Monster Crown - Ivan character profile

"Ivan and his Salalisk are an odd-looking pair, but the teenage boy and his monster are inseparable. Having found an egg when he was a small child, his parents threw the egg into the fireplace to dispose of it - only for it to hatch into a strange monster. Ivan has grown alongside the monster for as long as he can remember, and often Salalisk has been his only comfort in a home with his strict and often neglectful parents.

Mistreating boy and beast alike, [Ivan's parents] believed the monster would grow up bloodthirsty and that their child was a fool for trusting a wild creature. After an argument in which Ivan’s parents threatened physical punishment, Salalisk lashed out to protect the boy - and soon after, the odd pair ran from home, never looking back. Though it can be tough out in the wild, together the shy but stubborn Ivan and the slithery, stalking Salalisk survive with each other’s help and respect."