The Irulan Tales

[This is an entry for the Open Novella Contest, 2017. This story is written for this prompt- "You and your friends embark on a much-delayed trip to the mountains. Along the way, you encounter a man who claims to be your guide. You go along to discover that he's hiding secrets that would change the fate and course of your trip." This prompt is listed under the genres adventure, mystery, paranormal, romance, fantasy and horror.]

In a nondescript town of Talamalai in Southern India, lies a thousand-year-old ruined Hindu temple, with no deity. The temple was abandoned when the village was wiped out in a single night, a thousand years ago. But not everyone died. One survived, and escaped the event, leaving a prophesy that would come to pass in another thousand years.

A group of four children are determined to make the most of their summer holidays. The eldest of them, Hema is the Wikipedia of the group. Ashok is always the thoughtful one, strategising to squeeze out and savour all the fun. However, Rajesh, the third eldest is the daredevil, willing to go anywhere. Kumar, the youngest, is timid, but not when it comes to hands-on projects. He is the artist in the group.

When these children decided to explore the ruins, little did they know that the prophecy involved four children, or that they would change the world around them profoundly, guided by a most improbable of companions, a Kite in this birth. The children visit various points in space-time, watch historical events unfold in this world and others. They watch Napoleon invade Russia, Joan of Arc changing the course of history, and watch the birth of the universe. After all, nothing could have happened without the four.