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[i]Feylings can see in the dark pretty well,[/i] Titus thought as his mind tried to justify bringing Erith into the fold.  The truth was, pushing him away now was likely to cause more problems for them, especially seeing as he was in the same cell with some of them.  When Rizx continued to talk about the plan in front of little mischief-maker, it was decided.  [i]In for a penny...[/i]

Rizx was talking sense and Titus didn't disagree with anything she'd said, (especially regarding taking supplies,) but Mort's idea to leave an undead prison riot in their wake was preferable to dealing with and cuffing every guard themselves.  Mihn's response to the idea of creating corpses made the hairs on the back of Titus' neck stand up.  It was not that he was adverse to murder, but the lilt of her voice - the juxtaposition of [i]cute[/i] and [i]deadly[/i] - was rather unnerving, to say the least.  Funny that he mirrored her facial expression to Mort when addressed, the barest trace of a smile for the necromancer who's compliment to The Snake flared his pride.

Titus looked at the big guy who was at the end of the table, his massive size having him eye level with them all even though he was sat on the floor.  It was a good job for many that Maxim was a nice guy.  Had the friendly giant shared the mindset of someone like Kruger or other vagabonds in this place, no one would be able to stop him.

Maxim, Erith, Kristo, Mihn and Rizx all shared a cell.

"The patrols will be light, tonight. We need to disable the few guards about. Maxim and Mihn being in the same cell should make this simpler," he explained.  "In fact, Kristo and Erith will help a lot too."  He interlocked his fingers and placed his elbows on the table. "If you two," looking at the loudmouths, "can draw the closest guards attention.  Somehow get him to open the cell door.  Then you two," looking at the powerful Min-Max duo, "disable him - kill him - whatever works, so long as it's quiet.  That gives us the cell key and a guard's uniform."

And he went on to offer the idea of himself being escorted by 'prison guard Kristo' up to the Guard House, where he could get the master map.  Before that, everyone else would be freed and, once the area was clear, Titus would let off the sleep gas bomb he'd made from the Nightshade moss - that would fill the prison barracks and make sure that no other prisoners could interfere and mess up their plans.

"We must wait some hours into the evening before we start.  The guards must have time to get drunk."  He took a breath and paused, letting all the information sink in as he shared his gaze among his comrades, left to right.  "Once I have the master map, we descend on the key location together, relying on the our wits and our skills.  Mihn and Rizx in the shadows, Max our muscle, and so on.  Once the magic cuffs are off, I believe things will go a lot more smoothly."  His eyes couldn't help but go to Mort as he said this.  She might be more powerful than all of them.  "This night belongs to us, comrades.  I am certain of it."

...

As the evening began to settle in, Titus pictured, in his mind's eye, the guards getting hammered.  He visualised himself and Kristo succeeding in obtaining the map.  He saw their merry band of misfits escaping beyond the prison limits.

Victory.

Blinking back to reality, he spoke aloud to Mort who he shared a cell with.  "I've been thinking about this concept of [i]Utilitarianism[/i] you were telling me about last month," he told her.  It had taken him this long to bring it up again as he wanted to be sure he thought exactly what he thought before speaking.  Precision was important in philosiphy, as the necromancer had shown him countless times by making him sound like an idiot with seemingly simple responses and questions to his statements.  "I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but I've realised that in almost every storybook I ever read, growing up - the Utilitarian was the villain.  That is strange to me; we are taught as children to steer clear from such a moral compass, without even realising it."

Just some words to pass the time.  He was also acutely aware that while she'd taught him about the concept with rather long-winded soliloquys, she'd never actually stated whether or not she subscribed to the idea herself.

Another hour into the darkness and Titus walked to the cell door, made eye contact with Mihn and nodded.  It was time to go.