Tartaran Unicorn

Submission for the 2017 Creature Cabal

Like it or not, most fairy tale animals aren't friendly, sapient, or even magical. They all evolved in the wild, meaning they had to be as fierce as nature would allow them to be.
Take the unicorn, for example.
Unicorns are elusive beasts, hiding in remote lowland forests and deserts. While herbivorous (some speculate their horns evolved to uproot tubers in times of drought), they are highly aggressive and are known to attack anything that does not smell like their family. This comes to a head during the mating season, where the bulkier males are in full musth. In their efforts to pass their genes on to the next generation, they will travel hundreds of miles and overcome any odds. On encountering another male, they will engage in combat, jabbing with their long horns and clawing with their fearsome hooves. Arteries are sliced, bones crushed, and in the end, at least one contender walks away crippled. Even so, they are also hardy animals- their reputation for immortality comes from the fact that they can eventually recover from the most damaging of blows, only to come back angrier and more headstrong than before.
Oh, and don't try to wish on them. You WILL regret it.

Rendered in Photoshop