Jibreel's Curse

By James Mullins

Jibreel, 6th Century Arabian nomad, family man, and trader. His unremarkable life would have passed completely un-noticed by the world except for this, his final chapter.

Drawn to a gift from the heavens Jibreel's life will take a turn that endangers everything he has ever loved and ultimately the world itself.

Created at the request of readers just like you this is the story of how Jibreel's life led to events that would threaten the world in the novel Scourge of Byzantium.

Also included is the first three chapters of Book 1 in the Byzantium infected series, Scourge of Byzantium.

The third chapter is a new chapter not featured in the original edition of Scourge of Byzantium. It is the first episode in a series of short stories I will be writing called the Nasir and Maarika chronicles. Nasir and Maarika are of one people but two worlds. One grew up inside Byzantium's Arabia Province, the other the open desert of Arabia. They will meet on the eve tragedy that will forever change both of their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Mullins
• Release date: Oct 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370179794

James Mullins

I was born into a military family in the United States. At a very early age I was able to travel the world. One of the first places my father was stationed was Germany. Europe was a magnificent land dotted with castles and history. This invoked within me first a curiosity about history, and later a passion. I became captivated with tales of both heroes and heroines of times past.After my experience abroad, history was filed in the back of my mind. We returned to the United States and went about our lives. School, a trip to Italy with my Grandparents to become acquainted with my Italian cousins, and finally my own tour in the military took me to more wondrous places full of history, such as the Middle East and Iceland. These new experiences helped bring the love of history to the forefront of my thoughts once again.As life always does, living it got in the way of my passion. More school, and several jobs later history came crashing back to the forefront of my thoughts. This time was different. This time not only did I love reading, but tales of my own began to form in my mind.I read extensively of several historical fiction and alternative history authors. Some of my favorites being Gordon Doherty, Simon Scarrow, Douglas Jackson, D. Russ and E.E. Isherwood. My real inspiration was Harry Turtledove, a master of alternate history. I picked up a copy of his Guns of the South in 1993. I immediately fell in love with the genre. Though I have read many other alternate history authors Harry Turtledove remains my favorite.For my first book, Scourge of Byzantium, I combined my love of history with a more recent passion the walking dead. My mind imagined a world in which the infection did not take place in the modern world, but during the later Roman Empire or Byzantium as that nation is known in modern times. Imagine how much better equipped a Roman Army is to deal with this problem. Now imagine how much harder it is to kill a zombie wearing armor!While I was working on the sequel to Scourge of Byzantium it dawned on me that the Byzantium Infected Universe could tell stories of the infection from many more different view points. Wanting to try my hand at short stories, thanks to some great feedback from a reader, I wrote Jibreel's Curse.Jibreel's Curse is the tale of how a historical nobody, Jibreel, set the gears in motion to first catch and then spread the infection. It's a perfect instance of if Jibreel had gone left instead of right, the world would have continued and become the one that we know. In this case Jibreel made the fateful decision to change the course of history and his actions resulted in the zombie infection.My second full length novel Damascus of the Damned picks up the story that ended in Scourge of Byzantium right after that novel left off. It continues the tale of Athos, Baltazar, and Constan in the Byzantium Infected Universe.The third book in the Byzantium Infected Series, Emperor's Errand was completed and released Christmas day 2018. Continuing the story of the three heroes, Athos, Baltazar, and Constan, their travels take them to the highest levels of the Roman Empire, culminating in a meeting between Emperor Heraclius and Athos & Constan. The Emperor gives them a mission, vital to the preservation of the Empire.My fourth full length novel Emperor's Errand Part II, is progressing well as of this update (March 2019), and I'm targeting a July of this year release date.Thanks for Reading!James Mullins

Book preview

Jibreel’s Curse

By James Mullins

First Edition October 12th 2016

©2016 James Mullins

Editors: Lee Jenkins and Doug Cree

Published in association with Longinus Industries

All rights reserved. This story may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

Jibreel looked down the path ahead of him. He held his hand against his forehead and squinted his eyes to try and protect them from the glare of the intense Arabian sun. The yellow orb’s fierce glare upon the land caused the air on the horizon to shimmer and dance. Can’t be much further now." The journey through the barren lands and over the mountain pass that day had gone without incident. The slow clop, clop, clop, of his camel’s hooves and the faint whisper of wind were the only sounds that could be heard as he rode.

Jibreel continued riding for a time. Finally, he stopped and took a deep breath. The fragrance of flowers filled his nostrils. He paused, relishing the smell of the blooming flowers. He had been traveling all day from Mecca toward his family’s tents. The rains around Mount Hira had been plentiful that year, so he led his family to the base of that great mountain. They found a good spot for their herds to graze and raised their tents. The family’s herd of goats and sheep eagerly partook in the grasses.

Once the family had settled into their temporary home, Jibreel had taken some goat’s cheese and sheep’s wool to Mecca. He used them to trade for the spices his wife Sabella loved to use in her cooking. Jibreel closed his eyes and thought about Sabella the way she smelled, her soft raven black hair, and that way she looked at me sends my heart racing in anticipation of pleasures to come, Bismillah, I am such a lucky man to be blessed with such a wife.

The smell of blooming flowers washed over him a second time and he took a deep breath. At last, he could see the source, a small oasis at the base of the mountain pass he had been traversing most of the day. The surrounding hills had formed a natural bowl where the runoff from the meager winter rains had gathered to create a pool of water. Surrounding the pool was a small grove of palm trees, flowers, and soft grass. His Camel, eager to have a drink, increased its pace towards the pool.

Reaching the center of the oasis, Jibreel made a Kee, Kee, Kee, sound with his mouth. The camel snorted in displeasure at the delay but dutifully kneeled to the ground to allow Jibreel to dismount. He threw his left leg over the saddle and slid off the back of the beast. He turned, walked up to the pool and, drank from it using his hands. The camel snorted again in displeasure at being forced to wait while Jibreel drank from the pool. Jibreel smiled up at the animal, Now, now, Qamar, you’ll get your chance.

Jibreel stepped to the side and allowed Qamar to drink from the pool. He reached down and scratched the camel just behind the ears. The camel stopped drinking and moaned in pleasure. See, much better now, eh? He took a leather strap that was fastened to his saddle and hobbled Qamar. He then took a few dates from a saddle bag and ate them as the sun set behind the mountains to his immediate west.

Jibreel savored the sweet taste of the perfectly ripened dates. His hunger satisfied, Jibreel set to work on Qamar. First, he removed the saddle and set it on the ground. He then brushed Qamar’s fur where the saddle had rested. Finished caring for his camel, he laid down on the soft grasses and was fast asleep within minutes.

Jibreel felt something wet and gritty being dragged across his cheek. Without opening an eye, he swatted at the source of the irritation and tried to go back to sleep. He once again began to slip back into the gentle embrace of slumber when he felt the wetness again, Qamar, cease this at once.

Qamar ignored Jibreel’s protest and licked him on the cheek again, All right, all right! Jibreel muttered in disgust. He opened his eyes to the sight of Qamar looking at him. The edge of her snout mere inches away from his face. Qamar’s tongue shot out and licked Jibreel from the bottom of his chin to his forehead, Ugh, enough!

The sun was just breaking the horizon to the east. Jibreel stood and stretched the stiffness from his body. Not getting any younger. He then rummaged through one of the saddle bags and found what he was looking for. Opening a small burlap sack, he grabbed a handful of grain and turned towards Qamar. Is this what you seek? he asked Qamar. Qamar, smelling the grain, turned and poked Jibreel’s closed hand with his snout. Smiling Jibreel opened his hand, and Qamar eagerly ate the grain from his palm.

Jibreel took half a dozen dates from his saddle bag. He then searched through another bag for a bottle. Finding it, he withdrew it from the bag and smiled. Honey, he said out loud. He carefully removed the cork stopper with his teeth and put a few drops on the dates. He placed his feet in the pool and sat at the water’s edge and ate his breakfast. As he chewed on the dates contentedly, he watched the reds and purples cast across the sky by the rising sun. The orb was a dull orange. Bismillah be praised. Such beauty.

Jibreel stood and slipped off his robes and keffiyeh. He