Agreeing to this he is killed by an agent of their King (who made the pact with the dragon) but his apprentice Galen (Peter MacNicol) resolves to complete the task in his stead.
I saw this when it was new-ish and hadn't remembered it as such a well made and complex film. At the time it was considered a special effects movie.
It plays with themes of the needs of the many, appeasement, corruption, the decline of the old ways and "heroism" being a seductive lie while still being an easily digestible fantasy movie.
An irritation is how Valerian is instantly deprotagonised as soon as she stops dressing like a man but it was 1981.
Makes things like Willow look stupid and I think it's much overlooked. Recommended 8/10.