Victory celebration

The clan-chief guided Fenrir and his girls to a particularly large tent not far from the council hall, which, like most other tents in the village, looked like a cross between a Mongolian yurt and a Native American tepee. "Consider this dwelling yours for as long as you choose to stay," he told them. "Means by which you may clean off the grime of battle will be provided shortly, and you may make free use of our hot springs as well, if you wish."

Fenrir inclined his head in acknowledgement, lowering Koreen from his shoulders as he did so. "Thank you, Chief Katoh."

Katoh waved away the gratitude as they entered the tepee-like structure, not even Fenrir needing to stoop far to get through the entrance. "Think nothing of it. It is the least we can do after the service you have rendered us." He remained until the promised cleaning amenities were brought by several half-grown youths, telling them a little about clan Aqun while they waited. It was nothing they hadn't already learned from Katari, but Fenrir listened politely nonetheless.

After letting them know that someone would come to lead them to the feast once it had been prepared, Katoh left Fenrir and his girls to their own devices. Nelith wasted no time in stripping out of her gear and beginning to clean herself with one of the washcloths provided. Unlike Fenrir's time with the goblins, no tub in which they could immerse themselves had been provided. Instead, several buckets of hot water, washcloths, brushes, and towels answered the purpose.

Koreen followed her example, and after only a second's hesitation, so did Katari. Neither she nor Fenrir had entirely escaped injury, but between the direwolf taking the brunt of the attention and her own skill, Katari came out of the battle with only a few minor scrapes and bruises, and Fenrir's Spirit Attunement already had him nearly as good as new as none of his wounds had been particularly serious either. The succubi had escaped any injury at all aside from the bruises Koreen had suffered in her tumble from the tree.

"That worked out better than I expected," Nelith commented as she dunked her washcloth in one of the buckets and wrung it out again.

"What, you didn't have faith in my brilliant strategy?" Fenrir teased, admiring the sight of his oldest succubus' bare breasts in between cleaning the blood and dirt out of his own fur.

She noticed and jutted her chest out a bit for him, running her washcloth teasingly over them so they glistened with moisture. "Well, I figured we'd be fine, but to be honest, I expected to have to fight the oni off at some point. 'Course, that was before you did that weird howl thing."

"It sent shivers down my spine when you did that," Koreen chimed in. "What was it?"

"An ability of mine that I picked up after slaughtering that Vigil company back when we first met," Fenrir answered. "It's a widescale frenzy effect, with the caveat that I have to be stronger than an enemy to frenzy them."

"In your hands, it is a most powerful ability," Katari said softly.

"It really is," Nelith agreed. "You completely turned the tide of the battle with it."

Katari nodded. "I do not believe it would have lasted without the work my lord did to drive a wedge between clans Kata and Issala-Bas, however."

"Well, that's why I did it," the direwolf grinned. "Granted, I didn't actually know things would turn out like this, and ideally, I could have avoided this last battle happening at all, but it all worked out pretty well."

Katari ran her washcloth over one of her forearms thoughtfully. "No, I believe this may actually have been ideal." At Fenrir's questioning look she continued, "Oni place great weight on skill and courage in battle, and today you have shown yourself plentifully possessed of both. Your use of subterfuge and misdirection would be tolerated by the oni Code, but it would not gain you respect. Were it not that the enemy was such that we had no chance of winning in a fair fight, the use of such tactics would be disdained as dishonorable."

Fenrir thought about that for a moment. "So the only times subterfuge is allowed by the principles of the oni Code is when an honest fight would be a guaranteed loss?"

"In short, yes, though it is slightly more complex than that."

"I see."

There was a moment's silence, quickly broken by Nelith. "Anyway, it surprised me that the only time I was really worried about the oni getting me or Koreen was when she fell out of the tree."

Koreen blushed crimson. "I didn't mean to!"

"Yeah, I kinda figured that," her sister-succubus smirked.

"Shut up," Koreen snapped. Fenrir couldn't be sure, but it seemed to him as though she were avoiding his gaze.

"Accidents happen," he said. "Even accounting for that mishap, Koreen still made herself invaluable today."

Koreen crossed her arms and scowled. "You're doing it again," she mumbled.

Nelith looked between them, her brow creasing. "What's he doing?"

"Being too forgiving, I think," Fenrir answered, grinning. "Koreen here seems to think I ought to get mad at her more. And not even because she gets off to the thought."

This only increased Nelith's confusion. "What?"

"You see, we had a talk a few days ago, and it turns out that apparently-"

"Sh-Shut up!" Koreen interrupted, her face an impressive shade of scarlet by this point.

Hearing the genuine panic in her tone, Fenrir snapped his mouth shut. "Sorry, Nelith, if you want details it looks as though you'll have to tease them out of Koreen yourself. It seems this is something she doesn't want me to share. But..."

He crossed the small room in two giant strides and lifted Koreen, still naked and dripping wet, by the thighs until her face was on a level with his, her hands instinctively going to his shoulders to steady herself. "Let's be clear, Koreen," he told her in a low voice. "I know you're clumsy, and you'll occasionally do things like falling out of that tree. I'm not going to get angry about it regardless of whether it would ease your conscience if I did unless the accident came about because of clear negligence. You're going to have to learn to forgive yourself for your mistakes, and if that's too hard for you to do, then put that energy into learning to slow down and take your time with the things you're tasked with. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied in a very small voice.

"Good girl." Fenrir kissed her on the forehead and lowered her to the ground again. Her legs barely held her up at first, and Fenrir wondered for a moment whether he had been holding her too tight, but after a second she seemed to steady herself and went back to washing up.

Both Katari and Nelith had been interested spectators of this. Fenrir didn't know how much either of them had caught; he had spoken in an undertone, but they had both been only a few steps away, and both had keen ears. They seemed to understand that the topic should be let go for the present, however, and turned back to washing up, as did Fenrir.

"So what can we expect from this celebration, Katari?" the direwolf asked.

"Much feasting, drinking, and merriment, my lord," she replied. "Celebrations such as this usually begin with a toast to those who have died, but the mood shall not remain somber long. Expect the revelries to last well into the night, though there are some, such as the elders of the village, who choose to head home soon after darkness falls. If any are too tired from the day's fighting, you may retire at that time without causing offence."

"Good to know."

"Will there be anything in particular we need to watch out for?" Nelith asked, now combing out her hair.

"I do not believe so. Take care to avoid drinking too much; oni **** is very strong, but I have warned you against that already. Most of the oni will wish to celebrate you; they know it is due in no small part to my lord's efforts that clan Aqun is yet more than a memory." She turned to directly address Koreen and Nelith. "As they get deeper into their cups, some of the younger bulls may make advances. Do not be afraid to turn them down; they would have to be very drunk indeed to forget you are honored guests and therefore to be respected."

Nelith glanced across at Fenrir. "Just out of curiosity, Chief, how would you feel if we were to have sex with some of the oni?"

Fenrir paused. His immediate reaction was a resounding 'no.' They were his girls, no other could have them. Just the thought made his claws itch for the flesh of the imaginary usurper.

But before he could even say anything, Nelith giggled. "That look on your face tells me everything I need to know. Don't worry, Chief, I don't really want to feed from any of them anyway. Succubi don't usually do the whole exclusivity thing, but that's more because basically no one can properly satisfy a succubus by themselves. But that's not true for you, and I'm not going to lie, I kind of like being yours and only yours. I know none of them could ever hope to match you in bed, anyway." Behind her, Koreen nodded her agreement.

Fenrir nodded slowly, forcing himself to relax the muscles that had involuntarily tensed. "I won't tell you you're forbidden from ever having sex with anyone but me. You already know I don't mind you playing around with each other or any of the rest of my girls, but I won't lie, I don't like the thought of you having sex with anyone else. That said, there could conceivably arise an occasion in the future where the best choice would be to give your body to someone who isn't me or one of mine. I trust you to have the judgement to know if such a situation occurs. I doubt it ever will, but it is possible."

Nelith stopped dressing herself to come across to where Fenrir stood and pulled his head down so she could kiss him gratefully. "Thanks, that kind of trust means a lot to me," she whispered. "I can see in your face how much you dislike the idea, so the fact that you're willing to trust my judgement even despite that means a lot. I promise, I won't ever do it unless there's no other option."

He kissed her back, holding her close for a moment before straightening. A small grin came to his face as he asked, "What about the reverse? What if I have sex with some of the oni women?"

Nelith shrugged as she returned to dressing. "As long as you don't neglect me, I don't mind."

One of Fenrir's eyebrows shot up and he turned to take in the reactions of his other two girls. Their responses were much the same, though there was a hint of hesitance in Katari's eyes. "Huh. I expected you to feel a bit more possessive towards me, though when I think about it, I'm not really sure why."

Koreen echoed Nelith's earlier shrug. "Why would we? You've proven you're able to keep us satisfied and then some. Why should we care if you want to go have fun with someone else as well?"

Fenrir had to grin. "Succubi really do take a different view of such things than most people. But what about you, Katari?"

"It is not my place to judge my lord's-"

"None of that," Fenrir interrupted. "I want to know what you actually think, not what you feel you ought to think."

"Ah. I apologize." There was a moment's silence as Katari put her thoughts in order. "In truth, there is a part of me which wants you all to myself and resents any others, even Nelith and Koreen. But it is a small part, and I am aware that I alone could not keep you satisfied, nor would I enjoy trying. I do not doubt that it would feel incredible, but I do not truly wish to be always drowning in the sea of pleasure that you would constantly be visiting upon me were I the only outlet of your lust."

"What about emotionally? While sex figures pretty prominently in many of my relationships with my girls, not even my relationship with Aimi is exclusively sexual in nature."

"...That is more difficult. But you truly love each of us for ourselves; we are each of us valued for our own personalities, our own merits, so it is impossible to truly resent you for sharing your love with so many. You are unlike any other being in this world. It is unfair to judge you by the same standard."

Nelith nodded her agreement from the other side of the tent. "I'm not used to the kind of relationship we have, Chief, so I don't really know how it usually works, but I don't have any problem sharing you."

"Nor do you have any problem with the fact that I have a problem sharing you." Fenrir gave a wry smile. "I can't help but feel that it's a bit unfair to you, even if I don't actually want it to change."

"Well, it's not every succubus that gets to have sex on the regular with a literal Demon King, to say nothing of that Demon King actually caring about her," she retorted, smirking back at him. "I'd say I'm still getting more out of this than you are."

"Potential Demon King, but I take your point. I guess it doesn't really matter, so long as each of us are happy."

With each of his girls nodding their agreement, Fenrir turned back to cleaning himself up. He was the last done; cleaning out his fur with the tools he had been given proved somewhat difficult, but once Katari was done with her own toilette she began helping him, and so did both the succubi once they finished. Between the four of them, his fur was soon once again pristine.

With them all presentable once again, they turned to dressing themselves. While Nelith and Koreen had been intending to wear their traveling gear again as it hadn't gotten seriously dirty in the fight, Katari decided to wear a black and white kimono that lent considerable emphasis to her golden-yellow eyes and scarlet skin, and upon seeing this they both wanted to try on a kimono as well. Fortunately, multiple sets of kimonos had been provided, so after playing dress up for a bit, Nelith decided on a white kimono with gold highlights while Koreen found one of a dark, almost olive green that set off her blue skin well. Fenrir, of course, just wore his belt and sash combo, as while both had gotten fairly dirty, both were also easy to clean.

With their outfits decided upon, they settled on a low bench in front of the yurt-like tent to wait. Nelith immediately claimed Fenrir's lap, leaving Koreen to pout momentarily before she resigned herself to sitting beside him. Katari took her own seat on his other side, knowing by this point that if she tried to stand at attention as would usually be customary for a Beholden, Fenrir would promptly order her to take a seat.

"Hey, Chief," Nelith spoke up. "If you do find some oni girl to fuck, make sure she's as fun to hang out with as Katari."

Fenrir raised an eyebrow. "Why does that matter if it's just a casual fuck?"

"'Cause there's no way it'll stay that way. No girl who gets a taste of your cock is going to give it up without a fight. Mark my words, if you do fuck any of the oni, they're going to end up coming home with us."

"Duly noted," the direwolf grinned. "Honestly, I'm not that inclined to go looking for someone else to fuck, especially as I've got you three right here. And even if I were the type to get bored of fucking the same women, you girls aren't the type to make it easy. You're all far too proactive for that."

"Don't forget hot," Nelith smirked.

"And shameless, apparently." Fenrir gave her a light spank, just hard enough to make her gasp. "I'd be lying if I said you were wrong, though."

Any response Nelith might have been contemplating was forestalled by the approach of a half-grown oni boy. "Honored guests, I am to lead you to the council hall for the feast."

His awed gaze lingered on Fenrir, prompting Nelith to snicker and whisper, "Looks like you have a new fan, Chief."

"Hush, you," Fenrir whispered back as he got to his feet, saying in a louder tone to the boy, "Lead the way."

He did so, though in all honesty there wasn't much need. The council hall was obvious enough even from a distance, and their tent was only a single level down from the terrace upon which the massive structure was placed.

A steady stream of oni were filing into the hall. The general mood was one of happy relief, laughs and jests being exchanged among them as they walked. Most of the oni were also wearing kimonos of various descriptions, though there were a few still in their armor. Fenrir noticed that all of them still carried weapons, mostly short swords and daggers that could be used effectively in close quarters. This didn't surprise him, as while Katari had left her sword with her armor in their tent, she had transferred all her knives to her new outfit, both the hidden blades and the dagger that habitually hung at her waist.

Inside, Fenrir saw that at the center of the hall lay a large fire pit. Around this, in concentric circles were laid soft mats upon which the oni were seating themselves. On one side of the hall the circles had been interrupted by the placement of several long tables, their surfaces steadily being filled with food by several oni women who brought it in through another door at the far end of the hall.

The boy led them to the center of the hall, where they found the oni chief already seated and waiting. "Welcome. This seat is yours," he said, indicating the empty mat directly to his right.

As it was easily large enough to seat not only himself but each of his girls as well, Fenrir took a seat. Nelith and Koreen settled down on either side of him, but Katari chose to sit behind him and to his right. Fenrir directed a questioning glance at her, but as her expression seemed to plead that he allow her to remain there, he let it go. Most likely, it was something to do with the fact that she was Beholden.

"The feast shall soon begin," Katoh continued once they had all settled themselves. "We are only waiting for all to assemble."

Fenrir nodded and when the oni chief did not seem disposed to immediately continue the conversation, turned his attention to his surroundings. Each oni seemed to have their own assigned seat, with the warriors sitting closer to the fire and others further back. Many among the warriors were bandaged to various extents, and there were empty mats scattered throughout the warrior circles. Fenrir wondered how and when they would be filled again.

His musings were interrupted by the chief rising to his feet, a mug in his hand. Following the example of the oni around them, Fenrir and his girls took up their own, which had been placed in front of their mat moments before by one of several young girls who were distributing drinks throughout the hall.

"It has now been three weeks since clan Kata first besieged us. In the time since we have lost many brave warriors, each laying down their life for the sake of the clan. Nor did they do so in vain. Hail the victorious dead!" And he raised his cup to his lips, and drank. The entire hall followed his example, Fenrir and his girls included. The direwolf noticed that in many quarters of the hall, there was a thoughtful pause before the mug was lifted to the drinker's lips.

Fenrir's mug was filled with an **** he had not tasted before. Judging from the way it burned his throat on the way down, however, it was fully as strong as Katari had warned it might be. Nelith's eyebrows rose as she swallowed it, and Koreen found it impossible to stifle a cough, attracting a glance from the clan-chief. "Th- That's strong!" she half-whispered between coughs as Fenrir patted her back.

After a reverent silence, the chief spoke again. "Valiant as have been our own efforts, we could not have prevailed without the assistance of an outsider. Some of you already know of him, others do not. But it is he that sowed such discord among our enemies that their alliance failed in the battle today, and it is he and his companions that cut down a great number of our foes, though they owe us nothing. Hail Fenrir and his companions, Nelith and Koreen, and his Beholden, Katari!"

"Hail!" rose in unison from the oni, and another drink was taken in their honor. Fenrir and his girls did not join in on this one, though he did bow his head in acknowledgement of the compliment. He thought it seemed a bit narcissistic to go so far as to drink to himself, though, and the succubi followed his lead.

Another shorter pause ensued, then, "And lastly, hail clan Aqun! We have faced a foe many times our strength, we have faced a defeat that seemed inevitable, and we have not wavered! Once again, you have proven yourselves to be mighty in spirit as well as strength and skill! To you, my people!"

Another "Hail!" shook the rafters, and another drink was taken, in which Fenrir and his girls of course joined. His keen ears caught several murmurs back and forth among the oni, mostly lighthearted jests about whether they ought to be included in the toast or not, and a few more serious whispers which seemed to be mostly special acknowledgements of respect or gratitude.

"For more than a week we have been constrained to half rations, but now, eat your fill! Celebrate, my brothers and sisters! For we have vanquished our enemies, and they shall not soon forget the might and prowess of clan Aqun!"

A roar rose from the throats of the assembled oni, and the warriors began to rise and make their way over to the tables, which were by now groaning under the weight of the food piled upon them. Fenrir noted that there was no mad rush. The circle immediately beyond the one in which he had been placed was the first to go, each succeeding circle waiting until the one directly in front of them had taken what they wished and returned to their mats.

His observations were again interrupted by the clan-chief, who had returned to his own seat. "Go, take what food you wish. I am sure you must be hungry after the battle. You fought longer and harder than any other here." He turned to the two succubi. "And you have expended much mana in our defense. I have heard that succubi do not always partake of the same food as most races, but you are welcome to whatever you wish. If we have naught that suits you, you need only ask, and we will provide it if it is within our power." His eyes passed over Katari, but he said nothing to her.

Fenrir's eyes narrowed slightly. There was no way the chief wasn't aware of how hard Katari had fought, so he could only conclude that it was because of her Beholden status that he didn't acknowledge it. He resolved to ask Katari more about it later.

Nelith was replying to the chief. "Our thanks. It's true that we don't only eat the same food most races do, but we do eat the same stuff sometimes. Your food will suit us just fine, and our master Fenrir can give us the rest of what we need."

With a quick thanks to Katoh, Fenrir joined the oni around the tables, his succubi at his elbow and Katari following in her customary position. Looking at the food, he couldn't help but think that it seemed rather familiar, and a long slow sniff confirmed it. Most of the food here had been taken from the camp of the now defeated besiegers, faint traces of their scent persisting even through the process of cooking. 'Well, that explains how they have enough for a feast such as this,' he mused.

Filling a plate didn't take long, and once his followers had their own food they made their way back to their mat to eat. The noise level in the hall had risen considerably, the oni chatting with each other between bites or while they waited their own turn to get some. One of the elders which made up the rest of the circle in which Fenrir had been placed drew him into conversation, asking about how he had come to live at Kharvionas Castle. Fenrir kept how he had gotten there vague, but he did retell how he had ended up saving the succubi and claiming the castle as his home.

The direwolf noticed that those listening darkened somewhat at the mention of the Vigil and seemed pleased to hear of his slaughter of them. He remembered Katari had had much the same reaction. Talk passed on to his combat prowess, Fenrir ascribing most of the credit to Katari's instruction and the rest to his natural strength and speed. He expressed admiration for clan Aqun's discipline and skill as well, the compliments being received gravely, but not without pleasure.

As the celebration continued, decorum broke down somewhat. Oni started to wander about, choosing to sit with friends or family rather than in the places seemingly assigned to them. Little knots of warriors formed in several places, oni relating stories of the battle in between drinking and eating. He watched as a particularly large oness described fighting a huge brute of an oni from Issala-Bas, and how she had outwitted his tricks and **** him to fight her fairly.

Glancing around, he noticed that the ratio of men to women among the warrior class was about three to one. It made Katari's status as a warrior less surprising, though he supposed that being able to gain strength through levels helped decrease the natural gap in physical strength present between the sexes. The women who were a part of the warrior class tended to be on the larger side, though many of them were still smaller than their male counterparts.

As he looked, his attention was caught by one bull in particular, a giant of an oni with slate-blue skin and dark hair. Fenrir recognized him as Sataareth, the one who had taken over as raid-chief when Katari had become Beholden. He was sitting and speaking with an oness with very light, almost white skin, contrasted by her jet-black hair. Her build would perhaps be best described as willowy, but she was not without curves where it mattered. Perhaps feeling eyes upon him, Sataareth looked up, and seeing Fenrir, invited him over with a gesture and a smile.

Nelith had not forgotten her duty as Fenrir's second in command and had made herself busy ingratiating herself among the oni by way of light conversation. She wasn't as polished as Lilli, but she knew how to make herself a pleasant conversation partner, and now she held the attention of multiple of the oni elders as well as the chief. Koreen was still picking over the remnants of her food in between swallows of her drink; Fenrir wondered whether she was any good at holding her liquor or not. At the rate the liquid was disappearing down her throat, he suspected he'd get the answer to that question before long.

With both his succubi thus occupied, only Katari followed him when he rose and made his way over to Sataareth and his companion.

"Greetings to you!" the larger of the two oni welcomed him. "Have a seat. I have wished to speak with you." His eyes passed over Katari, and he added, "Tigress."

The word was clipped, but the tone spoke of respect. Fenrir wondered just what rules or customs were set in place for Beholden. Katari had been conspicuously silent on that particular matter. "Thank you," he said, taking a seat on the empty mat next to Sataareth's. "I remember you from our meeting a month ago, but who is your companion?"

"I am Asaara. I add my own personal thanks to that of the others. You have saved all clan Aqun from either **** or slavery." The oness' voice was among the lowest Fenrir had ever heard from a woman, but it was nonetheless entirely feminine. He could not help but marvel at it.

Katari bowed to both the oni wordlessly, then took her place behind Fenrir. He searched her face for a moment, but it took the use of God's Eye to tell him her mood. She was feeling uncomfortable and a little humiliated. He resolved inwardly to have a talk with her once they got a bit of privacy, then turned back to the conversation.

"It wasn't as though I did it entirely selflessly. After all, how am I supposed to ally and trade with you if you're all dead or enslaved?" he smiled.

A look passed between the two oni opposite Fenrir. Only a quick one, but Fenrir read amusement in the swift glance, as well as something else he could not quite interpret. "I admit, that would make it rather difficult," Sataareth agreed, his tone carefully serious despite the ghost of a smile that danced about his lips. "But I am sure you could find a way, if we are to judge from what you have accomplished thus far. And even if not, clan Kata would have been available in our stead. Even Issala-Bas, if you could stomach them."

"I suppose so," Fenrir acknowledged, "but have you seen their clan emblem? It's much less impressive than yours. Clearly, I had to go with the clan with the better sense of aesthetics. And don't even get me started on Issala-Bas."

Sataareth's mask of soberness was now beginning to break down, but he said, "Of course. There is no substitute for a good clan emblem."

"Right? If you don't have an impressive clan emblem, then why even bother?" Both nodded their heads gravely, before their amusement could no longer be denied and their grins broke free to banish the false solemnity.

Asaara rolled her eyes at their antics, but she was smiling as well. "Bulls, it seems, shall be bulls no matter their race." Her gaze fell on Katari and lingered for a moment, as though she wished to say something to her but could not.

Seeing this, Fenrir decided not to defer his questions after all. "Clearly, there are some rules regarding Beholden of which I am not aware. Why do you hesitate to speak with Katari? She has done nothing wrong. In fact, she has served me with honor and distinction."

Katari's eyes dropped at this compliment and she blushed, though it was nearly invisible against her red skin. Asaara and Sataareth exchanged a glance, then Asaara spoke. "Beholden are slaves. It is ill-mannered to speak to a **** and ignore their master, no matter who they may be."

"Can I veto that? She is not a **** in my eyes, Beholden though she may be. Katari." Fenrir bade her come up to sit beside him with a gesture. Her blush darkened, but she did as she was told.

Fenrir glanced up just in time to see another look pass between the two oni opposite. As before, while he couldn't catch all the subtleties of the silent communication, he was able to pick out mutual amazement.

"If you wish," Asaara managed after a short moment. "Katari was- no, is a friend of mine. It would make me glad not to have to exclude her from our conversation."

"And I hold great respect for her," Sataareth rejoined. "Despite her stature, she is a warrior like few others even among clan Aqun, which is renowned among the oni for the skill of its warriors."

Fenrir nodded. "I know I've personally benefitted greatly from that skill. Her teaching has been invaluable in honing my own prowess."

"My lord..." Katari murmured, her blush now strong enough to be obvious.

He chuckled. "Alright, I'll stop. But my point is that you're well deserving of being treated as an equal here, and I won't accept anything less if it's at all possible."

"...Thank you." The words were uttered almost sheepishly, but the look she gave him made her gratitude clear.

Sataareth took up the thread of conversation before the pause could grow awkward. "Perhaps I should not have been surprised, for I witnessed your duel with the White Tigress a month past, but I was impressed by your skill and ferocity in battle. Do you know how many foes fell to your axe?"

Fenrir shook his head, smiling. "I'm afraid I didn't keep track. I was a little more concerned with making sure none of them got to my succubi."

"I too was preoccupied for much of the battle, but what little I was able to see was a joy to witness, especially the close teamwork displayed between you and Katari. You moved as one."

"Thank you, though I have to admit that most of the credit for that goes to Katari. I just let loose, and she covered my blind spots. Personally, I was impressed by your countercharge once I threw the enemy into disarray. It was remarkable how quickly you picked up on and took advantage of the opportunity."

"That was due to you showing yourself to us when you first took up your post in the tree. That combined with your message of several days past had us on the lookout for any moves you might make that could give us an advantage in the battle, though we did not of course anticipate such a powerful display."

As they continued talking about the battle, Fenrir spared an ear to pay attention to Katari's conversation with Asaara, which was being carried on at the same time as his and Sataareth's. The light-skinned oni had begun by asking, "How have you been, Katari?"

Katari hesitated for a moment. "...I am well."

"That is good to hear. Has much happened for you in the past month?"

"...Yes."

"Please, tell me of it. I have missed speaking with you."

"..."

Asaara's face fell slightly. "Are we no longer friends? Not yet two months have passed since last we spoke." Then her eyes widened as a thought came to her. "Is your lord unkind to you?"

Katari's eyes widened in turn. "No! He has been far **** than I deserve."

But Asaara was not to be so easily shaken off. "Then has he forbidden your speaking of your time with him?"

"No," Katari admitted. "I am sorry, Asaara. Much has happened in the time since I last have seen you, and though he has not forbidden me, I know he would not wish me to speak of much of it. But that is not why I hesitate. I... Do you truly not care that I am now Beholden?"

"Of course not," Asaara admonished her. "I heard the full story of how it came to be from Sataareth. And whether you be **** or chiefess, you remain my friend, even if you should no longer count me yours."

"You shall always be my friend, Asaara," Katari said, her tone brooking no doubt.

A smile lighted Asaara's face. "I am glad to hear it. Can you tell me then how you have been since last we spoke? I will not pry into what your lord wishes to remain unsaid."

"Yes." And Katari began to tell Asaara about her recent adventures since becoming Fenrir's Beholden, though he noticed she was careful to leave out anything she thought he might not want divulged.

Satisfied, he turned his full attention back to his conversation with Sataareth. The large bull made for an easy conversation partner once one got used to the peculiarities intrinsic to oni culture, and Fenrir found himself liking him almost immediately. Their conversation intermingled with that of the girls now and again before diverging again as they chased one tangent or other, flowing without noticeable effort on the part of any of them.

Fenrir glanced over at his succubi. Nelith met his eyes briefly, smiling at him as she carried on her conversation with one of the elders. From what he could tell, she was genuinely enjoying herself, not just doing it to build good relations with the clan. Koreen was sitting and listening, occasionally chipping in with a word or two. Perhaps it was the ****, but she seemed as relaxed as if she were back home among all her sisters.

The direwolf finally allowed himself to fully relax as well. With all his girls at their ease, he felt he could fully give himself over to enjoying his present company. They certainly weren't making it difficult.

Merry Christmas! Or happy holidays, whichever you prefer.
I wanted to fit all of the victory feast into this chapter, but between the conversations that sprung up while Fenrir and his girls were getting ready and the length of the feast itself, trying to make it happen would have ended up in a really long chapter. Which I doubt you'd complain all that much about, but I want to try to maintain some consistency of chapter length if possible. Plus, this way I can release this chapter in time for Christmas.
Fenrir finally gets to meet clan Aqun, and they're very appreciative of his help in ensuring their continued survival. The chapter as whole is fairly relaxed, though there are couple emotional beats that snuck themselves in there, including Koreen's continued annoyance at her own clumsiness and Katari's slightly strained reunion with her erstwhile clan.
Enjoy!