The Young Centaur is the first in a series of several books that tell the life story of Kheiron, the wise centaur of Ancient Greece. In mythology he is known as the elusive mentor to many of the ancient heroes including Akhilles, Peleus, Aristaios, Asklepios, Jason, many of the Argonauts, and several others. This book covers Kheiron's conception and early life, and begins during the Clash of the Titans, when Zeus is battling his father Kronus for control and power over the heavens and earth.The older god, Kronus, discovers a naiad, a fresh water nymph, and disguises himself as a horse. The product of their violent union is Kheiron. While pregnant, the naiad believes that a deformed monster is growing in her belly. However, Kheiron's true healing nature comes through, and even though he is born with a body that is half horse and half man, his mother eventually loves and cherishes her unusual child.While trying to protect Kheiron from Kronus, his mother disappears, and it becomes Kheiron's ultimate search to find and be reunited with her. Because of this early abandonment, a deep compassion emerges in Kheiron for the suffering of others, as well as a need to care for those who are wounded, hurt and displaced. Apollo, the sun god, discovers the lost horse boy wandering the hills of Mt. Pelion and brings him along to fight Python, the misguided, power hungry, guardian of the old oracle of Themis. They re-establish the holy oracle as Delphi, the center of the world. The two of them go to the Vale of Tempe where Artemis and her orphaned daughters live. There they are purified for killing Python, a child of Gaia. From Artemis and her daughters Kheiron learns hunting and weapon skills, food preservation and friendship, especially with one girl, Kallisto.After a year with Artemis and her daughters, Kheiron and Apollo next go to Mount Olympus and meet the new king of heaven and earth, Zeus. There they finds themselves amid the initial gathering of the twelve Olympian gods. Also while there, Kheiron learns the fate of his friend, Kallisto, who has broken her vows of chastity. Kheiron discovers his own immortality, but will he be able to rescue Kallisto from the consequences of her broken vows?
Alaria Bliss was born in a coastal town of Central California. She was raised in a multi-cultural family, where various languages, classical music, literature and art were highly valued. She was the oldest of three, with two younger brothers. As a young man, her father was a Shakespearean actor and her mother a school teacher and loving homemaker, who always told her, "You can do whatever you put your mind to." Her grandfather was a concert pianist and orchestral conductor. When she was very young, her grandfather had musical soirees and rehearsals at his house. Along with the extraordinary musicians, there was always delicious food and lively conversation. When she got too tired from all the excitement, she would curl up with her blanket under the grand piano and fall asleep to the powerful sounds of live classical music. On quieter nights, her grandmother would read her to sleep with stories and poems. Among this rich symphony of arts, words blended together in Alaria's subconscious and created an internal music of their own. Later in her childhood, Alaria lived with her family on the edge of a canyon in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It was there that she discovered Nature; hiking in the rain, swimming in the mountain streams, listening to the wind and talking to trees, integral parts of understanding the ancient Greek world. Alaria is the mother of two grown children and now lives with her beloved on a beautiful, organic farm in Northern California.
