The Wrong Hero

The lorekeeper Mirez had just returned from a year-long expedition in searching for the hero of prophecy. She had brought forth a mighty knight that had proven himself a valiant hero in the eyes of the people. She brought the knight into the Sapia clan, a village hidden away from the rest of society within a massive jungle. She and the knight headed to the the eldest of the lorekeepers, who would decide whether or not the knight was indeed the hero the prophecy referred to.
"Greetings, Lorekeeper Mirez. It has been some time since you were last with us." the elder greeted.
"MOM!!!" the voice belonging to a young girl cried out as she ran over to the lorekeeper and gave her a huge hug. Mirez smiled and hugged her daughter back.
"I'm so happy to see you, Lisra. I missed you so much." Mirez said with a big smile.
"You have a daughter, huh?" the knight that Mirez had been guiding remarked and went down onto one knee to get closer to her level. Lisra noticed the man and stayed by her mother's side. "No need to be shy, youngster. I have a kid around your age. I might even bring him around here sometime if that's alright." One of the Elder's attendants spoke up.
"No outsiders are allowed into the Sapia clan unless they are accompanied by one of the lorekeepers." he snapped sternly. The knight shrugged.
"If that's your tradition, then who am I to argue against it?" he replied.
"So Mirez, this is the warrior you believe to be the chosen one of prophecy?" the Elder asked. Mirez nodded.
"He has done a great deal of good for people around the Overworld. He's also-" The Elder raised her hand to silence her.
"I'll have him explain his own deeds and justify himself. Thank you Mirez for your service." Mirez nodded and backed off. The knight stood awkwardly until the Elder gestured him over to stand before her. He came over to the front of her and went down onto one knee and knelt his head in respect. The same attendant that had snapped at him before addressed him.
"Knight, you are about to be questioned by the Elder Lorekeeper. Be respectful, as you currently are, be truthful, and do not hide any details. She will know if you do." he ordered.
"What is your name, warrior?" the Elder asked.
"My name is Joseph Diamond Stonefield." the knight introduced.
"Well, Joseph, what is your background." she questioned.
"I am... well, was the prince of the Diamond Kingdom. I was exiled from the kingdom when I used a legal loophole in the justice system to prevent my brother from getting the death penalty after he was found guilty of killing the king. It... it made me even more unpopular than I had been before, to the point that people were openly discussing overthrowing the royal family. And in order to keep things under control... I was exiled by the Council..." Joseph informed. The Elder raised her hand to pause him.
"You seem to be sensitive to remembering these past events... I want to know, do you harbor hatred towards anyone you feel had wronged you during all this?" she asked. Joseph thought for a moment.
"I... initially I was very angry. I was... well, I had grown up spoiled for a good portion of my life. So, it felt enraging to be tossed from my life of luxury. But as the years passed, I moved beyond my hate for the people responsible. I understand why they did what they did, and I don't blame them." he answered. The Elder nodded.
"You may continue." she said.
"So, I was exiled by the Council. I was angry at everyone involved and it was a pretty rough time for me. But I came across someone who was willing to train me and teach me. We ended up becoming adventurers and helping out the populace. We mostly avoided Diamond Kingdom though because I was still exiled, but everywhere else. Occasionally, we would stumble upon a raid by pillagers or bandits and we would defend the people to the best we could." He paused and looked down as though remembering an unpleasant event.
"But one day, as we were defending villagers during a raid, my mentor... he must've been caught off guard, because I looked back and he was on the ground with an illager standing over him laughing triumphantly. And I just lost it. I took out one of the illagers between us and he noticed me and his pillagers quickly retreated. I quickly ran to my mentor's side and tried to heal him, but there wasn't anything I could do. He just looked back at me with a pained look and said my name and tried to say something else, but then fell limp. I held him and cried until he despawned..." Joseph wiped away a tear particle from his face, then put on a face of determination.
"After that, I wanted vengeance. I wanted that illager to suffer as my mentor had. And so, I went after them and found their outpost. And I stormed my way through them, determined to find the one that had killed my mentor. He was at the top of the outpost and we fought, but I defeated him, knocking him off the tower to his death. I had avenged my mentor and helped the villagers make a memorial for him back in the village he had given his life to protect." He continued.
"After that, I was on my own for a few years. I didn't really know what I wanted to do until I finally decided that I wanted to go back home. I had been exiled, but I knew that the one exception to that would be if I were to defeat the Enderdragon and bring back the egg. So that was what I did. I look for a long time for a group of people who would be willing to join me, and eventually I had them. We went underground to collect plenty of diamonds that we would need for armor and weapons and ended up exploring a strange underground city. There were very powerful monsters that we were unable to defeat, so we retreated after having gained a few enchanted golden apples."
"Then, we went into the Nether to gather blazes and enderpearls. It took a while, but once we were done with that, we managed to find a stronghold a few days later and then took it over and reactivated the End portal. We went into the End and fought against the dragon. It was rough, but in the end we came out on top and returned to the Overworld with the egg that we showed off to the Council of the Diamond Kingdom. We had our names written into the museum to be recorded for history. After that, we pretty much went our separate ways. And then after a couple more years of adventuring, I decided I had enough of traveling and decided to settle down in Blockfield and eventually had a family. Then, I encountered Mirez here and she convinced me to come with her to here. That's pretty much everything."
He looked at the Elder after he had finished his story. She was deep in thought.
"Joseph. You have had quite the journey from where you started to where you ended. You may be prone to hatred towards others, but you can find it in your heart to forgive them as well. I imagine the death of your mentor was probably the hardest moment of your life, and you've spent many years trying to figure out what you wanted to do without him to guide you." Joseph nodded slightly as he listened. "Being a hero doesn't require you to be a pristine individual. Some of the kindest heroes had gone through some rather twisted events and done bad as a result of them." She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes. "I will discover if you truly are the one. The Patron will guide me."
Moments passed. Joseph looked back at Mirez, who held her daughter intensely. She prayed to the Patron that Joseph was the one that they had been looking for. If he wasn't... No, he had to be...
The sun was setting by the time the Elder reopened her eyes.
"I am sorry... The Patron has not chosen you as the hero of prophecy." she revealed. Just like that, Mirez nearly fell in disbelief, causing Lisra to back off with concern. Joseph looked back at the lorekeeper with a sorrowful look. By the time Mirez steadied herself, she spoke up.
"No! There-there has to be some kind of mistake! Joseph is by all means the perfect hero. How could he not be chosen?!" she stammered.
"I am sorry Mirez, but I have communed with the Patron. This man is not his champion." the Elder replied, her face having a hint of sympathy for the lorekeeper.
"No... This can't be right! He has to be the one..." Mirez muttered, her voice filled with hurt.
"Mirez, the Patron's will is absolute. I'm terribly sorry that this happened, but it is too late for you to go out in search for another. You must stay home and train your daughter for the day when she will take your place." the Elder decreed. "Go home, accept this outcome. It is by will of the Patron that we must accept his decision." She gazed back at Joseph. "I trust you will be able to return to your home by yourself?" He nodded, his face full of sadness as he turned to head over to Mirez. The attendant of the Elder began to speak up about Joseph's rudeness in turning his back to her, but she raised her arm in to permit it.
Joseph wrapped his arm around Mirez in a soft embrace as tears began to flow down her face. He then patted her on the back as she sobbed.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't the one you were tasked to find... I can't imagine how hard this must be for you." he spoke.
"This-this was what I was born to do... And yet..." she sobbed and he held her. Lisra quickly joined him.
"It's okay... You know, when I felt that the world was against me, I always remembered something that my mentor would tell me. He would tell me that the world was harsh, and that was just reality. But when things are most difficult, sometimes just putting on a smile can make things easier. And that's what I did. It doesn't take away the pain, but it makes it a little easier to handle." Mirez slowly began to stop crying.
"Thank you, Joseph... Your words mean a lot. You... you should probably return to your family." she reminded him. He put his arm on her shoulder.
"Remember, you have to be strong. You not being able to search for any more heroes isn't the end. Think of it as a retirement for your long service." he said with a smile, and then he looked down at Lisra. "As for you, young one. You need to be strong for your mother. I have a feeling you'll do great things for the world, so start here by being supportive, okay?" Lisra nodded shyly.
"Okay sir." she said as she climbed up Mirez's body and clung to her back, giving her a huge hug. Joseph began to head off.
"Take care, all of you! I'm glad to have met you." he said as he departed and went back onto the long journey home.