When and are taken prisoner by a hostile tribe, the alchemist barters for their release and uses as leverage the opportunity to see Santiago turn himself into the wind. Santiago then listens to his , which allows him to speak to , the wind, and , as he tries to learn how to transform himself. Santiago speaks to the wind, which resists his request. The wind is proud, but it realizes that even it cannot transform Santiago into the wind. It blows a storm of sand into the air so that Santiago can look at and speak to the sun without blinding himself.