The weight of the male finally off her throat, Ziv gasped in air, gulping it down deserpately as she tried to get to her feet. She knew she was starting to get sloppy, because desperation made one lose focus, made you lose control. She was losing control. Hades was depending on her, she couldn't let him down. She couldn't fail. Failure would be worse than death.
Rolling onto her belly, she struggled to stand, her leg failing beneath her, the tendons torn and useless. Her wings spread themselves instinctively, giving her more balance as she stood on three legs, her muscles shaking as they struggled to remain upright. Malcoda was coming at her, and she barely had a second to think of what to do, how to defend. His tail- she wouldn't get to it in time. His throat- his head was lowered, protecting it. His chest was bone plated, his legs moving too fast. Suddenly Ziv's front legs shook too hard, collapsing beneath her, and she fell forward, her head bent down, the back of her neck exposed. She was defeated. She knew it.