WORLD BURN         /        KAZ BREKKER
follows: six of crows & crooked kingdom

"No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone. No more calling like a crow for a boy, for a body in the garden.
No more dreaming like a girl so in love—like a girl in love with the wrong world."
─── Blinding, Florence + The Machine

 Maybe Aria Antonov had been born for greater things. A talented Grisha in the Second Army—a respected Inferni.

 Maybe.

 But what she truly was? A killer. A runaway. A deserter of the Second Army. She'd fled after fatally injuring another Grisha in the means of self defense—but she'd still rot in prison for it. So, she ran away. To the western parts of Ravka—somewhere far away from the Little Palace. There she found the Yermolov family, they'd taken her in as what she thought to be their maid. But it was so much worse than that. Years later she fought her way out of that house with a branding on her arm—and a place to go.

 Kerch.

 Some years earlier, on a trip with the Yermolov family, they'd traveled to Kerch. The place isn't too memorable besides the fact it stinks of the dead and every merchant there is out to scam you—there, she had met the young Kaz Rietveld. At this point and time, he'd been a bright eyes child from Lij. How those days are gone. Those were the days before the Dregs, before Inej and Jesper, before Jordie's corpse had become rotted and just another person lost in Reaper's Barge. Aria Antonov was just a mere memory just weeks before Jordie had caught the firepox, soon followed by Kaz. Aria Antonov became just another face in the past as Kaz Rietveld died and was reborn into something much, much worse.

 Kaz Brekker is seventeen now—a ruthless fighter, a thief, and leader of the Dregs. Enter Aria Antonov. The face from the past. An Inferni, run away from her post in the Second Army—she was in Ketterdam now, just another pigeon. Then, she finds that old face. Hardened and cold now, he was all harsh edges and no smile.

 Kaz Rietveld in the flesh.

 The sight of her brings back bad memories—the dead body of his brother buoys against the algae thick water, full of corpses. The smell of decay and rot fill his nostrils. He grips his glove covered hands against the head of his cane. His eyes are fixated on her; Aria Antonov. Kaz doesn't like to leave loose ends—and Aria Antonov holds a bunch of them in a clenched fist. She knows who he is—or was, anways.

 Kaz Rietveld, she had spoken.

 Kaz Brekker shook his head. Kaz Brekker, he corrects, coldly. He finds the peculiar look on her face—the waves won't subside, crashing against his ankles as he looks at her.

 She had heard the rumors about him. Kaz Brekker—Dirtyhands, Bastard of the Barrel.

 Those were the words whispered on the streets of Ketterdam, in the taverns and in the coffeehouses, in the dark and bleeding alleys of the pleasure district known as the Barrel. The boy they called Dirtyhands didn't need a reason any more than he needed permission—to break a leg, sever an alliance, or change a man's fortunes with the turn of a card. Aria Antonov knew this; Kaz Brekker was no longer the soft skinned naïve boy she once knew. No, he was no longer that young boy showing her magic tricks and sporting the jurda trade. Kaz Brekker was far from Kaz Rietveld—the image imbedded so deep within her mind it's hard to even remember it. This Kaz ran an empire, he was the talk of the town and the king of theives—he was the true leader of the Dregs.

 Despite their lost history, Kaz Brekker needs Aria Antonov, his little flame. Useful to the Dregs, he'd informed Per Haskell. With a shake of his head, their leader obliged and Kaz made it official that Aria Antonov, a rogue Grisha with the only one knowledgeable of Kaz Brekker's past, was now part of the Dregs. Along with his band (his Crows, he called it) of ex-Grisha and Suli women—Aria Antonov is stuck breaking into the Ice Court. Kaz Brekker isn't someone Aria Antonov really knows anymore. But, she knows this: Kaz Brekker or Rietveld—whatever he wanted to be called, is someone she would burn the world for.

They are disgusted by my blood,
but they love to watch me bleed.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo is ...

Aria Antonov / Inferni

Freddy Carter is ...

Kaz Brekker / Dirtyhands

with supporting cast ...
THE DREGS / CROWS
"No mourners. No funerals."

Jack Wolfe is ...

Wylan Van Eck / Wayward Son

Amita Suman is ...

Inej Ghafa / The Wraith

Kit Young is ...

Jesper Fahey / Sharpshooter

Danielle Galligan is ...

Nina Zenik / Heartrender

Calahan Skogman is ...

Matthias Helvar / Convict

World Burn. Soundtrack.

God complex, blood sport.
I hope you choke on it.

 🐦‍⬛ Welcome to World Burn! This is my revised Kaz Brekker fic from eons ago and I'm so so happy that it's out! I'm so excited for you guys to fall in love with Aria—and yes, this is a slow burn! Get ready for some action, some bestie pairs with Aria and Wylan, and some slow slow burning. Also, just for funsies, I imagine Aria to have an almost Russian accent? Also, Wylan and Aria are JUST FRIENDS. Besties can hold hands + wesper + karia (ship name courtesy of solareflares )
 🐦‍⬛ warnings for racism, violence, trafficking, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of slavery, discrimination, death, mentions of suicide, drugs, alcohol, and murder.
 🐦‍⬛ virtuemoires -EMMAHERRON splinteredbone radioactivesperm -nancys neplutos PlutoTown cydonias Ioverspit diorIove bIackcats wheelsvoid teenflu bayports ninasayerss carlgmres hmulupin jazzrifs evertrbl

started: 02/21/23
ended: 04/2/23
edited: 5/20 — 5/29
revisions: 12/17–