Its a strange thing, the spectrum of night. To many, it is just gloom and shadows with no distinct colour scheme to speak of, and they would be right.


At least to mortal eyes or to the senses of the uninitiated. To those afraid of the sunlight, it is a good idea to understand these differing tones and textures. Makes the long, long nights more bearable.


It comes with knowing the various shades of the spectrum. Jet black, bistre (a browny-yellow hue of black), baltic (a deep bluey-black), myrtle (a foreboding green-black), payne (a midnight grey-black), and other colours that really shouldn't have a name but most probably do, as if be naming such subtleties somehow means they have an understanding.


Texture's as important too. Being able to discern the various colours is all well and good but its the feelings that shadows possess; now that is the work of a true artist. It also gives Jayant an opportunity to work on the only creative exercise that comes natural to him (if manipulating shadows is even considered natural). Although not as gifted as some of his fellow Asps, he can comprehend the basics to be a help rather than a hindrance.


Now, though, calls for more of a specialist. Jayant spends the rest of the evening wrapping the soft, velvet sleeves of dusk around his fingers as he traces it with a jagged edge of gloom to create something quite unnatural. There, much better.