The effort to pull the jade from the stone exhausted Sage to the point of having to take a break. She could feel the precious mineral close to the surface and knew that she was almost done, but she couldn't finish the action. She was drained from her efforts, her giant body slumped and panting heavily, her sides heaving. Why couldn't she be stronger? Why couldn't she be more practiced? 'Practice makes perfect. You'll make mistakes the first time, second time, and even the twentieth time. That's how you improve and perfect your craft.' Her parent's words echoed in her head, lessons from both of them, and Sage doubled down, pouring the last bit of magical strength into her efforts with gritted teeth. Despite the other's attempts, she didn't hear his approach or notice his stance behind her. She remained fully unaware.
"Sage?"
A sudden voice behind Sage startled her, causing her to lose her grip on her magic and thus, lose the jade she had been lifting from the earth. The surface of the ground had cracked at her feet, shattering as the earth was moved, but the jade was still wedged beneath the surface. The jade didn't matter to her anymore at this point. Here she was, caught metaphorically with her pants down, while another wolf - a very large wolf - had snuck up on her. The giant shifted her body to turn and face the stranger, fumbling and falling onto her rump as she did so. Instinctively her wings spread outwards - an attempt to make her look even larger than she was - and she recoiled from the stranger. Her yellow eyes studied the posture of the other wolf - defensive more than aggressive - and she took the millisecond of time to find her footing on all four paws once more.
He didn't immediately advance on her, giving her a chance to look over the more obvious features of the beast. He boasted his own large set of dragon-like wings. His head was crowned with horns, his legs and chest protected by some sort of armor-looking plating. On his head she could identify not two, but three eyes. His tail... he knew her name...
Sage was sure she didn't know this wolf. She would have remembered a wolf who looked so much like her lost, beloved father. She knew she had an uncle, but she could have sworn that he had been an albino from what she remembered being told. Was this another brother of her father's, somehow landing in this strange new world alongside her? If it was, how did he know her name? Had her father somehow introduced him to her before her memories could form? If so, why had he never come to visit past that point in time?
With uncertainty, Sage's wings flexed out wider. She tilted them so the light caught the sheen on her membranes, sparkling and almost dancing with the commotion. Intimidation was her goal. Even if this wolf knew her she didn't know them, and she needed to be careful. She didn't have a pack here, a family to back her up. She didn't have anyone to tend to her if she went into a rage. And, most importantly, she didn't want to hurt this stranger - a very real possibility if a scuffle occurred. It was best to remain wary and careful. "How do you know my name?" she asked, her voice wavering through her exhausted panting. "Who are you?"