Unicorn & Pegasus
Unicorns and pegasus, despite their physical differences, are the same species. Their wings and horns are a form of sexual dimorphism. Pegasus are all female, while unicorns are the male of the species.
When first born they are mottled black and white, similar to a paint horse, and will change colour depending on the conditions they are raised in. Adults are only ever solid white or black in colour, with their colourations matching whether or not they are primarily nocturnal or diurnal; their colourations are believed to be camouflage for the night sky and daytime clouds.
Generally they avoid dirty areas and live in open plains beside large forests or in lush mountain ranges. Though, wherever they may live, their territories tend to be under the open sky and near a clean body of water.
They are a rare species to interact with due to their skittish natures, though they are not endangered.
Pegasus are beautiful equine creatures with large feathered wings joining behind their shoulders on their withers. They are very shy and skittish, avoiding anything outside of their own species and relying on the unicorn head of their herd for warnings of predators. They stay in large family herds together regardless of location or presence of a unicorn.
Unicorns are wingless and have a long, sharp horn in the centre of their forehead. They are generally aggressive, though have an affinity for children and if approached calmly they may allow a child to pet them. Though they socialise with pegasus they are mostly solitary from other unicorns, and will often be chased out of their birth herds by the dominant male at around 4-5 eclipses old. After leaving their birth herd they will either seek out a new herd and fight the current unicorn for dominance, or collect pegasus straying from other herds to form their own. Some unicorns may travel with a male sibling, but in these cases one will always be clearly dominant over the other.
The males’ horns are used in their sparring and are coated with an oozing, glittery liquid that allows bacteria to fester in any scratches or wounds made by the horn. Despite this, their horns are often powdered and used as an aphrodisiac.
Because of how beautiful they are they are often captured in an attempt to tame them; however, due to the unicorn’s aggression and the pegasus’ skittish nature, this is rarely successful.