My name is Sky. That's what I go by these days, anyhow. Born Skylar Logan Murphy at 7pm on March 29th, 1979 to Ms. Bridget Murphy of Hickory Creek, Texas. I'm sure I have a father - just don't know who he is. I'm sure I asked when I was a wee tyke, but my mom never said, and these days, it doesn't matter. My mom, and my sis Stephanie are all the family I need. Which makes the fact that I've got multiple aunts, uncles, cousins, not to mention my gran and gramps, all living in Hickory Creek all the more… well, nice, most of the time. Frustrating at others. When half the town is related to you, there are few secrets, and privacy is a myth.
Which is probably how I came to be who I am today, I suppose.
Truth is, I've always been the rebellious sort. Always rocking the boat, as my uncle Mike says. Or is it Bill? Those two have a quote for everything - I swear, it's like a contest between them. Well, anyhow. I was just never satisfied with the life of small, quiet, beautiful little Hickory Creek. Don't get me wrong, it was the perfect place to grow up. Good schools, nice folks. But you can only take so much fishing on Louisville Lake, you know what I mean? Especially when you know that Dallas is only a little over a half hour's drive away.
So, like I said, I was the rebellious sort. Wasn't the only one, mind you. Me and a bunch of kids at school were all looking for something else. We gravitated towards each other, played games of imagination. Pretending that we were anywhere else. So it was almost fate when my gran took me to my first Renaissance Fair when I was eleven (did I mention how much my Gran rocks?). The sights, the sounds, the swordplay, the costumes. I was hooked for life. And, of course, I told my friends all about it, and so our fates were set. We became Ren Nerds.
It took some finagling. Most parents were iffy on the whole thing. All I can say is, again, my Gran rocks. She has the whole clan wrapped around her fingers, and anyone who isn't a Murphy still listens to Gran. My Gramps may have been Mayor since before time began, but it was always Gran who kept things together, and who told people what to do. She is usually right. So, when Gran said we could go, we could go. Simple as that.
Over the years, for me and my friends, our passion didn't dim. It grew. We went from attending the occasional ren fair to joining the SCA (Society for the Creative Anachronism - Haven for all things Ren Nerd). We would usually go to Dallas for the events, but this was hard until we could drive. Thankfully, there was Fishy. He was my friend Daniel's brother, and he had a girlfriend who lived in Dallas. So he often would drive us, so long as we contributed to gas. Needless to say, my group were also the ones who got part-time jobs at the earliest ages in town. Also, Fishy let us put his name down as adult supervisor so that we were able to create our own small SCA chapter so that when there were not regular events in Dallas, or if Fishy were busy, we could still do things.
In high school, our group started to grow. At younger ages, we had been held apart. The odd balls. Still family or friends, but odd. Now, people started to be more adventurous. And for us, the more the merrier. It was also around then that I first met Christabel. But I'll get to that in a moment.
While we grew, it was always our core group that remained the heart. We each had our role. Shawn was our Baron. Charismatic, handsome, destined to be Homecoming King later on in our high school career - he truly made you want to bow to him. Not me, so much, but I saw how he effected most people - besides which, we had been best of friends since before the sandbox, so it was hard to see him as anyone but the kid I convinced to eat a snail. Becks (never call her Rebecca) was ever his Baroness, and also a main reason why we attracted so many new kids - her food was ever to die for. She was the -most- amazing cook. And while most SCA gatherings are well known for their bland period food? Our food was savory and delicious, while still holding true to the period standards. There were others, of course. Jack, the organizer, was the Steward. His sister Jillian (also my first girlfriend, and good friend even after we broke up) was a wiz with the sewing machine, and made all our costumes. Daniel was our bard, spinner of tales, singer of songs, actor of plays. And me?
Well, I learned early on that I had a knack for this sort of life. I picked up weaponry early on. Swordplay, archery. I mastered it all faster then anyone else in our group - so I was a clear choice for Master-at-arms, teaching others, organizing and hosting spars, fights, and other weapon events. In addition to this, I slowly began to learn another skill. It took me longer to master, as I was ever a perfectionist with it, but it was also one of my greatest passions - smithing. And I never cheated, either. I did it all period, hard as it was. Didn't use a blowtorch or anything like that. Between Jack, Shawn, and myself, we were able to set up a forge of sorts, and we all chipped in to pay for the supplies. Because of this, and with the help of many assistants who, while not possessing my own talent, still enjoyed the work and nevertheless allowed me to make not only swords, but also chain mail and other useful items. So that was my position. Master-at-arms and smith.
Because of that second position, I soon was attending conventions and lessons on my own in the Big City. Jack helped me with this early on. Much like Fishy before him, Jack had found a girlfriend in Dallas. They sure grow them pretty in the city. And, since Jack was the first to get his license, this allowed me access to Dallas early on - besides which, as I mentioned before, Jack was great at organizing things. I never wanted for events to improve my skills. And, later, when I got my own license and car, I would go away to other cities in Texas to learn what I could.
But it was in Dallas that I first met Christabel, at the tender age of 16. There was a week long crafts convention in town, which housed no less then three smiths, all of whom had agreed to grant me some of their time to learn some of their craft. So, I had got my mom to agree to let me stay at Fishy's (who had since moved in with the girlfriend that started this all). I was walking to Fishy's one night when I bumped into her. Literally. Smacked right into her, not looking. She looked… amused more then anything. That was Chris for you. Everything amused her, like she had seen it all. And she was a whirlwind. She just sucked you in. And there was something about her. Beautiful, to be sure. Mysterious. And she was obviously a few years older then me.
That weekend was a blur. During the days, I was tired from staying up the night before. But it was worth it. During the nights, we danced, we talked, we kissed. And eventually she would take me back to her place. I don't even remember what it looks like, because truly, it wasn't her place that made those nights memorable. They were an awakening for me. Fun. And Chris - how do I describe it? I remember one time, she had the oddest look on her face. Shock, surprise. It was right after she had told me to take off my shirt, and instead I had taken off hers. I think she was so used to getting her way, people listening to her, that she was surprised when I did my own thing. But this also seemed to make her more interested in me. Certainly that night in particular was the most passionate. Passion, heat. She was rough, biting me, slamming me to the bed, insisting that I bite her hard enough to draw blood. But at 16, I didn't want to make love. I wanted to fuck.
I never wanted that weekend to end. But each night would end. We would fall asleep together before the sun rose, and Chris would be gone before I got up. Always with a note. Saturday and Sunday mornings, the notes were invitations to somewhere to meet up that following night. But Monday (thankfully it was some sort of holiday where I had school off), the morning I was to leave, it was a farewell. Just like that.
I saw Chris again, but only once a year. Always the same weekend. That second year, I came almost just to see if she would be there. And she was. It became a routine with us.
Meanwhile, during the times when I did not see Chris, life was routine for me and my friends. We grew up. We graduated. We went to college. Sadly, it was then that we started to lose touch. Jack got accepted to Harvard Business School on a full scholarship. Always figured he'd go for his MBA. Becks and Shawn went off to UCLA, and Daniel also moved to California, though he wanted to try his hand at acting. Me and Jill, though, both wound up going to the University of Texas in Dallas (like you're surprised, with the opportunity for me to see Chris?). Honestly, the only reason I went to college at all was because of Gran. But it was the deal between us. She wanted me to have at least an Associates degree in something - and if I did, she'd co-sign a small business loan with me so I could start up the business I wanted (we'll get to that later). So, I majored in religious studies.
See, the thing about me that I haven't yet brought up is, while the Murphy clan as a whole is straight Catholic, my mom never really subscribed to it, and therefor, neither did I. Mind you, we would still go to church, say the words. And I still believed in a God. But as I got older, I realized that the main thing I didn't like about the Catholic brand of religion, or any mainstream religion for that matter, was their belief that they were the one true religion. If have been so many religions throughout time, all claiming to be the one true one, how can only one -really- be the one true one?
That's the question that made me develop my own path to spiritual belief. The way I look at it is all of the religions are right, in their own way. Each one shows one aspect of God, one path to him or her. Even the polytheistic ones. So I was always interested in learning more about the various religions. After all, if you sat down to a seven course meal, would you only eat the peas? No, you'd try it all. Because that meal was -designed- to be taken in as a whole, not only one part. Same holds true with religion, in my mind.
So it only made sense that if I had to go to college, I might as well develop myself more. I learned it all. Well, perhaps not all, but I studied a lot. I learned prayers in dozens of religions, collected symbols from them as well, learned their origins. And if people looked at me weird? Well, I never forced my beliefs on people. Not even my friends. So why start now?
The cool thing about that time was when we weren't studying for school, and I wasn't perfecting my craft, Jill and I hung out more. We attended the SCA Dallas functions, and would often just stay up late studying together, or talking. I think I started to realize then just how lucky I had been to have her has my first girlfriend, and that she was still willing to be my friend. That's probably why we took it slow this time around. No promises, no kissing, no sex. Just light, lingering touches, time well spent together, the occasional cuddle. During those first two years, I still saw Chris for the usual annual weekend, and I'm fairly certain Jill was casually dating as well. But for me, with Chris, it was different. There were times I imagined she was Jill. And when I wasn't… I wanted her to be.
I made the decision shortly after I got my associates degree, and was ready to start my business. I would locate it in Dallas. But not because of Chris - because of Jill. She was going for her Masters, so this way I could be around her. And I made a promise to myself. I would tell Jill how I felt, and the next year, I would not be there to meet Chris. Chris would always be the first person I had sex with - but I wanted Jill to be the first person I made love to.
The plan went well for that first year, mid 1999 to 2000. With Gran as co-signer, I was able to set up a forge in Dallas. I had already started to gain a strong following in the SCA community, so I was able to gain a surprisingly large clientele fairly quickly through word of mouth - in addition to that, Jack's ex-girlfriend from Dallas was a web designer, so she helped me break on to the internet, and Jack himself agreed to handle the books online as well. That's how my business, Sky Blades, and skyblades.com, got it's start. Designing and forging custom weaponry and metalwork using old world techniques. It may sound like a niche market, but it is a passion, and it grew quickly.
During that first year, I was often busy. But I made time for Jill. I told her my feelings, and she told me hers. We became a real couple. We took it slow, but we dated and hung out - even more then before. Our time together was magical, and I did finally keep my promise - Jill was the first person I made love to. And I knew I wanted to marry her.
But I suppose these things don't always last. Chris came. Early that year. It was like she knew, and knew where to find me. She confronted me at my forge as I was closing up after working late. I was hers, she said that night, when I rejected her. I must be hers. There was a fire in her eyes, and she seemed to batter at me with her presence. It was so stressful, so hard. I got this blinding headache, felt real pain shooting out all over my body. A panic attack, they would tell me later. But somehow, I found myself kissing her. I didn't want to, and I broke away eventually. But the damage was done.
Jill had come to pick me up for the movies once she had gotten away from her nightly study group, and she saw Chris and I kissing. And that was it. I never saw Jill again. I tried, over and over again. I even called Jack to ask him to intercede - his response was threatening to fly back and kick my ass. He also quit from handling my accounts. Even my other friends sided with Jill, and walled me out. I stopped going back to Hickory Creek, even for holidays, because I was afraid of the accusing eyes. I knew no one would listen.
That was the best and worst year of my life. The first part was good, bliss. But without Jill, or my friends, or my family, it was… hard. Chris returned, again and again that year, something she'd never done before. Always at night, always without warning. Demanding. And every time the headaches came. Sometimes I would kiss her before shoving her away and telling her to leave. A few times, the pain got so bad that I blacked out. Eventually, though, I think Chris got bored. She left again, and I haven't seen her since.
Life went on, I suppose. I didn't date, just worked. I still went to the SCA gatherings, in the hope that Jill would be there. She wasn't. But I still attended them, just in case, and out of habit.
And then, two years ago, the news broke. Vampires existed. And a bomb went off in my life. It all made sense - Chris. Her name, Christabel. Old fashioned. Her mysterious manner, the fact that I had never seen her in daylight, or seen her eat or drink. The fact that she would often bite me during sex. The girl I lost my virginity to, and the one who had irreversibly screwed up my life… was a vampire.
I have tried not to let that color my perception of vampires as a whole. After all, had she just been some odd German girl, I wouldn't have held it against Germans as a whole. But I haven't exactly sought out vampires either - I even went through a phase when I designed silver weaponry to defend myself with. I've never actually used it, and they're in storage, gathering dust these days.
Since then, well. I still have my company. It's expanded. I now have several employees, mostly people I met through the SCA who enjoy smith work. They help do the low end stuff, and allow me to mass produce designs that I've created. But I still enforce my period law, only allowing old world techniques to be used. But it's worked out. We now ship to clients from all over the country, and not just the SCA types. I paid off my student and small business loans, I own the business and location outright, my own home, even a newer model car.
Lately though, it hasn't been enough. I feel… disconnected. So I'm trying to get back in touch with the human element. Going to the SCA more, letting my employees have freer reign and doing more of the work. A friend on the SCA who is also on the Dallas County Heritage Society recently got me a part time gig at the Dallas Heritage Village, working as the blacksmith. It's fun, I get to meet new people, work with kids - and get back to basics, as it were. I've even heard about the Medieval Times restaurant hiring fighters for their reopening, so I might look into that.
Just trying to keep living, I suppose. It is all any of us can do.