The Gods in the Mirror — John Barber

The world is dark and mankind is on the verge of extinction. Small groups of humans live in isolation and scavenge artifacts left by the ancient people. The largest settlement is called Hustown and has nearly three hundred people. The town and the people are controlled by the priests who claim to talk to the gods. They don't just depend on faith to maintain their position. They provide proof in ways that keep the people convinced and under control. The priests live in relative luxury while the general populace struggles to survive and not everyone is happy about that.

Jase is a skeptic and a hunter who meets a man near death while on a hunting expedition. He nurses the man back to health and learns of a fantastic place the injured man has discovered that may shed some light on the true existence of the gods. After returning to Hustown, Jase and the man he saved, along with two of Jase's friends, decide to make a journey of discovery. Their goal is to gather information from isolated groups to share with everyone in order to make the world a better place to live but first they must reach the magical place described by the stranger in order to solve the mystery of the gods once and for all.

Their journey is long and arduous but what they find at their destination will change them and their world forever.