New Frontier: Chapter 4.1 (Lori)

"I'm sorry, I don't know you..." Lizzie says nervously looking at the woman. 

"Don't be silly Jasmine! I haven't seen you since you ran off to be with Jolu!" the woman says giggling. 

"I've never heard of those names before...I'm sorry." Lizzie says trying to give a smile. "You have the wrong guy-gal. I don't even know your name!" 

"It's me!" the woman points to herself. "Lori!" 

"I've never met a Lori..." Lizzie's smile turns into a frown. 

"Right...it's probably because I'm not in my Molkin body!" Lori says with a giggle. "I became a human before they used the tablet, it didn't get me!" Lori says. "Of course I can't turn myself back without it..." 

"Wait...tablet?" Lizzie's ears perked up. "As in a...Lake Tablet?" she asks nervously. 

"Yeah! The ones those humans used to eradicate the Molkin, but if you're walking around that means we can finally be in our true forms!" Lori says. "Where is the tablet?" 

"I don't have it...and I'm not "Jasmine." I found the tablet at a lake and it turned me into this!" Lizzie shouted out. 

"You...you're not Jasmine?" Lori asked as if she was heartbroken. "But that's her face...body...that's her..." 

"I don't know why this happened to me, but I want to go back to being a human!" Lizzie replies. 

"But why?" Lori asks looking up. "What have humans ever done but wage war? Tear families apart? The damage they did to the Molkin...even to themselves. You people have wars breaking out every other month!" she says. 

"We aren't all bad." Lizzie says trying to calm her down. "Humans have done good too. This whole place was built by humans..." 

"That destroyed nature to build it." she replies. "Do you not know of the whole war they waged on the Molkin?" she asked looking Lizzie deep into her eyes. 

"N-no...I didn't even know Molkin were a thing...is that what I am?" she asks nervously. 

"You're in a Molkin body, yes." Lori replies. "Come with me, and I'll tell you the entire history of the Molkin race." She says as if was inconvenient.

"How do I know you're not just making all this up?" Lizzie asked with uneasily. 

"What do I have to gain?" Lori shrugged. "Now are you coming or not?" 

Lizzie gave out a small sigh. "Alright, I'll come with you." 

"Follow me home." Lori instructs as she leads the way out of the mall. She gets in her own car while Lizzie gets in her's. Lori takes off while Lizzie stays close behind her. After a while, they make their way to a run-down apartment building. 

"It's not exactly well-kept..." Lizzie says looking around the room, with trash lying everyone. 

"This wasn't meant to be a permanent arrangement." Lori simply says. "Once the tablet was retrieved our magic was supposed to be awoken."

"Wait...you have magic?" Lizzie says her eyes widening with excitement, maybe this was her ticket to being human again. 

"I should...especially if the tablet changed you...but no." Lori says. "Normally Molkin are a magic-wielding species, but when the souls were trapped in the tablet it took our magic too." 

"Would I be able to use magic?" Lizzie asks still hopeful. 

"I'm not sure how Molkin you really are." Lori peers at Lizzie. "You were human at one point, and odds are you're a half-Molkin." 

"But is it possible to learn? Be a human like you did?" Lizzie asks. 

"Perhaps. You have the body for magic now...whether or not you master our magic ways, especially one as strong as transformation is another story." Lori sighs. 

"Great! How do I start training?" Lizzie asks smiling. 

"You don't." Lori replies, causing Lizzie to freeze. "I cannot teach you transformation, merely basic magic and spells." 

"But how do I learn to transform so I can be human again?" Lizzie says with nervousness in her eyes. 

"Only the High Council of Molkin were able to teach half-Molkins. Those who laid with humans and made made children that would become just that. They were lost too." Lori replies coldly. "There may be a few High Councilmen left but they are in deep hiding."

"Is there a way to find them?" Lizzie asks. 

"Perhaps." Lori says. "But before you begin training you must learn what the Molkin have gone through; the way you humans treated us, the war, and everything else...