Um... feather dusters? *ahem* Anyway... poor Gourry! ^____^ Anyway, I bet y'all can figure out what building weighs the least, ne? Yeah, and I don't own the riddle that shows up later in this chapter. It belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.
When Gourry woke up again in the morning, his forehead was covered with a sheen of sweat. He'd had a terrible nightmare about Lina and what that guy could be doing to her. He felt a shudder run through his spine at some of the leftover thoughts. After wiping his brow, Gourry swung his legs over the side of the bed.
His back was cramped from sleeping in his armor all night, and he had a bruise on his hip from the hilt of his sword digging into his side while he slept. But Gourry didn't dwell on those things. He just stood up, and headed out of the inn.
Gourry considered getting something to eat, but he found that he didn't have an appetite. He couldn't eat without thinking about Lina, and that'd only make him so depressed that he couldn't eat anyway. Sighing, Gourry paid for his room, and left.
As Gourry trekked through the town, looking for a light building, he realized how little he'd spoken over the past few days. Of course, with Lina gone, and Zelgadis and Amelia both in Seyruun, he didn't have anyone to talk to. But going for so long without hearing his own voice was a little disconcerting, so to fill that silence, he said softly, "Lina... Where are you?"
As luck would have it, Gourry looked up just then at the sound of a goose quacking loudly. He then saw the top of the lighthouse.
"A lighthouse?" Gourry asked, testing the sound of it. "A light building! A lighthouse! Of course!!" Gourry's spirits flew as his feet flew towards the lighthouse. When Gourry reached the tall building at the coast, he encountered a guard at the door.
"Why do you want in?" the guard asked in a gruff voice, an emotionless expression on his face.
Gourry didn't really want to tell the guard the real reason, so he tried to make something up. "I have to... um... replace the light bulb in there," he said lamely. "It's going to die."
The guard nodded, and said, "Go ahead." Obviously, the guard didn't realize that Gourry didn't have a replacement bulb with him, or that light bulbs hadn't been invented yet.
Gourry didn't care though, and just went in the door and darted up the stairs. When he reached the top of the lighthouse, he looked around. A sorcerer's light spell was what was powering the house, not a nonexistent light bulb. The spell flashed at frequent intervals, illuminating the way to shore for wayward boats.
At the base of the pillar the light was hovering above was an envelope of parchment. Gourry picked it up, and ripped it open.
You must be better at this than I'd expected. But remember, the clock is ticking. You never know when I may say time is up. Here is your next clue, however.
What has roots that no one sees,
And is taller than the trees?
Up, up it goes,
And yet it never grows.
It didn't have roots, it didn't grow, and it was taller than trees?
First Gourry tried to think of things taller than trees that didn't grow. Buildings, but they didn't have roots. That waterfall was taller than trees, but that didn't have roots either. That was difficult! How was he supposed to know what it was? It was too tricky!
Down below, a large five-mast ship was sailing through the foggy waters, unaware that he was heading directly for the lighthouse as full throttle. With the light being blocked by Gourry, the captain had no idea how close to shore they were. So the boat plowed ahead, unknowing of what would happen momentarily.
After just a few more seconds, the boat collided. It ran into shore, it's momentum knocking it into the lighthouse. The lighthouse itself, already a little shaky, started to topple. Inside, Gourry grabbed at anything he could when the building started falling over. He got hold of the pillar the light spell had been on, and held on for dear life. He closed his eyes tightly as he felt the lighthouse fall over completely. It came to a lurching halt, and the pillar became dislodged from the floor. Gourry shouted as he fell, but he didn't have far to go. He crashed into the back window, shattering the glass, and the heavy stone pillar crushing him, forcing the breath out of his lungs. Gourry could only watch as the windows on the other side shattered, raining glass down on top of him.
The boat also shattered and splintered, pieces flying every which way. Huge chunks of wood flew from the boat. Cannonballs that had been stored in the prow rolled out along the length of the lighthouse, falling in through the broken windows, or cracking the few that still remained. As those cannonballs fell, Gourry hoped to goodness that none of them fell on him. Unfortunately, his pleas weren't heard. One heavy cannonball fell squarely on his head, knocking him out cold. Luckily, Gourry had a very thick head, and the damage caused wasn't bad, but it did start bleeding freely. Being unconscious, Gourry was unaware of several other cannonballs falling on him in various places, or of the fact that people came in from the streets and managed to drag him out of the fallen lighthouse.