No sooner had she thought it than the door to her cafe opened with a ding, and in walked the trio whose picture she was currently looking at. One was tall with warm, ochre-colored skin and long black hair with a red tint that glowed like embers; it was tied back in a flowing ponytail and had layers that framed the face. His almond eyes were like glowing pools of melted bronze, his nose handsomely broad and beneath it a pair of soft, full terracotta lips. His sharp jawline was enhanced by the intricate gold Dragon Mark that crept up his neck and barely kissed the edge of his jaw. He was wearing a puffy linen shirt neatly tucked into tight black leather pants and accented with a red leather belt with a gold clasp and ankle-length black boots. Next to him stood a medium-stature woman with peachy sunkissed bronze skin and wavy aqua-colored hair with silver roots loosely tumbling down to her back; her hooded, rosey pink eyes had long, thick lashes that curled to the heavens. She had a cute button nose that matched her tender heart-shaped mouth and a delicate moon-shaped face. She wore brown leather riding pants and a loose-flowing short-sleeved shirt with a teal-embroidered corset belt with tiny silver peonies, and her shoes were brown calf-length riding boots. The top of her shirt was left loosely laced and showed her shimmering silver Dragon Mark that coiled like waves and wound over to her shoulder, the tips barely reaching her bicep. The shortest of the three stood in the middle, a young woman with fair, pink skin, freckles across her small nose, and silvery white hair neatly in two braids with fluffy cloud-like bangs. She had eyes that looked like sparkling topaz and a small, delicate mouth that gave her heart-shaped face a spirited look. Her high-low skirt was multiple shades of pink, which went with her cream-colored blouse and rose-motif corset; her stockings were white, and she wore tan lace-up boots that reached slightly above her ankles. While it was clear she was an adult dragon, it looked like her Mark had not manifested for her yet.

"Welcome to the Twilight Tulip Cafe! Would you like a table?" Mint greeted them in a friendly manner and started rustling around for menus.

"Ah, yes, please, and can you fetch the owner for us? We wanted to propose something to her." Replied the aqua-haired woman with a warm smile.

"I am sure she would love to meet with you. Let me take you over to her table." The garden nymph led them past a few whispering patrons and sat them across from the Goddess. "Enjoy, and let me know if there is anything you have questions about."

"Well, hello there; I was just reading about your arrival in our Capital. What brings the three of you from the Drimm region? Bring three of your lovely lavender lattes, Mint, please; they are on the house." Marluna moved her papers aside to make room for their drinks and then shook the trio's hands.

"We have a proposal for you, ma'am; we would like to establish a roastery and work for you. We had one back in Drimm that became very successful, and we wanted to branch out to the Capital. My name is Isla, and I founded Toasty Dragon Bean Roasters. We have a special product made with our Fire that imparts a unique flavor depending on the dragon who makes it. The gentleman is Lloyd, and the other young lady is Remi, our newest member." The rosey-eyed woman gestured to her companions as she spoke and pulled out a bag of beans. Isla opened it and then handed it over to the cafe owner.

Marluna reached over and took the bag, putting a few beans in her hand to sniff it, then popped one in her mouth to chew on it. The flavor was light and fragrant with notes of citrus and florals, a beautiful light caramel color. She had never tasted anything like it and immediately knew she had to have this added to her offerings.

"It is amazing to think Drimm has had a product like this in the region, and I never knew! I would love to partner with you. We have space in our roastery in the back for you to work. As for pay, I will give you eighty percent of the profit for whole bean sales plus proprietary rights. Your name will also be on the bag; it will be a collaboration-type product." Marluna exclaimed, eagerly writing down the contract terms for them to sign. "I will also have somebody draft a prototype logo for you."

"I thought you would have the same number of questions as the other cafes and eventually reject us because we are dragons. That seems like a generous offer; we would happily accompany your cafe." Isla grinned as she took the pen from Marluna's hand and signed, establishing the joining of the cafe and roastery.

"Great! Mint will show you to the building where the equipment is, and we will celebrate this officially after the Empress's upcoming coronation." With that, Marluna waved over Mint, smiled, and shook their hands one last time. "I am looking forward to working with you three."

Mint led the three dragons to a hallway that connected the roastery to the cafe and handed them a set of keys that would give them access to both buildings.

"This will be your workspace from now on; there are apartments on the top floor where you can choose to stay. I live in one at the end and the garden behind both buildings. Feel free to come find me if you need anything; I'll let you three settle now." The green-haired nymph hugged them unexpectedly and pulled some small tins from her pockets. "These are Lumiles, a cooling candy that will come in handy while roasting; just don't eat too many. They are made from Lumia berries, which naturally have a cooling property and are much more intense in candy form."

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Mint; this is sweet of you!" Remi smiled excitedly as she opened the tin and popped one in. "Wah, these are so tasty! It's sweet and sour, but the cooling is so refreshing."

"Mind your sweet tooth, Remi; we don't know what effect too many of these will have on our fire," Lloyd said as he examined the candy that was light blue and in a heart shape.

"Alright, Lloydie, I'll be careful, you worrywort," Remi said with a mischievous giggle.

"Please stop calling me that; it makes me feel like a child." He sighed with a furrowed brow.

"That's enough, you two; let's pick an apartment and call it a night." Isla stepped in to prevent an argument.

The three then headed upstairs to settle down for the night with plans to wake up early to start creating the first batch of their beans for a coffee shop. As she skipped up the stairs, Remi popped another candy in her mouth and hummed happily, enjoying the unique flavor and feeling of the candy. She wasn't concerned about any side effects since she thought it was just candy; to her, it was a delicious treat. The young dragon entered her pre-furnished apartment and set the candy tin on the vanity before crawling into bed. She had a long day ahead of her.

Remi was awakened by the bright sun creeping through her room, filling the space with a golden glow. She got up and put on her clothes, quickly braiding her hair to be out of the way while she worked and pocketed the candy. Once ready, she ran down the stairs to meet Lloyd and Isla, excited to get to work. They were already loading fresh green coffee beans into the loads, prepping them for the roasting drum, when she grouped up with them.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty; you will be up first for the roasting since you are no longer an apprenticeship. Remember to keep your fire under control; we do not want these exceeding 195 degrees, or they will be burnt. We will be with you until it's done to ensure you're ok and keep you cool. This is hot work, hence why we wear such loose clothing." Lloyd said to Remi while rolling his sleeves and straightening his ponytail.

"Ok, got it, this shouldn't be too hard. Isla was my mentor in my apprenticeship, and I watched her very closely; I can do this." After saying this, Remi took a deep breath and pulled her fire from her core, letting it flow out a small, steady stream on the beans. Isla and Lloyd hand-rotated the drum to ensure the fire hit the beans evenly while monitoring the thermometer. Remi started to look tired from constantly using her fire and maintaining its size.

"Just a little longer, Remi; we are almost done; you are doing a great job." Isla encouraged her, noticing her pink cheeks looking more flushed and the creeping exhaustion in her eyes. The oldest dragon was met with a thumbs up.

After a few more minutes, the beans were done, and Remi gave a tired groan. She laid down on the cool floor and popped another Lumile, the candy soothing her throat and cooling her instantly. Isla and Lloyd poured the roasted beans on the cooling tray, moving them to the shelves next to the machine. They then checked on Remi, ensuring she felt alright after her first time roasting. That's when they noticed the mixed look of panic and confusion on her face.

"Remi, what's wrong? Why do you have that expression on your face?" Asked Lloyd with concern.

"My fire is stuck! I ate a few candies at once and then tried breathing fire, but nothing was coming out!" Wailed the young dragon, attempting to blow fire and tearing up when she felt it was frozen in her throat.

"How many is a few, Remi?" Isla questioned while folding her arms and raising a brow.

"I maybe had 10 of them; I figured it would soothe my throat faster than just one," Remi answered sheepishly.

"Well, let's go find Mint and see if there's anything in her garden that might cure this ailment of yours. I won't say I told you so, but we warned you to eat them cautiously." The red-haired dragon said while shaking his head and shrugging a little.

Remi nodded, and the three shuffled out of a side door, following a winding path leading them to a lush garden. They followed the sound of melodic humming to a large group of waving sunflowers, where underneath sat Mint tending to some weeds that had sprouted. She spotted the trio approaching her and waved warmly, inviting them over.

"Well, good afternoon; how goes the roasting? I could smell the beans as I passed by to the garden, and they smelled delightful." The nymph smiled warmly before she took notice of their worried faces.

"Go ahead and tell her what happened, Remi." Isla nudged the young dragon with her elbow.

"Ah, well, I may have eaten too many Lumiles at once, thinking it would ease my scorched throat, and now when I try to use my fire, it feels frozen in place. Miss Mint, is there anything in your garden that will help me?" Pleaded the white-haired dragon, her blue eyes quivering with tears.

"Sadly, no, I do not, but I was planning a trip to an area to gather Solfira herbs for my tea and transplant a few to my garden to grow here; it may be just what you need. Typically, it's found on the cliffs by the sea. I have a magic stone portal that will get us there." Mint shook her head and then pointed at the stone archway in the middle of her garden.

The three dragons quickly agreed, and they followed her through the portal. They met with fresh salt air and crashing waves when they crossed over. The nymph walked to the edge and looked down, finding a large patch of Solfira growing. Unfortunately, it was out of reach, and there did not seem to be a way down to the ledge. Before she could say anything, Lloyd spread his large reddish-black wings and picked her up in a princess carry before leaping and gently floating them down while she screamed.

"You could have warned me!" Mint protested, smacking him on the arm.

"You would have said no, and we have no other options. I am sorry for scaring you, though; forgive me, madam." Lloyd grabbed her hand and kissed the back of her lightly while bowing.

Mint squeaked and snatched her hand away, her face turning redder than the edges of the star-shaped herb she was collecting. She quickly knelt and started carefully removing a few of the younger plants with their roots intact from the ground. She then gathered leaves from the older ones, shoving them in Lloyd's pockets. 

"Ok, that should do it. Let's go back up and head home now so I can make tea for Remi. On your knees, please." Mint asked the dragon, hopping on him to piggyback up to the other two.

He flew up to the other two and set Mint down; he then beckoned for them to go back through the gate and go home. Once they entered the garden, Mint guided them to a cozy, vine-covered cottage where she lived. She sat them at a table and coarsely ground the Solfira herbs before adding them to a teacup with cinnamon and honey. The nymph then poured hot water over it, allowing it to steep for five minutes before setting the cup in front of Remi.

"Drink up; Solfira is typically used to warm those sick or in cold environments. The cinnamon should enhance this and together melt your frozen flame." Instructed Mint, who watched as the young dragon gulped it down eagerly. "Now, go outside and give it a try."

Remi quickly stepped outside, took a deep breath, and breathed, her fire coming out a pale blue. The three looked on in awe as it froze some of the vining in hit on the house. The pale dragon blinked, surprised by her fire's change in appearance and function.

"My flame is now ice!" Remi exclaimed excitedly, blowing more of her ice flame in the air.

"How is this possible? We have never heard of dragon fire becoming ice." Isla asked Mint in bewilderment.

"It is possible that the Lumia berries and Solfira herbs blended and caused a reaction that altered her fire's makeup. It's quite interesting." Mused the garden nymph while twirling a piece of hair.

"How about we put it to the test and see if she can still roast beans with it?" Said Lloyd as he led them back to the roastery.

The roasting drum was quickly set up with fresh beans, and Remi began carefully roasting them with her new flame. The beans were light golden brown and had a sweet, nutty, and vanilla note. When brewed over ice, it did not water down and was incredibly smooth to drink. It was added to the lineup and called the Ice Flame blend; it was trendy for the cafe. Marluna jotted down the events as Mint eagerly told her about them. Mint also mentions that Remi's Mark appeared on her legs shortly after the events. The cafe door jingled open while they spoke, and a mysterious woman walked in wearing a red velvet hooded robe trimmed in gold.