Ryan watched Strange grow steadily more interested in magic.
He could almost picture Strange holed up in the Spell House, studying spells with fierce dedication.
A gifted sorcerer like Strange had more than talent. He had the drive to match.
In the original story, even when others slept, Strange merely let his body rest while his Astral Form rose to continue reading.
He took hard work to another level.
On the Training Ground, Strange asked Ryan, "Wasn't there thunder over Kamar-Taj yesterday? Was that really just the weather?"
"Oh, that." Ryan remembered the tile the lightning had shattered on the Training Ground floor. He felt awkward admitting he had done it.
He was trying to find a way to dodge the question when Mordo, standing nearby, cleared his throat.
Mordo's cough drew everyone's attention. He knew—or could at least guess—who was behind that strange lightning.
Since Ryan clearly did not want to say it, Mordo pointed it out. "Strange, if Kamar-Taj has unusual weather, chances are the sorcerer right in front of you is experimenting with spells again."
"You mean you did it?" Strange stared at Mordo in astonishment.
He had never imagined that Mordo, who had been teaching him all this time, could wield magic like that.
The silver snakes that had rampaged across the sky yesterday still haunted Strange. He could not get them out of his mind.
Strange's voice trembled. "Magic can change the weather? Is that normal? Does that even make sense?"
"It makes sense because it happened. And stop looking at me like that. I wasn't the one who cast that spell." Mordo looked at Ryan with complicated feelings.
Though Ryan had not trained at Kamar-Taj for long, he had already shocked Mordo more times than he could count.
By now, Mordo was beginning to