WMG / The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness

The Hidden People

They're the creatures from Listen. They're perfectly hidden all the time and they embody Paranoia Fuel.

Spirit walking was the special ability of the Soul Eater who was Torak's father

Fin-Kedinn states in the first book that each of the seven Soul Eaters had a particular skill and describes shortly five of them. The following books show that the identities of the five he describes are in the following order:

• Seshru, the subtle expert of herbs and potions;
• Thiazzi, the strongest man of the Forest;
• Nef, a fast thinker who could enchant little creatures;
• The Crippled Wanderer (AKA Tenris), the far-seeking and proud Mage who tried to control demons; and
• Eostra, the necromancer.

Two other Soul Eaters and their special skills are left undescribed. However, the last book clearly indicates that the special ability of Narrander, AKA the Walker, is some sort of a connection with the Hidden People. That leaves the special skill of Torak's father open.

In Outcast, the Wolf Clan chieftain Maheegun states that Torak's father was able to "become wolf" (i.e. spirit walk into a wolf) for a few heartbeats. In Spirit Walker, when Torak is in denial about being a spirit walker, Tenris tells him about a skilled mage who tried to spirit walk for six winters on end by using trances, potions and fasting for the entire time. He eventually succeeded to spirit walk for a few heartbeats. In the same book, Fin-Kedinn tells that when he became acquainted with Tenris and Torak's father, they were already devoted learners of Magecraft. Eleven years later, Torak's father became the mage of the Wolf Clan.

Torak's father finished the hunter ritual

In the backstory, the Soul Eaters gather at what will be the Burnt Hill for the same demon-releasing ritual they attempt in Soul Eater. But, as Soul Eater evidences, they are required to do the ritual first and sacrifice nine animals in order to get protection from the demons they want to summon, lest they just get devoured by them, which would really hinder taking over the world. Their animal list, in order, goes: owl, eagle, fox, otter, wolverine, bear, lynx, wolf, and human.The Soul Eaters, Torak's father included, have undoubtedly done all, or almost all, of these sacrifices first. And then in trying to stop them from finishing it and summoning their demon army he accidentally sets the Great Fire, which takes the life of Narik Narrander's son, a human, rounding off the nine.