns for defense, such delicate skin... How do they even survive in their world?"

"They are more resilient than they appear," Xylith replied. "This one has possible survived an encounter with a Rotwing—few can claim such a feat."

A sudden movement from Rex's crystal bed drew their attention. The warrior dragon's body convulsed and seized in pain, the corruption reaching his jaw now. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused and glassy.

"He's slipping away," Xylith said quietly.

Nova gripped Rex's hand tightly. "Fight, warrior. Your journey is not over!"

As Rex's consciousness faded, his mind retreated deep into memory—back to the beginning, to the scorched plains of his homeworld, Cindra.

---

Young Rex scampered across the volcanic landscape, scaled feet immune to the heat that would have melted flesh from bone. He laughed, the sound echoing off the obsidian cliffs as he chased his sister, Jira, across a field of cooling lava.

"You're too slow!" Jira taunted, her wings already stronger than Rex's, giving her an unfair advantage as she made short gliding jumps.

"That's cheating!" Rex called back, but his voice carried no real anger—only the competitive spirit that defined their species.

The shadow that fell over them was immediate and absolute. Both young hatchlings froze, looking up at the massive form that blocked Cindra's twin suns.

Lord Agnidrake, the king, regarded them with eyes like molten magma. His wings, spanning wider than most dwellings, folded against his armored back as he landed with surprising grace for his size.

"Playing is a sign of weakness," he rumbled, his voice like stones grinding together. "One day, you will be warriors of Cindra. There is no time for childish games."

Rex straightened, trying to appear taller and more serious. "I will be the greatest warrior Cindra has ever seen!" he said defiantly.

Agnidrake's laugh was like a rumbling thunder. "We shall see, little one. We shall see."

---

The memory shifted, accelerating through time. Rex stood in the sands of the training grounds, red orange skies above, his adolescent body now lean and powerful. He held the Magmablade—a katana-like weapon with an edge of compressed energy that could cut through surfaces as hard as diamonds. The blade hummed with power, leaving a trail of superheated air as he moved through the warrior forms and movements.

Across from him, Sariff gazed warily and in envy. The larger dragon had already lost two matches today, and his pride was heavily wounded.

"Just quit now Sariff," Rex said antagonistically. "There is no dishonor in recognizing superior skill. You will never surpass me. I will become the greatest dragon warrior Cindra has ever seen!"

Sariff snarled, lunging with his own Magmablade. The attack was predictable, telegraphed by his tensing shoulder. Rex sidestepped easily, bringing his blade around in a sweeping arc that stopped just short of Sariff's throat.

"Match," called the instructor. "Victory to Rex."

Rex smirked a cocky smile. He lowered his blade and bowed respectfully, but Sariff's eyes burned with hatred.

That evening, as Rex walked the lonely path to his dwelling, he sensed movement in the shadows. He reached for his blade, but it was too late—a paralyzing beam struck him from behind, locking his muscles in place.

Sariff stepped into view, flanked by four of his accolites. "Not so skilled now, are you?"

They fell upon him like scavengers, their blows landing with impunity as Rex could only watch, unable to defend himself. The pain was excruciating, but bearable—until Sariff activated his Magmablade.

"A warrior's pride is in his wings," Sariff sneered, bringing the energy blade down.

The pain transcended physical sensation, becoming something pure and elemental as Rex's wings were burned and severed from his body. He could not move, could not fight back—could only endure as the greatest shame a dragon could suffer was inflicted upon him.

They left him there, paralyzed and wingless, as the acid rain of the harsh planet began to fall.

---

Years passed in a blur of memory. Rex worked in the lava quarries, harvesting the precious stones used in Cindronian construction. His back, where proud wings had once extended, was now a mass of scar tissue. The other workers avoided him, “the wingless one” as they now called him, and he was seen as contagious bad luck.

High above, Sariff and his companions soared through the sulfurous clouds, their wings catching the updrafts from the volcanic vents. They dipped low as they passed Rex, their laughter cutting deeper than any blade. They threw large volcanic boulders back into his quarry that he had already removed, making his work in vain.

"Still digging in the dirt, wingless one?" Sariff called in a mocking tone.

Rex said nothing, continuing his work with grim determination. His hands gripped the harvesting tool so tightly that the metal began to warp.

---

The memory shifted again. Chaos in the streets of Cindra's capital city, Pyro. A large magma titan, a living mountain of semi-sentient lava, had emerged from the Great Caldera and was tearing through the city's walls and defenses.

Warriors took to the air, their Magmablades striking at the creature to little effect. One by one, they fell, swatted from the sky or consumed by the titan's molten lava body.

Rex watched from the ground, his hands itching for a weapon. Sariff flew overhead, leading a squadron in a coordinated attack that barely slowed the creature's advance.

Lord Agnidrake finally arrived, his massive form descending from the royal spire. With strength born from centuries of battle, he grappled with the titan, forcing it to the ground and pinning it beneath his weight.

"Is this the best my warriors can offer?" he roared angrily, his voice carrying across the city. "Who among you will rise to protect the great land of Cindra when I am gone?"

Silence fell. The titan struggled beneath Agnidrake, but the Magma King's strength held it fast.

Rex stepped forward. "I will King Agnidrake!"

Laughter erupted from the gathered dragons. Sariff's voice rose above the rest: "The wingless one? He can't even reach the titan's head!"

Rex ignored the mockery, his eyes fixed on Agnidrake. "Give me a Magmablade, and I will prove my worth."

Agnidrake studied him, his glowing eyes had a persuasive quality to them. Then, surprisingly, he laughed. "Very well, wingless one. Entertain me with your death."

He tossed a Magmablade in Rex’s direction. A rare and powerful variant carried by Agnidrake himself that could channel the wielder's inner fire. Rex confidently caught it with one hand, feeling the weapon bond to his energy immediately. It was as if the blade chose him as its new master.

King Agnidrake released the titan, backing away as the creature rose to its full height, roaring in triumph.

Rex did not hesitate. He charged, dodging the titan's first strike with a roll that brought him close to its base. The Magmablade ignited with his rage, burning with an intensity that surprised even him.

He struck strategically, severing the energy conduits that ran like veins through the creature's form. The titan howled, its movements becoming more erratic as Rex continued his assault, climbing its body and avoiding its increasingly desperate attacks.

Just as Rex reached the creature's head, preparing for the killing blow, he sensed movement behind him. Sariff, taking advantage of the distraction, had positioned himself to strike—not at the titan, but at Rex.

In that moment, Rex made his choice. He leapt clear, allowing the titan to turn just as Sariff struck. The massive creature's mouth opened, engulfing Sariff in a single gulp.

Rex landed in a roll, then sprang back into action. With a battle cry that echoed across the ancient city of Pyro, he brought the Magmablade down in a perfect arc, cleaving the titan's head into two. Like a sliced piece of fiery fruit, the titan crumbled to the ground.

The creature collapsed, its form rapidly cooling and solidifying into black obsidian. Rex stood atop it, chest heaving, the Magmablade still burning with his inner fire.

The city was silent, every eye upon him.

Agnidrake approached, his expression a mixture of approval and disappointment. "You are skilled, wingless one. But you allowed your fellow dragon to die."

"He took my wings," Rex replied simply. "He deserved his fate."

Agnidrake's eyes narrowed. "A leader protects even those who have wronged him. You allowed vengeance to guide your actions—that is weakness, not strength. Sariff was weak and you allowed him to control your emotions… your hatred."

Rex lowered his head, the victory suddenly felt hollow.

"And yet," Agnidrake continued, "your potential is undeniable." He gestured to Rex's scarred back. "What would you give to fly again Wingless One?"

"Anything," Rex answered without hesitation.

"Then prove yourself the greatest warrior Cindra has ever produced," King Agnidrake challenged. "Do this, and I will grant you wings of technology and flame that will make others envy your loss."

---

The next memory came in flashes: Rex with mechanical wings of advanced design, robotic nano teck likeweapons integrated into their structure. He soared through battle after battle, his Magmablade cutting down enemies of Cindra. The wings were more than a replacement—they were an enhancement, allowing him to perform advanced maneuvers and attacks, and fly faster than any natural-winged dragon.

Then came the great Manticore War. Cindra's forces against an insectoid race whose technological advancement rivaled their own. Rex led an elite vanguard od dragon warriors, his squadron striking deep into enemy territory.

It was a trap. The Manticore had anticipated their attack, prepared countermeasures specific to dragon physiology. Rex watched his soldiers fall one by one, unable to save them. In the end, he alone remained, surrounded by chittering insectoid enemies.

The captivity that followed was another nightmare of pain and humiliation. The Manticore removed his mechanical wings, piece by piece, keeping him conscious throughout the procedure. They studied his anatomy, testing his limits of pain and endurance, always careful to keep him alive for further experimentation.

Months passed before an opportunity for escape presented itself. With nothing but his hands and burning determination, Rex fought his way free, stealing a Manticore ship and a strange device they called a "Tachiom Matrix Time Disruptor."

His return to Cindra was not the triumphant homecoming he had imagined. King Agnidrake looked upon the broken, wingless dragon with cold disappointment.

"You return without your squadron, without victory, without even the wings I granted you for your redemption!" the magma king was enraged. "You have failed in every respect!"

"I survived," Rex countered. "I can fight again."

"No," King Agnidrake's voice was final. "You will not fight for Cindra ever again. You are banished, Rex. Take your stolen technology and leave this world. We have no need for it. I will allow you one Magma blade for you to seek a warriors death with. You are disgraced and banished from Cindra."

---

Rex’s spirit was crushed. He used the Time Disruptor to travel worlds unheard of. With nothing to lose, and his pride destroyed, he sought a warrior’s death.

He soon discovered a world unlike any he had known—a realm of ice, mist, and gentle creatures who called themselves the Yeti. They found him collapsed on their icey shores, his back a mass of infected tissue where the Manticore had removed his mechanical wings.

A healer named Serena approached without fear, her icey hands were gentle as she examined his wounds.

"So much pain," she murmured, her voice like wind through leaves. "Let me help you lost one."

Rex shrugged off her presence and ignored her. He had no cares for what her actions did to him. Rex was sinking into despair.

For days she worked, drawing the infection from his body, applying poultices of plants unknown to him. One day as he sat on the icey shore… an extremely uncomfortable place for a magma dragon, he felt a strange sensation on his back. A gentle itching, a weight that hadn't been there for so long had returned.

"What is this? this? abomination?" he began, trying to look over his shoulder.

Serena smiled. "Your wings are returning. Aren’t they beautiful?." She chuckled.

Rex stared in disbelief at the tiny, fragile wings that had begun to sprout from his healed back. An anger sparked inside of him as he felt even more disgraced at the sight of the tiny wings. They were nothing like his original wings. Too small to carry his weight, delicate and fragile.

"They're useless, a mockery!" he said bitterly.

"They are young," Serena corrected. "All things must grow before they reach their full potential. Patience pays, young warrior."

“Young?” Rex mocked.

“I am 3,333 cycles old!”

Rex stayed in the ice realm of the Yeti for a season, learning their ways of healing and harmony. But the call of battle was in his blood, and the Time Disruptor offered him paths to countless unimaginable worlds.

"I must go," he told Serena as his tiny wings grew stronger, though still not large enough for flight. "There are battles to be fought, enemies to face."

“Take this Rune Jacket, it shall protect you in the Corridor.” Serena slipped what looked like a black leather jacket over Rex’s shoulders. It fit him perfectly and he felt a strange sensation while wearing it.

"What do you seek through this endless combat?" she asked.

"To prove myself," Rex answered. "To become the greatest warrior across the Cosmos."

Serena touched his face gently. "I hope you find what you truly seek, Rex. But remember sometimes the greatest battles are fought within oneself."

---

Rex's eyes snapped open, the memories receding as he returned to the present. The crystal bed beneath him hummed with energy, the corruption in his veins retreating before its purifying light.

He turned his head, surprised to see the human woman he had just encountered. Alice was laying on the healing crystal beside him. Her eyes were closed, but her chest rose and fell in steady rhythm with his.

"She lives?" he whispered.

Xylith Tearlock approached, his crystalline scales catching the light. "As do you, warrior. Though it was a close call. Her heart has been syncronized to yours. Your soul energies are forever entangled. It was the only way."

Rex struggled to sit up, wincing at the pain that still radiated from his wound. "The creature, where is it?" he snapped.

Xylith's expression darkened, his eyes shifting to something distant and troubled. He did not answer.

Nova and Eon moved closer, their focus still on Alice’s motionless body.

"Is this really a human?" Eon asked, "I've only seen them in films back home."

"She's so strange," Nova added, reaching out as if to touch Alice's skin before thinking better of it. "No defenses at all."

Rex looked from them to Xylith, whose silence spoke volumes. The crystal dragon was hiding something, something about the Rotwing.

"Old one," Rex said, his voice stronger now, "I asked you a question. Where is the creature?"

Xylith Tearlock met his gaze, ancient eyes filled with knowledge and fear, a combination that sent a chill through Rex's recovering body.

The wise old dragon opened his mouth to speak, but the words never came.

DRAGON PUNKS NFT 06: SCORCHED MEMORIES Trade NFTs here: MAGIC EDEN