Over the years which Zael lived in Cantur, the town's reputation of quality arms spread even further, reaching Sa'Enkad. Recognizing the strategic importance of having a good smith for their armies, they decided that Cantur would be their next target in Awn Tellan. The Sa'Enkadian army sent a few thousand men to burn the town and to capture the smiths and all backstock they had. Due to the uncoordinated nature of the area, Cantur only had two day's notice to prepare for the battle, and despite the best efforts of the order, the town was razed to the ground, destroying the order's building, as well as all the houses of the town. Only a fourth of the order survived, wisely realizing they could do infinitely more against the Sa'Enkadians alive than if they were dead. Zael was one of these survivors. He realized that despite saving the lives of many Canturians, and killing many Sa'Enkadians, fighting the Sa'Enkadians with head-on force was suicide. Over the next few months, he wandered Awn Tellan pondering what, if anything, he could do to help his country out. He eventually found himself in a grand library, reading about the falls of great empires in by-gone ages.