There's a woman, knives flashing around her - many of them floating - tearing her way through the swarms, teeth grit.

Her Force signature is very, very familiar, even if her face is new.

Well now. Isn't that something.

She notices Elesse and nods to her as she finishes off the last bit of the present swarm.

"Here to help?"

"Ah... as much as you need it."

"I wouldn't object. Speed here means fewer casualties out there."

"Do you have a plan beyond 'kill everything that moves'?"

"I can shut down the tomb if I get to the center."

"Good enough."

"Glad you approve."

"I think this is the fastest path, though if you happen to have picked up divination that'd be useful here..."

Elesse closes her eyes and reaches out to the Force for a hint of the future.

This is probably the second fastest path; there's a slightly faster one if they back up a bit and turn to the right, though there's more resistance - nothing that screams 'immensely dangerous,' though.

She opens her eyes and points.

"That way if you feel like more of a fight. This path will work, however."

She hums, clearly considering it for a second. "This path it is, then. Let's go."

A touch unexpected.

"Lead on."

She sets a harsh pace through the rest of the tomb, though, clearly expecting Elesse to keep up - but she also visually checks on Elesse at intervals, especially after fights, and seems to be avoiding unneeded injury.

Resistance gets higher the closer to the center, and then they come to two heavy stone doors - shut tight.

Elesse has no problems keeping up with the pace alt-Ani sets. When they get to the door, she glances over to see if the other has opinions on how to proceed.

She hums, examining it, putting her palm an inch from the stone.

"It isn't trapped," she says, "But the room's likely full. I can open with an area stun and head for the crux, if you can keep any early recoveries off my back. I won't be able to fight while shutting everything down, not well."

"I can do that," she agrees.

"Here we go, then," she says, and pushes her hand against the doors. Both fly open with a bang, and Ashes makes a little tossing motion, something glittering flying from her palm to arc into the middle of a surging swarm of monsters. The glitter explodes over them, and they reel, most of them - except the larger ones - stunned.

Ashes sprints into the room, dancing over stunned monsters, straight for a sarcophagus on a large pedestal.

Elesses floats around her, never blocking her way but always in just the right spot to clear a monster or block a strike.

She plants herself in front of the sarcophagus and starts humming, then - singing, more than chanting, hands moving like she's weaving. She trusts her defense to Elesse, focusing entirely on her spell, laying something a lot like a shimmering net over the sarcophagus. It tightens, gossamer threads winding in, and the tomb shakes a bit, monsters picking up their attacks against her, trying to get around Elesse. It takes her a short while, as the monsters escalate their defense, as more and more wake up only to be cut down by Elesse's blade.

And then -

It's like the tomb's essence folds in on itself, the threads in the woman's hands connected to the edges as she tugs them in. The ground splits open in front of the woman, and the sarcophagus sinks into the earth. Dirt flows in, and plants grow along the glowing net, life rapidly weaving over the sinking stones as the tomb decays in fast motion. A thorny bush roots and then grows over the burial mound, and the monsters moan and stop moving, their feet burrowing into the ground, until they're - just bushes, shaped only vaguely like creatures.

They're left in a sunny clearing, in the ruins of a building once built from stacked stone, now choked in vines.

The woman lets out a heavy breath. She seems - exhausted, worn down, like the spell drained something ephemeral from her.

"That should do it."

"So it would seem. That was very impressive."

She grins. "Would've been a lot harder without help." She looks at Elesse appraisingly. "You're a good fighter."

"I have been told as much once or twice."

"Not nearly often enough, then."