Expedition Open Side Adventure The Urk Expedition: A Crack in the Works

[SwifttailTheFox]

The torch hissed, quiet and blue, casting a tight shimmer against the iron pipe. Swifttail worked in silence, his posture steady, but tension simmered beneath his fur. The task demanded precision, but his mind wandered, drifting into the pressure of it all. The heat, the importance of the job, the ever-present hum of the engine.

He hadn’t even noticed how long he’d been crouched there, until Kaii stepped closer.

It was only then that he saw it. The seam was barely halfway finished. The torch in his paw was already cool, the fuel long switched off. The flux had dried in patches, uneven. He hadn’t moved in minutes.

He sighed, setting the torch gently aside.

“How do you do it?” he asked quietly, still staring at the pipe. “You always seem so cool. Like nothin’s too big. Not even this.”

He turned toward Kaii then, finally meeting his eyes with a faint, sheepish smile.

“We’re in the middle of the sea, under a deck built for wood and rope, workin’ on an engine made by beasts we’ll never meet. And they gave us the chance to fix it.” He shook his head softly. “Feels like I’m dreamin’, some days. And other days... I feel like I’m the one with a crack down my side, just waitin’ for the pressure to split me.”

He gave a low chuckle and rubbed at the back of his neck.

“I see you workin’, buildin’, sketchin’... and I think, I’d give anything to have half that confidence.”

His gaze shifted toward the pile of gathered parts Kaii had assembled. The layout was clever.

“But look at this,” he said with quiet admiration. “This is good stuff. You pulled this together with scraps and guts, and it’s gonna run clean. You’ve got the mind for it, no question.”

Swifttail reached for the torch again and gave a small smile.

“Wanna learn how to braze?” he asked. “I’ll show you the trick to keepin’ the flow even. We could each take a seam and time it. Winner gets the other’s dessert rations.”

He bumped Kaii’s shoulder gently with his own.

“Loser still gets to say they helped keep the ship floatin’. Not a bad consolation prize, aye?”

@Kaii Nashirou

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii gave him a nod and a friendly smile. He sat down on the boards and with a wag of his tailed observed the torch.

"Go on friend. I doubt I will be as good as you but I will not give up on the opportunity to learn something. Especially as it can grant me some extra desserts." He then put on the most overly serious expression he could, one clearly fake considering his body language. "But I am not giving up if they give out watermelons. I'll fight fang and claw for those." He broke into a laugh that lasted for a good moment.

As Swifttail was busy getting the torch working to teach Kaii his prowess. Kaii contemplated his word. It opened a certain part inside him he didn't like to touch but sometimes he just couldn't stop it.

Despite laughing mere seconds ago, Kaii was now staring blankly at the torch, his muzzle that, only bore either smiles or stoicism, now was soured and made him look as if he was about to cry.

"I don't think you would. It is a result of reshaping myself after I got broken. I wouldn't wish that even upon my greatest enemy."

Kaii trembled a bit, almost as if trying to shake off his own emotions. it wasn't that long until he got his calmness back and his eyes once more burned with fire of excitement at the opportunity to learn.

"But it never stopped me from learning. Thanks for considering this good... even if I am sure that making this fursaken part would take you less than I spent just thinking about it. My mind is decently sharp... but I lack real skill at too many subjects."

The torch got hot now and Kaii sighed. It was time to learn, not to practice philosophy.

"Show me then how to do this friend. And then we can try to see if beginner's luck is real." He chirped out with a smug grin.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail let out a soft chuckle as he adjusted the torch nozzle, the flint still cold in his paw.

“I’d fight fang and claw too if watermelon was on the line. No shame in bowin’ out of a bet when the prize is that sweet.”

He smiled at Kaii’s overly serious expression, but the lightness faded quickly as he caught the shift behind the other fox’s eyes. The silence stretched. The torch stayed quiet. And the smile slipped.

Swifttail didn’t speak right away. He watched. He listened.

When Kaii finally broke the quiet, the words struck something familiar, something deep.

“You’re not the only one that’s been broken,” Swifttail said softly. He didn’t raise his eyes yet, just rested the torch across his lap. “For a while... I wasn’t even a fox. I was just paws on an oar.”

He breathed out slow through his nose.

“Takes time to feel whole again. But you ain’t alone.”

He finally looked up, his tone warming as he gestured to the parts Kaii had gathered.

“And this? What you’ve put together?” He smiled. “It don’t need to be perfect to be beautiful. I’ve heard of fancier pieces fall apart the first time they got slapped with steam. But a cobbled-together fix that works?” He gave a nod. “That’s real craft. You should be proud of it.”

Turning back to the bench, Swifttail struck the flint and coaxed the flame to life. The torch flared with a clean blue hiss, and he held it steady over the cracked metal. He dipped the tip of the rod in the flux, then held it close to the touch flame.

“Alright. Watch the flux first. When it goes from sticky to glassy, that’s when it’s ready.”

He handed Kaii one of the rods and shifted aside to make room before touching the end of the rod to the crack, watching first as the flux flowed from the glistening tip into the crevasse, followed by the molten brass as it was drawn into place by the gooey pine resin.

“Keep the angle low. Let the heat do the work. And don’t chase the puddle. Guide it gently.”

He flashed a grin. Finally satisfied with his work before turning the flame off the torch low and passing it to Kaii.

“Let’s see if beginner’s luck beats experience. But just so we’re clear...”

He paused, lowering his voice with playful seriousness.

“If watermelon’s the prize, we'll have to settle for paw to paw combat to decide a winner.”

He gently shouldered the fellow Vulpine in a friendly manner and gave another toothy grin.

@Kaii Nashirou

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii watched and took in the lesson eagerly. Yet while his brain and body took in the knowledge, his soul ached. Not because of himself however, he pitied the other fox understanding his probable fate from those scraps. An anger, sadness and need to offer his current teacher a hug boiled within but Kaii knew how to keep them within. His tail was the only traitor to his current state but one could consider it as excitement from the knowledge he took in.

After a first try and few observations he made some notes. He knew he would practice relentlessly to perfect the skill. Swift was right that there was beauty in imperfections, Kaii was of the same opinion. But being content with it? that was not something Kaii could get. It was great to try and make what you could with what you had, trying to improvise and improve with sheer mind. It was leaving at it that felt a bit wierd. Ingenuity shouldn't have an end after all.

Once Swift was done and passed the torch, there was no reaction for a second from Kaii as his line of thought got suddenly broken, backing him onto a previous . He looked at the other todd and put his paw onto their shoulder. "I appreciate sharing that... and I am sorry to invoke that memory from you."

He cursed himself for it, never liking to make others suffer while also often ending up doing so. Ultimately his expression softened into a smile again and he moved the paw away.

"Onto the matter. I, of course, won't shy from some proper wrestling for succulent fruit should it come to it."

He grinned showing of his fangs, starting the torch and beginning to work.

Once more, killing all emotions within, he fully focused on the task. Occasionally using his notes from earlier to make sure he was doing it right.

First try went slowly but steadily. Kaii was decently satisfied with it but he already could see many flaws in comparison to Swifttail's work. Yet he wasn't a type to give up. He gave it a second try and then a third before being okay with his own craft. He then thought of ways to ensure his victory. With a spark in his eyes he then got an idea.

"Okay, I am ready. Show me how a master does it." He spoke as he pulled out his pocket watch, ready to time his work.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail gave a faint, appreciative smile at the paw on his shoulder. His ears flicked once, but he didn’t shy away from the contact.

“Don’t be sorry,” he said quietly. “The past’s not a wound anymore. Not if you keep movin’. Admittin’ you were broken’s just the first step toward mendin’ it.”

He gave Kaii a small nod, then cracked his knuckles and flexed his paws.

“Alright then. Let’s see if I still remember how to do this under pressure.”

He turned to the torch, reignited the flame, and centered himself over the pipe. The metal was already prepped. Flux laid out. Everything ready. Still, his heart beat a little quicker than usual.

He wasn’t used to being timed. Being watched. The blacksmith back home always taught him to take his time, to let the metal speak to him, to never rush the heat.

But this was a challenge.

The torch hissed to life, and Swifttail guided the flame slowly along the crack. The brazing rod followed, steady at first, but then he sped up, trying to keep pace with some invisible clock in his mind. The seam formed, but not as cleanly as it could have. A few bubbles popped near the edges. A bit of spatter clung stubbornly to the side.

His brow furrowed. Still he pushed on.

By the end, his shoulders were tight, the rod was shorter, and the result... well, it wasn’t terrible. But it wasn’t his best.

He let out a breath and clicked off the torch.

“Phew. I’m gonna have to work on my speed. That wasn’t easy.”

He looked over the seam, rubbing one paw over the lumpier portion with a faint grimace, then shrugged.

“Not my cleanest line. Bit lumpy on the right there. But it’ll hold.”

He turned to Kaii with a crooked grin.

“Your turn. If you can beat that, I’ll hand over my dessert tonight without complaint.”

@Kaii Nashirou

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii checked his chronometer as soon as he heard the click of the torch. He promptly set it down and written on the paper the time he counted for Swifttail's seam with a click of his tongue. "That's fast I won't deny..." He murmured before taking a look at the brazen metal. "And it seems sturdy."

He snapped his claws before taking the torch and showing off his sharp teeth. "I suppose I will have to try more than my best." He extended his hand to give to his competitor his pocket watch yet hesitated. "Please, be gentle with this watch. Not only it costs a lot but it is a memoir too." Kaii voice was pleading, very unlike him considering the circumstance but he couldn't help to worry for his possession. He finally managed to give it to Swifttail, gently running his paw pad over the engraved symbol of his family on the lid before turning to the pipe again.

And he got himself into the spirit of the challenge very quickly. Taking a small look before starting the torch with calmness as if he was doing it for a billionth time... even if it was actually his first.

Kaii didn't work metals much before but he knew quite a lot about them. He remembered earlier from his short time at the smeltery how crude steel tended to stick to the rollers that were heated causing deformations and worsening the surface quality. He unfortunately got laughed at when he suggested a simple cooling system... but now he could use this observation to his advantage.

Startng to heat up a brazing rod, Kaii turned up and tilted the torch just so that a part of the now massive flame hit the pipe itself, not enough to make it malleable but heating it up nonetheless.

And once he started brazing, the metal coming from the brazing rod just stuck to the pipe with ease, letting him to not spend too much time in one place for too long. Even if he wasn't doing an amazing job with the quality of the seam, it sure was very fast and servicable at the same time.

"I hope you are keeping the time, I may be done aaaaany second no..." He spoke but faltered as the flame suddenly went limp, he turned the torch up again but it didn't help much. It was out of fuel after all.

But being too focused on it he forgot for just a moment what he was doing and while heated pipe made for fast work, it also meant that metal stayed liquid just for a bit longer.

As such very quickly the room filled with smell of burnt fur as a single droplet fell from the end of the brazing rod upon Kaii's paw. He instantly reacted to the pain, muffling the scream while also waving his paw frantically to shake as much metal off.

And for someone getting a horrible metal burn, Kaii was taking it well. The pain made him act as he would in any crisis situation, cutting off anything but logical instincts. He took a small look around while still waving his paw rapidly and turned to Swifttail with gaze that was pained yet sickeningly calm.

"Please, bring ssssome water." He managed through gritted teeth.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail took the watch like it was made of glass, paws steady despite the excitement. He gave a small nod of understanding, brushing a thumb gently across the engraved crest as Kaii turned away. He held it carefully, watching the torch flare to life.

As the brazing began, Swifttail kept his eyes sharp, watching Kaii’s technique, timing the seam as he went. It was going smoothly, even impressively... until the flame flickered, and that single glob of molten metal fell.

The sharp scent of burning fur hit a split-second later.

“Kaii!!!”

Swifttail was already moving. He grabbed the nearest cloth and dunked it into the cooling basin, tossing it into Kaii’s good paw.

“Hold that tight on it. I’ll get Finny. Don’t move!”

He slipped the precious pocket watch carefully into his tunic pocket and sprinted for the stairs. The pipe. The torch. The whole competition forgotten.

He bolted up the ladder and through the corridor, paws clattering on the boards. Rounding the corner, he spotted the infirmary door ajar and burst through with wide eyes.

“Help please! Burn in engineering. His paw...he needs help!”

@Kaii Nashirou
@FinnianBrightfur

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

In the infirmary, Finn sat reading a book titled, Field Medicine: Thirty-second Edition. He was just finishing the secton on triage questions, a list of pertinent things to know when treating a patient away from the infirmary. (How timely!) And in typical kit fashion, he had leaned back in his chair precariously.

Engrossed in his studies, the foxkit almost didn't hear Swifttail approaching until the very last minute. Finn bolted upright -- or at least, he tried to. His oh-so-precariously balanced chair tipped, sending him and his book onto the floor. Scrambling to his feet, his jumbled up mind blurted out the last question he'd been studying. "Is there any chance he could be expecting, or with kit!?"

Finn flushed, and scrubbed his face as Barrett rounded the corner. He looked with some displeasure at Finn, before looking over to Swifttail.

"Is it bad, or can the kit handle it?" he asked in a leisurely tone, almost as if he weren't rushing into a problem. Plucking up Finn by the scruff, Barrett set him down on his feet, and dusted him off. Today just seemed to not be the day for absolute chaos. Might as well get Finn some experience. "Finn, take this field kit down to engineering with Mr. Swifttail here. I'll follow shortly if you don't come back."

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail hesitated just a moment as the chaos of the infirmary caught up with him. Finn’s question left him blinking, then frowning in confusion.

“Uh... No? No kits. Just a burned paw,” he clarified quickly, glancing awkwardly between the fallen book, the sprawled medic, and Barrett’s cool gaze.

He gave a sheepish flick of his tail and scratched behind one ear.

“It’s not too bad. He can still walk. I just... panicked a bit.” A quick glance downward, and a sigh. “Left him down there with a soaked rag and no help. I’ll apologize for that later.”

He took the field kit from Barrett and nodded.

“Right this way then, Finn. Engine room’s not far.”

He turned on his paws and led the way at a brisk trot.

@FinnianBrightfur

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Barrett sighed with mild exasperation. "Happens to the best of us... Just make sure he comes by at the end of his shift, if not sooner."

Finn picked up the messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder, before hopping along behind Swift with an eagerness.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

While awaiting for Swifttail, Kaii in his typical manner already was at work. Sure he got a nasty burn and it hurt a lot but that was no excuse to sit there and let the situation become worse.

Knowing that once the metal becomes solid it will be impossible to remove it easily, he got from his bag a set of pliers and used them to get the cooling metal from his fur and skin.

It hurt, hurt a lot and forced whimpers and muffled screams. Kaii however knew it was for his own good and as such continued on. Logically he was right to do this, it was better to make it more painful now so that he can suffer less in the future.

But his body revolted against this sort of abuse, tearing out one of the chunks that almost got stuck at his skin, he couldn't bear it and let out a mixture of scream and growl.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

As Swifttail opened the main hatchway to the engine room, a truly gruesome scene met the panicked fox's eyes.

Kaii was crouched low near the bench, a set of pliers clenched in his trembling paw. He yanked hard and screamed as a chunk of cooling metal came free from his burned skin.

Swifttail froze. His ears rang. His eyes widened. Was that blood? He couldn’t tell. His vision swam as a wave of nausea rose in his throat.

“Gates... no-no, no, no...” he stumbled past the bulkhead, claws clicking uselessly on the planking. “Kaii stop! I...” He turned and nearly collided with Finn, voice cracking. “He's makin’ it worse! I...I should've brought him up...I didn’t know it’d be this bad!”

He looked torn between running forward and running away. Tail rigid. Breath shallow. He turned to Finn, eyes pleading.

“Please help him. He was holdin’ it together...he was...but I left him here, alone, and he...”

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii looked at Swifttail and Finnian entering the room, panting from recent scream he focused at panicking todd first.

"Swift... It is fine. Our little doctor is here and I did what I had to to save myself from deeper wounds." He spoke through gritted teeth, clearly in pain but keeping his calm and composure.

He then plied out last piece of metal with a sob, leaving his paw visibly wounded and burned. Plenty of fur was either gone or cut as well as the, now exposed, skin was clearly burned, the outer layer gone from piling but anything within, while bloodied, not looking that horribly damaged.

"Ffff- it hurts. Can you tend to it friends, please?" Kaii spoke again, now calming down as he finished the most painful procedure. In his mind he did correct thing of saving his paw at the small price of some pain and gore. He now only hoped the other two foxes will manage the rest.

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Screams and cries were hard on Finn. Doubly so when they were from someone you cared about. The kit looked just as upset and frightened as Swifttail for a moment, but eventually his training kicked in.

"H-hey, lemme see that..." he said apprehensively. Taking Kaii's arm gently, the fox surveyed the damage. Burns were completely foreign to him, and the sight was far less than pleasant. Still, it wasn't bleeding terribly, and didn't look to be anything life threatening, just painful.

"I... I think Barrett is gonna want to take a look at this..." he said with uncertainty. "I can put a bandage on you here, but he has medicine he can put on this in the infirmary."

Reaching into his messenger bag, Finn rummaged around to find a roll of bandages. As gently as possible, he held one edge against Kaii's forearm, and began a pleasantly snug wrap around the injury, down toward his wrist.

"At least this'll keep it clean, but... Mr. Barrett said he wanted to see you by this evening."

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Finnian's shift from panic to action snapped Swifttail back to reality as he watched the little fox take out the bandage roll and wrap Kaii's arm. Cheeks burning, he looked around the cramped engine room. Ralynn had since left on another ship management task, and the only other witnesses were Rugg and Kip. Kip busied himself with a coal bunker, trying not to make any eye contact, but Rugg was glaring at him. Not in anger, or frustration, but in a way a disappointed father looks at their kit.

Swifttail took another deep breath and sighed, skuffing his footpaw against the wood plank floor, watching as Finn finished up with the gauze.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii took the tending without complain, gritting teeth and muffling any noise, keeping his arm steady while it was being bandaged by Finn. Looking around he spotted Rugg who was looking fairly disappointed. Kaii wasn't sure why. Mistakes happen and are opportunity to learn.

But once it was done, Kaii sighed and looked at the two. "Thank you." He just muttered. Deep inside he didn't care for flesh wounds like this one. It will mend with time. The worse one was the internal pain from screwing this up. Such a stupid reason to get hurt. At least it did not affect the job at all... but it burned into his mind to always remember to check the fuel before taking to using torches.