In a secluded town of cobblestone streets and thatched roofs, there is a tale told of a young boy bearing a terminal case of curiosity. It could be discerned at an early age that something was amiss with the child. The boy even in his infancy maintained an attitude of disregard of danger. Fate, or an uncanny talent for self-preservation, was all that kept him from the clutches of death throughout his childhood.
By Gabe's 8th summer, his feelings for danger had carried over into apathy for the will of his parents. The boy hadn't been raised in a home of turmoil or poverty as so many similar cases have been spawned from. Nothing could be accredited to his indifference for the tradition of the town and its role in his society. Even his shaggy blonde hair set him apart from the others. Children and parents alike tended to disassociate with him.
It must be made clear though, that Gabe did not espouse an entirely disinterested view of life. He had an incredible fascination with the unknown and the unseen. It is assumed that the time he spent wandering about the town he was musing over such things, for they were all that he had passion for.
Time enriched lore had smothered the denizens of the town. The eldest of them spoke of the things within the mountains. Though nothing was known of these entities rumored to reside in the mountains, nothing had kept a desperate fear from permeating the minds of those who lived in the town. So extreme was the fear of those mountains that none had purposed to venture even to the base of the terrible sentries that stood looming over the town.
As the boy grew older, his perspective changed. What had before seemed a casual warning to stay away from the accursed mountains, he now interpreted as a challenge. The same fear hadn't a hold on Gabe. He saw himself to be different from his tremulous neighbors; enlightened even.
It was during his teenage years whilst consumed with the wanderlust that so often pervaded his demeanor that he decided to travel to the great mountains. It was nearly inevitable, for the small town held no place for his curious spirit. It was only the steep slopes of the mountains that he did yearn for. Taking nothing but the clothes he wore, he set out for the place at an easy gait.
Whether enlightened or cursed, Gabe wasn't seen from the town again. Some claim that he found a more pleasing lifestyle among the trees and curious rivers, but there are those who claim that the beasts of the mountains are all that can be due the blame for the missing youth.
