It didn't take the semi-transformed women long to locate the stairs to whatever was waiting for them below the shop floor. Lucy bounded down them first panting with excitement, with Annie and Laura, now utterly convinced she was a frog and oblivious to the danger she was supposed to be protecting her friends from, hopping enthusiastically behind the dog girl.
Sophie, however, hung back. Apes were a lot smarter than amphibians and canines and she knew there was no prince hiding in the basement. Besides, even if there was, unless he had brought food with him, who cares? Coincidentally, she was pretty sure she could smell something enticing nearby - fruit, maybe even bananas! Investigating that would be a much better use of her time.
"*Ook* *ah* I'll meet you down there in a few minutes" she promised to no reply, before scampering off in the direction of her favourite smell.
She had soon determined that the scent was coming from a partially opened door behind the counter where the owner usually stood. She knew it was probably strictly off limits, but there was nobody around and she hadn't eaten for hours. Sophie slipped through the gap in the door and, as she did so, dislodged whatever had been holding it ajar. The door slammed firmly behind her and seemed to autolock, trapping her in the new room and separating her from her friends. She hoped she had the ability to unlock that later, though it wasn't exactly designed for chimpanzees. Looking around she realised she had basically ended up in the shops storeroom. There were all kind of magical artefacts, weird looking books and potions lying around. But to her immense dissapointment, Sophie could see no fruit of any kind. However, there was another unlit room at the back of the storeroom. Something about it creeped her out a little, but If she was brave enough to investigate maybe she would be rewarded with the bananas she so desperately craved?