The Rise of The Crimson Archer: The Crimson Archer, #1

By Mahayla A. Palachuk

Can she stop her family's enemy, before he stops her?
Madelyn Arching is not your typical 18-year-old from Humboldt County. Her parent's died in a car wreck when she was five, and Madelyn has been raised
by her widowed Aunt. Now one day away from turning eighteen, the young archer is in for the shock of her life as she learns something that will forever change her life.
While performing a stunning move during her archery training, Madelyn learns that she is the possessor of the archer's gift, a gift that has supposedly gone back hundreds of thousands of years through her family, though little is known about it. So together with her Aunt Rosalyn and best friend, Chris Wentlock, Madelyn begins the work to figure out what the archer's gift truly is. But it's not long before a mysterious new threat, who calls himself The Midnight Archer, emerges. Attacking her home, Madelyn and Chris flee, barely escaping with their lives.
Now, Madelyn and Chris are on the run, facing numerous dangers along the way. Madelyn learns shocking truths about herself. By the end of it all she must make a choice on whether she will fulfill a destiny meant for her. She must engage the Midnight Archer in battle to try to stop him from achieving world domination.
This choice will transform her into becoming someone she never saw herself becoming………The Crimson Archer

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashlyn Publishing Press
• Release date: Apr 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393667223

Book preview

THE RISE OF THE CRIMSON ARCHER

Copyright © 2021 by Mahayla A. Palachuk.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em-bodied in critical articles or reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Contact Information :

https://mahaylaapalachuk.wixsite.com/author

https://www.instagram.com/authormahayla.a.palachuk/

Book Cover Designer : Valerie Davidson

Editor : Stories to Tell

Formatting Template : Derek Murphy

ISBN: 978-1-7368188-0-0 (Paperback), 978-1-7368188-1-7 (Hardcover)

First Edition: April 2021

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To my Aunt Val for my amazing cover.

To my bestie Keira and best guy friend Josh, thanks for helping beta-read this book.

And to my lovely Aunt, who I wish I had more time with. I love and miss you.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE: THE DISCOVERY

CHAPTER TWO: REVELATIONS

CHAPTER THREE: TRAINING BEGINS

CHAPTER FOUR: A BATTLE ENSUES

CHAPTER FIVE: THE BATTLE

CHAPTER SIX: HIDING OUT

CHAPTER SEVEN: FIGURING THINGS OUT

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE JOURNEY BEGINS

CHAPTER NINE: A MARKETPLACE BATTLE

CHAPTER TEN: A NEW ALLY

CHAPTER ELEVEN: COMBAT TRAINING

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE PARCEL

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A NEW BOW

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE CRIMSON ARCHER IS BORN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE CORRIDOR ARGUMENT

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: A CONFRONTATION

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: CRIMSON VS MIDNIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE CRIMSON COMET

CHAPTER NINETEEN: THE AFTERMATH

CHAPTER TWENTY: WRAPPING THINGS UP

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

August 15, 2006

Are you sure you guys should go?

I’m sure, Rosalyn.

Maybe I should come with you?

No, if you go, who will watch Madelyn?

The sound of muffled voices awakens five-year-old Madelyn Arching. Young Madelyn narrows her chocolate brown eyes as she looks around her mostly pitch-black bedroom. A sliver of light shining into her room from the slightly open door highlights her as she moves her shoulder-length, wavy brown hair out of her face.

Hearing her mother and Aunt Rosalyn’s voices floating up from the foyer and into her bedroom, Madelyn climbs out of bed and grabs her soft, stuffed dog, Pupcake. Pulling a warm blanket out from underneath her plushy crimson comforter, she wraps it around her.

The crimson nightgown she is wearing reaching a little below her knees, her blanket dragging behind her, doggie in her arms, Madelyn pushes open her bedroom door and walks into the bright hallway of her home.

As she nears the curved staircase leading down to the foyer, Madelyn pauses in her tracks as she hears her Aunt Rosalyn and her mother, Melana, arguing about something. Madelyn sneaks toward the landing of the staircase and peers through the balusters, silent as a mouse, as she eavesdrops on their conversation.

You and Harold should not be doing this alone, Melana, Rosalyn cautions.

Rosalyn, please, Melana says, frustration creeping into her voice as she speaks. This is not like when we were growing up. Just because you’re my big sister, and are ten years older than me, doesn’t mean you always know best. Harold and I need you here to watch Madelyn.

Yes, Rosalyn, please, Harold, Madelyn’s father, chimes in as he steps over to his wife’s side. We need you to watch our little girl. We can take care of ourselves.

I’m sorry, you guys, but you don’t know him like I do. He’s ruthless and you’ll need all the help you can get.

But if you come with us, who will watch Madelyn?

Rosalyn runs her hand through her shoulder-length, wavy auburn hair in frustration. There are many people who can watch her, but I’m the only person who can help you take him down. You’ve seen what he’s capable of, and you and Harold both know that if you go in alone, there’s a good chance you won’t come back.

Melana opens her mouth to argue with her older sister, but stops when a soft voice comes from the top of the staircase.

Mommy?

Melana, Harold, and Rosalyn look up and see Madelyn put her small hand on the smooth wood of the handrail of the curved stairs and walk down to her parents and aunt.

Melana, wearing a white shirt and navy-colored pants that compliment her below-the-shoulder, brown hair goes over to the staircase and by her daughter. Madelyn, what are you doing up, sweetie? she asks Madelyn.

Madelyn rubs her eyes and hugs Pupcake to her. I heard you and daddy and Aunt Rosalyn arguing about something, and I wanted to come and see what was going on.

Melana looks at her beautiful and amazing daughter, feeling nothing but pride and joy for her only child as she crouches down next to her. It’s nothing to worry about, honey. Your daddy and aunt and I weren’t arguing about anything. It’s just that a last-minute business trip came up that your father and I need to go on, so I asked your Aunt Rosalyn to come and stay with you while we’re gone.

But what about our camping trip? You’ll be back in time for us to all go on it, right?

Well . . . me and your father probably won’t be back in time, so your Aunt Rosalyn is most likely going to take you.

Madelyn sighs, Melana noticing this as she smiles sadly at her daughter. She knows these trips are never easy for Madelyn, but she and her husband have to go, no matter how hard it is for them to leave.

"But you and Daddy will try to be back in time, right?"

Melana nods as she tucks a strand of her daughter’s soft hair behind the little girl’s ear. Look, I can’t promise you we will be, but we will try our best to be back in time for our camping trip.

Promise? Madelyn asks as she holds up her pinky finger.

Promise, Melana says with a smile as she wraps her pinky finger around her daughter’s.

Madelyn leans her forehead against her mother’s and they both break out into giggles.

Harold clears his throat and taps on his emerald-colored watch, signaling to his wife that they have to get going.

Melana sighs, knowing the time has come to leave. Well, Daddy and I have to go now, but we’ll see you as soon as we can.

Madelyn leaps into her mother’s arms, nearly knocking Melana down, and buries her face in her mother’s shirt, tears brimming in her eyes. Okay, Mommy, but I’ll miss you.

Melana tightens her grip on her daughter as tears brim in her eyes as well. I’ll miss you too, sweetheart.

Reluctantly, Melana releases her tight grip on her daughter, and Madelyn withdraws from her mother’s embrace, a downcast look on her face. But her face brightens slightly as she jumps into her now-kneeling father’s arms. I’ll miss you, too, Daddy, Madelyn says, her voice muffled as she buries her face in his green shirt.

And I’ll miss you, my little crimson archer. Harold kisses the top of his daughter’s head. Now be good for your Aunt Rosalyn, and we’ll see you as soon as we can, okay, sweetheart?

Madelyn smiles. Okay, Daddy.

Harold reluctantly lets go of his daughter before turning his attention to his wife. Alright, Melana, it’s time to go.

Melana and Harold grab their navy and emerald trench coats and pull them and their gloves on.

Melana, Harold, please, I have a really bad feeling about this trip. Please let me go with you. All I want to do is keep the both of you safe, Rosalyn pleads with her sister and brother-in-law as they grab their bags.

Melana smiles and puts a hand on her sister’s shoulder. I know that, sis. But I need you to stay here and watch Madelyn. If you won’t stay for me, stay for your niece. Please, Rosalyn. She needs you.

Rosalyn sighs. Alright, for Madelyn, I’ll stay. But you and Harold need to keep out of trouble, alright?

Melana playfully punches her older sister’s arm and smirks. "You know me, Rosalyn, I can never stay out of trouble. As a half-worried, half-serious look comes over Rosalyn’s face, Melana continues, I was just joking, Rosa. Of course, we’ll stay out of trouble."

Rosalyn raises her eyebrows suspiciously, but in the end she just shakes her head. Alright, you’d better, she says as she hugs her sister.

Melana and Harold pick up their luggage, and Madelyn and Rosalyn walk out onto the porch with them, watching as they put the luggage in the trunk of their car.

We love you guys! Rosalyn and Madelyn call out.

We love you guys too! And with a wave, Melana and Harold climb into their car and drive out of their circular driveway and onto the Avenue of the Giants, the moon shining down onto the road through the trees as they drive away.

But little do Madelyn and Rosalyn know as they watch them drive off that this will be the last time they ever see Melana and Harold . . . and just how much their lives are going to change in just a few short hours in ways that neither of them could have ever imagined.

CHAPTER ONE: THE DISCOVERY

12 Years and 10 Months Later-June 18, 2019

Alright, Madelyn. Let’s see what you can do.

Madelyn Arching, who is one day away from turning eighteen and is five feet, four inches tall, is a beautiful, fair-skinned girl with medium-length, wavy brown hair. Today, it is tied up in a ponytail as she steps through the door into her archery range.

The archery range had originally been an empty room, but after Madelyn got into archery, her Aunt Rosalyn turned it into an archery range with a set of French doors that lead out into the redwoods behind the home and floor-to-ceiling windows that give an amazing view of the -woods around the house.

Madelyn has a black, recurve bow in her left hand, while her large quiver, full of arrows with sharp silver tips perfect for piercing into a target’s bullseye, is slung over her back.

Archery is Madelyn’s passion. Upon realizing how much her niece loved archery, Rosalyn enrolled Madelyn in private archery lessons when she was only thirteen. Since then, day and night, Madelyn practices, ever perfecting her skills.

For the past few years now, Madelyn has been a master archer, with her ‘lessons’ now being sessions where she shows her instructor her current skills, and he, in turn, gives her pointers if he sees anything she could be doing differently to improve.

So here she is, in the home’s archery range, only mere moments away from starting her lesson. As Madelyn walks farther into the range, she begins to think about how much she wishes her parents were here to see her skills. After all, they had been the ones who first showed her how to shoot a bow and arrow in their old back yard and spurred her to get involved in archery in the first place.

Madelyn’s parents, Melana and Harold, had died in a mysterious car crash on the night of August 15, 2006, after their plane landed and they were en-route to their meeting.

After their deaths, Madelyn’s Aunt Rosalyn took her in and became her legal guardian. Madelyn loves her aunt and admires Rosalyn for her unwavering strength after her husband, Madelyn’s Uncle Samuel, died when Madelyn was three, and then two years later Madelyn’s parents died.

Shortly after Melana and Harold’s deaths, Rosalyn moved herself and Madelyn to a new house on Greenwood Heights Drive, a short distance from Madelyn’s old home on the Avenue of the Giants where she had lived with her parents before their deaths.

Today, Madelyn is wearing denim jeggings, a red, bomber motorcycle jacket, black tank top, and black, ankle-high, wedge-heeled combat boots that make small thuds against the concrete floors as she walks up to a target.

A cheer comes from the sidelines. You can do this, Mads!

Madelyn looks in the direction of the voice and smiles at the person who is cheering her on.

Chris Wentlock, her best friend for her entire childhood, is visiting her home to watch her train and then later talk with her and make plans for college and their overall futures.

Whenever she is feeling down, Chris, an eighteen-year-old with dark brown hair and fair skin, is always there to give her advice and help out wherever he can. He has been by far one of the most important people—other than her Aunt Rosalyn—throughout her entire childhood, and Madelyn cannot imagine her life without him.

A smiling Madelyn positions herself about a dozen feet away from the target and turns to her archery instructor, Moris, a light-brown-skinned man with short black hair who is in his early forties.

I’m ready, Madelyn says calmly.

Alright. Now . . . SHOOT!

Seemingly as fast as a speeding bullet, Madelyn grabs an arrow from her black-colored quiver, nocks the arrow onto her bow, and immediately shoots the arrow into the target’s bullseye. Another shot. Bullseye. Bullseye again. With every arrow shot from her bow, Madelyn gracefully lands a bullseye.

Go, Madelyn! You can do this, Chris yells passionately as he cheers her on, wearing a light brown jacket paired with an auburn-colored shirt and denim pants.

You can do this, Madelyn. You’re an Arching, Aunt Rosalyn echoes, her in a red top paired with silver jeans.

Madelyn smiles at their support and enthusiasm for her but keeps her focus on the targets as she nears the final few.

Come on, Mads. Come on, Chris quietly encourages. You’ve got this.

But then, just as she is nearing her final target, Madelyn trips, finding herself about to fail her goal and fall flat on the ground. Both Chris and Rosalyn gasp as she begins to fall, but Madelyn does not waver. She spins herself up into the air, stunning her audience. The world suddenly seems to move in slow motion as she continues to spin and at the same time grab an arrow from her quiver and set it up to shoot, all the while flipping backwards and landing on her feet less than dozen feet away from the target.

Chris’s and Rosalyn’s mouths hang open, as Madelyn not only performs a back flip but spins 180° around to face the target, locks eyes with it, and shoots off an arrow.

All eyes are on Madelyn’s arrow as it soars through the air and hits the target dead center, piercing the target’s fabric and embedding itself in the wooden support.

As soon as the arrow pierces the bullseye, Madelyn blinks, steps back, and looks around, almost as if coming out of a trance. What just happened? she wonders silently.

Chris and Rosalyn quickly rush toward Madelyn.

Aunt Rosalyn, Chris. Did you see all of that?

Chris is the first to speak. Yes, Mads, we did. But what I’m really wondering is how you were able to do such an amazing, and may I say quite crazy, trick with your bow.

That’s what I’m wondering too, Madelyn replies.

Madelyn, Aunt Rosalyn begins, her eyes narrowing in worry. I think I know what’s happening.

"Well, then what exactly is happening?"

Have you ever heard of the archer’s gift?

I’m sorry, the archers what? Madelyn asks in confusion.

Moris clears his throat before addressing both Madelyn and her aunt. It sounds like this is a family matter, so I’m going to head out. And, Madelyn, you call me when you want to finish what we started here today, alright?

Madelyn nods at Moris. That sounds good.

Alrightly then, I will see you guys later.

Madelyn, Chris, and Rosalyn say a quick goodbye to Moris as he leaves.

I’m sorry, Aunt Rosalyn, but before Moris left, you started to say something about some sort of gift. What were you talking about exactly? Madelyn asks her aunt.

Rosalyn looks at her niece. I was talking about the archer’s gift, Madelyn.

Well, yeah, but what is the archer’s gift? I’ve never heard of it before.

Rosalyn sighs before continuing, Madelyn, I should have told you this a long time ago.

Madelyn looks at her aunt in confusion. What do you mean, Aunt Rosalyn? What aren’t you telling me?

You know how you performed that move a few minutes ago?

Yeah. What does that have to do with this ‘gift’ you’re talking about?

Rosalyn runs her hair through her auburn-colored hair, the ends now streaked with gray, before she looks Madelyn right in the eyes. The archer’s gift is the reason you were able to do that trick, Madelyn.

Madelyn is both shocked and confused by her aunt’s words. I’m sorry, what?

Madelyn, the archer’s gift goes back thousands of years, with many family members throughout the years possessing it. Not much is known about the gift, as much of the information about it was lost hundreds of years ago. But what we do know is that all the people who possess it have extraordinary archery skills, among other things. Rosalyn smiles as she finishes, And after seeing that trick you just pulled off, there is no doubt in my mind that you too possess the archer’s gift.

Madelyn looks at her aunt in bewilderment as she gently shakes her head. I’m sorry, Aunt Rosalyn, but I do not have the archer’s gift. That trick I pulled off was pure dumb luck. Rosalyn begins to speak, but Madelyn unwittingly interrupts her as she continues, You know, come to think of it, I’ve never even heard of the archer’s gift until now. I mean, how do I even know that this so-called ‘gift’ is the real deal?

Rosalyn looks at her niece with a shocked expression on her face. Madelyn, are you suggesting that I’m trying to deceive you by lying about the gift?

Madelyn vigorously shakes her head. "No, that’s not what I’m suggesting, Aunt Rosalyn. What I’m trying to say is that maybe this archer’s gift isn’t as