#43: STARTLED STEED.

Drake knew that he had to do something before the Canidon got to Daedalus. Looking down, he spotted a small rock, lying on the otherwise immaculate stretch of grass. 
Scooping it up, he hurled the stone with all the accuracy and power of a champion shot-put thrower. The projectile struck the rider square on the helm, knocking him off his perch. The Canidon stopped, startled by the sudden loss of its rider and consequent freedom.

Drake ducked under its flailing tail, grabbed the whip and cracked it against the flank of the Canidon. The beast’s flesh sizzled with the contact; it roared and turned on him. He cracked the whip again, keeping it at bay.

“The scanner’s nearly charged!” shouted Lucius. “We only have one shot, so you have to bring it over here.”

Attracting the attention of the Canidon from Drake, Daedalus ran back to him. Drake started after her, but was tackled from behind by the rider, the whip flying out of his hand.

The Canidon was still bearing down on the Norwegians, with no-one else around to act as a decoy…

#44: BEAST BLASTING

“Lucius!” screamed Daedalus, “Use the scanner now!”

“Get closer,” yelled Lucius, “Or it won’t work!”

If she weren’t running for her life, Daedalus would have rolled her eyes and come up with a scathing retort. Instead, she jumped aside, tripping and falling just as the Canidon lowered its head to impale her with its horns. Unable to quickly change its course, the Canidon rammed right into a giant oak tree.
The beast roared in fury as it tried to dislodge its right horn from the trunk.

“NOW, LUCIUS, NOW!”

The Norwegian began punching in a sequence on his device, which was now humming like a swarm of perturbed hornets and shaking just as violently.
Daedalus screamed as the Canidon wretched its head, snapping off the horn. Now it was extra angry.

Lucius hit one final button and the green beam surrounded the Canidon. But instead of merely being stunned, the creature writhed in pain before exploding, showering the surprised scientists with chunks of flesh and gore.

“Well that certainly worked,” Daedalus remarked after a pause.

“Yes,” agreed Lucius. “It seems I may have underestimated the power output.”

The scientists turned and saw Drake, still grappling with the rider.
“I suppose we ought to help him...”

#45: DIRECT DEPARTURE:

Drake wasn’t exactly struggling with his opponent, but it WAS rather difficult to maintain a decent grip on the armour. At least he didn’t have to contend with the dirty great big sword too. The rider wasn’t faring much better, with Drake constantly wriggling out of or breaking his holds. All either needed was just the right opening. 

The Norwegians rushed over to join them.

“Use the scanner again,” urged Daedalus.
“I can’t,” said Lucius. “The power-cells are depleted. This thing’s useless now.”

Daedalus grabbed the device from him and clocked the rider with it: once, twice, three times. Drake kicked the rider off and pinned him face-down on the ground.

Relieving his opponent of the broadsword, he used the now-inactive whip to truss the rider.

“Thanks for the assist,” he said. “Where’s the Canidon?”
The scientists pointed to the bloody mess over by the tree.”

“Ah. That’s going to take some cleaning up,” said Drake. “I suppose the other question is how are you going to get home?”

Lucius had been searching the armour of the rider and produced a small disk-shaped gadget.

“Trans-mat recall,” he explained. “It’s how our friend here was getting back. We’d better hurry, it’s nearly out of energy as well.”
Drake nodded.

“I guess this is so long then. Tell me though; you’re not really from Norway are you?”
Daedalus merely grinned as they picked up the rider between them.
“Goodbye Drake Mandible, perhaps we’ll meet again.”

“Good-luck,” Drake said, waving them farewell as Lucius pressed the button on the Trans-mat recall device and they phased out.

Shaking his head in bewilderment, Drake picked up the sword, which he would put in the armoury. The distant engines of the Cessna 680 Sovereign indicated that Nickelby was almost home. Drake smiled and hurried off to open the hanger doors.