Previously onNiko And the Sword of Light...
Lyra: Every third moon's darkening,
a champion is created
to defeat the evil sorcerer Nar Est.
Every time, they have failed.
Woman: The Chrysalis has been shattered.
- The champion has awoken. - This is too soon!
Keep him hidden, keep him safe.
You have to sever the link!
Bring you fully into the world?
Aah!
You are much less floaty than usual.
I'm real.
We get him to Nar Est,
he might reward us.
♪♪ [theme]
I'm Niko, and this is my Sword of Light!
I am here to free my people
and defeat the darkness forever!
"From the Swamp of Sorrow To the Halls of Humiliation."
Niko!
[growling]
[twittering]
Hyah!
Huh?
Darkness, begone!
- Huh? - What happened?
We've been rooked!
- No! No! - [Niko grunts]
[grunting]
Ooh. Careful.
My dress is hooked on a root or something.
[twittering]
Lovely.
Hoo-hoo! Will you look at that?
Just helpless opposterums.
Not so tough now, are you?
Quick! Play dead.
These are innocent creatures,
like Flicker. We cannot leave them like this.
[grunt] I hope you're right.
Even uncursed, they look pretty shifty.
Nice knowing you creeps.
Now look at us,
back to our old selves,
hideous!
Ohh, ohh, what do we do?
I'll think of something, not like you two would.
Very impressive back there, Niko.
You are really getting the swing of this hero thing.
Truly I am. Nothing can stop the Champion of Carondo-rondo--
Where am I from again?
- Carondolet. - [stomach growling]
[gasp] Hear that?
I vaguely remember that feeling in my stomach.
- I'm hungry. - Then come.
Let us forage together in the bogs.
Whoops. Need a little more practice with these legs.
Mm. If I'm remembering the lay of the land,
the Terrapinian stronghold of Carapace isn't too far.
- We'll be safe there. - [twig snaps, rustling]
What was that?
[twittering fanfare]
Brackish berries? Huh. No, thanks.
I'm not that hungry. Too many--
Gimme!
Heavenly.
When you haven't eaten in 768 y-- ow!
Thorns. As I was saying,
too many thorns.
- [prick] - Ow! They are not perfect.
Cook used to say, "You want perfection?
Go eat at the Pools of Destiny."
Is that a place?
I believe so, but I don't know.
Legend has it the Pools were magic waters
that make everything perfect.
Or are they where you never get sick?
The way I heard it,
the Pools help you grow hair.
Dunk your head in them,
and by morning, you shall have hair.
Right. Some fable or other.
Let's keep-- [yawn]-- moving.
[snoring, muttering]
Aw. Poor spittle-kit's exhausted.
[twittering]
Rest, princess.
I shall practice my champion punch.
Huhh! Hah! Hyah! Hah!
[animal chatter]
Hah! Huh!
The Swamp of Serenity?
- Oh, good name! - Hah! Hah! Hah! Huh!
[animal chatter]
Hmm. Curious.
Mm.
These came from the Swamp of Sorrow.
Now, that's one place where I have plenty of eyes.
Huh! Hah! Huh!
There's the princess!
Rasper, you have a genius for stating the obvious,
but I don't see the champion, unless...
No.
[squawk]
- That tiny boy. - Hah! Huh! Hah!
Yes. It seems the new champion is a bit runty.
And you were so worried, Rasper.
I care too much.
A boy. That's how he came early.
This little sham-pion
won't make it through the swamp alive.
One of my darkest creations will make short work of him.
[laughing]
Oh! He is short. Good one, Lord.
[laughing]
[humming]
What is this song that I hum?
I find it oddly familiar.
I remember it, too.
It was the favorite of Anatole,
another champion.
Do I share his memories?
Mm, some, maybe, but mostly talent and experience.
And every champion used a sword such as this?
You're each born with a different weapon.
- [twittering] - Thank you, Flicker.
[twittering]
There was the Battle-ax of Light,
the Flails of Light,
the Crushing Hammer of Light.
Oh, the worst weapon had to be the Harpsichord of Light.
Its dreadful discordance shattered friend and foe alike.
Plus, it was hard to move.
Anyway, there was the Javelin of Light
and the-- [gasp]--
Uh, that's enough.
Who was that?
It's no one. [gasp]
Oh, no.
Carapace.
The safe haven
that darkness was unable to reach?
That Carapace?
It's gone.
If Nar Est's creatures
could level the Terrapinian Stronghold--
Niko, you're not ready to take on Nar Est.
We must remain hidden until you are,
even if that takes us years.
Lyra, I believe you know best,
but is a champion supposed to hide?
Should a hero not seek danger at every turn,
battle the darkness as he finds it,
challenge evil where it lies?
- Raah! - Niko: Uhh!
Who stands on the Mugwhump's eye!
[growling]
Aah! Uhh!
Apologies, large creature.
I did not mean to stand on your eyeball.
I thought it was a rock.
And now I am one eye down,
temporarily blinded by your foot.
It is good that you have so many eyes, then.
[growling]
Great, uh, Mugwhump,
can you tell us what happened to the Stronghold of Carapace?
- [growling] - Hello?
What happened to Carapace?
Huh. You want an answer to that riddle?
First you have to solve mine.
I love riddles!
Do you even know what a riddle is?
The more you have of it, the less you see.
What is it?
It is...
I don't know what it is.
Give up?
The more you have,
the less you see.
- Termites? - Darkness!
Too late. The weasely creature answered first,
and answered wrong.
Come on. Just tell us about Carapace.
Fine.
If you must know, heh heh, I ate it!
You are a rather large creature,
but I doubt even you can eat an entire city.
You dare question my appetite?
Have you ever heard of the phrase
"An eye for an eye"?
No.
But there are many phrases that are--
Whoa!
Hyuh! Hyuh!
Hyah!
Foul trickery!
Aah!
[slurp]
Oh! Whoa!
Aah!
Niko! Can you hear me?
Return Niko at once.
[growling] What's a Niko?
It's what you just had for lunch.
Lunch? Ha! I only ate it
because he stepped on my eyeball.
An eye for an eye.
It's not "An eye for I'll eat you."
Please, gracious, benevolent Mugwhump,
return our friend to us,
and we will never bother you again.
[burp]
Ah. There you go.
Now beat it.
That's not him.
I said beat it!
Niko's the champion. We have to save him.
I'd say that ship has been eaten.
He's our only source of protection.
You'll never make it out of the swamp alive without him.
Oh!
Don't just stand there!
We have to save Niko!
[snoring]
[groan]
Incredible.
The Mugwhump is even larger on the inside.
Aha!
[grunting]
- Careful, sailor. - Aah!
Who are you?
Commodore Algus Chompsky is the name.
What is this place?
The last stop before eternal digestification.
It also happens to be my home and hiding place.
[meowing]
Huh. Don't mind the swamp kittens,
unless you have an open wound
or soup in your pocket.
I ask you, Commodore,
have you seen a sword about yea big,
impressibly glowy?
Sword? Uh, nope. Can't say I've seen it.
You got lucky there, sailor,
very lucky indeed.
Most of his food ends up--
ahem-- down the hole.
Ugh.
I know what to do.
They don't call me Mandok the All-negotiating
for nothing.
Who calls you that?
My good behemoth, you are a beast who knows a deal.
In exchange for that filthy, worthless boy,
let me offer you this valuable trinket.
No.
Well, I tried.
That thing's just not in a regurgitating mood.
That's it. If we can't get Niko out,
we'll have to go in.
By go in, you don't mean--
Good grief, you do mean that.
We have to get the Mugwhump to eat us.
[gulp]
It's a long way to climb up.
So stay a while.
Forgive me, Commodore.
I am on a mission to defeat the darkness.
I must find my sword and escape this foul beast.
A mission, huh? I've had those.
But you know, it's not so bad in here.
Try these on. Positive dioptrics.
Wow! This is amazing!
Is this real?
It's real enough. Things are bad out there.
But it'll all blow over eventually.
Until it does, no better place to hide
than in here.
That is what Lyra wants to do, too,
but champions are not supposed to hide.
Are they?
You're asking the wrong guy.
But look around.
We have everything we need right here.
- [flies buzzing] - Are those nectaroons?
Okay, once I get the Mugwhump's mouth open,
- you jump in it. - You got it.
[grunting]
Go!
- [growling] - both: Whoa!
Aah! New plan.
You be the go-in creature,
and I'll be the pry-mouth-open creature.
[gasp] I'll stand on its eye.
Go on! Gobble me up! Aah!
Uhh. This would be easier
if I could still walk through walls.
There's plenty more where that came from.
- Bleah. - Well, as soon
as the Mugwhump swallows more.
You're welcome to wait.
Ugh. No, thank you, Commodore.
My mission must come before-- ugh--
delicacies.
I must find my weapon.
You sure have a one-track mind, kid.
I used to be like that.
Hey, hey, hey, hey! My tchotchkes!
I have them arranged just so!
That is you.
Once I thought I could save the world, too,
but there's only so much one Terripinian can do.
The Great Battle of Carapace.
We were fantastic tacticians,
but they outnumbered us,
and we never mastered the hasty retreat.
A lot of good we did.
Nar Est destroyed our home.
The other Terrapinians are gone, all of them.
Are you sure?
As long as there is hope,
there is always a way to defeat the darkness.
There is no hope, only hiding.
You're lucky you found this place.
It's fine as long as you look at it right.
What do you say, sailor?
You can start out as a deck hand,
and you'll be a deck officer in no time.
No, Commodore.
The right way to look at a thing
is to see it for what it really is.
I shall find my sword, and I shall escape.
- [grunting] - Niko, no!
Aah!
You are one stubborn creature.
Commodore Chomsky, look!
There it is! My sword!
You'd brave acid slime and who knows what else
for a sword?
It is not just any sword.
It is the Sword of Light.
It is the only hope for us all.
[meowing]
Well, I can help you get it,
but that's as far as I go.
- Wha-hoo! - Hey!
Yahoo!
[grunt] I cannot reach!
That's all the rope I got!
Aah!
He'll never make it out of there.
Quick! Get me that wardrobe.
Look out below!
Uhh!
Quick, Commodore! More furniture!
[grumbling]
It must be someone I ate.
[burp]
[roaring]
Now's our chance!
Mandok: I'm not so sure about this!
Oh! Oh!
You don't taste so good.
How dare you! I am delicious!
Aah!
Havoc!
Huh. I'm getting the hang of having a body.
[meowing]
Terrapinian!
Terrapinian?
Why are you-- No matter.
Have you seen a boy about yea big?
Sword? Yells gibberish?
Down there.
Hurry, Commodore!
I am sinking!
Lyra: Here, Niko!
Lyra!
You can't make that jump!
I must try!
He needs help.
[meow]
[grunt] Hyah!
Aah!
[meow]
My gratitude, friends!
Huh! Hah!
- Good work! - You did it!
Now take cover while I stir up a storm!
Turbulence tornado!
Take cover!
This is going to be a big one!
[meowing]
And furthermore, I'll have you know
that hideous creatures have been trying to eat me
my entire life-- three times in the last week alone.
Uhh...
Uh-oh. Yaah!
[meow]
Aah!
Hyah! Uhh!
Raah!
Nobody attacks the Mugwhump
from the inside.
I will do more than that, vile beast!
[inhale]
- Blaah! - Yaah!
Darkness, begone!
Whoa! Aah!
It flies?
Oh, don't think you can hide from me, little fly.
I see everything.
Darkness, begone!
I see you.
[inhale]
- Raah! - Whoa!
That behemoth sees everything.
[gasp] I have an idea.
[whispering]
[groaning]
[growling]
You are a pest.
I detest pests!
[inhale]
Lyra: He's in position! Now!
- [twittering] - Ow! Ow!
[shouting]
You're all giving me a headache!
[growling]
Darkness...
begone!
I'm king of this swamp!
Devourer of cities!
Bow down before me!
Bow, I say! I said bow!
My mugwhump!
So unfair, Lord.
A coin! I call dibs.
I am glad you decided
to come out of hiding, Commodore Chomsky.
Thank you, Niko.
The world needs heroes like you.
You're right. Champions don't hide.
You mean it?
All this trying to lay low,
and we've had nothing but close calls.
Near-death experiences, you mean.
Hey! The Ovoid of Delphinus!
Forgot I even had it.
Directly powered with light from the Pools of Destiny.
Both: Pools of Destiny?
Are you saying they're real?
Oh, they're quite beautiful.
There are lots of legends about the Pools of Destiny.
But what they really do is change things
into what they are destined to be.
I've never heard that version of the story.
It's not a story, Princess.
No, no, no. The Pools of Destiny exist.
Lyra, that is where we must go!
The Pools will make me
into the champion I am destined to be!
No hiding, no waiting. Not a bad idea.
The Ovoid can lead the way.
The closer you get to those magic waters,
the brighter it glows.
If you say it exists, Commodore,
then it's worth a try. Thank you.
Come with us!
Ha ha. Thanks, sailor,
but I'll stay and rebuild Carapace.
Other Terrapinians might return.
Are there others?
There's always hope.
You'll want to head that way, past the Endless Expanse.
And if you pass the Mountains of Molehills,
you've gone too far.
[meowing]
Destiny awaits!
Endless Expanse.
I hope that's not as far as it sounds.
One of my fiercest creatures is guppy food.
[growling]
Spread the word. I want Lyra
and this half-sized champion stopped!
And I want that sword brought to me!
[cawing]
[growling]
Well, Niko, it was touch and go at first,
but you got us through the swamp,
and now we have an exciting new goal.
For once, I actually feel safe.
Aah!
Once again, I've misjudged the situation.
♪♪
Chirp.