[WP] Write a generic fantasy tale... But instead of knights in shining armor the era is trench warfare.

From the Reddit Post:
[WP] Write a generic fantasy tale... But instead of knights in shining armor the era is trench warfare.

Earned 1 point (oh god that means nobody read it!)
Eh, it was alright. the main post wasn't very popular anyway. Nevermind, I will still archive it here:

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  When he was young his mother had read him tales of great heroes. Knights in shining armour, damsels in distress, and dragons to slay. The dragons were all dead now, but he always wanted to be a hero, save the girl.
  When the war broke out he had known what he had to do. Sign up, get trained, and help to protect the ones he loves from the evil of the enemy. It was his time.
  He tied the final bandage around his compatriots arm. He had lost a lot of blood, but at least he managed to crawl back to the trench.

  Leaning against the dirt wall he picked up his weapon. Not a sword and shield, like he played with as a boy, but a single-action clip-fed rifle. With no clips. He drew his bayonet and affixed it, humming a few bars of his company song.
And so we rise
And so we fall
We stand for our loved
Giv-ing our all

The sounds of battle broke louder. The cries, the gunfire, the sounds of men in pain.
His men.

  His sergeant ordered he wait behind during the charge. "I'll be damned if I start sending boys to do men's work" the sarge had said. He felt that unfair. At 15 he was practically a man already. But he had handed over his spare ammunition anyway.

  He could hear them screaming for help in no-mans land. And he knew what he had to do.
Looking up to the skies from between the dirt walls he said a short prayer. His company banner still stood, snapping in the wind.

  He took a breath and donned his helmet, mind made up.

  He charged up the ladder, and out into open land....


... awarded the medal of honour posthumously for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. The Private in question charged a fortified enemy position alone, taking down several of their soldiers with his bayonet, following up by dragging four wounded comrades back to the allied trenches before succumbing to his own wounds.
His heroism saved the lives of four others, and vitally aided in stopping the enemy advance. You should be proud of your son.
His Majesties secretariat, ......

 © Mark Langridge