Chapter 1: The First Contact

The warm light of the evening sun flooded through the crystal clear water above the reef of the Tangle Sea. A young tangler sat dreamily on a small sheltered outcrop, letting his tentacles drift in the warm current. Above him, in the extensive cave system of the reef, there was hardly any possibility to escape the lively hustle and bustle of the reef colony.

It was his grandfather who showed him this secret place. They spent many hours together here, listening to the sonorous murmur of the great fish swarm that grazed at the vast pastures of the Tangle Sea. The swarm has been closely tied to the fate of the reef colony for generations and is affectionately called the „Tangle“ by them. Usually the murmur of the swarm only reached his hidden place as a low whisper, but today a pulsating thrumming came from the deep sea. In order to have a better view, the young tangler crawled to the edge of the cliff, and at some distance below him, he saw the great Tangle passing by.

Suddenly a part of the formation started to split off and head towards the rocky edge where he was sitting. Hesitantly, the young tangler raised his tentacle, not really knowing what to expect. The fish were curiously swirling around him, and their thrumming transformed into a deep rhythm. The young tangler felt that the swarm was inspecting him, but “for what?”, he wondered. Finally, a powerful pulse went through the swarm and two fish broke out to gently poke him. It was only a brief contact, but that one touch was deemed to change his whole life forever.

The rhythm of the swarm had become clear words in that moment, and he immediately understood what the Tangle wanted from him: He is the chosen one, the guardian of the Tangle, who leads the swarm from the depths of the Tangle Sea to the shallow waters of the flourishing reef colony.