The fire roared behind them. The Darkspawn cooking in the fire also roared, probably in pain. Naruto couldn't help but stare at it for a few moments, before turning back and calming down another argument starting to develop between his younger siblings.

"Enough children." He sighed. "We don't have time for fighting now."

"Please, listen to your brother." Their mother Leandra pleaded.

"Where to, then?" Marian asked, stabbing a still-burning Hurlock. "I would love to know."

"How about Kirkwall?" Leandra said carefully, waiting for her eldest son's reaction.

Naruto froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "Kirkwall? Your home?" Carver asked. He looked at his brother. "What's wrong with it?"

"There are a great many things are wrong with the City of Chains." Naruto growled. "But I suppose we have no choice now. Our current home is burning behind us." He sighed. "Let's just go. If we head north-east we can follow the Hafter River to Amaranthine and catch a boat there."

"Naruto…"

"It's fine mother." He smiled at her, giving her a small hug. "I will be fine. Eventually. I'm sure it won't be all bad." He stopped for a moment, frowning at the road ahead of them. "There's something there." He twirled his staff so the blade pointed on and ran, followed by his other family members.

A Hurlock missing its head fell in front of them. A tall woman with short red hair and a powerful build bashed another in the head with a Templar shield, while and actual Templar was standing to the side clutching his stomach in pain.

"They will not have you." She grabbed his arm and pushed him behind her back. "Do you hear that? You will not have him!" She almost roared, actually causing the Darkspawn to back up before they attacked again.

Naruto stabbed the closest Darkspawn, which snapped his siblings out of their stupor and caused them to attack. The few Darkspawn that were left from the woman's assault fell quickly.

"Stand back." She pointed her sword at Naruto, who was closest to them. He just leaned on the staff he had stabbed into the ground, matching her glare with his.

"I could say the same to you, Templar."

"Excuse me, but I am the Templar." The wounded man tried to stand, but his wife stopped him. "I am Ser Wesley Vallen of the Templar order, and this is my lovely wife Aveline. Please calm down, we mean you no harm. I'm not even sure I can do any harm in my current condition."

"Perhaps, Templar." Naruto growled.

"Brother." Bethany was the one who stepped forward, putting a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. "Please, we can't just leave them here."

"Fine." He sighed, smiling at his littlest sister. "You're lucky my adorable little sister is the nice one. If it was up to the other one I can't even begin to imagine what would happen to you." Marian just grinned at the Templar, making him flinch.

"I see that we are. Well, thank you, either way. I'm sure that together we will stand a much better chance of survival" Naruto nodded but glance at the black veins on the man's neck.

"You look unwell, Templar." He muttered, frowning.

"Yes, thank you for noticing." Wesley huffed, panting for breath. "I think one of the 'Spawn caught me." Naruto approached the man with the gem of his staff. The Templar took a step back as it lit up.

"Don't move." Naruto admonished him. "I won't hurt you. So long as you return the kindness."

"Very well, Mage." He said after a few moments. "Do what you will."

"Wesley…" Aveline spoke up next to him, her hand still on her sword.

"Relax, dear. It'll be fine."

The pommel of Naruto's staff was glowing a bright red color by now, as he brought it up to the Templar's forehead. He lowered it slowly, and the glow intensified when he came to his neck.

"This is not good." Naruto commented. "The Blight has already laid claim to you."

"Can it be healed?" Aveline asked, worried.

"It can't." Bethany spoke up. "Can it, brother"

"Well, not quite." Naruto sighed. "It's possible to slow it down, even for a while, but short of getting a Grey Warden, nothing I have access to will work for more than a week. And I have no idea where the Wardens are now, after Ostagar. Apologies, Templar, but it seems you're not long for this world."

"Brother…" Bethany admonished him, getting only a shrug in response.

"I see…" Wesley nodded in thanks to the Mage. "I thank you for trying, at least. Where are you going?"

"Towards Amaranthine. Then on a boat to Kirkwall." Leandra told the couple.

"Then, would you mind if we come with you? And, after, will you take my wife with you?"

"Wesley, no!" Aveline shouted as she turned to him.

"I am sorry, dear. But where I am bound to, I wish you would not go. Not for a long while." The man smiled.

"Agreed. Here." Naruto raised his staff to the man as the glow turned into blue. The black in Wesley's veins receded for a bit before he could cancel whatever spell Naruto cast. "This will help. For now."

"I… Thank you." Naruto nodded. "I must admit, I am not accustomed to receiving benevolent spells from Mages."

"Not every Mage you see is out to kill you." Naruto said curtly. "But I hold no ill will towards your kind. Until they do against mine." He motioned to his family behind him.

"I assure you, ser Mage, I will not."

"No. You will not." The gleam in Naruto's eyes made it utterly impossible to misinterpret his words. Who ever said mages weren't scary?

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You know, contrary to what you may think, I liked the second Dragon Age game. Character-wise, it was far more detailed than the first one, and I'm perfectly willing to accept some constrictions on my main character if he can be fully voiced. And if EA didn't rush them, the game would be awesome.

And now I come to a bit of a crossroads, and the main reason why I stopped here instead of later. I remember reading a few DAII stories, but not one where Wesley survived. I don't have to kill him. In fact, I'm not even sure I want to. So I want to hear what my readers think. Should I kill Wesley? Do I even have readers? I should, I think.

Do note that this is not a poll, which I will follow to the letter. Whether or not he lives is still, ultimately, up to me. You may change my mind and you may not, but I'm interested to hear it.

And while we're on the subject of living, there's the Hawke family to decide as well. Well, there's Leandra to decide. The twins will live.