The Mainspring Switch

        Tik stood at the edge, scrambling to keep his balance, as the ship was battered by the waves. His powerful hands white knuckled from the death-grip he had on the rail. His normally light green skin taking on a decidedly darker hue as the spasms racked his body.
         At his back the sure-footed deck hands worked tirelessly to remove the debris that hadn't made it over the side. Their heads held low to avoid his gaze. They all knew the penalty for showing dishonor to someone of his standing.
         After the dry-heaving subsided, Tic carefully made his way back to the meager cabin he had been provided. Although larger and better equipped than any other cabin on the ship, including the captain's, from the moment he saw it he felt like he was being forced to live in a closet. But, these thoughts were not on his mind as he entered the staterooms private wash facilities. All he cared about was removing the vile, acidic taste from his mouth.
         Once the repeated rinsing was sufficiently completed, his gaze fell upon the reflection in the polished silver mirror. As was usually the case, he was unable to see anything but the two small tusks extending from each corner of his mouth. These shining ivory protuberances were the bane of his existence. With painful childhood memories flooding over him, his face contorted in anger, he turned his back and made his way into the cabin proper. His goal now to change into something a little less covered in sick and try to regain a little of his previous bearing.
         Upon entering the small closet he was once again assaulted by the fractured worlds to which he belonged. The one side filled with the finest clothing. All made with the highest level of craftsmanship. Most in deep shades of purple with exquisite gold embroidery. In sharp contrast, the other side contained crude leather armor made from the hides of animals he had killed and skinned himself.
         As his eyes scanned the clothing, they lingered just a moment longer on the leather armor. With a prideful smile, he was reminded of the pain and suffering he was forced to endure in the trial of manhood. Now, no matter what his half-brothers said, he had earned the right to wear the armor of his fathers tribe.
         Unfortunately this was neither the time or place for the clothing of his fathers world. With a sigh, Tik reluctantly dressed in the finery that was to be expected when in, what his mother would refer to as, “civilized company”.
         It was phrases like that, that helped cause the identity crisis he was currently experiencing. He knew that his mother loved him. She made it clear through her every action. But, he could not help but feel shame at the pain his very presence must cause her. His kind were never conceived by choice. When he asked her about it she said that she could never be angry at his father for what he had done because she had been blessed with Tik as a result. She even found a way for him to spend time with his fathers tribe and be exposed to their very different way of life.
         A sudden lurching of the ship broke him free of his musing and he quickly finished getting dressed. Once completed, he made his way back to the ships deck. At the top of the stairway, just below the hatch, he paused to regain his bearings. He knew that once he was back on the deck he would be subject to the covert disapproving glances of the crew. He heard them talk when they didn't know he was there. They called him an animal, a filthy half breed but, he was used to this. He had heard it all growing up from his mothers other children and the children of the staff.
         He was again reminded that he didn't fit in anywhere. When he was around the humans, he was feared and attacked by the other children because he was bigger and because of his tusks. When he was with the orcs, he was taunted and pushed around because of how puny he and his tusks were. He couldn't think of that now. There were much more important things for him to think about. With a realization that the past was over and now was the time to seize the future he pushed open the hatch and made his way confidently onto the deck.
         Now as he stood at the edge of the bow, his legs steady and his head held high, he knew that he had completed the first real test of this journey. He knew that he would be able to do whatever was necessary in the days or weeks to come. There would be many trials that would be both more difficult and more dangerous but, he had overcome much in his life to get where he was now and he wasn't going to let anything stop him.