Kandryl's trust in Djaisiuk was not misplaced: Kiacyl was kept safe. Djaisiuk brought him back to Komislava, and if the Vukasovians ever missed him, they did not think it worth while to inquire of the Komislavians whether they had him. It is possible that they thought that he would experience a far worse fate there than any that they themselves could concoct, knowing, as the Komislavians must, who and of whom this boy was.
When they reached Komislava, the boys were overjoyed to find their families there to greet them as they disembarked. The families had been informed by Taician that their sons (or brothers, as the case may be) had been found and were returning home, and each family had made the journey to the IC School to meet them.
Taician did not simply allow the boys vacation time; he mandated it. Each boy returned to their own home with their families for a minimum of two weeks. Djaisiuk alone remained at the IC School, because he was in no condition to make that trip. His family stayed at the school for two days, and Djaisiuk then entrusted Kiacyl to their care. Kiacyl then began the transition which would reshape his entire life.
Djaisiuk's older brother and sister were both married with families of their own by this time, but their children -- Djaisiuk's young nieces and nephews -- quickly adopted Kiacyl as a new uncle. His new, adopted parents too were very patient and kind and did all that they could to smooth the difficult path that Kiacyl had ahead of him. In time, Kiacyl did come to feel himself a member of the family and even called his adopted parents, 'Mother' and 'Father'.
Eventually, Kiacyl did marry, taking to wife a Komislavian girl who did not in the least mind the fact that her husband was a converted Vukasovian. Kiacyl's adventures seemed to begin anew for him when he entered on this new phase in life: that of marriage and child-rearing, but that is a story for another time.
The twelve boys went on only three more missions together before they were disbanded as a group.* Jaeger remained at the IC School for several years as an instructor and then went back to his father's home and became a hunter, though at a comparatively late age, following in his father's footsteps. Jade went on one further mission after they were disbanded with a different group whose navigator was away. He then remained at the IC School as an instructor and researcher for many years after his own marriage. Leil never returned to the school after this most dramatic mission; he withdrew his enrollment and was replaced by another engineer for the group's final two missions. Creole continued on missions until the very day before his twentieth birthday. He also remained as an instructor for several years, then returned at last to his family's farm with (by that time) his wife and five children. Christopher never joined another team, though he did go on a few more missions before retiring to be a researcher at the school. Eriane was reassigned to a new group until he turned nineteen, but he then also returned to the community where he had been born to continue to work in a medical capacity; he never truly returned to farm life. Faquire, Wysire, and Detrin were each assigned to new groups where they served for several years more. Cycil eventually went on to become an electrician, and Sandy became a doctor, with both of them assigned to the same group where their friendship continued to be close for many years.
Most of Djaisiuk's injuries were sufficiently healed before the group left on their next mission that he was able to function well. The upper half of his leg did heal eventually, though it was never quite as good as it had been. His foot and part of his lower leg would not heal, however, and these did have to be replaced with a prosthetic. In his comparatively sedentary lifestyle, this proved no hindrance to him. In fact, most who were not closely associated with him or this adventure never knew about it, although anyone could observe that he walked with a slight limp for the rest of his life. Whether this was actually due to the prosthetic or to incomplete healing of the knee or the rest of the leg, Djaisiuk never cared enough to inquire. The rest of his injuries healed so well in fact that most would never have been able to tell that he had ever been so injured.
Djaisiuk went with the group on each of their last three missions, then voluntarily went on two more before his twentieth birthday. He married at age eighteen, only a few months after the group's return from this, their great adventure, and began then on the most difficult and wonderful stage of his life up to that time. But, as with Kiacyl, the story of Djaisiuk as a husband and father must also wait for another time.
*A group remains together until the oldest member turns twenty. When a boy reaches that age, he is no longer a student. A boy may leave the school before reaching twenty, but he may not remain as a student past that age.
When they reached Komislava, the boys were overjoyed to find their families there to greet them as they disembarked. The families had been informed by Taician that their sons (or brothers, as the case may be) had been found and were returning home, and each family had made the journey to the IC School to meet them.
Taician did not simply allow the boys vacation time; he mandated it. Each boy returned to their own home with their families for a minimum of two weeks. Djaisiuk alone remained at the IC School, because he was in no condition to make that trip. His family stayed at the school for two days, and Djaisiuk then entrusted Kiacyl to their care. Kiacyl then began the transition which would reshape his entire life.
Djaisiuk's older brother and sister were both married with families of their own by this time, but their children -- Djaisiuk's young nieces and nephews -- quickly adopted Kiacyl as a new uncle. His new, adopted parents too were very patient and kind and did all that they could to smooth the difficult path that Kiacyl had ahead of him. In time, Kiacyl did come to feel himself a member of the family and even called his adopted parents, 'Mother' and 'Father'.
Eventually, Kiacyl did marry, taking to wife a Komislavian girl who did not in the least mind the fact that her husband was a converted Vukasovian. Kiacyl's adventures seemed to begin anew for him when he entered on this new phase in life: that of marriage and child-rearing, but that is a story for another time.
* * * * * * *
The twelve boys went on only three more missions together before they were disbanded as a group.* Jaeger remained at the IC School for several years as an instructor and then went back to his father's home and became a hunter, though at a comparatively late age, following in his father's footsteps. Jade went on one further mission after they were disbanded with a different group whose navigator was away. He then remained at the IC School as an instructor and researcher for many years after his own marriage. Leil never returned to the school after this most dramatic mission; he withdrew his enrollment and was replaced by another engineer for the group's final two missions. Creole continued on missions until the very day before his twentieth birthday. He also remained as an instructor for several years, then returned at last to his family's farm with (by that time) his wife and five children. Christopher never joined another team, though he did go on a few more missions before retiring to be a researcher at the school. Eriane was reassigned to a new group until he turned nineteen, but he then also returned to the community where he had been born to continue to work in a medical capacity; he never truly returned to farm life. Faquire, Wysire, and Detrin were each assigned to new groups where they served for several years more. Cycil eventually went on to become an electrician, and Sandy became a doctor, with both of them assigned to the same group where their friendship continued to be close for many years.
Most of Djaisiuk's injuries were sufficiently healed before the group left on their next mission that he was able to function well. The upper half of his leg did heal eventually, though it was never quite as good as it had been. His foot and part of his lower leg would not heal, however, and these did have to be replaced with a prosthetic. In his comparatively sedentary lifestyle, this proved no hindrance to him. In fact, most who were not closely associated with him or this adventure never knew about it, although anyone could observe that he walked with a slight limp for the rest of his life. Whether this was actually due to the prosthetic or to incomplete healing of the knee or the rest of the leg, Djaisiuk never cared enough to inquire. The rest of his injuries healed so well in fact that most would never have been able to tell that he had ever been so injured.
Djaisiuk went with the group on each of their last three missions, then voluntarily went on two more before his twentieth birthday. He married at age eighteen, only a few months after the group's return from this, their great adventure, and began then on the most difficult and wonderful stage of his life up to that time. But, as with Kiacyl, the story of Djaisiuk as a husband and father must also wait for another time.
*A group remains together until the oldest member turns twenty. When a boy reaches that age, he is no longer a student. A boy may leave the school before reaching twenty, but he may not remain as a student past that age.
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